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Longboats are vital to survival |
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| PITCAIRN CASE TO START |
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Seven men who live in one of the most remote spots in the world are going on trial charged with a string of sex offences dating back more than 40 years. Just 47 people live on Pitcairn Island, all descendents of the mutineers from HMS Bounty who arrived there in 1790.
The seven accused men include the mayor of the island, Steve Christian, and his son Randy. The court decided to reveal their identities because they were already known to residents of the island and had been widely published on websites across the world. The men face a total of 96 abuse charges, but residents of the Pacific Ocean island believe the trial threatens the survival of their close-knit community. Many of the witnesses will give evidence via video link from New Zealand. The arrival of three judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers and the media has doubled the population of the tiny volcanic island. The large and complex case began when an islander claimed to a visiting British policewoman that she had been sexually abused. The alleged abuse involves girls as young as 12. The court will be run under British law, but staffed by New Zealanders. The islanders eke out a living selling postage stamps to collectors and handicrafts to tourists on passing cruise liners. Many women on the island have said that underage sex is normal in the Pitcairn Islands, is always consensual, and has been going on for generations. They also fear that if the men, half of the island's adult population, are convicted, then their very future will be at stake. The men are required to man the longboats which bring supplies to the island, and if the longboats cannot run, then the island may not survive. |
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