Despite calls for him to be held pending further investigations into claims he was behind the killing of 30,000 people during World War II, he flew back to Australia where he is a resident. Meanwhile, a Rwandan colonel accused of slaughtering 100,000 people is living as a refugee in south London. Genocide suspect Tharcisse Muvunyi came to Britain last year and has been granted asylum until 2002. And Colonel Ian Henderson, a former head of the secret police in Bahrain who stands accused of torture, spent New Year on holiday in Devon, untroubled by the authorities. Alleged killer at large in London Campaigners say all these cases show why Britain is a safe haven for suspected war criminals and torturers.
Legislation exists in Britain to bring such people to court.
The 1991 War Crimes Act gave the courts the right to try World War II criminals, but so far only one case has been successfully tried under this Act. Under the 1988 Criminal Justice Act, torturers can be tried in Britain wherever their crimes were committed. But so far no-one has been brought to court under this legislation. And that's the problem with a lot of these war criminals - even if they were brought to trial they probably would not be convicted. However, I am disappointed that things were not taken a little further with Kalejs.