Paedophile must remain in Pollsmoor

Hawks issue warrant of arrest after allegations surface of child abuse in Australia

PAROLE authorities in the Western Cape were stopped in their tracks this week as they were about to release a self-confessed paedophile who is wanted in connection with child sex abuse allegations in Australia.

Anthony Peter Freedendal, who was behind bars for the sexual assault of children in Cape Town, was close to leaving Pollsmoor Prison this week when he was told there was an international warrant for his arrest, which was issued on the basis of similar child sex allegations in Australia.

It is believed the Australian investigation relates to alleged incidents that date back to 2002.

The 74-year-old, who has South African and Australian citizenship, has been in prison for 16 months in connection with the local charges.

Freedendal admitted sex- ually abusing eight children in Cape Town – three boys and five girls – when he pleaded guilty to 15 charges in the Cape Town Regional Court in April last year.

In a plea and sentencing agreement with the State, it emerged he had attended the same church as the victims and sexually abused them when he took them, on separate occasions, to his home for “sleepovers”.

He was sentenced to five years in jail in terms of Section 276(1)(i) of the Criminal Procedure Act, which meant he only had to serve a sixth of his sentence – 10 months – behind bars before being released, then serving the remainder under correctional supervision.

The court also ordered his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.

Freedendal has made several appearances before the Parole Board since reaching the 10-month mark.

Each time his bid for release was unsuccessful until two weeks ago, when the board confirmed his release date for yesterday, his attorney William Booth told Weekend Argus.

Booth said conditions for his release included remaining under house arrest and undergoing treatment programmes with social workers.

However, alleged victims in Australia heard he would be released and, via contacts in South Africa, started to make a noise.

Correspondence was forwarded to the Parole Board at Pollsmoor Prison and Weekend Argus, in which people who knew Freendendal expressed concern about his release, revealed there was an investigation pending in Australia and requested the matter be considered carefully.

Their fears were nothing would come of the Austral- ian investigation if he were released.

They had almost given up hope when on Thursday – just hours before Freedendal was supposed to be freed – the Hawks issued a warrant for his arrest, prompting the Parole Board to meet early yesterday, where they decided to cancel Freedendal’s release.

“This serves to inform you that the placement of the mentioned offender under correctional supervision has been cancelled after receiving a new recommendation from the CMC (case management committee) for a further profile because of new information that has emerged from the Hawks/ Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation and a warrant of arrest issued on 4 August 2016,” Correctional Services spokesman Simphiwe Xako confirmed yesterday afternoon.

The matter will be revisited in two months.