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| David Fletcher |
It is now a year since I began to advocate on behalf of David Fletcher's right to be given a trial in accordance with the Cambodian Code of Criminal Procedure. He has been denied this right for more than 5 years now.
Mr Fletcher was found guilty of rape in 2011 - in a trial to which he was not invited to attend and at which he had, needless to say, no opportunity to present a defence.
He was found guilty in a closed court, to which not even the media was able to attend, and sentenced to 10 years in jail for the rape of 17 year old Yang Dany.
The three Phnom Penh judges, in possession of a doctor's report that declared Yang Dany to be a virgin, her hymen intact, declared that her hymen must have grown back after Mr Fletcher had raped her!
This was just one of many problems with Mr Fletcher's conviction. Another was that he was not in Cambodia at the time of the alleged rapes. This would have been confirmed by Mr Fletcher's passport entries - if, that is, The British Embassy in Bangkok had not decided to destroy his passport! (The British Embassy admits to the destruction of Mr Fletcher's passport, though its stated reasons for doing so - more than one has been presented for consideration - are implausible!)
Yet another problem with Mr Fletcher's 10 year jail sentence was the fact that Yang Dany, the alleged victim, declared that Mr Fletcher did not rape her. And so did Yang Dany's mother, Sekun - the person who brought the charges against Mr Fletcher after she had been told that she and her daughter could receive $30,000 in compensation if Mr Fletcher was found guilty.
In any other country in the world in which the rule of law applied, this case would have been thrown out in 2010 and Mr Fletcher would have walked from court a free man. In Cambodia, however, guilt or innocence is not determined by the facts, by evidence, by due legal process, but by forces beyond the control of impecunious individuals like Mr Fletcher, but well within the control of those who have a lot of money and can afford to buy the verdict that suits them.
I wrote 4 letters to the Minister of Justice requesting that Mr Fletcher be provided with a fair trial. Eventually I received this letter from the Minister - a rough translation of which is below.
The undersigned, Minister of justice informs
Mr James Ricketson, Europe guesthouse
Address: House number 51, Street 136, Phnom Penh
Subject: Pertaining to the request for meeting the leader of the
Ministry of Justice
Reference: letter of Mr James Ricketson, dated 05 February 2 015
With regard to the above subject and reference, I hereby would
like to inform you that following the Ministry of Justice’s receipt of the
request letter to meeting the leader, it sent the expert to check out.
The ministry does not refuse your request for meeting the
leader.
Therefore, please come and meet with HE Mr KIM SANTEPHEAP, Under
Secretary of State of Ministry of Justice at a convenient time.
Therefore, please your are informed as information.
The Minister
ANG VONG WATHANA
***
I met with Under Secretary of State Mr Kim Santeheap and was delighted to find in him someone who was, it seemed, concerned that Mr Fletcher had been denied a fair trial and who was prepared to look into the case and do what he could to help.
As a result, a date has been set for a hearing at which Mr Fletcher's lawyer will be able to present to the Appeal Court his reasons why he should be allowed a 're-trial' in accordance with the Cambodian Code of Criminal procedure.
A step in the right direction.
There are powerful forces opposed to the notion that Mr Fletcher is entitled to a fair trial. And with good reason. There is no evidence at all that Mr Fletcher is guilty of rape. None. However, there are a number of people and organisations (including the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office) which will have considerable egg on their faces if Mr Fletcher is found to be innocent; a lot of people (organisations and institutions) that will be confronted by questions for which they will have no easy (or believable) answers. This includes human rights organisations such as LICADHO - which has decided, on the basis of evidence Naly Pilorge is not prepared to share (not even with the Phnom Penh Municipal Court) that Mr Fletcher is guilty of rape.
Whilst the Phnom Penh Municipal Court was presented with no evidence that Yang Dany had been raped it was presented with hearsay evidence that was designed to destroy David Fletcher's credibility. Amongst those who wished to destroy Mr Fletcher (Khmer440's Peter Hogan being the most determined) was Scott Neeson - who had the following to say to journalist Andrew Drummond:
In the event that Mr Fletcher is granted a trial, Scott Neeson will be called as a witness and asked to produce evidence in support of the defamatory allegations he made in this published article.
***
I met with Under Secretary of State Mr Kim Santeheap and was delighted to find in him someone who was, it seemed, concerned that Mr Fletcher had been denied a fair trial and who was prepared to look into the case and do what he could to help.
As a result, a date has been set for a hearing at which Mr Fletcher's lawyer will be able to present to the Appeal Court his reasons why he should be allowed a 're-trial' in accordance with the Cambodian Code of Criminal procedure.
A step in the right direction.
There are powerful forces opposed to the notion that Mr Fletcher is entitled to a fair trial. And with good reason. There is no evidence at all that Mr Fletcher is guilty of rape. None. However, there are a number of people and organisations (including the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office) which will have considerable egg on their faces if Mr Fletcher is found to be innocent; a lot of people (organisations and institutions) that will be confronted by questions for which they will have no easy (or believable) answers. This includes human rights organisations such as LICADHO - which has decided, on the basis of evidence Naly Pilorge is not prepared to share (not even with the Phnom Penh Municipal Court) that Mr Fletcher is guilty of rape.
Whilst the Phnom Penh Municipal Court was presented with no evidence that Yang Dany had been raped it was presented with hearsay evidence that was designed to destroy David Fletcher's credibility. Amongst those who wished to destroy Mr Fletcher (Khmer440's Peter Hogan being the most determined) was Scott Neeson - who had the following to say to journalist Andrew Drummond:
“There is little doubt Fletcher devotes his time to
grooming young girls….The fact is these children can be bought. It’s difficult
to stop it. The British Embassy have been told about Fletcher. Many
organizations have files on him, but nothing has happened. If you can get this
guy sent packing you are doing a service to the children here.”
Scott Neeson, speaking to journalist Andrew
Drummond in June 2010.
Fletcher was ‘sent packing’ one
month later and has been in jail ever since.
In the event that Mr Fletcher is granted a trial, Scott Neeson will be called as a witness and asked to produce evidence in support of the defamatory allegations he made in this published article.
I first met David in 1983; we shared a dinner in London and talked about our mutual dream of establishing an international business venture; after some time we did in fact get it off the ground and saw what was a dream become real; it was not done because we would make a lot of money........
ReplyDeleteGreed was never even talked about other than to establish that it was the down fall of many great ideas and would never become our down fall;
David was honest to a fault; not taking a dime more than he was due thru out the 14 years that he and I did our business together.........My business partner was a great brother in arms and never, never did anything that caused me concern;
Was David a saint? No but I ask those among us, who is.....was David honest in all of our dealings...you bet he was and that was and still is good enough for me to trust him completely.
After our project ended and he went to Cambodia, he would call every Sunday morning telling with great excitement of his project to help the poor children.........his voice showed both pride and sadness as he told of the plight of the kids..............he cared and loved them and loved to help them.
When David was arrested and tried in the kangaroo court there in Cambodia I could not believe that even the media ignored his plight.....how could this have happened to someone who only wanted to help the kids; how could this happen to someone who devoted his time and money and every resource he could muster, to help the kids...........surely the media knew.........surely the court would do its homework and learn the truth...............surely the fruits of his labors would come to light..............surely, well surely it did not happen.........he lingered in prison; first tortured in Thailand then ignored by the very people who should have been there to help him............his own government turned its back on him............his own embassy helped put him away.............his own trusted friends helpless to do anything that would free him; An innocent man, left to die in a Cambodian prison..............depending on the kindness of friends to keep him alive..............it seemed no one would or could help him.
Thankfully a fellow named James R. came in to the picture and took an interest in David; first as a project then as a person who knew the truth; has worked tirelessly to gain the only thing David has ever asked for.............a fair trial...............with the evidence being allowed to be heard by the court.....a court and judges that were not bought and paid for by someone named Scott Neeson.....how ever you spell his evil name; a person who has been suspected of bribing many people to keep David locked up............a person with no regard to the truth.....who in fact knows the truth; but has managed to pay the media to look the other way and bribed judges and police to ignore evidence that proves that David is an innocent man.....David has been one of the best Friends I have ever known..........honest, loyal, and giving...........no man could do more to make a contribution to his fellow humans.
I have come to realize that Cambodia may be the worst place on earth; corrupt judges, corrupt police and worst of all is the corrupt media; a group that promises to report the truth has turned a blind eye towards the truth....failing everyone..........the media may be the worst offender as who else is in a better position to tell the truth...May God Bless James for his tireless efforts...........may God Bless David for what he has done to help the least of us.....at great expense to his freedom.
David is now 70 or so years old.....spent his best years in prison rather than helping kids....small innocent kids......accused of a crime he did not nor could not have committed.............thank you James for getting involved and Thank you David for the years of friendship I have enjoyed with you.
Wes
Beautiful testimony and from my experience with David Fletcher, 100% factual! David continues to care about the children in spite of his incarceration and the unfair way he has been dealt with by the media, FCO, Hogan, Neeson and the human rights groups. More coming.
DeleteI have come to know David through his good friend and business partner. David is a warm hearted man who only cares for the welfare of the children of the dump. He has talked so warmly of them. He never wanted anything but their happiness. I feel he has been wrongfully accused of so much.
DeleteI don't understand how he could end up in prison when he has Dr.'s papers to prove that the young lady was not raped and she was still a virgin.
Wes and David have shared many stories of their friendship. They have a camaraderie that brothers feel. I admire the fact that Wes had stood beside him through all this. I stand beside David, too. We have spent many hours talking and he had always shown a genuine love for the children's welfare.
Wes
DeleteMy experience with David is that he is, indeed, honest to a fault. Sometimes too honest, as will be revealed when his book is published. He tells his story warts and all. David is not without his faults but rape and the grooming of children are not amongst them.
I met David by chance. He told me he was not guilty. I nodded my head a lot. Yeah, yeah, yeah, thats'w hat everyone in prison says. I told him that I would check every fact he told me and that if I found he had lied to me I would crucify him. He had no problem with this.
After a year of research, many a 'freedom of information' request, my perusal of court documents and my interviews with Yang Dany and her mother have confirmed that everything he has told me was true. Perhaps I am in for a surprise but I doubt it. I am still waiting for someone to provide me with evidence,not merely scuttlebutt, that points to his having done any of the things that Peter Hogan and Scott Neeson accused him of.
As David's book reveals, he is a rascal and about as far from being politically correct as any man could be. And he does not suffer fools gladly. This is part of what got him into strife. When he was accused of 'grooming' by the likes of Neeson and Hogan he called them 'Plebs' and treated them with disdain and contempt. This was, perhaps, unwise given what has transpired this past five years.
Dear Anonymous 4.55
DeleteIt is true. David continues to care about,worry about, the kids hr feels he has let down by being in jail.
I met Wes and David shortly after they began their business venture in 1983. My best friend was a patron at their business in the USA. She met David there and expressed her desire to visit Europe. He kindly told her he would be happy to make all of our reservations for travel in England, as well as trips to Rome ane Paris. When we arrived at the airport in London, he had driven the long distance to meet us there. That was the first time I had met him. He and his two children were amazing hosts for our entire trip. I returned home and told my husband I had met the most wonderful person who had devoted so much time for me, a total stranger. From that time to the present day, David has been a cherished family friend, who indeed possesses all of the great traits that Wes has described. Prior to his moving to Cambodia, there were numerous visits between our families in both the USA and England. My children, grandchildren and even my friends always looked forward to David's visits. Prior to his leaving for Cambodia, we spent three weeks in Italy together. David could not stop talking about the children he had seen at the dump on a trip to Cambodia. He was more excited about moving there to help those children than he was about starting his new restaurant/bar there. After moving there, he sent me numerous photos and stories about the food, medical aid and other services he was able to provide the children and their families. He believed he had found his purpose in life.
DeleteMary
The first time I met David Fletcher and my trip to feed the children:
ReplyDeleteOur journey to the dump began with a chance meeting of a friend by the name of George on the hotel shuttle after arriving in Cambodia, and navigating the visa and entry requirements into Cambodia. George is British and had been to Cambodia, many times. He was a frequent traveler to Southeast Asia. After he heard about some of the work that we do with the orphanages in Thailand, he told me about a friend of his who feeds the children at the dump and how to get to his restaurant to talk to him.
I went over the next day, and met one of the most incredible people that I have ever met in my life. His name is David Fletcher, and he owns a small but great and popular restaurant in Phnom Penh (Bogie and Bacall, more later). Running the restaurant is his part‐time job (ha‐ha), but helping the children, is his life. For five years David has been helping to feed the children at the dump. Every week, 3 to 5 times per week, David takes the children French bread, apples, oranges, bananas, and sometimes boiled eggs. He is feeding approximately 450 children on each trip at a cost of approximately $150 per trip. This is a giant of a man, with an enormous heart.
After sitting with David and finding out about his program, I told David that I wanted to go but I was only in Phnom Penh for a few more days. I told him that I would donate $75 to the trip hoping that we would be able to get a few more participants to raise the $150. Without hesitation, David said ‘fine’, we would go tomorrow, and to meet him back at the restaurant at 10:30. David wasn't missing any opportunity to feed these children that he calls his own, his ‘family’.
I arrived about 10:30 and David had already begun the process of loading the truck with the necessary coolers and boxes that we would need to feed the children quickly and efficiently. He has a truck that he uses for these runs and had arranged for the driver and two additional volunteers for our day.
We headed to the market to buy our fruits, after stopping to pick up 450 loaves of French bread that David had prearranged with a telephone call the night before. As David has done this many many times, the vendors are well aware of who David is and what he does. The task of buying oranges, apples, and bananas still requires some negotiation. As David says, ‘every dollar that he saves, feeds three more children’. We buy the goods, load the truck and are on our way.
The dump is about another 15 minutes away. As we enter, we pass the weigh station and several garbage trucks that are lined up waiting to be weighed. The stench of the dump is now clearly evident. The hot sun is already doing its job of baking this garbage. There is dust and smoke and noise from the trucks and heavy equipment that work at the dump.
As we pass the weigh station, the children begin screaming in joy and running after the truck. Often the Cambodian police volunteer to help David with his program. To be accompanied by the police is good politics, good security and good safety. Today however we are not accompanied the police, and there is no need.
CONTINUED:
DeleteWhen our truck stops, the children (and a few adults), form two lines behind the truck. David has already arranged for three very capable children, to assist with organizing the food in the truck so that this feeding process can be quick and efficient. Some of the children were dressed in their school uniforms; some had already been working at scavenging in the dump and were dressed in their work clothes. Some have boots for working in the dump, others do not.
Most of these people are children, some are not. All are hungry. David has a kind word for each of them and no one is turned away. Some of the children grab your hand and don’t want to let go. All of them want to know your name, can speak a little English, and want you to know their name.
About one hour later , 450 people had been fed. Fortunately as the food ran out, so did the people. 450 lives had been made just a little bit better by this great man. Everyone looks for children who might need some medical care and often David helps by making dental care available to the children.
We take some remaining loaves of bread up to what they call the dump “Face”. This is where the real work at the dump is. New trucks are coming in, scavengers looking for anything that they can resell. Fires are burning, smoke and stench are everywhere. The tropical sun is very hot, there is no shade and the air is sticky. The roar of the garbage trucks and bulldozers, only adds to the chaos. This hell on earth has a name. It is called Stung Meanchey. Did I forget to tell you that it operates 24 hours a day and 7 days a week?
Remember the Phnom Penh garbage dump is refuse from a very poor city with many poor people. Most of the garbage that is picked up is picked up from the street after these poor residents throw their garbage into the streets. After it is thrown into the streets and is probably scavenged two times before it even gets to the truck, then one more time by the garbage collectors before it gets to the dump.
The dump is dirty, hot, smelly and smoky. The sun is burning down. There is garbage everywhere and you are standing in the middle of it.
Some of the children work all day to earn 50 cents. To say that the pickings are thin, would be a serious understatement. Some don’t go to school because their family needs the money that they make each day. The only economics that they know are the economics of never having enough. These children don’t just work at the dump, they live there, and yes, some die there. Two weeks ago at 5:20 AM, one young girl was killed by a trash bin that slipped off a moving truck. She died from a fractured skull. Her name is Chantha Srey Mao. She was 16 years old and worked at the dump with her 5 siblings. I know that David wanted you to know about her. She was part of his ‘family’.
Children shouldn’t be living like this. No one should. I can remember when I was very young, and wishing that I’d been born rich. Then I traveled the world and I realized that I was. You have the power to help change lives. Everything counts.
Through David’s good work, the lives of 450 children have been made a little bit better. Through his kindness and caring 459 children are eating with smiles on their faces. Thanks to the giant man with the giant heart!
I first went to the dump in 2007. Both David Fletcher and Scott Neeson would have been working there at the time but I encountered neither of them. Like David (and Scott) I was very moved by what I saw and wanted to do something to help. By chance,not design, I got caught up with a family that I tried to help; that I did help. Only later would I realise (discover) that Scott Neeson was also helping this family - educating the two girls (Sokayn, aged 7 and Soourrn, aged 8 or 9) whilst mum and dad (Ka and Chuan) working in the dump. This is not the appropriate venue to get into this story but I can relate, totally, to both David and Scott's desire to help. Scott's way of helping is, I think, misguided even if it is well intentioned. David's way of helping was also well-intentioned but was providing band-aid solutions to problems that required massive systemic change to address. It is not enough to merely feed poor people working in a rubbish dump; to provide them with medical assistance. The parents need proper jobs and the kids need proper schooling.
DeleteIt is a great pity that Scott's empire building, his need to be 'King of the Castle', prevented him from seeing that he and David could have worked together in the dump, bringing their separate skills to bear on a complex problem.
I think that David would see through Neeson for the liar, scoundrel and opportunist that he is. David has little tolorence for that.
DeleteLet's not forget APLE's complicity in this quagmire of injustice!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have not forgotten APLE'S complicity. When I read Mat Blomberg's excellent article about the trafficking of Cambodian women to China I could not help but think of the circumstances surrounding Yang Dany's sudden repatriation to China. In my last conversation with her she told me that APLE had told her she must not testify in any trial that David Fletcher might eventually have. The next I knew Yang Dany (who was prepared to say in court that David Fletcher had not raped her) was in China.
ReplyDeleteThe evidence pointing to APLE as responsible for sending Yang Dany to China is strong but circumstantial. APLE could sue me for writing this but I believe that the NGO, having claimed David Fletcher as a 'scalp' cannot countenance the possibility that he might be found innocent. Too many questions would be asked.
My experience of APLE is that whilst the NGO does catch genuine pedophiles, its funding model requires a constant supply that can only be met if men like David Fletcher are convicted of crimes they did not commit.
I believe that APLE, even if it does catch some genuine pedophiles is a corrupt NGO. And I hope that APLE sues me for saying so. In Cambodia. It would be great for APLE and myself to present, in court, our respective evidence.
When I learned that David had been arrested for rape, I knew that the David that I had known for 32 years was innocent, but I was puzzled as to why the claim had been made. Thanks to the investigation of Mr. Ricketson, I now know that indisputable evidence of innocence was ignored by a corrupt court which had been bribed by even more corrupt, greedy and jealous individuals and NGOs and also ignored by the news media who are either corrupt, incompetent or both. I understand that corruption is rampant in Cambodia, but it is incomprehensible that his own British Government has not only not aided him, but has actually impeded justice for him. If David is granted a new trial, I hope the news media and the British Embassy
Deletepersonnel have the decency to attend and witness the evidence of his innocence. I also hope the Minister of Justice will prevent bribery of the courts by those involved in the earlier kangaroo court.
Mary
Thanks for bringing APLE into the front seat again. It was and still is
ReplyDeleteThierry Darnaudet's GANGSTALKING Business Model that sees people stalked for years without any wrongdoing just because someone said he or she is a bit strange.
One example is Dr.Gavin Scott, who must be now in his 9th year of being stalked by APLE. I personally know 2 cases of mixed
race couples where the Barang Man is stalked, monitored, neighbors
asked lots of leading questions, grand parents slowly brainwashed just to get "another case" going because it's badly needed for the statistics and for the Donor Funds (ie Money) in the end. The fact is that APLE often enough offers huge sums of money, providing their "client" coorperates. APLE also promises that the Barang
will be extradited and never seen again after serving his time in jail so that they will never have to see him again. Out of sight, out of mind.
This is bait that many poor Khmer families just can't pass up. I am not surprised that Yang Dany’s morther had Dacid Fletvher charged with rape when she was told she could could get $30,000 in compensation.
Action Pourles Enfants has brought great harm to how Khmer perceive Barang Men and to Cambodia as a whole , labelling it a Paedophile Heaven !
When a former Director of APLE (Hang Vibol) gets arrested on sexual
child abuse charges and is not heard of for a long time after (disappeared ?), one gets the message. Any Critic runs danger of being accused of sexual child abuse or similar to have him disappear in the void. The fact that James Ricketson can still openly raise questions about this Organisation does not mean that there is no danger for him.
Another complicit NGO is Licado and her Director Naly Pilorge in
particular. To call this Org. a "Human Rights Org" is simply a very bad
abuse of the word Human Rights.
One year ago, we were out of hope. David had spent the last four years in prison, mostly in Thailand and under the worst of conditions. He was in the IDC for an extended period then in a Thai prison, during the flooding in SE Asia, locked in a cell with up to 50 other prisoners, sleeping on a cement floor with hardly enough room to lie on your side. He had been convicted by a Cambodian Court in a trial he had no knowledge of, where he had never been allowed to testify or confront his accusers. The trial had been held in secret and the result guaranteed by a corrupt NGO.
ReplyDeleteDavid’s friends believed in David’s innocence, but we had no proof. He had an attorney that was happy to take his money but did nothing to help him.
James Ricketson walks into David’s life (I do not know the circumstances) but after hearing the possibility of injustice in David’s case. He listens to David and began digging into the facts of the case. Most of these facts hidden by the Cambodian Court, the corrupt NGO, the FCO and David’s accusers.
He validates David’s claims and begins the tireless and thankless job of helping David get a fair trial.
He tirelessly pursues the FCO for documents that David had been stonewalled on for months. These documents contain proof that the Embassy had been in possession of David’s passport since his arrest in Thailand. He uncovered the trail of lies by the Embassy and the cover-up by the FCO that resulted in the Embassy destroying David’s passport, which held proof of David’s innocence.
He obtained medical records that contain proof of David’s innocence.
He obtained testimony from the accuser of David’s innocence.
He obtained a trusted attorney to represent David.
He has worked tirelessly in hope of getting David Fletcher a fair trial in the face of a corrupt and irresponsible news media, corrupt and irresponsible judicial system, corrupt NGO’s including the human rights NGO’s, the corrupt FCO and British Embassy.
ALL because this man, James Ricketson, saw an injustice and wanted to do something about it. Thank you James, because of you, we have hope!
More conspiracy theories - David Flecther is a predator. Just because that innocent young girls hymen wasnt broken doesn't mean she was raped by Fletcher. Do you research you morons. That fact that he tried to force himself onto her in a room says enough about what type of character he is. Hope he rots!
ReplyDeleteAnd my post should read 'just because the young girls hymen wasnt broken doesn't mean she wasnt raped by Fletcher' - a girl can be raped with breaking a hymen. And before you ask, yes I am a female and I am a qualified nurse.
DeleteWhat a fucking genius you are!
DeleteNo shortage of assholes in Cambodia is there?
DeleteObviously not an English major, you can't put together two correct sentences. This was described in court documents as 'two brutal' rapes. The facts speak for themselves on what you call conspiracy. David has a very accurate asshole detector. Suspect you made his list.
DeleteThe only asshole Fletcher should be worrying about is his own as I am sure bubba has had a crack at it already in prison. He deserves all he gets - lowlife cunt. And while you are asking - Im a father with a daughter and i would gladly put a lump of wood over this motherfuckers head.
DeleteDear Anonymous 9.49 and 9.53
DeleteTrials are held in order that the prosecution and the defence can bot present their cases. In this instance, had there been a trial, the prosecution could have called a doctor or a nurse to testify that it is possible for a woman to be brutally raped and for hymen to remain intact. ANd the defence would be able to call its own expert witness to present evidence in support of the notion that it is highly unlikely that a woman could be brutally raped twice and for her hymen to remain intact. It would be up to the judges to decide how much weight to give to the two propositions. This is not your call. Nor is it mine.
In a properly constituted court not only would the accused be notified that there was a court case taking place but he would be entitled to present a defence. Neither of these two have occurred in the case of Mr Fletcher. He has never, after five years in jail, even been interviewed by any policeman or Investigating Judge.
In a properly constituted court Mr Fletcher would have been able to present evidence that he was not even in Cambodia at the time of the alleged rapes. And, of course, Yang Dany would have been able, under cross-examination, to admit that she had not been raped and that her mother had laid charges only because she had been told that there was $30,000 in compensation for her if she pressed charges. For a very poor scavenger such a sum was too great a temptation to pass up.
Once Mr Fletcher was convicted Sekun and her daughter, Yang Dany, did not get the $30,000 promised to them.
Close to a year ago now (Oct 2014) when it seemed that there was a trial pending, Yang Dany was (1) Told not to testify and (2) Paid to leave Cambodia so that she would not be available to either testify in court or talk with any more journalists.
None of this will satisfy you, of course. You do not believe that Mr Fletcher is entitled to a fair trial because you think he is an asshole and you are a nurse. As you will have noticed, even those accused of genocide have been granted the right to a fair trial in Cambhodia - regardless of how much evidence there is of their guilt. This is the way the law works. Or should work. Thank God that in most of the world people such as yourself are not determining the fate of those accused of crimes.
I had to laugh. Well done to the lady who posted that comment at 9.49pm. Typical of some of the lowlife men that hide in the cracks in Cambodia, you hit a raw point and they responded. These dirty germs think that all women are subservient and they dont like it when a women says something that doesn't fit into their slimy world. Go girl!
ReplyDeleteYes I am a women as well.
Rachel Matters
DeleteWhen "Women-NOT" like Rachel Matters Types comment Anonymously on this blog about how female Hymen, like that of Hang Dany could be intact even after a rough rape i think it's time to question the sanity of those bloggers. To me we got a multi-personal syndrom among one or more of the Neeson-Team bloggers. I also question the motives of these people when they spread they poisonous hate against someone they never met personally in their life. But than, it's all about keeping the funds rolling and to come out on top of a lie that some people are feeding on. Poor souls that should consult a shrink instead.
DeleteI have had some email communication with Rachel Matters and have no reason to believe that she is anyone other than who she says she is. I know that she hate Mr Fletcher - not on the basis of any first hand experience but as a result of what she has been told. Herein lies one of the problems with comments on this blog: most who have strong opinions ("Let him rot in jail") have never met Mr Fletcher and have only 2nd and 3rd hand accounts as the source of their opinions.
DeleteJames - I do not hate David Fletcher - I despise what he has done because I am a mother and dread to think what I would do if it was my daughters who Fletcher had accosted. Put the Cambodia incident aside, Fletcher was proven guilty of having sex with an underage girl in the UK. He has then decided to travel to Cambodia and surround himself around young girls and boys. Call me suspicious but its my right to have my opinion. Note - thank you to the person who made comments above at 2.46pm - FYI I am not a team Neeson person. I am independent of anyones side and make comments occasionally base on my own opinions. If that offends you because I am a woman then perhaps it is you who should consult a shrink to discuss your fear of the opposite sex or at least the opposite sex who has a brain and is not scared to challenge your egotistical thoughts.
DeleteRachel, what is it that you think David Fletcher did? Rape Yang Dany? If so, given that you were not in court, given that you are not familiar with the evidence, how did you arrive at your verdict? Does not Yang Dany's denial that any rape took place, backed up by a medical report commissioned by the court raise any doubts in your mind at all?
DeleteSuch a bunch of hateful people that would want to deny a man a fair trial. Just amazing. May it happen to you.
ReplyDeleteDr Kek Pung
ReplyDeletePresident
LICADHO
Dear Dr Pung
As you know, Mr James Mc Cabe heads up the Cambodian Children’s Fund’s Child Protection Unit.
There is a good deal of circumstantial evidence suggesting that James Mc Cabe’s wife was either 15 or 16 years old when he commenced his relationship with her. Scott Neeson and the Cambodian Children’s Fund board will neither confirm nor deny that she was underage.
Is the age as which Mc Cabe first had sex with his wife-to-be a matter of any concern for LICADHO? If she was underage, does LICADHO believe it appropriate that Mc Cabe should be running a Child Protection Unit dedicated, amongst other things, to investigating and prosecuting men who have sex with underage Khmer girls?
Is LICADHO even interested in asking such a question? Or, as with the Cambodian media, does LICADHO believe that it needs to be in possession of evidence that she was underage before doing so?
Given the ease with which any competent journalist can find out how old Mc Cabe’s wife was in 2004, her age will eventually be known – sooner or later. If it turns out that she was underage, what will LICADHO’S response be? Shock? Horror? Outrage? A public declaration that it is inappropriate for a man with a serious criminal record and guilty of having sex with an underage Khmer girl to be running a Child Protection Unit?
And when someone asks you, Dr Pung, “Why did you not even bother to ask Mc Cabe how old his wife-to-be was when he commenced his relationship with her?” what will your response be?
It may well be, despite the circumstantial evidence, that Mc Cabe’s wife had reached the age of consent when she and he started their relationship. Fair enough. Some will declare that I had no right to be asking such a question in a public forum; that I was merely trying to blacken Mc Cabe’s reputation. This is not so. Without asking such questions the truth can never be known.
Asking Mc Cabe the age of his wife-to-be is just one of many questions that LICADHO should be asking of NGOS that, as LICADHO is fully aware, engage in all sorts of human rights abuses. That LICADHO remains silent on fake orphanages and the illegal removal and of children from their impoverished families by NGOs raises a whole host of questions in itself.
best wishes
James Ricketson
Mr Ricketson
ReplyDeleteYou have poked a stick into a hornet’s nest. Or should that be a nest of vipers?
The whole think with Mc Cabe and CCF stinks. The CCF board has turned a blind eye. The human rights organizations have turned a blind eye. The media has turned a blind eye.
Money talks.
Ask any parent if they would give Mc Cabe a second chance if he had raped their 15 year old daughter. And, yes, that is what an adult man having sexc with a 15 year old is. Statutory rape. David Fletcher spent time in jail for doing what, it seems, James Mc Cabe has done.
As a woman, this ‘second chance’ thing does my head in. The police do not give the likes of James Mc Cabe a second chance. They kick him out. They put him in jail. No second chances. Mc Cabe should not be working with children in any capacity. Quite apart from his crimes, which would make it impossible for him to work in Child Protection in Australia, he has no experience working with children – unless, that is, you include his relationship with his 15 (or 16) year old wife as ‘experience’.
Why the CCF board allows a man like James Mc Cabe to run a child protection unit is beyond me.
Because mccabe is fucking snake - slithering his way through life, pissing on anything he can. Who gives a shit about scuttlebutt - where theres smoke there is fire. A middle aged guy like Neeson somehow becomes mother thereasa over night and heads to cambodia to start an organisation where he is surrounded by young children. Bullshit! Then he hires Mccabe who likes young girls (virgins) and who married a 15 year old girl just prior to knowing that he was going to do jail time. Then he hire Lemon whose GF runs a girlie bar. I have met Neeson - he is far too feminine for my liking - something doesn't right in my guts when I meet him and listen to him talk. Call me old fashioned or perhapsmway off the mark, but for a single guy of his age to want to surround himself with all those children and lets face it, he is always in pictures where he is touching and holding them, throws up a massive red flag to me. And if the CPU and mccabe are so much into defending abused children, wouldn't they be telling Neeson to not be so engaged with children.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous 1.33
DeleteI do not think anyone should be judged on the basis of their looks. This is just plain silly.
I think that Neeson and Mc Cabe should be judged by their actions. I have spent a year pointing out many of the actions that I find questionable on Neeson's part. I need not list them. They will be familiar to readers.
As for Mc Cabe the only action of his that is of interest to me right now is whether or not his wife was 15 or 16 when he and she entered into a sexual relationship. If she was underage I believe it to be inappropriate that he should be running a Child Protection Unit whose task, in part, is to investigate and prosecute men who have sex with 15 and 16 year old girls.
Fletcher admitted his guilt when he ran from cambodia and hid in Thailand when he heard the police wanted to arrest him. He then fought tooth and nail to stay in Thailand and not be sent back to Cambodia. After multiple chances to come back and have the case heard and himself heard, the cambodian courts decided to do the trial in absentia. Whether that is wright or wrong isn't the point, the fact that you continue to say that he hasn't been given a fair chance is absolute frog shit, he had plenty of chances. And how do I know this - well I have a good friend who works at the British embassy in Bangkok who handled Fletchers case and told me that Fletcher pleaded with them not to go back to Cambodia and to be sent to England instead. The embassy couldn't because they were served with an arrest warrant for Fletcher to come back to front the courts in Cambodia. Then when the extradition first came out, Fletcher fought that as well. So if he was so innocent, why didnt he come back? If you are going to make up stories Ricketson, then at least be fair in your lies.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 1.44
DeleteThis is simply untrue. Mr Fletcher had planned to leave Cambodia weeks before he did. I have documentary proof of this.
One of the reasons why he left was that he was physically attacked, along with a woman I have met. ANd he was tired of all the scuttlebutt and being constantly under attack and being followed by APLE and others.
The fact is, a week before he was arrested there was no warrant for Mr Fletcher's arrest. None. Four different agencies had been investigating him for 2 years and come up with zilch. And then, a week after she had described Mr Fletchr as a good man, her 'fiance' and husband to be, Yang Dany's mother cries 'rape' when offered $30,000 reward if she did so.
Fletcher did NOT have multiple chances to come back to Cambodia. He was in jail in Thailand.
So, you have a friend who worked in the British Embassy and s/he told you a story, so it must be true! Is this the same British Embassy that destroyed Mr Fletcher's passport 9by accident' when it became apparent that he was not in Cambodia at the time of the alleged rapes.
What I find extraordinary, in your comment here and in so many others, is that you blindly believe 2nd and 3rd hand information! Often this is just gossip and/or scuttlebutt but you believe it because you want to.
The whole point of a trial (which Mr Fletcher has been denied) is that rrumour, scuttlebutt and 2nd hand information is separated from the facts that are pertinent to the case.
Wrong wrong wrong Ricketson - Fletcher was found hiding in a guest house in Bangkok. he was arrested for immigration breaches which gave the Cambodia and Thailand police time to process everything. Cambodian police then applied for extradition and Fletcher fought that which caused a long delay. Fletcher knew he had done wrong hence why he didn't want to go back to Cambodia. Your story is clouded by lies that Fletcher wants you to believe Ricketson.
DeleteDear Anonymous 2.15
DeleteYes, Mr Fletcher was found guilty of immigration breaches in Thailand. This is why he was in jail first up.
He was arrested BEFORE Yang Dany's mother, Sekun, had pressed charges against him. Think about that.
Then the Cambodian police applied for extradition. Yes, Mr Fletcher fought against the extradition - as was his legal right. To be frank, if I were he and understood the way the Cambodian judicial system worked, I would fight my extradition also. There is no rule of law in Cambodia, as you know all too well. The innocent are found guilty and the gulity innocent for reasons that have nothing to do with evidence, facts or truth. We all know this so please stop pretending that we are in a country where the rule of law applies.
If you had been charged with a crime in Cambodia that you could not have committed because you weren't in the country, would you jump on a plane and head back to face the music?
so, after reading this exchange one fact seems to stick out here; An employee of the embassy seems to know an awful lot about a person who is in jail.
Deletean employee is under the obligation to keep things known by the embassy confidential; employees are bound to not release information, period; should an employee freely talk about such cases, they cannot be trusted; the so called friend is not to be believed. sharing information is against embassy policy and that person is now breaking both rules and laws regarding confidential information..............maybe that person should spend some time in a Thai jail;
@ Anonymous 2.15
DeleteHow do you account for the medical report, commissioned by the Phnom Penh court, that said the young woman Fletcher is supposed to have raped was a virgin afterwards?
Some 'nurse' reckons that it is possible for a woman's hymen to stay intact after two brutal rapes. Maybe it can. I am not an expert. But doesn't the fact that she was a virgin and that 'the virgin' says she wasn't raped at least tell you that a proper trial should be held?
why does this blog continuously have the wrong time for a posted comment
ReplyDeleteYes, it is annoying
DeleteIt is because, I think, the blog host is in the US and people in the US tend to think that the whole world operates according to its clock.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteAmazing isn't it how David has suddenly acquired so many friends, and even one who anonymously called "herself" Mary. Where were all these friends when he was banged up in Thailand and trying to raise the money to get back to the UK (even his children wanted to have nothing to do with him) Am I somewhat naive or is regularly going to the tip with fruit, sweets etc for vulnerable children not what is known as grooming.
I don't think there is a human being alive who would have expected David to have acted in any other way than he did if he was trying to get sexual favours from children.
Reading the testimonials above to David's good character quite honestly makes my skin crawl, the question needs to be pondered as to why these men (no doubt they will now all come forward and say they are women) would also want to accompany David to the tip to meet the children. A much more efficient way of helping would be to make a donation to one of the many organisations that are actually helping break the poverty cycle.
I have wondered how I might act if I had a friend who was trying to get a new trial and he had introduced me to underage girls that could easily be taken advantage of sexually, I think it is possible I would be publicly saying nice things about him in order that he might keep my name secret. It will be interesting to see where these "friends" go if he gets back to court.
Personally I hope he gets another trial as I believe some of the information that has been discovered since his imprisonment might actually get him a longer sentence. (I am sure you are aware James that with the possibility of a new trial for David this information will not be publicly divulged)
Signed not Scott, Allan or James
where were David's Friends? right where they always are, working hard, minding their own business and helping David; His friends have helped him with airfare only to have their contact take the money intended to help David. Yes they continued to help him..........in Cambodia you have to pay for your own keep..food, water, medicine, cleaning products...........so who ever you are, David's friends are still with him, doing what they can to help him and be responsible people who stand by the people they care about....you should be so lucky to have good friends like David's. You seem concerned about his friends rather than why a guilty man is in prison.........why is that? why do you care if David has friends; If you were not such an stupid person, you might have friends; until then, buy a dog, they don't care; they would love you even if you are a stupid jerk; go help someone...........it will do you good; might help you to find your human side;
DeleteWhen he was 'banged up' in Thailand, as you say, his friends ponied up the money and he had a ticket out. The British Embassy reniged on the transport and Thailand wouldn't release him, in secret deal with Cambodia.
Delete..... Errrr Anon 5.42, you quote "You seem concerned about his friends rather than why a guilty man is in prison"
DeleteYou call the writer of 11.04 am stupid twice and then you wonder why he is concerned that a guilty man is in prison. Prison is where guilty men are supposed to be, I guess you think guilty men should be wandering the rubbish tip and associating with men like Fletcher.
Dear Anonymous 11.04
ReplyDeleteYou ' believe some of the information that has been discovered since his imprisonment might actually get him a longer sentence.'
Questions arise:
(1) How do you know this unless you are one of those who was actively engaged in investigating Mr Fletcher in 20009 and 2010?
(2) Was the information to which you are now referring available to the court in 2011 when Mr Fletcher was tried in absentia? If it was known, why was it not presented to the court?
(3) If this information was not known at the time of Mr Fletcher's trial, why have you been digging around trying to find it? And have you presented this information to the Cambodian police?
There is no shortage of people who comment here whose knowledge of Mr Fletcher's alleged rape of Yang Dany stems from what someone at the British Embassy in Bangkok told them, from a friend who 'knows the facts' or from whatever scuttlebutt they have read online.
In a properly constituted court of law the judges (and jury) are tasked with the responsibility of sifting and sorting through all such 'evidence' in search of facts that are backed up with evidence.
If evidence emerges that Mr Fletcher is guilty of crimes that I am unaware of, if cogent evidence of these crimes emerges in a subsequent trial, he deserves whatever punishment is meted out to him. However, his guilt or innocence of the crimes you seem to have inside knowledge of needs to be based on evidence and not on the whim of someone (or some organisation) in a position to pay the judges to acquire the verdict they desire. This means that witnesses must be available for cross-examination, that the media must be present to observe and that, of course, the trial takes place in accordance in accordance with the Cambodian Code of Criminal Procedure.
As for your observations about David's friends - one of whom is called Mary - I have been in regular contact with all these friends this past year. They have been in as regular contact with Mr Fletcher as his circumstances allow - sending him money to buy food, medicine etc.
As for your allegation that there is not a person alive who would have "have expected David to have acted in any other way than he did if he was trying to get sexual favours from children. "
On what basis do you make this statement? Have you spoken with, taken evidence from, children who were Mr Fletcher's 'victims'? Or did you hear this from a friend of a friend who knows somebody in the British Embassy?
As the risk of belabouring the point, the reason why courts exist, the reason why there are judicial processes, the reason why both the prosecution and the defence are able to present their cases is so that the facts can be separated from scuttlebutt and a sentence arrived at that is beyond reasonable doubt.
You are contradicting yourself Ricketson - in one breath you rant that Fletcher was never given a fair trial and that he wanted to come back to Cambodia to have that trial and yet in your above comments you state that Fletcher wanted to get back to the UK and not come back to Cambodia because he didn't want to get involved with the courts. Well sorry that is just bullshit. You can't pick and choose when it it suits you. How convenient that Fletcher is now asking the Cambodian courts, the courts that you and he have shit canned and state are corrupt, to now use their judicial process to give Fletcher a fair trial. According to you and Fletcher he won't get a fair trial. Your entire blog over the past months has been full of contradictions simply because you are chasing something that doesn't exist. Your are a fool!
DeleteAnonymous 11.38
DeleteYou are mixing up your time frames. Here is how it happened:
(1) Fletcher leaves Cambodia. No charges in Cambodia have been laid, despite four different agencies spending 2 years investigating him.
(2) Fletcher is arrested in Thailand on immigration charges and held in detention.
(3) Yang Dany's mother, Sekun, lays charges against Mr Fletcher - claiming that he raped her daughter.
(4) Mr Fletcher insists that the charges are false but is not too keen on the idea of travelling back to Cambodia to find out how he would fare in court. He knew that 4 agencies had been 'after' him for two years and didn't rate his chances highly.
(5) Cambodian officials set in motion the deportation of Mr Fletcher back to Cambodia. Mr Fletcher fights his deportation in court. He wins his case and is free to leave Thailand. His friends get the money together to pay his air fare. Mr Fletcher's passport is intact at this point.
(6) On the day he is due to fly out to the UK, Thai officials change their minds and refuse to allow him to leave.
(7) Mr Fletcher goes back to a Thai jail.
(8) A trial is held in Cambodia whilst Mr Fletcher is in a Thai prison. The court is closed. Mr Fletcher finds out from a journalist both about the court case and his 10 year jail sentence.
(9) The Foreign & Commonwealth Office 'accidentally' destroys Mr Fletcher's passport which contains, he insists, evidence that he was not in Cambodia at the time of the alleged rapes.
(10) Four years later both Yang Dany and her mother, Sekun, deny that any rapes took place. This is backed up by the medical report presented to the court.
There are lots of twists and turns, of course, but this is the sequence of events.
So, yes, Mr Fletcher has not had a fair trial and I am trying to do whatever I can to obtain one for him.
Here's some gossip for you James - The Lead Police officer from CEOPS who came to Cambodia to investigate Fletcher and consequently had a massive part in getting him arrested and prosecuted - a Mr. John Geden - now works closely with the CPU and assists in providing training to them. He would look very stupid if Fletcher was suddenly released - The plot thickens.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tip off.
DeleteAs I have revealed a long time ago, CEOP refused to divulge any information about Fletcher but, to the best of my knowledge (according to court documents) came up with no evidence that he either raped Yang Dany or had groomed children.
I do not have any problem at all with the idea of Mr John Gedden training CPU staff. I would, however, be very interested to know if he has ever asked James Mc Cabe if he commenced his relationship with his wife when she was 15 0r 16. If so, does Mr Gedden see any conflict of interest in Mc Cabe being tasked with investigating and prosecuting men who have sexual relationships with 15 and 16 year olds.
One thing is for sure, each time I check this blog and see that picture of Fletcher holding the children's hand - I want to vomit - what a disgusting and vile creature he is.
ReplyDeleteLet m get this straight. Is it the photo of a man holding the hands of children that disgusts you? If so, why?
DeleteSecond question: Do all the photos of Scott Neeson with kids in his arms disgust you? Make you want to vomit?
Do all photos of men holding hands with, cuddling, kids who could be their grand children disgust you?
Or is your disgust, your wanting to vomit not to do with the holding of hands but to do with what you think Mr Fletcher has done? If this be the case, precisely what is it that Mr Fletcher has done that disgusts you?
So Im curious - you write that Fletcher has been given an appeal date - not sure this is even going to get to court - how are they going to get the CEOPS police, the NGO players and all witnesses and victims back to Cambodia - Im sure many of them won't come back.
ReplyDeleteHere some fantastic news that I just saw on KH440 - that insipid scamming reptile Robert Jamieson has closed his Penhpal blog site. Seems that he couldn't get anyone to put any money into it - funny that - blog sites that are based on scuttlebutt and defaming rubbish eventually find their correct destiny - flushed down the toilet. Its only a matter of time before this site suffers the same fate, unless of course Ricketson can stop defaming people with made up falsities and alleged conspiracies.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous September 10, 2015 at 6:51 PM
DeleteThe very significant difference between penhpal.com and this blog hasn't
occurred to you yet, obviously ?
The difference that there are absolutely zero ads here and this site does not aim to make money with the information distributed here.
This makes all the difference. I also differ with you on the person who runs penhpal.com. Unlike yourself, he posts information under his original name Robert Jamieson while you keep hiding, like the coward you are, under Anonymous.
Tom Selig
Tom Selig - coward? How about posting with your real name. you are a bigger fuckwit than Ricketson. Once again you are speaking out of your ass. What a shame you dont join the growing list of low life reptiles like Jamieson who are leaving Cambodia. Fucking oxygen thief!
ReplyDeleteAnd your reason, Anonymous 11.06, for not using your real name? If Selig is a coward, why cannot you be labelled as such also?
DeleteWhy on earth would anyone with a good reputation add their name to your blog, especially when their comments are not in favour of yours. The only thing that would happen is give you another excuse to defame and discredit a good person. Your blog is not worthy of having good people add their names here.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 12.23
ReplyDeleteWhy would anyone with nothing to hide have any reason NOT to use their real name? Yes, there may be some who, because of the job they do, who may wish to remain anonymous. ANd there may be some who do not wish to get embroiled in a pubic argument, but you are not one of those. You are someone who wishes to get involved in a public argument but who does not wish to answer questions; who does not wish to be accountable but who wishes to undermine or demolish any observations I make. Mind you,most of my observations take the form of questions that you refuse to answer; that no-one at CCF will answer; that the CCF board will not answer. ANd the reason why CCF will not answer them will be clear to perceptive readers of this blog. On so many levels, the Cambodian Children's Fund is a money-making, reputation building, scam. Honest answers to my questions would burst the bubble of Neeson's PR fantasies so, rather than risk exposure, you (and the rest of Team Neeson) must do what you can to destroy my credibility; to destroy the credibility of the masses of evidence that continues to emerge of CCF's lies and evasions.
As I am sure you aware, the truth about CCF will eventually emerge. There are too many people who know what the truth is for it remain a secret forever. Whether it will be months or years before the truth emerges remains to be seen. In the meantime you and the rest of Team Neeson will continue with your attempts to shoot the messenger anonymously. Go for it. These attempts will, eventually, prove to have been futile.