pedophiles the gambia

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A tourist wades into the body of water with a minor African child in The Republic of the gambia - where child sex abuse is rife

Gambian children are being sold to British paedophiles for every bit trivial every bit £ii-a-time by their desperate parents, Lord's day Online can reveal.

Huge numbers of predators are taking advantage of lax laws in the poverty stricken African country to commence on sick child abuse holidays where they openly target little boys and girls.

Sun Online saw first hand how poor Gambian children can be vulnerable to British paedos when we visited the embankment resorts that dot Kololi on the land'due south picturesque Atlantic coastline.

Our reporter was constantly shocked by the number of unaccompanied African minors he saw being cared for by middle-aged, Western men who did not appear to be their biological fathers.

gambia pedophiles child british man

A human with a British accent holds a scared toddler in his arms

The encounters witnessed included a girl anile betwixt 6 and eight having lunch with a balding, white haired human being in a restaurant filled with similarly aged tourists.

The same day we saw a stoutly congenital man in his 50s or 60s wading into the ocean gripping the mitt of a tiny African child in white swimming shorts.

Every bit unsettling was the sight of a Gambian toddler watching wide-eyed with fear every bit a middle-aged white woman got into a fist fight with a young blackness prostitute at a popular beach bar.

It was 11.30pm at night and the air was thick with cigarette smoke. The child, no older than two, was being held closely by a white man with a British emphasis.

Children sold for £2

Our investigation comes as experts warn that the economic crunch unleashed past the collapse of travel firm Thomas Melt is helping plow the erstwhile British colony into a "paedophile paradise" where perverts can operate unchecked.

Thomas Cook flew 45 per cent of The Gambia's 100,000 annual visitors from the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland to the capital Banjul until it went into liquidation nether the weight of its debts in September.

The gambia map pedophiles

In an sectional interview, Lamin Fatty, the National Coordinator of the Child Protection Alliance in The gambia, reveals that both male person and female person tourists are targeting African minors.

He warns: "Sex is cheap in my land and children are being sold for as little as 150 dalasis, or just over £2 in your currency. Some of the parents know their children are being driveling and they have it because they are so desperate for food in their bellies.

"Others are too naïve to realise. They recall the Westerner is paying their bills and helping their male child or daughter out of the kindness of their center, while in reality they accept bad intentions.

"Kid abuse is going on all the fourth dimension in The gambia and the government is non doing enough to put a stop to information technology.

The Gambia pedophiles

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Two schoolhouse-age girls play at the feet of two men, their mums nowhere in sight

"Our children are being approached directly on the beaches or the street and child abusers from all over Europe including the Uk are coming hither for this.

"I desire to make clear that this does not just involve men but likewise adult women who are paying for sex with teenage boys in Republic of the gambia.

"We accept laws that are supposed to finish this from happening but they are not existence enforced so we accept go a paradise for paedophiles."

Locals 'desperate' after Thomas Cook collapse

As tourism makes up one-third of the country'south GDP, at that place are fears that businesses volition go bust and locals will go hungry following an estimated fifty per cent drop in economic activity that has already hit embankment resorts.

Lawyer and children's rights advocate Malick Jallow told Lord's day Online: "While some tourists will always want to help poor Gambians, others will encounter this situation as an opportunity to exploit young children.

the gambia pedophiles britain

© My Story Media
Lamin Fatty, National Coordinator of the Children's Protection Brotherhood, said this boy shouldn't be in a bar so late at dark, adding: "We do non encourage concrete affection with minors"

"The problem is that the abuse is sometimes carried out with the blessing of the parents because they are and so in demand.

"The perception is that white people, or 'toubabs' as they call them, have stacks of cash and these parents are often excited that their child has attracted the attention of a white man.

"It really makes them feel proud then they give their permission for the male child or girl to go with the person and when the police effort to question them they will non co-operate."

'She didn't look comfortable at all'

Former Thomas Cook rep Anne Heap, 53, from Wigan, said: "These people are as poor as poor can exist — it's rare to see a child wearing shoes — and there isn't any other trade for them outside tourism.

"Thomas Cook used to always requite united states an extra 10kg luggage assart then the workers and passengers could bring aid boxes to The Gambia — basic things similar apparel, medicine and school equipment.

"The first thing I thought of when nosotros went nether was, 'What is going to happen to people in The Gambia?' We were the only airline flight directly there.I've heard that criminal offence has already shot up every bit there is not enough money coming in — the paw that feeds them is gone.

"Sex tourism is already huge in The Gambia — some confined are like brothels — and I do worry that more children volition go lured into prostitution to feed their families. When I was working there I would see former men walking with girls as immature every bit ten, 11 or 12. There is a nighttime side to The Republic of the gambia.

"One time when nosotros were flying back to Manchester there was a British man in his 70s with a girl who was only about viii or nine. This was about eight years ago. I was so concerned nigh what was going on that I got chatting to him exterior the toilet during the flight. I wanted to speak to the daughter also simply she never left her seat, she didn't look comfy at all. I reported it and border security later told me the homo had been 'apprehended' just I was not able to find out what happened to him or the daughter later on that."

Tots manus-in-hand with 'paedos'

We came across a number of tourists with young children in the West African resortCredit: My Story Media

In that location is no proof to suggest that any of the men we pictured were paedophiles.

Nevertheless the experts we showed our dossier of photos to said the police should have questioned them according to Gambian child protection laws.

Lamin Fatty said: "This does worry me because, if the children are unaccompanied, they should not exist alone in tourist areas without their parents.

"It is also forbidden for a child to be in a bar so late at nighttime and we do not encourage physical affection with minors.

"I work with young girls and boys and I would not hug them or pick them up, information technology is not advisable."

Malick Jallow added: "I would accept questioned these men had I seen them myself. Equally a lawyer and an activist, I would want to know if they have the potency to exist caring for that child. Nosotros have a lot of good Samaritans coming to Republic of the gambia but we too have people who use clemency every bit a front to hide their bad intentions.

"The security guards should accept questioned these men but there is a culture of inferiority here and they would have been scared to challenge a wealthy Westerner."

British tourists can still fly to Republic of the gambia via Lisbon with the TAP airline or via Casablanca with Royal Air Maroc. There is also a limited direct service run past 'The The gambia Experience' company and package deals can be snapped upwardly for just over £500 a person.

Pensioners taking teens to hotels

Older British women are famed for holidaying in The Gambia, where some pick up African gigolosCredit: My Story Media

Health intendance assistant Lucy Mendy, 33, from Gloucester, was trying to enjoy a winter holiday in the land she has come up to see as a second home — but says she was shocked by some of the things she had witnessed during her trip.

She said: "I've seen old men taking girls looking as immature as xv or sixteen-years-old to their hotel room.

"It fabricated me feel sick and I wish I could accept intervened, simply this is not the UK and I was scared what might have happened if I tried to confront them. People here are so poor, some of them volition practice anything for money, even if it means giving their bodies to a tourist."

Marjorie said the impact of Thomas Cook closing down was clear to run into in the resort

Lucy'southward mum, pensioner Marjorie Botton, 68, also from Gloucester, added: "The collapse of Thomas Cook has hit people so hard.

"They are getting half every bit many British tourists and that means they might not make enough money to get through the tranquillity season, which starts in April."

Dutch tourist Corina Bouwman as well witnessed suspected kid abuse during her 2 week, winter holiday in December.

The social worker, 54, said: "I've seen a number of tiny African children walking effectually with big white men. On each occasion I idea, 'What is going on hither? Where is the child'south female parent?' Merely I didn't want to accuse anyone in example I had misread the state of affairs."

'White men approach little boys and girls'

Father-of-four Abdullah Labamba, 48, runs a fruit stand side by side to i of the many hotels that line Kololi's palm-tree fringed beach and says he has witnessed paedophiles targeting vulnerable child workers selling peanuts for less than £ane a pocketbook.

the gambia pedophiles britain

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Fruit seller Abdullah Labamba, pictured, says paedos often target vulnerable kid workers selling peanuts

He said: "I've seen white men approach the little boys and girls right here on the beach. I practise my best to stop them. "I tell the children, 'Get out of here, this is non a safe place for yous.' The children will run abroad but they commonly come back. It's shocking."

"Their parents are desperate for money and they know they won't be allowed home until they take sold at to the lowest degree v bags. Some men effort to accept advantage of that by offer them £fifty for the whole basket. Then they volition ask them to come up back to go somewhere private."

Kid corruption scourge

Tragically, child abuse is now endemic in The Republic of the gambia, where 60 per cent of the 1.9m population live below the poverty line.

Previous research has shown that paedophiles often pose as charity workers and Skillful Samaritans so they tin can befriend poor families — and UNICEF has warned that The Republic of the gambia is one of Africa'due south top destinations for child sex tourism.

The Gambian government meanwhile has tried to crack down and in 2013 introduced new laws allowing them to seize hotel properties if children are knowingly abused on the premises.

They also pledged to requite out "hefty fines" and "stiff sentences" to paedophiles that are defenseless.

Only incredibly there has been but one successful prosecution since laws were tightened and that man concluded up being pardoned by the president.

Svein Agesandakar pedophile gambia

Svein Agesandakar was jailed for sexual offences against children

Norwegian teacher Svein Agesandakar, 57, was found guilty of abusing six children, the youngest aged three, in 2006.

The court heard how he had tricked his way into a hard-up Gambian family by posing as a exercise-gooder, giving the parents sacks of rice and new shoes in exchange for time alone with their large brood of six kids in a hotel room.

The paedophile had carve up convictions for kid abuse in Kingdom of norway simply was sentenced to but 3 years in jail.

Then, in 2018 President Adama Barrow decided to pardon him for reasons that have never been explained. The pardon was later revoked amidst a public outcry but experts fear his case has given a green light to other paedophiles.

ECPAT is the just kid rights charity that is solely focusing on ending the sexual exploitation of children.

Children in all countries of the world are at gamble of trafficking and prostitution, also as online dangers such every bit grooming, sextortion and the proliferation of kid sexual abuse images.

In contempo years, the travel and tourism sector has imperilled millions of children worldwide every bit travelling child sex offenders discover new victims.

To end these crimes, noesis and evidence must be of the highest possible quality to inform decisions and guide action.

Predator gratis

In October concluding yr an official UN investigation establish that Republic of the gambia's tourist areas continue to be a dangerous place for children and that predators now stay in motels and private apartments then they tin avoid prying eyes.

UN Special Rapporteur Maud de Boer-Buquicchio reported: "The rare instances when complaints are lodged with the police are not duly acted upon, the gathering of compelling evidence is delayed, and investigation and prosecution is stalled, resulting in victims or witnesses withdrawing their complaints.

"Some cases have besides reportedly been dismissed on the grounds that statements past child victims were allegedly inconsistent."

Our report comes after the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland authorities was slammed for failing to protect children overseas from British predators.

A report by the Independent Enquiry into Kid Sexual Abuse (IICSA) establish more needs to be done to make sure offenders operating in poor countries like The The gambia are caught and prosecuted.

Calling for a new national plan to tackle the problem, Debbie Beadle, Director of Programmes at the kid protection organisation ECPAT UK, said: "Nosotros hope that by bringing these institutional failings to lite, the UK can become a world leader in tackling the abuse of vulnerable children globally, and that child victims abroad are no longer 'under the radar' of authorities.

Global manhunt for Aussie paedo monster Simon Gordon Davies who ran child sex ring from charity gear up to 'assistance' homeless kids

End Child Prostitution and Trafficking - ECPAT is conducting chief enquiry, as well as bringing together information from various sectors and countries effectually the world, to form a reliable and professional range of bookish sources.The charity supports the protection of children and empowerment of 113 members in 98 countries - including The Republic of the gambia. You can donate to ECPAT here .