WHICH WITCH HUNT WILL WIN!
In the latest episode in the living drama that is the Phnom
Penh Paedophile NGO soap opera, it appears NGOs may have been have been grassing each other
up as they face just one scandal after another.
Penh Paedophile NGO soap opera, it appears NGOs may have been have been grassing each other
up as they face just one scandal after another.
First there was the SISHA financial scandal. Then came the
Somaly Man allegations.
Somaly Man allegations.
Now the Child Protection Unit of the Cambodian Children’s
Fund is under attack. But this time the attacker appears to come from inside
another NGO.
Fund is under attack. But this time the attacker appears to come from inside
another NGO.
The latest victim is James McCabe a former Victoria, Australian,
police officer, who has been exposed by the Cambodia Daily News as a policeman
who was jailed in 2008 after a trial in which he was accused of setting up a
robbery and stealing a vast amount of drugs from a trafficker. ABC Australia’s ‘Four Corners’ tackled the subject on their programme ‘Corruption Inc’.
police officer, who has been exposed by the Cambodia Daily News as a policeman
who was jailed in 2008 after a trial in which he was accused of setting up a
robbery and stealing a vast amount of drugs from a trafficker. ABC Australia’s ‘Four Corners’ tackled the subject on their programme ‘Corruption Inc’.
Of course that’s not good. But this appears to have been an
open secret in Phnom Penh for quite a while. Its all over Google. He did after all go back from Cambodia to Australia to face charges. And he’s done his time!
open secret in Phnom Penh for quite a while. Its all over Google. He did after all go back from Cambodia to Australia to face charges. And he’s done his time!
Scott Neeson, head of the CCF.
said: “There are not many people you can turn your back on here and feel safe
but Mr McCabe is one of them. I trust him emphatically.
“Absolutely everybody knows about his involvement with the
CPU and his past. We have on our Board Chief Federal Magistrate John Pascoe and
series people. They all know about Jim, and they have all met.”
CPU and his past. We have on our Board Chief Federal Magistrate John Pascoe and
series people. They all know about Jim, and they have all met.”
Mr McCabe was the former boss in Victoria of Steve Morrish
former head of SISHA, (South East Asia Investigations into Social and Humanitarian Activities)
former head of SISHA, (South East Asia Investigations into Social and Humanitarian Activities)
COMMENT: This story would have been valid had the information not been in the public domain. The background and timing of these revelations is interesting. Could the Cambodia Daily News, which did excellent work on Somaly Mam, have been used this time?
COMMENT
(Scott Neeson, a former top executive of Fox Studios in Hollywood, gave up his career to help Cambodian children. I do not believe I am sticking my neck out by saying he is certainly a man I would put my trust in.)
The discussion of child sexual abusers, or alleged child
sexual abusers in Cambodia, is fraught with obstacles. Once tainted with the
accusation of child sexual abuse the alleged abuser is finished.
sexual abusers in Cambodia, is fraught with obstacles. Once tainted with the
accusation of child sexual abuse the alleged abuser is finished.
His life is over. He will never recover from the storm of
abuse. He will have difficulty ever getting a job. He will be abused in jail. That’s why it is important to get the convictions right.
abuse. He will have difficulty ever getting a job. He will be abused in jail. That’s why it is important to get the convictions right.
But recently international police agencies appear to have
presented a cavalier approach to the arrest of child sexual abusers in Phnom
Penh.
presented a cavalier approach to the arrest of child sexual abusers in Phnom
Penh.
On a recent programme aired in the U.K., when asked why his
organisation CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) had little success
in bringing back to the UK and putting on trial child sexual abusers caught in
the act abroad, a CEOP spokesman admitted that his organisation preferred
leaving the prosecutions to local police authorities. This programme specifically dealt with Cambodia.
organisation CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) had little success
in bringing back to the UK and putting on trial child sexual abusers caught in
the act abroad, a CEOP spokesman admitted that his organisation preferred
leaving the prosecutions to local police authorities. This programme specifically dealt with Cambodia.
That comment would be fair enough in a general context. But Cambodia I can say with certainty is a country which has difficulty applying any rules of evidence, let alone justice.
CEOP ran ‘Operation Ore’ in the UK. This was an operation to round up thousands
of people who had subscribed to a ‘child porn’ site in the U.S. and given their
credit card numbers. It was described as a success. Pete Townsend of ‘The Who’
was one of those rounded up.
of people who had subscribed to a ‘child porn’ site in the U.S. and given their
credit card numbers. It was described as a success. Pete Townsend of ‘The Who’
was one of those rounded up.
 |
| Jim Gamble former head of Britain’s CEOP, who resigned after a decision to merge the unit, pictured outside a prison cell where alleged paedophiles were being housed in Phnom Penh. There is controversy over this picture taken while filming for ‘America’s Most Wanted’ with the show’s host John Walsh. |
He insisted at the time that he had simply been conducting ‘research’ when he paid £7 with his credit card in 1999 to access a website bearing the message ‘click here for child porn’.
Despite his denials of harbouring depraved desires, he accepted a police caution, and was duly placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years.
He said in his autobiography that he wanted to put a gun to his head.
Many of those arrested in ‘Operation Ore’ were innocent, as investigative journalist Duncan
Campbell later revealed, and some 30 people DID commit suicide. You can read about it here.
Campbell later revealed, and some 30 people DID commit suicide. You can read about it here.
But can people in the main investigated by these NGOs actually ever get a fair trial in Phnom
Penh?
Penh?
There is actually now evidence
that at least one Embassy, which has been monitoring court cases has actually
been covering up mistrials, hiding behind Britain’s Data Protection Act.
that at least one Embassy, which has been monitoring court cases has actually
been covering up mistrials, hiding behind Britain’s Data Protection Act.
On this site we may shortly be taking a closer look at this touchy issue. Its a world habituated by people in total denial of their evil behaviour being chased by an increasing number of sometimes ‘gung ho’ ngos. In Phnom Penh. Few get off on technicalities – but if they do it will have cost them dearly. And its rough justice.
Corruption still plays a major part.
Aple, probably the best rated NGO, was able to catch a German paedophile, who using sophisticated software was making and marketing his child porn to the world. Investigation of another seems to have been flouted by his connections to the authorities. Gary Glitter lived in Phnom Penh with impunity, befriending a former Minister with similar interests. He left under international pressure when his presence was discovered by the press. But is the war being won? Although the problem is being removed from the streets it seems anyone, particularly television documentary makers, can travel to Phnom Penh and be offered children.
Is the message getting through to the suppliers?
I hope you do take on this task to look further into this industry. Tis the scourge of the planet and any and every child deserves protection from this in every way possible. But, make sure it is done right and any person that has the tiniest chance of being truly innocent, do not tar them and ruin their life, nothing would be worse to be tarred with that feather and be totally innocent of even the slightest thought of it.
It is a diificult situation to gain absolute proof in these types of crimes, but it needs to be done and then that person followed till the end, made sure no get out of jail free cards have been bought and if they have, then dealt with by whatever means possible.
Scott Neeson seems to be an absolute outstanding individual. If only there were many more like him about the planet.
I fail to see an issue with this McCabe character.