Posted on 04/14/2008 1:24:05 PM PDT by knighthawk
The Dutch Labour Party is demanding an emergency parliamentary debate on what has become known as the Brazilian child pornography case.
Labour MP Khadija Arib wants Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin to explain to the house why two Dutch men cannot be extradited to Brazil to serve their sentences.
The two were sentenced to 17 and 21 years' imprisonment by a Brazilian court for child pornography offences, including the abuse of 24 girls. They managed to leave Brazil using emergency Dutch passports, which they obtained from the Dutch consulate in Rio de Janeiro while awaiting the result of their appeal.
In the Netherlands one of the men was subsequently sentenced to 240 hours community service in connection with the case. No charges at all were brought against the other man. An appeal against this decision by the public prosecutor's office is currently in progress.
No extradition treaty According to The Hague the men cannot now be sent back to serve their prison sentences because the Netherlands has no extradition treaty with Brazil. But lawyers from the Dutch children's rights organization Terre des Hommes argue that extradition is possible under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Lucien Stöpler of Terre des Hommes commented that the case revealed a "climate of complacency for the disgusting practices of Dutch people abroad," adding
"The Netherlands appears to be a free state for child pornography."
The organization supports the Brazilian federal court's attempts to have the men extradited. However, Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has said he sees no reason to bring a case against the Netherlands for breaching the United Nations convention.
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende stated that it was wong for the men to be issued with passports.
The Dutch Ministry of Justice is busy conducting further investigations into the matter. But a spokesman said that the affair is complicated due to the lack of an extradition treaty which would have laid out the correct procedures and furthermore, according to the Ministry, no formal request for extradition has been received from Brazil.
The two criminals could escape after being released from prison but under the condition that they could not leave the country. However they got emergency passports at the Dutch consulate at the orders of then minister Bot (CDA, Christian Democrats). Also the guy that got 240 hours service was dicharged WITH HONOR from the Dutch military (he was a marine).
This makes me so sad. To see that these child abusing criminals enjoy more rights then normal people. So next time some one from Europe comes to you about how bad the US is, well just mention this sad case.
Ping
Holland's penalty of only 10 hours of community service per count of child molestation means that they take drunken driving far more seriously.
Where I live, both men would get preposterous sentences of maybe 50-75 years per count. 1250 years in prison, or something. Believe me, there are prisoners serving sentences that long.
Why can’t they decide on a case-by-case basis and skip having to have a treaty?
Are the perps named kalpoe or van der sloot?
But lawyers from the Dutch children's rights organization Terre des Hommes argue that extradition is possible under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
They Dutch Lawyers want some idiot UN Convention to replace what is now Dutch law.
The solution is simple. Sign an extradition treaty with Brazil under the currently recognized norms for such things. Then deport these creeps so they can serve their righteously earned sentences.
But this "UN Convention" crap needs to be stopped in its tracks.
L
Not only is this very sad, knighthawk...it’s outrageous!
I’m sorry for you, and your country. :o(
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