UK teacher escapes Ethiopia jail

The Campbells have lived in Ethiopia for a decade

A British teacher has escaped jail in Ethiopia over comments she made when exposing paedophiles working at a children's charity.

Jill and Gary Campbell helped convict the director of an orphanage run by the charity Terre Des Hommes-Lausanne.

But the charity denied the couple's accusations it had covered up abuse.

It won a defamation case and Mrs Campbell faced six months in jail after refusing to apologise, but this demand was dropped at a hearing.

At a hearing in Addis Ababa the judge said Terre des Hommes had dropped their demand for the execution of the judgement Mrs Campbell, so she no longer had to apologise.

The couple had compiled a report on sexual abuse at the children's home which led the charity to apologise and leave Ethiopia.

Hard labour

In 2003 orphanage director David Christie was sentenced to nine years of hard labour for abusing several young boys.

But the Campbells also accused Terre Des Hommes-Lausanne of trying to cover up the scandal, which a court said was not proved.

They were ordered to apologise, which Mrs Campbell refused to do.

Mr Campbell issued a public apology last month, then said he did so only because nobody would be able to care for their children if they both went to jail.

Speaking after the hearing, Mrs Campbell, of Slough, Berkshire, said: "The charity has wasted seven years pursuing us through the courts and chasing and intimidating us.

"These would have been much better spent supporting the victims and apologising to them and seeking compensation for them."