Australia deports pedophile to UK
SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Australia has come under fire for deciding to deport to one of the country's worst ever child abusers back to Britain when he is released from jail next week.
UK-born Robert Excell, 66, who has spent more than 37 years in an Australian jail for sex crimes against boys, will be flown back to Britain within days, following a decision by the Western Australian parole board to release him for deportation.
The parole board said his health, age and support from his wife were reasons for his release.
Excell, who has lived in Australia since he was 10 but never became as citizen, has four convictions for serious sexual abuse on young boys dating back to 1965.
He has been released on parole three times and has re-offended on all three occasions.
The decision has been met with angry condemnation in Britain from victim support groups and comes four years after serial rapist Edward Godfrey, who served 17 years in an Australian prison, was deported to Britain in 2001.
Not long after arriving back in Britain Godfrey re-offended and was jailed for the rest of his life last year.
Western Australia Attorney-General Jim McGinty has, however, defended the decision despite believing there is a risk of Excell re-offending.
"My responsibility as the Attorney-General of this state is to protect the West Australian community," McGinty said.
"What I am saying to the British is that the parole board has assessed this man as being appropriate for release because the risk he poses is low," McGinty told Australia's national broadsheet The Australian newspaper.
"I'm not prepared to accept a low risk with Mr Excell, because we've taken that risk in the past and he has then set about ruining the lives of young West Australians," he said.
The Western Australian government said Excell would remain in prison until his expected release after the Easter break.
On arrival in Britain, Excell will be met by Special Branch officers and interviewed, then listed on a child sex offender register.
He could also be subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which could ban him from being alone with children or from being within a certain distance of a playground.
