[ad_1]
Southeast Asian Correspondent Bill Birtles Zvonareva Vieira
(ABC – Australia) An Australian man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison in East Timor for abusing a girl under the age of 12.
A panel of judges at a court in the capital, Dili, found Robert Trott, 76, guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a minor.
But unexpectedly, he walked away from the courthouse, with the judge allowing him to remain in the community and giving him 30 days to file an appeal.
Trotter denied the charges and said after the verdict that he was a “victim of persecution and racism.”
He said he would appeal and present new evidence.
Trotter was originally from Adelaide but ended up living in Darwin, where he managed a pub in the suburb of Rapid Creek.
He has lived for most of the past 12 years in East Timor, one of the poorest economies in Southeast Asia.
Trott’s victims cannot be named.
Trotter initially faced 100 charges of abuse that lasted five years, starting when the victim was seven or eight years old, according to the victim’s law firm, JU, S Juridico Social.
In a statement, attorneys said the facts of the case proven in court showed Trotter showed the victim pornographic material and frequently performed sexual acts on her.
“We are satisfied with the guilty verdict and we congratulate the judiciary for its ability to weigh the evidence presented,” said Adelina Meluk Lobu, the victims’ lawyer.
However, attorneys said they believed the punishment did not adequately reflect the severity of the crime and were concerned that allowing Trotter to remain in the community would create a flight risk.
“We are confident that prosecutors and police will monitor his movements … to ensure that this convicted foreigner does not leave the country,” said Olivia Barrow Afonso, another lawyer at JU, S Juridico Social.
Trotter was first arrested in Dili in 2022, with authorities acting on a complaint made to the Australian Federal Police by an Australian citizen.
But he was released within days and the investigation stalled until charges were announced late last year.
His passport was confiscated during the investigation.
The ABC contacted Timor-Leste police for comment.
Famous people
Trotter was well known among Dili’s small community of foreigners, and several Australians who knew him told the ABC he was a charming man.
It is said that he had lived in East Timor before, speaks fluent Indonesian, and has held various positions in East Timor, including political adviser. He recently opened a barbecue restaurant run by local employees.
The ABC understands Trotter had been under surveillance by the Australian Federal Police for a number of years, with officers based in Dili also present at the sentencing hearing.
The trial in the case began in January, but Trotter successfully sought multiple adjournments on medical grounds.
He has previously told the ABC he suffers from a brain tumour and has been living in Dili during his five-month bail.
The 11-year sentence is the second-longest ever handed down in Timor-Leste to a foreigner for child abuse.
In 2021, American pastor Richard Daschbach was sentenced to 12 years in prison for abusing four girls in an orphanage.
Daschbach is currently being held in Bekera prison in Dili, and is likely to be held there as well if Trotter’s appeal fails.
related
[ad_2]
Source link
