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27 Years After, Fleeing Man Arrested, Faces Child Sex Abuse Charges

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An 80-year-old ex-scoutmaster arrested after more than 27 years on the run is set to face further child sex abuse charges.

Richard Burrows, who is accused of the historic sexual abuse of children, was arrested at Heathrow Airport in March, after returning to the UK from Thailand.

He had been wanted since December 1997 when he failed to attend Chester Crown Court to face trial for two counts of buggery and 11 counts of indecent assault.

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The charges relate to allegations of abuse reported to have taken place at a children’s home in Congleton, Cheshire, between 1969 and 1971 and in the West Midlands between 1971 and 1981.

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Cheshire Police revealed today that the Crown Prosecution Service had now authorised additional charges against him.

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They were 20 counts of indecent assault, one count of buggery, three counts of making indecent images of children, and four counts of possession of a false identity document with intent.

The additional charges relate to 11 victims and the offences occurred between 1966 and 1996 across Cheshire, the West Midlands and West Mercia areas.

Burrows is next scheduled to appear at Chester Crown Court on August 2.

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He had been due to be prosecuted at Chester Crown Court on child sex charges when he skipped bail in December 1997.

A warrant was issued for his arrest but, despite various appeals, including on the BBC’s Crimewatch, police did not locate him until March this year.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Boxer Shot Dead In US

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Detectives from Cheshire police working with the National Crime Agency, dubbed Britain’s FBI, finally arrested Burrows as he ‘stepped off a flight’ from Thailand at London’s Heathrow Airport.

He appeared at Chester Crown Court on April 2.

Asked by the clerk of the court whether it was correct that he had ‘failed to surrender to custody and failed to surrender pursuant to a warrant for his arrest,’ Burrows, who was dressed in a grey tracksuit, replied: ‘Yes.’

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Judge Steven Everett told the court that Burrows was facing historical allegations of serious sexual assault and indecent assault relating to 11 young complainants at a Cheshire children’s home, and while he was acting as a scoutmaster, when he jumped bail in December 1997.

The judge remanded Burrows in custody and ordered that he appear before the court again on June 21 to enter a plea.

He also set the date for his trial for January 13.

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Welcome Home, Israel Confirms Return Of 20 Hostages From Gaza

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Israel said that the last 20 living hostages released by Hamas on Monday had arrived in the country.

“Welcome home,” the foreign ministry wrote in a series of posts on X, hailing the return of Matan Angrest, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Elkana Bohbot, Rom Braslavski, Nimrod Cohen, David Cunio, Ariel Cunio, Evyatar David, Guy Gilboa Dalal, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Segev Kalfon, Bar Kuperstein, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, Yosef Haim Ohana, Alon Ohel, Avinatan Or and Matan Zangauker.

READ ALSO:Trump Gives Update On Israel, Hamas Peace Deal

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20 Members Of Gang Blacklisted By US Escape Guatemala Prison

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Twenty members of a gang designated a “foreign terrorist organisation” by the United States have escaped from detention in Guatemala, a prison chief said Sunday.

The members of the Barrio 18 gang “evaded security controls” at the Fraijanes II facility, prison director Ludin Godinez said at a news conference.

He received “an intelligence report” on Friday warning about the “possible escape” from the prison, which is southeast of the capital, Guatemala City.

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Godinez said they were investigating possible acts of corruption.

READ ALSO:China’s Trade Surges Despite US Tariff Threats

Washington last month blacklisted Barrio 18, an El Salvador-based gang which has a reputation for violence and extortion, as part of its crackdown on drug trafficking.

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The US embassy in Guatemala condemned the prison escape as “utterly unacceptable.”

“The United States designated members of this heinous group as the terrorists they are and will hold accountable anyone who has provided, provides, or decides to provide material support to these fugitives or other gang members,” the embassy said on X.

It called on the Guatemalan government to “act immediately and vigorously to recapture these terrorists.”

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READ ALSO:US Threatens To Sanction Countries That Vote For Shipping Carbon Tax

According to Interior Minister Francisco Jimenez, there are about 12,000 gang members and collaborators in Guatemala, while another 3,000 are in prison.

The country’s homicide rate has increased from 16.1 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024 to 17.65 this year, more than double the world average, according to the Centre for National Economic Research.

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According to the Salvadoran government, the gangs Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha, better known as MS-13, are responsible for the deaths of about 200,000 people over three decades.

The two gangs once controlled an estimated 80 percent of El Salvador, which had one of the highest homicide rates in the world.

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South Africa Bus Crash Kills 40 Including Malawi, Zimbabwe Nationals

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At least 40 people, including nationals of Malawi and Zimbabwe, were killed when a passenger bus rolled down an embankment in South Africa, a provincial transport minister said Monday.

The bus travelling to Zimbabwe crashed around 90 kilometres (55 miles) from the border on Sunday after the driver apparently lost control, Limpopo province transport minister Violet Mathye said.

“They are still working on the scene, but 40 bodies have already been confirmed to date,” Mathye told the Newzroom Afrika channel. The dead included a 10-month-old girl, she said.

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READ ALSO:South African Court Finds Radical Politician Malema Guilty On Gun Charges

Thirty-eight people were in hospital and rescuers were searching for other victims, she told eNCA media.

The bus was travelling from the southern city of Gqeberha, around 1,500 kilometres away, and its passengers included Malawians and Zimbabweans who were working in South Africa. The crash may have been caused by driver fatigue or a mechanical fault, the minister said.

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South Africa has a sophisticated and busy road network with a high rate of road deaths, blamed mostly on speeding, reckless driving and unroadworthy vehicles.

AFP

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