More Reasons for a Public Child Sex Offender Register

Increasing numbers of child sex offenders are being released into communities under the National Government, says New Zealand First Spokesperson for Social Development Darroch Ball.

Brendan Henson was sentenced today in the Wellington High Court for the abduction of a five-year-old girl on her way to school in Palmerston North. He had previously been convicted for unlawful sexual connection with a child in Australia.

“The public should have known he was living in Palmerston North and the potential danger he presented to the public. This could have been done had his name been on a public register of child sex offenders.

“There are too many child sex offenders on community sentences.

“In 2007, 73 convicted child sex offenders started a community based sentence. By 2015 this number had ballooned to 173.

“That’s more than double the number of paedophiles being given community-based sentences each year under this government since 2008.

“The government cannot tell us how many released child sex offenders are living within a 1km radius from a school. Nor can they tell us how many child sex offenders have been found working with children.

“We are experiencing a double whammy – twice the number of child sex offenders released on community sentences under National and an influx of released sexual offenders arriving from Australia.

“Informing the public should no longer be optional.

“New Zealand First has called on the government to support our call for a part of the proposed child sex offender register to be made public. We also want a review of the community sentencing policy.

“Today’s conviction is just another example of why this has to happen,” says Mr Ball.

ENDS

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