Facing trial in India for child sex abuse, UK national says he is unwilling to return

A British national accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy in 2011 has hinted that he is unwilling to come back to India to face trial. This comes after the Madras High Court in October, stayed the red corner notice against him so that he could return to India to face trial.

65-year-old Jonathan Robinson, who was funding a children’s home in Tirunelveli, has been absconding since August 2011. After failing to appear before the trial court, a non-bailable warrant was issued against him while Interpol had also issued a red-corner notice.

While the non-bailable warrant was subsequently withdrawn by the trial court, Jonathan stated the red-corner notice was preventing him from coming to India to defend the case. In October, the Madras High Court, while dismissing his plea to quash proceedings, stayed the red corner notice so that he could return to India to face the trial.

In an email to The New Minute, accessed exclusively by CNN-IBN, Jonathan Robinson evaded questions asking whether he will return to India to face trial or not. "Your question puts me in a difficult position because any answer I give is likely to generate publicity, which may or may not be helpful. I have therefore, referred this to my lawyer", said Robinson.

He further went on to say that the case in India against him was false.

In its 43 page order, the Madras High Court also recommended castration as a punishment for child rapists. According to activists, this will now make it much harder for India to get foreign nationals like Jonathan Robinson, accused of child sexual abuse, back to India to face trial.

This is not the first time Jonathan Robinson has hinted that he would not come and face trial in India.

"I understand that it is a principle of any fair legal system that a person is presumed innocent until proved guilty, but in this case this does not seem to apply. Information has been passed from Indian authorities to UK authorities which cannot be substantiated, and which UK authorities seem unable or unwilling to check", he had said earlier in another email sent in November 2012.