Pacific Beat. Topic: Sexual Offences. Kevin Rietveld faces nine counts of indecent assault on five girls under An Australian missionary arrested and charged with sexually abusing young girls has pleaded not guilty in a Solomon Islands magistrates court. Kevin Rietveld, 72, is facing nine counts of indecent assault on five girls under the age of He returned to Honiara, the capital of the South Pacific nation, to answer the charges following a lengthy investigation by local police and Australian authorities.
He was arrested on June Police said investigations began when complaints were made following Mr Rietveld's departure in He is currently on bail and has been barred from travelling to eastern Honiara where SWIM is located. The case has shocked locals, with Mr Rietveld, who once wrote a regular column on Christianity in the national newspaper, the Solomon Star, well known in the community. Yet Solomon Islands social workers have highlighted the need for greater awareness about services for young children affected by sexual violence.
Anika Kingmele, the chair of Family Support Centre, a Solomon Islands non-government organisation helping those affected by domestic and family violence, said while there were systems in place to support children affected by sexual violence, raising awareness was hard given "cultural norms". She added the Government needed to play a stronger role in providing support to young children who may be victims of sexual violence.
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Australian missionary charged with nine counts of child sexual abuse in Solomon Islands. Key points: Kevin Rietveld was the head of a Solomon Islands mission attached to the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia Complaints about Mr Rietveld were made when he left the mission in , leading to an investigation The Australian is out on bail and is set to face trial in February Footer ABC News homepage.
