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Crackdown on 'sex tourists' urged UK 'fails to prevent sex tourism'
(1 day later)
The government should make more use of powers to restrict the travel rights of child sex offenders, a report by charity Ecpat UK has recommended. The government is "turning a blind eye" to British sex tourists and failing to prevent abuse despite having laws in place for 10 years, claims a charity.
Ecpat said "tools to protect children abroad" were not used by authorities, with only five sex offenders prosecuted for child sex abuse abroad since 1997. The Home Office said the UK had tough laws but children's charity Ecpat UK wants an overhaul of the way Britain deals with nationals convicted abroad.
It compared this level to more than 65 prosecutions by US authorities and over 25 by Australian authorities. It wants offenders returned to the UK, put on the sex offenders register, and in some cases have travel restricted.
The Home Office said child-sex tourists do face prosecution in the UK. Gary Glitter is due to be freed from a Vietnamese jail and deported to the UK.
The report comes ahead of the release of former singer Gary Glitter, jailed in Vietnam for child molestation. The report from the children's rights charity comes ahead of the ex-pop star being deported by the Vietnamese government after serving 27 months in prison for child molestation.
He is set to be deported to the UK on Tuesday after serving 27 months in prison in Vietnam for child molestation. The 63 year old, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, was convicted in 2006 for molesting two Vietnamese girls aged 11 and 12. They go from one country to the next or they may stay underground in the first country where the offence has taken place - we lose track of them Christine BeddoeEcpat
Glitter, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, was convicted in 2006 for molesting two Vietnamese girls aged 11 and 12. He had his three-year sentence cut last year under a national amnesty, and is due to be sent back to Britain on Tuesday. He will then be interviewed by UK police and required to sign the sex offenders' register.
The 63-year-old had his three-year sentence cut last year under a national amnesty. But Ecpat said tools to protect children were not being used fully by the British authorities, with only five sex offenders prosecuted for abuse abroad since 1997.
In its report Ecpat argues that the government has failed to prevent child-sex tourism despite having laws in place to obstruct offenders. It said this compared with more than 65 prosecutions by US authorities and over 25 by Australian authorities.
British law enforcement has the tools to protect children abroad, they just don't use them Christine BeddoeEcpat The charity - which campaigns against the commercial sexual exploitation of children - said between 2006 and 2008 at least 15 British nationals were charged in Thailand alone for the sexual abuse of children.
Ecpat said between 2006 and 2008 at least 15 British nationals were charged in Thailand alone for the sexual abuse of children. And others have been prosecuted in India, Ghana, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Albania. Many had been teachers or volunteers in orphanages, said Epcat.
And others have been prosecuted in India, Ghana, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Albania. ECPAT's Christine Beddoe explains the charity's concerns
Ecpat wants ministers to return offenders to the UK after sentencing so they can be placed on the sex offenders register, risk assessed and managed. Ministers should return offenders to the UK immediately after sentencing so they can be placed on the sex offenders register, risk-assessed and managed, said the report.
And, where appropriate, it says future foreign travel should possibly be restricted. Director of Ecpat Christine Beddoe said it was often only cases involving celebrities that caught public attention, and that it was too easy for abusers to stay off the radar of British police.
The charity argues that Foreign Travel Orders (FTO) - civil orders developed to restrict the travel by UK registered sex offenders - have not been used enough. "The biggest problem is in the twilight zone of international jurisdictions when offenders don't come back to the UK immediately. They go from one country to the next or they may stay underground in the first country where the offence has taken place. We lose track of them."
Joint investigationsJoint investigations
The report also said future foreign travel should be restricted, where appropriate.
The charity argued Foreign Travel Orders (FTO) - civil orders developed to restrict the travel by UK registered sex offenders - had not been used enough.
An FTO requires an offender to notify police if he or she intends to travel and the information is shared with police at the destination.An FTO requires an offender to notify police if he or she intends to travel and the information is shared with police at the destination.
If the police have any evidence that an offender intends to commit an offence abroad they can prevent him or her from visiting that country or travelling at all. If there is evidence an offender intends to commit an offence abroad they can prevent them from visiting that country or travelling at all.
The Home Office said five FTOs were granted between 2004/5 and 2006/7.The Home Office said five FTOs were granted between 2004/5 and 2006/7.
More than 3,000 similar bans have been issued to prevent football hooligans travelling.More than 3,000 similar bans have been issued to prevent football hooligans travelling.
Ecpat's report makes the following recommendations: Ecpat's report also made the following recommendations:
• The UK should develop stronger bilateral co-operation relationships with relevant countries.• The UK should develop stronger bilateral co-operation relationships with relevant countries.
• Joint investigation teams should be developed with other national law enforcement agencies.• Joint investigation teams should be developed with other national law enforcement agencies.
• The use and effectiveness of Foreign Travel Orders should be reviewed to restrict travel for high-risk sex offenders. • Agreements with foreign governments should be constructed to deport and chaperone convicted offenders back to the UK, to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
• Agreements with foreign governments should be constructed to deport and chaperone convicted offenders back to the UK to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register. Meanwhile, the Home Office said while more could always be done to keep children safe, the UK had "some of the toughest laws in the world".
"British law enforcement has the tools to protect children abroad - they just don't use them," said Christine Beddoe of Ecpat. It added that a recent change to the law meant those who commit sex offences against children abroad now faced prosecution in the UK.
Meanwhile, the Home Office said the UK has "some of the toughest laws in the world", adding that a recent change to the law means those who commit sex offences against children abroad now face prosecution in the UK. Ecpat said it was too easy for offenders to stay off the radar of UK police
This "sends a strong message to so-called sex-tourists that they won't get away with targeting other countries with less strict controls than the UK," a Home Office spokesman said. This "sends a strong message to so-called sex-tourists that they won't get away with targeting other countries with less strict controls than the UK," said the Home Office spokesman.
"From the autumn, we also intend to make registered sex offenders notify the police of any travel abroad.""From the autumn, we also intend to make registered sex offenders notify the police of any travel abroad."
'Prosecution increase' They added that Britain had recently signed the Council of Europe's Convention on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, "which sets standards to ensure that countries criminalise the sexual exploitation and abuse of children".
He added that Britain had recently signed the Council of Europe's Convention on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, "which sets standards to ensure that countries criminalise the sexual exploitation and abuse of children and adopt similar standards of investigation".
"We will also take any further action that is necessary, and believe these changes that we have made will see the number of sex offenders' prosecuted increase."
Last month new rules came into force which meant that British "sex tourists" who abuse children abroad could face prosecution in the UK even if their actions were legal in the country they visited.Last month new rules came into force which meant that British "sex tourists" who abuse children abroad could face prosecution in the UK even if their actions were legal in the country they visited.
The rules are part of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.
In some countries, possessing indecent images of children is not illegal, or the age of consent is lower than 16.In some countries, possessing indecent images of children is not illegal, or the age of consent is lower than 16.