BRITISH PAEDOPHILE ESCAPES JUSTICE IN TRIAL FIASCO

‘Balita Pinoy’ http://www.balitapinoy.net
September 2006

CAMPAIGNERS HOPE THAT BRITISH POLICE WILL PROSECUTE UNDER BRITISH LAWS

MANILA.

Barry Raymond Edwards, a British subject, was on trial charged on three counts of rape and the sexual abuse of children at the Regional trial court of Angeles City, about 60 miles north of Manila. However this trial has ended in farce as vital video evidence and a key witness were not produced in court.

The case against him is to be provisionally dismissed according to Judge Pinto because the child victim and complainant was not brought to court by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The child witnesses were given to the care and custody of the DSWD run Haven Home for abused children Magalang, Pampanga. Numerous cases against foreign pedophiles, women and child sexual exploiters, and traffickers, have
collapsed because the child witness ran away from the DSWD.

The case has been dismissed provisionally, according to Judge Pinto, because the child witness is nowhere to be found. This is not because a judgement on the basis of its merits. However, none of the video tapes found in Edwards’ possession were presented in court. The decision has not been formally signed.

These video tapes showed Edwards committing sex acts with minors, and would have been critical evidence in securing Edwards’ conviction.

The Preda foundation a child protection agency based in Olongapo City, Zambales has pursued Edwards for years to bring him to justice. However in this case the DSWD did not refer the child witness to the custody and protection of Preda. The world renowned organization which has received three nominations for the Nobel peace prize has had several successful prosecutions in recent years against paedophiles.

Following the collapse of the case against Edwards, Preda has filed a petition to the Immigration commissioner Alipio Fernadez Jr. to have him declared an undesirable alien and to have him turned over to the British police together with the crates of child and adult pornography some which show him sexually abusing minors. According to sources the British police are to request the Philippine authorities to turn over the videos and hundreds of photos child pornography to them so they can bring charges against him in Britain.

“The biggest problem facing the successful prosecution of the traffickers and paedophiles, especially the foreigners is the incompetence and corruption of some prosecutors and the inability of the government to protect the child witnesses. I asked the government to allow Preda to protect them but they do not co-operate and usually send victims of trafficking home to the Province to avoid the trouble of a court case”. Father Shay Cullen the founder of the Preda foundation for children said in a press statement. [End]