The Queensland Party Police, corrections and emergency services spokesperson, Darren Hunt, says the release of a convicted serial child sex offender who failed to comply with his order conditions without further penalty highlights why the governments soft on crime approach makes sex offender orders irrelevant.
Mr Hunt said "The decision in Townsville to release a serial child sex offender who failed to comply with their order conditions with no penalty is a disgrace. What is the point of having these orders if the judiciary is too weak to enforce them? It’s a green light for sex offenders released from custody to do as they please.”
The calls come after Judge John Baulch convicted serial child sex offender Raymond Keith Lloyd, 58 of breaching his order in the Townsville District Court but did not punish him further because the penalty would be “unjust”. Lloyd had failed to report after being released and did not comply with his order conditions.
Mr Hunt said “What is ‘unjust’ your honour is a judiciary that fails to protect vulnerable members of our community from child sex offenders. This person breached their order and made no attempt what so ever to comply with their order. The excuse provided is absolute rubbish. To say he was told he had to report but didn’t follow this requirement because he was not given any paper work is a disgrace. If the Judge or Magistrate told them they had to do this that should be sufficient.”
“ If this Judge is accepting that as an excuse, then the Queensland Party calls for changes that involve no offender granted release by the courts is allowed to leave the dock until they are issued the paperwork in front of the Judge or Magistrate. That will stop that rubbish excuse ever being used again allowing sex offenders to roam our streets and not comply with their orders.” Mr Hunt asked
Mr Hunt said “The defence has played down the seriousness of the issue calling it a ‘technical breach’. This is the problem that breaching an order is allowed to be played down in terms of seriousness. This wasn’t someone who shoplifted a packet of lollies. This was a serial child sex offender. Child sex offenders have these conditions and orders for a reason. If they meet the criteria and conditions for release they should be given the opportunity of rehabilitation, but the community still deserves protection. If they aren’t prepared to comply with those conditions, whether they are technical breaches or not, they should be returned to custody.”
Media contact: Darren Hunt
Queensland Party police,corrections and emergency services spokesperson
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