5 April 2007

Sex Offending – Predictable not Eerie

“Sexual sadist Johnathan Andrew Smallbon's trans-Tasman sex offences had "eerie similarities", Justice Graham Panckhurst said today when he imposed a preventive detention sentence in the High Court at Christchurch.” (NZPA 04-04-07)

ECPAT NZ believes Johnathan Smallbon’s sexual offending was entirely predictable not eerie. Notes on his case on a New South Wales government website reveal just how dangerous Smallbon is. He committed his second offence while on bail and said he feared he might kill his 14 year old victim.

“After the commission of the offences involving the 14 years old boy, applicant (Smallbon) drove the boy to a police station, allowed the boy to go into the police station to report the matter while he, the applicant, remained in the car-park until he was arrested. He said he did this because he feared that he might have killed the boy if he had not done so. He was on bail for the 1st set of offences at the time of the 2nd set of offences.” (Source: www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au ) Jane Foster, National Director ECPAT New Zealand said;

“Smallbon recognised he was dangerous and turned himself into the police. It is unbelievable that a man posing such a serious risk could be deported and released into New Zealand society with no monitoring or supervision. If Smallbon was an Australian he would be on the Australian National Child Offender Register (ANCOR). When sex offenders are deported or return to New Zealand who will be responsible for protecting children from them?”

ECPAT believes a national sex offenders register and mandatory treatment programmes for offenders in prison and the community should be introduced to New Zealand as a matter of urgency. International cooperation amongst law enforcement agencies to monitor sex offenders on release is essential.

As well as those who commit sex crimes here, there are New Zealand nationals currently serving sentences for sexual offences against children in the USA, UK, India, Fiji and Cambodia. Jane Foster, National Director of ECPAT New Zealand said;

ENDS

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