Pitcairn Islanders challenge British laws

Six men from remote Pitcairn Island today launched a challenge to the British laws used to convict them last year of a string of sex abuse cases dating back as many as 40 years.

The men were found guilty under British law of a range of sex charges on the tiny Pacific island populated in the 18th century by mutineers from Britain’s HMS Bounty. They have appealed, claiming British law does not apply on the island.