Australian investigated in Vietnam for Child Sex

AP reported yesterday that an Australian man is being sought for questioning by Vietnamese police for alleged child sexual abuse.

It is also reported that he was working last year as a volunteer at a centre for street children in Vietnam.

The man, identified by Vietnamese police as Charles Charlton White, 71, volunteered for about three months at a centre for disadvantaged children in Tam Ky town, in the central Quang Nam province, said Nguyen Xuan Hung, deputy police chief in Tam Ky and it remained unclear whether he was in Vietnam or had left the country.

The Tien Phong (Pioneer) newspaper reported on Monday that an American aid worker had accused him of sexually abusing children at the centre last year.

In Canberra, a spokeswoman with the Australian Federal Police confirmed that Australian authorities initiated the investigation by seeking Vietnamese help on the case.  “The AFP is currently working with Vietnamese authorities and have sought the assistance of Vietnamese police in locating an individual”.  “As this matter is subject to a Vietnamese inquiry, it would be inappropriate of AFP to make further comment.”

Police in Quang Nam province said White was placed at a training centre for street kids through the New Zealand-based Global Volunteer Network program and a staffer at their Wellington office, who refused to give her name, confirmed to AP that he started as a volunteer in August, but left the program in November.

Nguyen Van Kiet, deputy director of Quang Nam Nurturing and Training Centre for Street Children, said the Australian spent about three months at the centre, but he was expelled from the province by authorities last November for bringing a Protestant preacher in to talk to a student.  Vietnam prohibits proselytising by unsanctioned religious groups.

Kiet said White often visited the centre with other volunteers and played with children. But he said he doubted any abuse occurred there.  “It’s unlikely that he could sexually abuse the children at the centre, “Kiet said, “I don’t know what he did outside the centre.”

Leading Australian child protection agency Child Wise commented that this scenario occurred all too frequently and they have a number of case studies which demonstrated this very regular occurrence of child sex tourism offences of this nature, particularly by Australians.

Child Wise quoted an example of 12 year old Xuan, whose mother had died.  A visitor came to her village and told her that she could have a good job as a waitress and Xuan was sadly tricked, trafficked to a different country and sold to a brothel owner. 

After being locked in a small room, she was met by the brothel owner who told her that she would have to repay the money they had paid for her, forcing her to earn money by having sex with clients came from Australia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Japan, Canada and the US. 

Child Wise added that increased sex tourism in South East Asia has resulted in more demand for children to be used as entertainment, receiving little income and being at great risk of HIV/AIDS.  They also lose the right to a future.

Child Wise is running an information session in Brisbane, which will provide the tourism industry and the public with up to date information on child sex tourism.

Date:                22^nd March 2006,

Address:           Sofitel Brisbane, 249 Turbot St.

Beer, wine and nibbles provided, courtesy of Sofitel Hotels.

Time:                5.30pm – 7.30pm

Speakers:         Australian Federal Police, Intrepid Travel and Child Wise

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