Manwho abducted girl is at risk of reoffending

A man who snatched a girl off the street and indecently assaulted her poses a medium to high risk of offending again, a psychologist has found.

Brendan Paul Henson was this month declined an early release from prison by the Parole Board after serving the fiveyear minimum term of his eight-year prison sentence.

In February 2016, Henson snatched a girl on her way to primary school in Palmerston North, driving her into the Manawatu¯ countryside and offending against her. He then dropped her off on the other side of the city, while police mounted a large-scale search.

Henson, aged in his mid-50s, is in Whanganui Prison and in December he had a psychological assessment.

A Parole Board report detailing its decision to not release him said the assessment referred to Henson’s previous similar offending in Australia in the early 1990s, for which he was also jailed.

‘‘The psychologist assessed Mr Henson as falling in a group of offenders who pose a medium to high risk of sexually reoffending,’’ the board said.

The assessment concluded Henson should attend a child sex offender treatment programme. Before that, individual work with a psychologist might be required to prepare Henson for the Kia Marama Programme for sex offenders.

Henson’s lawyer Debbie Goodlet told the board he was committed to understanding more about what made him offend.

Goodlet said Henson should get the chance to meet with the board again after his initial individual treatment.

The board said, given Henson’s serious offending and his previous conviction, it was essential he complete an ‘‘intensive treatment programme to address the reasons that brought him to offend’’.

‘‘Until that work is completed the board could not be satisfied that his release would not pose a risk to the safety of the community and, in particular, to young children.

‘‘His risk will not be adequately addressed in the initial phase of the work with the psychologist.’’

Henson will next be considered for parole in May next year.the board said for that hearing it would be helped by a psychological assessment about Henson’s treatment progress, and recommendations for further treatment or his needs for reintegrating into the community.

At his sentencing in 2016, the court heard that two days before he abducted the girl off Shamrock St he’d indecently assaulted her by sitting next to her at a park and touching her leg. Before that he had no convictions since the offending in Australia.