Shawn Christian (mayor)

Shawn Christian
Mayor of the Pitcairn Islands
Assumed office
1 January 2014
Monarch Elizabeth II
Governor Victoria Treadell
Jonathan Sinclair
Preceded by Mike Warren
Personal details
Born (1975-09-14) 14 September 1975
Pitcairn Island
Political party Independent

Shawn Brent Christian (born 14 September 1975) is the mayor of the Pitcairn Islands.

Biography

Christian was born to Steve Christian and Olive Jal Brown, and was named after Shawn Branigan, the son of friends of his parents.[1] He is a patrilineal descendant of Fletcher Christian. In 1998 he moved to Australia and studied in Newcastle, New South Wales.[2][3] Along with his father, who was then serving as the islands' mayor, and older brother Randall, he was implicated in the sexual assault trial in 2004, and after being extradited to New Zealand to stand trial, was found guilty of two counts of child rape and one count of aiding or abetting a rape.[3] He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison,[4] but was released after two years.[5]

In the 2013 elections, Christian was elected mayor of the Pitcairn Islands, beating Simon Young in the third round of voting by a single vote.[6] He was re-elected in 2016.

References

  1. ↑ Who Are the Pitcairners? Pitcairn Islands Study Center
  2. ↑ Christian challenges Pitcairn trial The Age, 25 November 2005
  3. 1 2 Pitcairn Islander guilty of child sex The Australian, 10 January 2007
  4. ↑ Pitcairn: Paradise Lost Readers Digest Asia
  5. ↑ Eco-tourism: Pitcairn strives to live down its terrible past The Independent
  6. ↑ Dem Tull October 2013


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