A charity worker in prison for 12 years can be released today

A charity worker in Albania for 12 years could be released next week

orphanage manager David Brown was imprisoned because of the penalty for child abuse in 2006, even though he had repeatedly protested his guilt, writes Periscope.

Now a hearing for his parole on Monday could offer him new hopes, after exceeding three-quarters of his sentence in a difficult prison in Tirana.

“I just got an e-mail from David's lawyer, Judge,” a friend of his, Ralph Kellett-Smith, told me. “at the end of January he applied to be released on bail after spending three-quarters of his prison sentence”.

Very unusual for Albanian courts, but it was decided to have a hearing. That's really good news. ”

Many friends and family members are holding their hands crucified this weekend for good news Monday, having been disappointed by false hopes earlier.

The Evening News had reported how two men had testified against him while the boys were willing to withdraw their statements.

Andon Qoshli, one of the children now says Brown was innocent and that the psychologist had given him gifts they witnessed against him.

Brown had worked 35 years in Scotland.

Ten boys had told police that they were sexually abused by Brown or more than three Britons in orphanages in 2006.

Brown's colleagues had also been sentenced to 35 years together.