British National and Retired Priest Leaves India Weeks after Being Sentenced for Child Sex Abuse

Swarajya
April 27, 2018

https://swarajyamag.com/insta/british-national-and-retired-priest-leaves-india-weeks-after-being-sentenced-for-child-sex-abuse

Jonathan Robinson

Jonathan Robinson, a 76-year old British National and retired priest who served in churches across London, Surrey and Bath and was recently awarded a jail term for child sexual abuse has left India, reports DNA. Robinson was awarded a jail term for three years by a court in Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu on 13 April.

Robinson was named a fuguitve and a non-bailable warrant was issued in his name back in 2011 when he left the country for Wales. Soon after this, the police issued a Red Corner notice to him. However, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court asked the police to recall the notice and also had the non-bailable warrant dropped in order to give him a chance to defend himself in court.

Subsequently, he came back to India in 2015 and surrendered before the judicial magistrate in Valliyoor. He was then convicted and handed a jail term along with a fine of Rs 6,000.

Robinson had filed an appeal against the lower court and informed the police that he would be leaving the country as per his bail conditions. The Valliyoor police station has stated that they are not aware if he has fled the country or not.

Advocate Adrian Philips, representing Justice and Care who filed the case against Robinson in 2011 said that he was informed of Robinson’s departure to England on an Etihad flight via Abu Dhabi.

For nearly eight years we has been working on this case along with prosecution and police. Now finally he was convicted. If he leaves the country, then everything comes to nothing.

Adrian Philips

Robinson was convicted of abusing the boy – a resident of an orphanage with other disadvantaged children – on a country-wide trip in 2011.