How Could You? Hall of Shame-UK/Uganda/Kenya-Simon Wood
This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.
From the UK, British pilot Simon Wood ,54, killed himself by jumping under a train on August 18, 2013 to avoid the August 30 hearing on child molestation charges. He was suspected of abusing on the order of 100 children in Kenyan and Ugandan orphanages over a fifteen-year period. He also was suspected in abusing girls in the UK.
“Dressed in a bogus captain’s uniform First Officer Simon Wood, 54, said that he was doing charity work for the airline when he molested the children during stopovers, it has been alleged.
However, days after appearing in court last month charged with separate child sex offences in the UK, the £100,000 a year pilot killed himself by throwing himself under a train.
As a result of his death the prosecution has been halted, but fears remain that he could have been one of the UK’s most prolific sex offenders, the Daily Mail reported.
Prosecutor Peter Zinner described him as a “deeply depraved and corrupt individual who had used his ability to fly to other parts of the world to commit sexual offences against children”.
In a 15-year campaign of abuse he is said to have used the company’s name and BA branded toys to lure the children out on day trips or to the five star hotels used by the company where he attacked them.
His bosses are now facing a lawsuit from his alleged victims, who claim that they failed to protect him.
Officials in Kenya claim to have identified at least 15 girls aged between five and 11 that claim to have been abused by Wood – and they fear there are hundreds more.
Wood had already been arrested in 2000 for indecently assaulting an eight year old girl who he met whilst volunteering for Diabetes UK.
The CPS decided there was insufficient evidence to charge him, and he was allowed to keep his job and continue charity work with children.
BA, who employed Wood for 16 years, said they were “shocked and horrified” by the allegations, which they received an anonymous letter about. They reported Wood to the Metropolitan Police, who they have been working closely alongside.
Kenyan officials say he claimed that he was working for BA’s “community relations programme” when approaching orphanages and schools where he targeted slum children.
If managers complained he would tell police that they had been stealing from the children, and two people were arrested on his say so.
The mother of one of his victims claims that she “trusted him completely because he seemed so good and kind” but her daughter is now suicidal after she was abused by Wood, who had lent the family money.
On July 18 he was arrested at the staff car park in Heathrow and on August 15 he was charged with indecent assault on a girl under 16, two counts of making indecent images of children, and one of possessing indecent images.
During a police search of his car police found several school uniforms, Westminster Magistrates Court heard when he appeared there the following day.
He was bailed to appear at Southwark Crown Court, but died two days later when he was hit by a train near his home in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.
When the court heard that the case was to be dropped, his defence counsel pointed out that he had intended to deny all the charges.
The court was told police suspect he had abused more than 100 African children.
UK based law firm Leigh Day have confirmed that they are acting for the alleged child abuse victims in Kenya and are working with the police to determine how many children were abused and the extent to which this extended to victims in the UK as well as Kenya and Uganda.
Martyn Day from Leigh Day said: “We are currently investigating how Mr Wood was allowed to have such access to these Kenyan children and also the extent of the allegations against Mr Wood in relation to his actions in the UK.””
Pilot ‘abused position to molest African orphans’
[Telegraph 9/2/13 by Hayley Dixon]
“A law firm representing 12 children in Kenya may take legal action against the airline, which said it was “shocked and horrified” by the allegations.
British Airways said it was only made aware of the child abuse charges in July after receiving an anonymous letter.
The airline contacted Scotland Yard after BA’s own investigation team uncovered information in Kenya which gave the company “cause for concern”, it said.
Orphanage holiday
Mr Wood, who died on 18 August, had faced one count of indecent assault of a girl under 16, two counts of making indecent photographs of a child and one count of possessing indecent images of a child, Scotland Yard said.
He had taken part in a company-backed charity event at an orphanage in Kenya in 2002.
Martyn Day, from legal firm Leigh Day which is representing a number of Kenyan children, said: “We are currently investigating how Mr Wood was allowed to have such access to these Kenyan children and also the extent of the allegations against Mr Wood in relation to his actions in the UK.”
At Easter 2002, Mr Wood was among 20 crew members from two BA flights who volunteered to spend the holiday period with the Kenyan youngsters, showering the orphanage with presents, medicines and donations.
An inquest into his death was opened and adjourned at Hertfordshire Coroner’s Court, last Wednesday.”
Dead BA pilot Simon Wood faced UK and Africa child abuse claims
[BBC 9/2/13]
“Police told the court that the pilot was suspected of abusing more than 100 African children and had transferred £64,000 to his legal team there to be used as ‘hush money’.
One of his alleged victims, who was five at the time, is said to be so mentally scarred by the ‘attack’ at a five-star Nairobi hotel used by BA staff that she has threatened to commit suicide.
Another theory is that he intended the money to be used to open another Ugandan orphanage to ‘groom’ potential victims.
After the mystery tip-off, BA said it sent an investigation team to Kenya to find out how such ‘abuses’ could have happened in one of its community relations scheme.
In a statement it said: ‘We were shocked and horrified to learn of the allegations of child abuse made against the late first officer Wood.
‘British Airways had no knowledge of these allegations until we received an anonymous letter.
‘We set up an investigation team, sent it to Kenya and uncovered information that gave us cause for concern.
‘All our crew undergo criminal record checks. We would be absolutely appalled if it transpired that an employee of ours had been cynically using this charitable work as a cover for the exploitation of children he was trusted to help.’”
[Metro 9/2/13]
REFORM Puzzle Piece
These “community relations” programs /orphanage tourism need to have safeguards or be stopped altogether.
Recent Comments