Minister approves extradition of sexual abuse accused

Justice Minister Thembi Simelane has approved the extradition of a former SA teacher back to the UK to face child sexual abuse charges, reports EWN. The Western Cape High Court last week found that 85-year-old Iain Wares can be extradited back to Scotland. Scores of former pupils of Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College are accusing him of abuse. Wares faces more than 70 charges for allegedly sexually and physically abusing young boys during his teaching years in Scotland. The former Rondebosch Boys Prep teacher is also on trial in Cape Town where he's facing similar charges brought by another former pupil. Simelane said she has signed Wares’ extradition. ‘It has passed through my office, and it has been approved and it should be finding its way back to Cape Town for its conclusion.' Wares is expected back in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on 19 September for the local case.

Full EWN report

The Department of Justice has vowed to challenge any opposition to the decision to have Wares extradited, according to News24. It says Simelane’s office received correspondence from Wares' legal team earlier on Friday indicating that they would be consulting with their client to explore chances of appealing. Simelane's spokesperson Tsekiso Machike said: ‘Should he pursue this appeal, the Minister will vehemently oppose this matter.’ Simelane told members of the media that Wares' extradition for sexual crimes was but one of many that had landed on her table. ‘There are quite a number of those cases and requests that have passed through the Ministry. I made an example earlier on that I must have seen no less than 40 files in this month, of various requests whether from the government of Botswana, Namibia, Netherlands and varying different countries,’ she said.

Full News24 report