News Release issued by
the COI News Distribution Service on 18 September 2009
Ensuring suspected
sex offenders are swiftly brought to justice is one of the aims of
a new extradition treaty, which the United Kingdom is signing with
the Philippines today.
The Philippines has been known as a destination for suspected
British sex offenders. A number of those accused of such serious
crimes are believed to have fled there from the United Kingdom.
Once ratified this new treaty will help bring suspected sex
offenders, and others suspected of committing such serious crimes,
to justice. It will help ensure that victims of such offences see
that justice is being done.
Home Office Minister Lord West said:
"The government is committed to bringing suspected
serious criminals to justice. Crime respects no borders in our
increasingly globalised world and extradition treaties help ensure
that those alleged to have committed the most serious offences
face criminal proceedings.
"Police are aware that the Philippines is a destination
for alleged sex offenders. The crimes they commit should not go
unpunished simply because they have crossed a border. It is vital
that our law enforcement agencies have effective tools to bring
suspected offenders to justice as quickly as possible. Today marks
a vital step in making that happen."
The treaty will be formally signed later today by Business
Secretary Lord Mandelson and Alberto Romulo, the Philippines
Foreign Affairs Secretary, who is currently in the UK as part of a
state visit.
Jim Gamble, Chief Executive of the Child Exploitation and Online
Protection Centre (CEOP), said:
"As a result of its activities to understand how sex
offenders travel to abuse children, and in conjunction with its
counterparts in the Philippines, CEOP laid the groundwork for
establishing these treaties. What we can say therefore is that the
world where offenders can hide is getting ever smaller. Effective
police collaboration, backed by the kind of developments we see
today, can only be good for protecting children and bad news for
those who think they can travel to avoid detection."
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said:
"The treaties will further strengthen our good relations
with the Philippines and help ensure that those who have committed
or are accused of serious crimes will face justice in the courts.
Improved judicial co-operation will therefore deliver significant
benefits to both countries."
The UK and the Philippines will also sign a treaty of mutual
legal assistance in criminal matters. This will ensure if evidence
required for the investigation or trial of an alleged offence in
the UK is located in the Philippines, that the UK will be able to
obtain this evidence in an admissible form in the quickest manner
possible.
NOTE TO EDITORS
1. The treaty will be implemented once the respective
ratification processes in the UK and the Philippines have been
completed.
193/2009
Contacts:
Home Office Press Office
Phone: 020 7035 3535
NDS.HO@coi.gsi.gov.uk