ECPAT UK welcomes the conviction by the Supreme Court in Mumbai of two UK nationals Duncan Grant and Alan John Waters, each sentenced to six years imprisonment for sodomy and sexually abusing five boys in the Anchorage orphanage, Mumbai. ECPAT UK has been monitoring this case since the 1990s when the first allegations of sexual abuse were made by children in the Anchorage Orphanage, a shelter for homeless boys, set up by Grant in 1995.

Due to a lack of international cooperation these offenders were able to travel despite international arrest warrants being issued on both of them in 2002. Grant travelled from the UK to Kenya and onto Tanzania later in 2002 where he set up another orphanage.

Grant was eventually extradited from Tanzania to Britain in 2004, although he was not apprehended when he returned to the UK, and was finally arrested at Mumbai airport after he arrived from London in June 2005.

As detailed in the recent ECPAT UK report ‘Off the Radar – Protecting Children from British Sex Offenders who Travel’, ECPAT UK is calling for improved international cooperation between countries and jurisdictions, so that child sex offenders, particularly those who are wanted by police, cannot travel to countries to abuse vulnerable children with impunity.

Christine Beddoe, Director of ECPAT UK said today that, 'This sends a strong message that British travelling sex offenders can no longer travel abroad and get away with abusing children without fear of punishment. These offenders are a threat and a serious danger to children here in the UK and abroad if they are not stopped.’

Background – Duncan GRANT and Alan WATERS
Back in 2006, Duncan Grant and Alan Waters were found guilty of charges of sodomy and assault, fined $35,000 each and sentenced to six years imprisonment for the sexual abuse of children at the Anchorage Orphanage in Mumbai.
However, in 2008 Grant and Waters appealed against the sentence and were acquitted by the Mumbai High Court of the 2006 convictions related to sexually abusing children at the Anchorage orphanage in India. During this appeal the child victims’ testimonies were not recognised, and lack of evidence was cited as a reason for the acquittal.

18th March 2011

ENDS

Notes to editors:
Media contact: Christine Beddoe, Director ECPAT UK  Mobile 07906 341 889 or 020 7233 9887.

ECPAT UK has been working to end the sexual exploitation of children overseas by British nationals for almost 20 years and we have documented over 120 cases of Britons accused of such crimes during this period. In 2010, ECPAT UK was made aware of over a dozen cases committed in countries including India, Cambodia and Romania. 

ECPAT UK stands for End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes. ECPAT UK is part of the international ECPAT network in over 70 countries.