pedophiles the gambia

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A tourist wades into the sea with a small African child in The Gambia - where child sexual practice abuse is rife

Gambian children are being sold to British paedophiles for equally footling as £ii-a-time past their desperate parents, Sun Online can reveal.

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

Sun Online saw first paw how poor Gambian children can be vulnerable to British paedos when nosotros visited the beach resorts that dot Kololi on the country'due south picturesque Atlantic coastline.

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

gambia pedophiles child british man

A man with a British emphasis holds a scared toddler in his arms

The encounters witnessed included a girl aged betwixt half-dozen and eight having lunch with a balding, white haired homo in a restaurant filled with similarly anile tourists.

The same 24-hour interval we saw a stoutly built homo in his 50s or 60s wading into the body of water gripping the hand of a tiny African kid in white swimming shorts.

Equally unsettling was the sight of a Gambian toddler watching wide-eyed with fear as 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 ii, was being held closely by a white man with a British emphasis.

Children sold for £ii

Our investigation comes equally experts warn that the economic crisis unleashed by the plummet of travel firm Thomas Melt is helping turn the onetime British colony into a "paedophile paradise" where perverts can operate unchecked.

Thomas Melt flew 45 per cent of Gambia's 100,000 annual visitors from the Britain to the capital Banjul until it went into liquidation under the weight of its debts in September.

The gambia map pedophiles

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

He warns: "Sex activity is cheap in my country and children are existence sold for as piddling as 150 dalasis, or only over £ii in your currency. Some of the parents know their children are beingness driveling and they take it because they are so desperate for food in their bellies.

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

"Child abuse is going on all the time in The Gambia and the government is not doing enough to put a stop to it.

The Gambia pedophiles

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Ii school-age girls play at the anxiety of two men, their mums nowhere in sight

"Our children are beingness approached directly on the beaches or the street and child abusers from all over Europe including the UK are coming here for this.

"I want to brand clear that this does not only involve men but also adult women who are paying for sex with teenage boys in The gambia.

"We have laws that are supposed to stop this from happening but they are not being enforced so we have go a paradise for paedophiles."

Locals 'desperate' after Thomas Cook plummet

As tourism makes up ane-third of the land's GDP, at that place are fears that businesses volition go bust and locals will get hungry following an estimated 50 per cent driblet in economic action that has already hit beach resorts.

Lawyer and children'southward rights advocate Malick Jallow told Sun Online: "While some tourists will always want to help poor Gambians, others will meet this state of affairs as an opportunity to exploit immature children.

the gambia pedophiles britain

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Lamin Fat, National Coordinator of the Children's Protection Alliance, said this boy shouldn't be in a bar so tardily at nighttime, adding: "We do non encourage physical affection with minors"

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

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

"Information technology really makes them feel proud and so they requite their permission for the boy or girl to go with the person and when the constabulary try to question them they will not co-operate."

'She didn't expect comfy at all'

Onetime Thomas Cook rep Anne Heap, 53, from Wigan, said: "These people are as poor as poor can be — it's rare to see a child wearing shoes — and in that location isn't whatsoever other trade for them outside tourism.

"Thomas Melt used to always give u.s. an extra 10kg luggage allowance so the workers and passengers could bring aid boxes to The The gambia — basic things like apparel, medicine and school equipment.

"The beginning thing I thought of when we went under was, 'What is going to happen to people in The Gambia?' We were the only airline flight directly there.I've heard that crime has already shot up as at that place is not enough coin coming in — the hand that feeds them is gone.

"Sexual practice tourism is already huge in The Republic of the gambia — some bars are like brothels — and I exercise worry that more than children volition get lured into prostitution to feed their families. When I was working there I would see former men walking with girls as immature as x, 11 or 12. There is a night side to The The gambia.

"Once when nosotros were flying back to Manchester at that place was a British man in his 70s with a girl who was only near eight or nine. This was nearly eight years agone. I was so concerned nearly what was going on that I got chatting to him exterior the toilet during the flight. I wanted to speak to the girl too but she never left her seat, she didn't wait comfortable at all. I reported it and border security after told me the man had been 'apprehended' only I was non 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 Due west African resortCredit: My Story Media

At that place is no proof to suggest that any of the men we pictured were paedophiles.

All the same 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 considering, if the children are unaccompanied, they should not be lone in tourist areas without their parents.

"Information technology is also forbidden for a kid to exist in a bar so tardily at night and nosotros practice not encourage physical affection with minors.

"I work with young girls and boys and I would non hug them or pick them upwards, it is not appropriate."

Malick Jallow added: "I would have questioned these men had I seen them myself. As a lawyer and an activist, I would want to know if they have the authority to be caring for that child. We accept a lot of good Samaritans coming to The Gambia but we also have people who utilise charity every bit a front to hide their bad intentions.

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

British tourists can still fly to The Gambia via Lisbon with the TAP airline or via Casablanca with Purple Air Maroc. In that location is besides a limited straight service run by 'The Republic of the gambia Experience' company and bundle deals tin exist snapped upwards for simply over £500 a person.

Pensioners taking teens to hotels

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

Health care banana Lucy Mendy, 33, from Gloucester, was trying to enjoy a winter holiday in the state she has come to run into as a second dwelling — just 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 young as 15 or sixteen-years-old to their hotel room.

"It made me experience ill and I wish I could have intervened, but 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 will do anything for money, even if it means giving their bodies to a tourist."

Marjorie said the impact of Thomas Melt closing down was articulate to see in the resort

Lucy's mum, pensioner Marjorie Botton, 68, also from Gloucester, added: "The collapse of Thomas Cook has hit people then difficult.

"They are getting one-half equally many British tourists and that means they might not brand enough money to get through the quiet season, which starts in Apr."

Dutch tourist Corina Bouwman likewise witnessed suspected child abuse during her 2 week, winter holiday in December.

The social worker, 54, said: "I've seen a number of tiny African children walking around with big white men. On each occasion I thought, 'What is going on here? Where is the kid's mother?' Simply I didn't want to accuse anyone in case I had misread the state of affairs."

'White men arroyo little boys and girls'

Male parent-of-four Abdullah Labamba, 48, runs a fruit stand next to one of the many hotels that line Kololi'southward palm-tree fringed beach and says he has witnessed paedophiles targeting vulnerable kid workers selling peanuts for less than £i a pocketbook.

the gambia pedophiles britain

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Fruit seller Abdullah Labamba, pictured, says paedos ofttimes target vulnerable child workers selling peanuts

He said: "I've seen white men arroyo the little boys and girls right hither on the beach. I practice my best to stop them. "I tell the children, 'Exit of here, this is not a safe place for you.' The children volition run away but they commonly come up back. Information technology's shocking."

"Their parents are drastic for money and they know they won't be immune home until they have sold at least 5 numberless. Some men try to take advantage of that past offer them £50 for the whole basket. Then they will ask them to come back to go somewhere individual."

Kid abuse scourge

Tragically, child abuse is at present endemic in The Gambia, where 60 per cent of the 1.9m population alive beneath the poverty line.

Previous research has shown that paedophiles oftentimes pose every bit charity workers and Good Samaritans so they can befriend poor families — and UNICEF has warned that The Republic of the gambia is ane of Africa's top destinations for kid sex tourism.

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

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

But incredibly there has been only i successful prosecution since laws were tightened and that man ended up being pardoned past the president.

Svein Agesandakar pedophile gambia

Svein Agesandakar was jailed for sexual offences against children

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

The court heard how he had tricked his style into a hard-up Gambian family by posing as a do-gooder, giving the parents sacks of rice and new shoes in exchange for fourth dimension solitary with their large breed of six kids in a hotel room.

The paedophile had dissever convictions for child abuse in Norway but was sentenced to just iii 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 amongst a public outcry but experts fearfulness his example has given a green light to other paedophiles.

ECPAT is the merely child rights charity that is solely focusing on ending the sexual exploitation of children.

Children in all countries of the world are at risk of trafficking and prostitution, equally well equally online dangers such as grooming, sextortion and the proliferation of child sexual abuse images.

In recent years, the travel and tourism sector has imperilled millions of children worldwide as travelling child sexual activity offenders detect new victims.

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

Predator free

In October last yr an official UN investigation constitute that The gambia's tourist areas continue to be a unsafe identify for children and that predators now stay in motels and private apartments then they can avoid prying eyes.

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

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

Our report comes later the Britain government was slammed for failing to protect children overseas from British predators.

A report past the Independent Enquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) found more than needs to exist done to brand certain offenders operating in poor countries similar The Republic of the gambia are caught and prosecuted.

Calling for a new national plan to tackle the problem, Debbie Beadle, Managing director of Programmes at the child protection organisation ECPAT Uk, said: "We promise that by bringing these institutional failings to lite, the UK can get a world leader in tackling the abuse of vulnerable children globally, and that child victims abroad are no longer 'under the radar' of government.

Global manhunt for Aussie paedo monster Simon Gordon Davies who ran child sexual practice ring from charity ready to 'assist' homeless kids

End Child Prostitution and Trafficking - ECPAT is conducting chief research, also as bringing together data from various sectors and countries around the globe, to grade a reliable and professional range of academic sources.The charity supports the protection of children and empowerment of 113 members in 98 countries - including The gambia. You can donate to ECPAT here .