Pitcairn court awaits man on sex counts

A Pitcairn Islander living in Australia is due to fly to Auckland from Sydney today to face sex charges after he agreed to be extradited.

The man, 29, faces two charges of rape and another of aiding and abetting a rape on the remote Pitcairn Island, halfway between New Zealand and South America.

He gave himself up in Sydney more than three weeks ago and was due in Auckland this afternoon. He was expected to go straight to a sitting of the Pitcairn Supreme Court which has special legal permission to sit in Papakura.

He consented to a British Government extradition warrant in Sydney's Central Local Court last month.

The man, who was expected to seek name suppression, is one of 13 Pitcairn Islanders charged with a series of sex attacks on the island dating back 40 years.

Seven were tried on Pitcairn Island last year. Four were jailed and two others were given long community service sentences. One man was found not guilty.

Four of the 13 live in New Zealand and will also face proceedings in the Pitcairn Court here.

- NZPA