Pitcairn islanders challenge sex convictionsFrom Roger Maynard in Sydney
Six men found guilty of sexual assault and rape against young girls on the remote Pacific island of Pitcairn, launched an appeal against their convictions today via a satellite video link with a New Zealand courtroom.
Four of the men, who include Pitcairn’s mayor Steve Christian, were jailed and the remaining two received non-custodial sentences, although none has been imprisoned, pending the outcome of this month’s appeal.
They claim that they should not be subject to British law, as their ancestors severed all ties with England when they burnt HMS Bounty at Pitcairn on January 23, 1790, after the infamous mutiny in which Fletcher Christian seized control of the vessel from Lieutenant William Bligh.
Defence lawyers have also argued that laws covering serious offences on Pitcairn were never properly introduced or promulgated by the British authorities.
The convicted men insist that because Britain never controlled the island, its legal system did not apply. However, prosecution lawyers submitted historic documents claiming that the islanders had always been fully aware that English law worked in tandem with Pitcairn legislation .
Christine Gordon, prosecuting, an Auckland lawyer appointed by the British Government, said that the hearing was likely to last for at least a week and possibly into next week. "We will be calling some evidence, so there will be some evidence and legal issues as well," she added.
Last October’s conviction of the six islanders followed a special court hearing on Pitcairn, which is one of the world’s most isolated communities.
The 47 residents make their living from the sale of postage stamps and wooden handicrafts to the occasional passing cruise ship. Most of them are descendants from the Bounty mutineers who settled there in search of a safe haven where they could not be found by the Royal Navy.
Even members of the current population bear the names of the original mutineers and speak a hybrid of Tahitian and 18th century English. Many on the rocky outcrop, which lies roughly between New Zealand and Peru, fear their isolated habitat would be decimated if any of their menfolk are imprisoned.
A specially-built jail has already been constructed on Pitcairn to house the convicted men if their appeal fails. Five more islanders have also been charged with sexual assault and are expected to face court in the next few months.
A separate challenge to Britain’s sovereignty over Pitcairn will be made to the Privy Council in London later this year.
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