14 Aug 2019

Missionary pleads not guilty to sex charges in Solomons

3:44 pm on 14 August 2019

A 72 year old Australian missionary accused of sexually assaulting five young girls in Solomon Islands has pleaded not guilty.

He faced nine counts of indecent assault in the Magistrate Court in Honiara.

Kevin Rietveld was in court for incidents that allegedly took place in Honiara from 2010 to 2012.

In 1998, Rietveld had been sent to the Solomons as a missionary.

After he left in 2012, police started receiving complaints of indecent assault committed on girls who were under the age of 15.

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Photo: RNZ/Koroi Hawkins

Mr Rietveld has pleaded not guilty to all counts and will go to trial from 10th February 2020.

While awaiting trial Mr Rietveld has to present himself to the Henderson police station every Friday morning.