National wants investigation of child-sex offender programme

National MP Tony Ryall is calling for a select committee investigation into the failure of the Government flagship child-sex offender programme.

Mr Ryall is appalled that the Government is intending to introduce the programme nationwide, which seems to put the rights of sex offenders above those of the community.

A Justice Ministry report, released to him under the Official Information Act, shows the sex offender trial fell apart when government agencies failed to work together because of the Privacy Act and computer problems.

Mr Ryall says a select committee investigation should take place before any roll-out of the programme

“Corrections Minister Paul Swain has misled the public by saying the programme has ‘impacted positively’, when it is clearly riddled with problems. Nothing is rosy in this garden.

“Alarm bells should have been set off when the main government agencies involved failed to show for meetings and would not share information on offenders.”

The only way forward is for a select committee to call all the departments in to discuss their performance and to hear what legislative changes are urgently needed, Mr Ryall says.

“More and more child-sex offenders are being released into communities which

don’t want them there because they simply don’t trust the Government to protect them.”

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