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Archived Press Releases 2007 24th June 2007

SEX OFFENDER DATA BASE SAVES GIRLS FROM PAEDOPHILE

(24th June 2007)

An online data-base catches a paedophile – and two young girls are saved – but the organization responsible for creating the data-base may be sued.

A controversial online data base that names paedophiles and sex offenders as well as alerting the public to their previous offences is saving further victims says the organization responsible.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust paedophile and sex offender data base was established two years ago and now lists over 500 offenders.

Trust spokesman Garth McVicar said the online database was set up to protect the many innocent women and children who were vulnerable to these sex offenders.

"Government policy is allowing these offenders to be placed secretly amongst unsuspecting communities and many women and children are being sexually abused as a result, we believe the public have a right to know who is in their communities – and what offences they have committed."

McVicar said the data-base was working extremely well and preventing further victimization, "We got a message from a woman recently who had taken in a boarder and was going to allow him to babysit her 7 and 9 year old daughters but after checking our database had discovered he was a convicted sex offender. This is just one example of many"

"The warm-fuzzy kind to criminals approach has failed, politicians and those promoting this feel-good approach need to wake up and realize that this social experiment has been a catastrophe for New Zealand."

"We believe the naming and shaming of these offenders is the best form of rehabilitation – most are repeat offenders – our online database holds them accountable and responsible for their actions – something the current politically driven justice system is failing to do."

"Our site also links to the back ground stories of their offences, some of the details are so abhorrent it is unbelievable to think you could be living next to one of these sexual predators and not know it."

"In our opinion any further offences these predators commit have been given the blessing of the policy makers that placed them in our community."

"The Sensible Sentencing Trust is vowing to protect our women and children from those who by their very actions have violated the rules of a decent society."

McVicar also had a message for those threatening to sue the Trust, "Make our day – the publicity will expose how dumb this "secret squirrel" Government policy really is – and just how many paedophiles and sex-offenders are living in our community."

"We make no apologies for the impact our online database is having on these offenders, they had choices – they made the wrong ones – and must suffer the consequences for their actions."

Regards,

Garth McVicar
National Spokesperson,
Sensible Sentencing Trust.