I hope this is the right place to submit this story. This Canadian man has been imprisoned in Mexico for over two years over a contract dispute and his 21-year-old daughter is forced to take care of her siblings while her father rots in a Mexican prison. There's a whole lot of news on the site about what has happened to this poor man. And to think, they gripe about the way they are treated in the USA and whine about families being torn apart!!!

http://www.freepeterkimber.com/history.shtml


History of Peter Kimber's Plight
841 days, 15 hours, 14 minutes, and 45 seconds have passed since Peter was wrongfully imprisoned

Background
Peter Kimber and his common-law wife and their seven children left Canada on April 1, 2001 in anticipation of an exciting and educational travel experience to Central America and Mexico. They drove an old orange school bus that Peter had fixed up and their plan was to year travel and explore some other Countries. They thought it would be an educational and rewarding experience for the children.

They left Canada full of excitement and anticipation, however they had no idea how the tragic events would unfold in a Country where humanitarian injustice is all too common.

Peter's work experience is in carpentry and framing and the family decided to settle temporarily in Huatulco, Mexico so that Peter and his son could work and earn some extra funds for their travels. Peter obtained all of the proper permits and entered into a contract to build a home for a British couple they had met. The first phase of the project was completed and approved by the clients; however during the second phase of the project there was a disagreement between Peter and his clients. The clients accused Peter of breach of contract and complained to the local authorities. This started a downward spiral for Peter and his family in a very corrupt justice system.

On October 15, 2004, during his step-daughter's birthday, Peter was forcefully removed from his home and thrown into jail. The authorities did not explain any of the details to the family at the time of Peter's arrest. The charge was apparently generic fraud however this made no sense to the family or to those aware of the details surrounding the contract dispute with the clients. His common-law wife presented very convincing evidence to the Judge that would prove Peter's innocence but a week later the evidence went missing and Peter and his family were now trapped in a justice system that punishes the innocent and takes advantage of those with money. In Peter's unfortunate case, he was innocent with limited financial resources and his fate was sealed.

Peter has been falsely imprisoned now for over two years. The family did everything they could for Peter, however the stress and constant turmoil with the authorities led to a breakdown in the family. His common-law wife eventually moved back to Canada with her children. His other children were also sent back to Canada, which left Peter with no local support. His oldest daughter is supporting her brother and sister while also raising her own daughter. Whenever the kids can scrape some extra money together they send it to their dad for his food and supplies. In order to survive in a Mexican prison you have to buy your own food and supplies.

It has been a nightmare for Peter and his family. When Peter was initially thrown into jail, the family had expected that the injustice would be resolved quickly and he would be immediately re-united with them. However, the authorities refused to address Peter's and his families' request for any clarification on the charges, or the lack of evidence or on the expected timeline for dealing with his case. It was soon apparent that lies, deceit and extortion were the norm for this corrupt justice system. On three separate occasions, his family had paid significant fees to court appointed lawyers who in turn disappeared with the money. It was obvious that there was no hope of receiving any fair legal representation for his case. Peter also made several appearances in front of Judges and was warned that he had to pay for his freedom.

It is hard to imagine the horrific conditions that Peter has been exposed to in this prison. Family and friends have been in contact with him and although he has survived this nightmare up to now, he needs to get an immediate release. His family needs to have Peter back in their life, so that the healing process can begin for everyone.

Chronological Account of Events
Note: The following details were obtained through phone interviews with Peter and discussions with his children

DATE EVENT OR CIRCUMSTANCE
April 1, 2001
Peter Kimber and his family left for Mexico and Central America.

July 2001-
July 2003
The family moved to Huatulco in Mexico.

July 2003-
June 2004
Peter started a construction company and entered into a contract to build a home.

October 2004
October 15th: Peter was arrested. The evidence given to the Judge and lawyer was "lost".

October 21: Peter appealed to the Judge
Mid January: The Judge responded, advising Peter he had not received any evidence.

December 2004
January 2005
Mid January, 2005: Evidence presented a second time to the Judge with a witness.

February 2005
February 27, 2005: Immigration police arrested Peter's common-law wife and the girls. They were interrogated for 15 hours. Eventually immigration took the family back to the bus (where they were living) to retrieve some belongings. The bus had been ransacked and only pots and pans, dishes, some clothing and odds and ends remained. They were then taken to an immigration detention center in Mexico City and were released 2 weeks later.

Aug 2006-
Present
July, 2005: Peter paid 10,000 pesos to a lawyer for evidence, who in turn took off with the money.
Present: Peter is to serve 12 to 18 years in prison or pay $20,000 American for his freedom.