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Robert Dittmer
.
Rape and indecent assault of a 19 years old Christchurch man in November 2000
Three charges of sexually violating a six-year-old Christchurch boy, together with charges of indecent
assault, doing an indecent act, and inducing an indecent act all between July and September 1996
.
.
none known
Born 1974
Prison
Background
Robert Jason Dittmer was apparently on a "high''
dosage of Androcur when he attacked and sodomised a young man three years ago,
seven months after being released from prison after an attack on a six-year-old
boy. Dittmer is back behind bars again, serving a sentence of preventive
detention.
Sunday Star - Times January 11th, 2004.
USING THE anti-libido drug Androcur did nothing to prevent a paedophile
attacking a young man just seven months after being released from prison.
Robert Jason Dittmer is now serving preventive detention for sexually attacking
and sodomising a young man while voluntarily taking a "comparatively high dose"
of Androcur in November 2000. The drug is supposed to reduce sexual arousal.
Dittmer had been jailed in 1996 for indecently assaulting a six- year-old boy.
He was assessed at Rolleston Prison's Kia Marama treatment unit but did not complete the programme after making sexual advances towards other inmates. Authorities considered him at high risk of reoffending when released and invoked legal powers to make him serve all but three months of a 3 1/2 year sentence. Seven months later he sexually attacked a 19-year-old man whom he met at the halfway house where they both lived.
Dismissing his appeal, the Court of Appeal noted: "Apparently Mr Dittmer was still able to function sexually despite the drug. "(He) admitted to (his psychiatrist) that he was still able to function sexually, although at a diminished level and with continued sexual fantasies. (The psychiatrist) states that such abnormal erotic interests are predictive of reoffending."
Dominion Post. August 15th, 2002..
PSYCHIATRISTS were no more accurate in predicting the future danger of violent
and sex offenders than tossing a coin would be, a lawyer has told the Court of
Appeal.
Psychiatrists, and more recently psychologists, are asked to help judges considering imposing sentences of preventive detention. The court has to look at the likelihood of reoffending before imposing the open-ended jail term. In Wellington yesterday, lawyer Tony Ellis said lawyers and judges were not taking seriously enough the sentencing process where preventive detention was an option.
It was the most serious sentence possible in New Zealand but a United Nations committee had said it appeared to breach basic human rights, he said. Preventive detention kept people in prison for things they had not done but were thought likely to do in future. However, Crown lawyer Simon France said the sentence complied with international agreements New Zealand had signed and had withstood previous legal challenges based on the same grounds.
The sentence was intended to keep violent and sex offenders in jail when it was thought they posed a risk to the safety of others. Until recently they were not eligible for parole till they had served at least 10 years but new sentencing laws reduced that first parole assessment to five years for people sentenced after the law came into effect last month.
Mr Ellis used the case of Christchurch sex offender Robert Jason Dittmer to challenge the preventive detention sentence. He said the case was destined for the UN Human Rights Committee or the Privy Council if it did not succeed at the Court of Appeal. Five Court of Appeal judges reserved their decision.
Dittmer, who also appealed against his conviction, was sentenced in July last year to preventive detention on two charges of indecent assault and one of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection. Dittmer, then 27, was alleged to have committed the offences against a 19-year-old man. Mr Ellis said it seemed as if lawyers and judges were not giving the sentencing process the attention it deserved. "It is only seen as a sentencing, not as a major exercise and we need to be upping the standards of the bar (lawyers)," Mr Ellis said. "With respect, we need to up the standard of the sentencing judges also."
In Dittmer's case, it seemed sentencing had been effectively delegated to psychiatric witnesses and without the judge analysing the evidence at all. Mr Ellis said studies had shown psychiatrists were no more accurate in predicting a person's future conduct than tossing a coin would be. In Dittmer's case the court also had a psychologist's report which was based on information collected while the psychologist was treating Dittmer, and was given to the court in breach of medical privilege, Mr Ellis said.
However, Mr France said Dittmer was told when he began treatment that the information gathered during treatment could be used in reports for courts. Dittmer was correctly sentenced to preventive detention and the Court of Appeal should not run the risk of Dittmer making another victim, he said.
The Press. Christchurch, June 14th, 2002.
A Christchurch inmate who was placed in a cell where one of his friends had
just hanged himself is suing prison authorities, saying he is being
psychologically tortured.
Robert Jason Dittmer, a sex offender serving preventative detention, is among eight inmates taking a civil claim for being held in solitary confinement for long periods. Each wants the conditions of their detention declared unlawful and at least $5000 in damages.
The claim was filed in Wellington yesterday against the Corrections Department, the Attorney-General, prison officials, and medical officers. Some of the prisoners have been held under a controversial "behaviour management regime" at Auckland's Paremoremo Prison for long stretches. In Dittmer's case, he is serving three months solitary confinement at Christchurch Prison while awaiting a placement on the Auckland programme.
In his statement of claim, Dittmer, in his late 20s, said he was placed in isolation last year soon after being sentenced to preventative detention on two charges of indecent assault and one of sexual violation. He had indecently assaulted and then sodomised a 19-year-old youth.Dittmer said he was given a radio after about 10 days in isolation. He said he was later put in a single cell, where one of his "better friends" had just hanged himself. He complained of feeling suicidal and was on psychiatric medication.
Dittmer claims his mental state was not examined by a doctor, before he was told he would be sent to the Auckland regime. Another inmate, convicted killer Christopher Hapimana Taunoa, has spent a total of two years, nine months in the regime. He was jailed for life in 1997 for murdering Sanson publican Hugh Lynch. Taunoa claims he was not given enough bedding for cold nights and that he dropped 13kg in weight during the programme.
Taunoa said the lights were constantly on, disturbing his sleep patterns. No television or radio was allowed. He said he suffered nightmares and other psychological disturbances. Wellington human rights lawyer Tony Ellis, who represents the inmates, said long periods of solitary could cause post- traumatic stress disorder and incarceration syndrome. Corrections Minister Matt Robson said his department would defend the action.
Howard League for Penal Reform president Peter Williams, QC, supported civil action being taken, after a long history of suicides and self-harm at Paremoremo. Tougher sentencing campaigner Norm Withers questioned why the welfare of criminals was always put before that of victims.
The Press. Christchurch, July 13th, 2001.
A 27-year-old man judged a high risk for sexual reoffending has been sentenced
to an open-ended term of preventive detention.Beneficiary Robert Jason Dittmer's history of sexual offending resulted in his
being sent to the High Court at Christchurch after he was found guilty in a
District Court jury trial. He appeared for sentence yesterday before Justice Fraser on two charges of
indecent assault and one of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.
His Honour said Dittmer had struck up a friendship with a 19-year- old youth he met while they were staying at a hostel. A year ago, while walking in a park, Dittmer had indecently assaulted the younger man and then sodomised him. "The incident has had severe psychological consequences for the victim," the judge said. Counsel Mervyn Glue, who appeared with John Verry for Dittmer, said the intention of the legislation was "preventive rather than punitive".
He said Dittmer said he had freely admitted his past offending because he felt guilt and remorse for his conduct. "Most of the offences he admitted had not previously come to the attention of the authorities," Mr Glue said. "He considers this demonstrates remorse... "A finite term of imprisonment is more appropriate here than the imposition of an indeterminate sentence," he said.
Crown prosecutor Jane Farish said: "It seems apparent that this person has had a substantial intervention by the forensic services while in prison and when released. Despite that, and chemical intervention, he still has continued to offend... "The paramount consideration is the protection of the public and that can only be achieved by a sentence of preventive detention," she said.
Justice Fraser noted that Dittmer had been jailed in 1996 for indecencies with boys, and unlawful sexual connection. When District Court Judge David Holderness declined to sentence Dittmer last week, he noted that Dittmer had a history of indecent exposure and making obscene phone calls.
His Honour yesterday quoted from a psychiatric report: "Regretfully I must conclude that the evolution of Mr Dittmer's sexual offending, its nature and extent, lack of response to intensive treatment, and his own admissions, lead me to conclude that Mr Dittmer is at high risk of reoffending." Justice Fraser said he also considered there was a substantial risk of reoffending.
The indefinite sentence will have Dittmer jailed for at least 10 years, and gives prison authorities the power to keep him in jail until he is deemed safe to be released back into the community.
The Press. Christchurch, July 6th, 2001.
A convicted pedophile is facing a term of preventive detention after being
found guilty of sodomising a vulnerable teenager soon after being released from
jail. Christchurch District Court Judge David Holderness declined to sentence
beneficiary Robert Jason Dittmer, 26, on two charges of indecent assault and
one of sexual violation.
Instead, he acceded to an application by prosecutor Jane Farish that Dittmer should be remanded to the High Court for consideration for a sentence of preventive detention. If imposed, the indefinite sentence would see Dittmer jailed for at least 10 years, and gives prison authorities the power to keep him in jail until he is deemed to be safe to be released back into the community.
Dittmer had a history of indecent exposure and making obscene phone calls before he was jailed for 3 1/2 years in November 1996 for three charges of sexually violating a six-year-old boy, together with charges of indecent assault, doing an indecent act, and inducing an indecent act. He was given credit at the time by Judge Stephen Erber for voluntarily bringing the offending to the notice of the police, his stated remorse, and for his guilty plea.
His lawyer, Paul McMenamin, had described Dittmer in 1996 as a "pathetic and fairly inadequate young man" who had difficulty in making the transition to manhood. In court yesterday, Judge Holderness said that Dittmer's release from that jail term had been delayed by prison authorities until near the expiry of the sentence.
His eventual release early last year had been on condition that he stay at an inner Christchurch hostel and undertook psychological and psychiatric counselling, but soon after regaining his freedom he offended again, this time against a 19-year-old man who was also staying at the hostel.
Dittmer denied a charge of sodomy and two of indecent assault, but was found guilty at trial last month. Judge Holderness said he had no doubt that it was appropriate for the High Court to consider a sentence of preventive detention. Mervyn Glue, defending, did not oppose the application to remand Dittmer in custody to the High Court.
The Press. Christchurch, October 11th, 1996.
A 21-year-old man who admitted several indecency charges in the Christchurch
District Court yesterday was remanded in custody. Robert Jason Dittmer, 21, was convicted and remanded on three charges of sexualviolation, and one charge each of indecent assault, doing an indecent act, and
inducing an indecent act. All the charges relate to a six-year-old boy, and occurred between July 15 and
September 12.
Sergeant Jim Cumming told the court how Dittmer formed a friendship with a 42- year-old woman and began staying nights. He went into the boy's bedroom to read him bedtime stories and, over time, began touching him indecently and inducing the boy to perform indecent acts on him. When questioned about the occurances by police, he admitted everything.
Sergeant Cumming said Dittmer required treatment and recommended a psychological report be completed. Judge Michael Green remanded Dittmer until October 24 for a psychological report and sentence.
