Sex crim’s motel stay put children at risk
Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says the lack of information sharing that led to a notorious sex offender being housed in a motel near vulnerable children is ‘‘totally unacceptable’’. A high-level investigation is under way into how Ronald Jeffries came to be housed in a motel where it is suspected he may have abused vulnerable children placed there by the Ministry of Social Development. Stuff understands Jeffries, who was subject to a 10-year extended supervision order after a lifetime of sexual offending, was placed in the lower North Island motel after residents raised concerns about his community-based accommodation. Corrections has refused to give further details of the decisionmaking around the placement, other than to say it was reviewing Jeffries’ management. It was also reviewing how it managed Steven Kendall, another offender who allegedly offended against children while under its supervision. The Ministry of Social Development and police have refused to comment. Davis told Stuff his expectation was for Corrections ‘‘to always put the safety of the public first, in anything and everything they do’’. ‘‘It is totally unacceptable for any member of the public to be placed at risk through a lack of information sharing. I expect Corrections and the Ministry of Social Development to work closely to make sure that they are sharing information.’’ Davis said the use of motels as emergency accommodation was a last resort option and also occurred under the last Government. He said Corrections and MSD were working closely on a number of measures to prevent such a situation happening in the future. ‘‘This includes better processes for ensuring both agencies are aware of where Corrections offenders are placed.’’ Opposition leader Simon Bridges said the decision to place Jeffries in the motel was an ‘‘egregious breach’’ of the state’s duty of care and someone should be held accountable. He confirmed offenders were placed in motels during National’s time in Government. Bridges said that because the Government wasn’t providing enough new prison beds then bail, sentencing and parole laws would soften up ‘‘and I expect to see more of this sort of offending from community based locations’’. Davis said he was committed to safely accommodating offenders in the community, ‘‘which is why we have invested $57 million in housing and support services in Budget 2018’’. Jeffries has been recalled to prison. The 65-year-old got out of prison in March last year after serving 51⁄2 years for sexual offending against a girl between 12 and 15 years old. He would stupefy her, abuse her, then photograph her. Before he was released, Corrections applied for an extended supervision order so he would be monitored and managed while back in the community. The orders are for offenders who pose real and ongoing risk to the public but Jeffries is alleged to have repeatedly ignored the conditions and is scheduled to appear in the Palmerston North District Court this month on three charges of breaching the order. In 1973, Jeffries, aged 20, was jailed for two years for attempted rape. In 1981 he was sentenced to six years’ jail for a brutal episode of offending against two victims during which he raped one victim four times. Jeffries met with the Parole Board in February, when Corrections applied to impose special conditions on his supervision order. A psychologist’s report showed he was at high risk of reoffending and he was untreated for sexual offending. Jeffries challenged the board’s power to impose special conditions, claiming they amounted to ‘‘enslavement’’, and went all the way to the Court of Appeal to have them overturned. The court dismissed the appeal this month.