** PITCAIRN ISLANDS [and non]. SEX SCANDAL GRIPS REMOTE ISLAND

The mayor of tiny Pitcairn Island --- home to the descendants of the
18th-century Bounty mutineers --- is among seven men accused in a
string of sexual assaults in the isolated community dating back
decades. Steve Christian, one of the island’s most prominent members,
along with his son, Randy, and five other men face 55 charges,
including rape, indecent assault and gross indecency.

The names were unveiled yesterday after a court rejected an eleventh-
hour application by the defence to halt the trials because of alleged
judicial bias.

It was the latest legal challenge to the trial of the men --- who
account for half the island`s adult male population --- over
allegations of sex abuse dating back 40 years. The charges stem from
1999, when an islander told a visiting British policewoman she had
been sexually abused.

The size and complexity of the case is unprecedented on Pitcairn
Island, where descendants of the mutineers on the British navy ship
HMS Bounty, led by Fletcher Christian, arrived in 1790. The
inhabitants eke out a living by selling postage stamps to collectors
and handicrafts to tourists on cruise liners.

The Pitcairn Islands are a group of five rocky volcanic outcrops ---
only the largest of which is inhabited --- with an area of 47 square
kilometres (The Province Newspaper Vancouver, BC 9/30/2004, via Bruce
MacGibbon, DXLD)

The sexual abuse trial is making world news, an item on BBCWS at 1400
UT Sept 30; first person tried is Steve Christian, 53, mayor of
Pitcairn. He is not among those listed with ham calls at
http://library.puc.edu/pitcairn/pitcairn/contact.shtml

To keep track of who`s related to whom, this is convenient:
http://library.puc.edu/pitcairn/pitc...pulation.shtml

``Steven (Steve) Raymond Christian, 50, Son of Dobrey. Husband of
Olive. Father of Randy. Grandfather of Bradley and Emily. Island
Magistrate and Engineer.``

I happened to catch this on 17640; at 1400, one could hear right next
to each other, with their distinctive accents and modulations, three
major stations with English news: 17640 BBCWS, 17645 VOR, 17650 CRI;
how convenient. Later VOR found \\ on better 15605.

We don`t plan to cover all the gory details here, but keep track of
the story because of general interest in this extremely remote
community, and the fact that many of the people are hams. Of course,
we presume innocence until proven otherwise. Such as this from the
Sydney Morning Herald and other stories there which may require
registration: (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

PITCAIRN MAYOR ACCUSED AS PACK LEADER IN SEX TRIALS
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/...?oneclick=true

.. . .The seven accused are among only 12 adult males on the island.
The other accused are Steve Christian's son Randy, 30; Len Brown, 78,
and his son [VP6DB] David, 49; the island's postmaster [VP6DR] Dennis
Christian, 49; [VP6TY] Terry Young, 45, and the island's chairman
[VP6JC] Jay Warren, 48. All except Warren, a former magistrate, trace
their descent to the mutineers from the Bounty. . . (Sydney Morning
Herald via Bruce MacGibbon, DXLD)

We inserted the ham calls, where applicable, from the page above. The
fourth half-hour of Oct 1 NPR All Things Considered, 2350 UT, also had
a report on this, interview with RNZ reporter, penultimate item in
entire show, and will be demandable. No mention of ham radio! (gh, DXLD)



dxAce wrote:

** PITCAIRN ISLAND. The sexual-abuse trials got underway today, I
heard on a brief R. Australia report. Among the names mentioned was
Christian. Some of those testifying will do so remotely from New
Zealand (where I believe there are more Pitcairners than on the Island
itself). Since the population is so small, it is highly likely that
some of those involved are hams and Seventh Day Adventists. Recommend
monitoring RNZI or RA for news about this. NETS TO YOU toward the
bottom includes Pitcairn ham monitoring tips (Glenn Hauser, Sept 29,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)
================================================

dxAce
Michigan

http://www.iserv.net/~n8kdv/dxpage.htm