Criticism as prison rates for sexual offending hit a low
A more ‘‘holistic’’ approach to sentencing offenders shouldn’t come at the risk of victims and the public, a victims’ advocate says, as data reveals prison rates for sexual offending are at a fiveyear low.
Ministry of Justice figures, released under the Official Information Act, show 373 people were sent to prison for sexual offending in 2019. Between 2015 and 2019, the highest number of people sent to prison for this kind of offending was 528 in 2017.
Offenders convicted of sexual violation had the highest imprisonment rates with 1135 people sent to jail since 2015. However, the number of people jailed for that offence in 2019 was at its lowest since 2017, with 216.
Imprisonment rates for offences such as sexual conduct with a child under 12, sexual conduct with a young person under 16, and indecent assault were at their lowest in five years.
In July, a man who pleaded guilty to masturbating in front of a 10-year-old boy in the changing rooms at Auckland’s West Wave pools was discharged without conviction. That sentence prompted uproar from victim advocates and the public who were concerned he could go on to work with children in future and no-one would know as he would have a clean record.
Stop Demand founder Denise Ritchie said theman having early child education training was ‘‘especially troubling’’.
‘‘Our expectation, as an advocacy group tackling sexual violence against children, is that this man would be convicted. He would be ordered to attend a sex offender programme.’’
Instead, he was discharged and granted permanent name suppression.
While 93 people were sent to prison from 2015 to 2019 for wilfully doing an indecent act in a public place, 26 were discharged without conviction.
Sensible Sentencing Trust (SST) spokeswoman Jess McVicar said seeing a breakdown
on sentences for sexual offences was concerning. McVicar said the data showed the number of people receiving prison sentences was going down, but community sentences were on the rise.
McVicar said: ‘‘There can be more holistic approaches [to sentencing], but they still need to be held to account and kept away in an area where they won’t harm anybody.’’
New Zealand’s overall prison population has fallen by 18 per cent in two years. There are 1089 fewer prisoners compared to 12 months ago, and the number of people serving a custodial sentence is the lowest it has been since 2005.
The Ministry of Justice said judges make their sentencing decisions completely alone. Chief District Court Judge Heemi Taumaunu said judges make independent decisions based on the circumstances on an individual case, and they are required to give reasons for that decision. ‘‘A judge’s decision is intended to stand alone and speak for itself and it is inappropriate for further explanation or comment to be given.’’
Rehabilitation is available for sexual offenders – but not always if they are discharged without conviction. One charity that provides ‘‘specialised therapeutic services’’ for sex offenders and people who have problematic sexual behaviour is Auckland’s Safe Network.
Spokesman Shane Harris said Safe Network focused on a behavioural approach but other treatments were psychotherapy, hormonal treatment or voluntary physical castration.