Meralda Warren

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Meralda Warren

Meralda Elva Junior Warren (born June 28, 1959) is a Pitcairn Island nurse, radio operator (ZBP, 1988-1995), artist, and author of the cookbook Taste of Pitcairn (1986). She has been very much involved in the politics of Pitcairn. She was first elected in 1985 to the Island Council, where she has continued to serve intermittently over the ensuing two decades; 1994 to 1998 was her longest period out of office. She also served as the island's sole police officer from 1996 to 2001, when she was succeeded by Brenda Christian, who served as the interim Mayor of Pitcairn from 8 November to 15 December 2004. Meralda Warren herself was elected to the council in the general election held on 15 December 2004.

Meralda Warren is the sister of Jay Warren, who was Magistrate of Pitcairn Island from 1990-1999, and who was elected to the Mayoralty on 15 December 2004, following his acquittal on charges of sexual assault (see Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004). On her website, Meralda praises the six men convicted of various sexual offenses, declaring them to be honourable men who once saved her life. Warren, who says she became sexually active at the age of 12, is a vocal defender of Pitcairn's alleged acceptance and practice of sexual activity from puberty onwards.

On 28 September 2004, Meralda Warren went public with her conspiracy theory when she accused the British government of orchestrating the trial of her brother and six other Pitcairn men, in order to find an excuse to "close down" the island, Britain's last remaining colony in Oceania. "They've picked on all the viable young men, the ones who are the backbone of this place," she said.