Nova Scotia News
October 20, 2007
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Canada/967083.html
MAPLE RIDGE, B.C. — The younger brother of accused Canadian pedophile Christopher Neil says he's relieved his brother is in custody and renewed calls to see him returned to Canada to face any possible charges here.
His comments came hours after British Columbia's attorney general said police in the province are looking into complaints about Neil related to time he spent as a substitute teacher in the Vancouver area.
Matthew Neil told reporters gathered outside his basement apartment Friday that he hasn't spoken to his brother since he was arrested and paraded before reporters in Bangkok.
Matthew Neil said his family is "relieved and we want to see this move forward to the next phase of the event.
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| Matthew Neil, brother of child abuse suspect Christopher Paul Neil, wants his brother returned to Canada. |
"I would like to see him come back to Canada but I understand that it's an international incident and I understand the need for multinational involvement."
Christopher Neil faces charges in Thailand of detaining and having sex with boys under 15, which carry prison sentences of up to 20 years.
Matthew Neil said he had heard about the B.C. investigation but had no details.
Neil, who once studied for the priesthood and taught briefly in Roman Catholic schools in British Columbia, was also a chaplain and counsellor at military cadet youth camps in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia.
In a statement e-mailed earlier to The Canadian Press and identifying itself as coming from the Neils, the family said they understand "mistakes have been made but he is still a member of our family!
"We will do everything we can to support him during this troubling time in his life. We are all in agreement that he should be extradited to Canada to face these allegations."
The statement ends with a plea to respect the family's privacy.
The B.C. government said authorities have not received complaints from anyone here claiming to have been abused by Christopher Neil.
Neil is the B.C. teacher arrested in Thailand following an international manhunt for a man who posed in pictures posted on the Internet depicting the sexual abuse of young boys.
Early in the day, Attorney General Wally Oppal said police here were looking into complaints about Neil from when he worked as a substitute teacher in the Vancouver area.
An RCMP spokeswoman also says police are looking into some tips from here.But a government statement says Oppal was wrong.The statement says there is no indication of any individual instances of alleged criminal conduct by Neil.
Neil, a 32-year-old teacher and would-be Catholic priest, became the subject of an intense international manhunt after police identified him from Internet photos of a man allegedly abusing young Asian boys.
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