No amnesty for Glitter

2007-10-01 13:31

Hanoi - British pop singer Gary Glitter, jailed in Vietnam for child molestation, will not be given amnesty this month, police and his lawyer said on Monday.

The disgraced 1970s pop star was sentenced to three years in jail in March 2006 for committing obscene acts with two girls, then aged 11 and 12, in a southern Vietnamese resort town.

"Glitter was not in the list of prisoners to be considered for this time's amnesty as he had committed crime against children," said Chu Xuan Mau, a police official at the prison where Glitter is serving his term.

Glitter's lawyer Le Thanh Kinh sent a letter in September asking for an amnesty for the singer, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd.

But Kinh also confirmed Glitter was not considered this time.

Vietnam President Nguyen Minh Triet said earlier last month some 10 000 prisoners would be given amnesty or prison term reduction by the central government to mark last month's National Day.

The amnesty has been delayed this year and will only occur around mid-October.

Those who have committed very serious crimes, including crimes against children, were not eligible, according to criteria set by Vietnam's president.

In February, Glitter received a three-month term reduction to mark the traditional Tet lunar new year, moving his official release date forward to August 2008.

- AFP