Australia wants to deport Maltese ‘sex predator’

Victims of a convicted sex offender in Australia – Ivan Abela – are asking that he is deported back to Malta after his visa was cancelled as a result of his offences.

Abela was the subject of a Channel 9 News investigation, which claimed that he had unsupervised access to children during his detention in Maribyrnong facility.

He is currently in detention for breaching parole conditions after spending over five years in jail for raping his partner and her 12-year-old daughter back in 2003.

Abela was found guilty of rape and two counts of attempted incest. He served five years and nine months, but on his release he moved in with a single mother, and breached parole conditions not to have contact with children.

He was remanded in detention at the Maribyrnong facility.

In a statement from the minister of immigration, the Australian government said it was trying to remove Abela from the country.

“The minister takes very seriously the government’s role in protecting the Australian community from unacceptable risk of harm from criminal or other serious conduct by non-citizens.

“This person’s visa was cancelled as a result of his offences, and he will be removed from the country as soon as possible.”

The immigration ministry said it was liaising with the Maltese authorities “to progress his removal from Australia.”

“Placement decisions are made based on individual circumstances and operational considerations. The safety and welfare of all detainees – and the good order of facilities – is the priority.”