Pitcairn work recognised

Senior Constable Karen Vaughan, Wellington, has won a prestigious international policing award for her part in the investigation and prosecution of historic child sex abuse claims on Pitcairn Island.

Karen travelled to Saskatoon, Canada, in late September to accept the Excellence in Policing award in front of 600 people, during the International Association of Women Police (IAWP) annual training conference.

Karen began working on Operation Unique in March 2000. It’s dominated her life for the past six-and-a-half years. During 2000 she was seconded to the British Government to work full-time on the operation.

Her primary role has been to help the Pitcairn Island Public Prosecutor, Simon Moore (the Auckland Crown Solicitor), and his four fellow prosecutors prepare the case for trial.

Largely based in the Johnsonville Police Station, her role has included OC victims and witnesses. With more than 50 crime scenes, Karen and two British police officers interviewed 31 victims with 30 alleged offenders facing close to 120 charges committed between 1964 and 1999.

In October 2004, seven of the on-island offenders went to trial. Six were found guilty and will serve sentences ranging from six years’ imprisonment to community service on the island.

A small jail has been built on the island to house them.

Following successful convictions, media interest in Karen’s role sparked up and she was interviewed on New Zealand’s Holmes Programme and Australia’s Channel 9 news.

After her media appearances she was contacted by Detective Sergeant Andrea Humphrys, an Australian IAWP member who had seen her TV interview, was impressed by what she’d done and asked if she could nominate Karen for an IAWP award.

Karen agreed and the extensive paper trail was put in place to complete the nomination ... and the rest is history.

“I didn’t think I would win it,” she says. “I was up against all these women from all over the world and didn’t think little old New Zealand would get a look in. When I was told I’d won, I thought it was amazing.”

With three Pitcairn trials still to come, Karen’s work on the inquiry is set to continue for several months yet.

In late October this year, the Privy Council dismissed an appeal from the six Pitcairn Islanders.