Paedophilia case filed against 60-year-old Canadian national

Kathmandu, May 2

The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police today formally filed a paedophilia case against Peter John Dalglish, a Canadian national, in Kavre District Court through the Office of District Attorney.

Superintendent of Police Jeevan Shrestha, CIB spokesperson, said police had sought maximum punishment against Dalglish as per the existing laws. According to Number 9(A) of Chapter 14 of Muluki Ain, a person who commits sodomy (any kind of unnatural sexual intercourse) with a minor shall be considered to have committed an offence of rape and the offender shall be liable to nine to 13 years of imprisonment. The court will also make an order to provide appropriate compensation to such a minor from the offender upon considering the age and trauma suffered by the victim.

CIB had arrested the 60-year-old Canadian national from a house in Mandan Deupur Municipality-1 of Kavre on the charge of paedophilia and rescued two minors from his clutches on April 7.

CIB said he lured children with money, better education and foreign visit and took their guardians into confidence under the pretext of operating social and community work through his Kathmandu-based organisation ‘Himalayan Community Foundation’ to molest underage boys. Dalglish was a high-profile alleged paedophile arrested in Nepal.

Dalglish had worked for UN’s child labour programme, UN-Habitat, UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response in Liberia for World Health Organisation to coordinate global efforts to stop the spread of the Ebola epidemic. Sexual exploitation of minors by international tourists, especially men, has become a growing menace in Nepal, mainly in Kathmandu. With this the number foreigners arrested by CIB on paedophile charges has reached six over a period of one-and-a-half years, said SP Shrestha.

“Foreign paedophiles take advantage of a young mind and try to make it look consensual, besides using fear to keep the victims silent. They are also capitalising on the innocence of Nepali children. Minors are soft targets since they cannot resist the perpetrators,” SP Shrestha added.