Slade was never successfully prosecuted in the Philippines

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The five victims will give evidence to the High Court via a video link about the abuse they suffered at the hands of Douglas Slade while he was living in the Philippines. Slade was jailed for 24 years in 2016 for abusing five boys in the UK. Slade claims the allegations made against him are a “total fabrication”. The case, which begins today in London, will be the first time foreign victims of sexual abuse said to have taken place abroad have brought a case against a British national in the UK.

Slide moved to the Philippines in 1985 and bought a house in a poor neighbourhood where neighbours complained he lured children into his home and sexually abused them. Despite several investigations taking place in the country where he lived for 30 years, Slade was never successfully prosecuted there. The five males at the centre of the new case will give evidence from Manila. The youngest of which was aged 10 a the time of the abuse.

One of the five said he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Slade. He added: “Many people avoid me and think that I have a disease because of what I did. I'm teased. I am too embarrassed to get out of the house." The father of one of those suing Slade urged the other victims and their families to “fight for their rights”. He said: “They should be like us, we did not get blinded by money, we fought for it because we fought for the rights of our children.”