Manawatu Judge Gives Serial Paedophile Leniency

24 July 2016

“If a teacher can sexually abuse our school children and the Judge only slaps his hand, what message does that send to the public “Guthrie

Paul Rodger Herrick preyed on vulnerable children before indecently assaulting them for sexual gratification. He committed crimes against children as young as 9 years of age and had been offending for over 30 years.

“Four years nine months’ imprisonment for repetitive sexual offending against young innocent vulnerable children is a sentence that is weak, wrong and offender friendly. Judge Jim Large needs to wake up and realise exactly what his job is” Guthrie

Herrick was imprisoned for five years in the 1990s, and given nine months’ home detention in 2015, for offences he committed against other children around the same time.

The seven victims from his most recent sentencing all came forward after reading about his 2015 sentencing.

“Preventative detention is available to keep these types of offenders off the streets and the community safe but for some unknown reason our judicial system keeps failing to use it, just like it keeps failing the public of New Zealand” Guthrie.

"We are all here today because you have no place in our world. We are here today to witness your removal from decent society. This is our day of justice." Excerpt from a Victim impact statement.

Crown prosecutor Michael Blaschke described Herrick's actions as an utter and complete breach of trust, as he engineered opportunities of offending through his role as a teacher".

Herrick breached the trust of the children, their parents and the community.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/82371289/paul-herrick-imprisoned-for-sexual-offending-against-children-he-taught

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