‘Send him straight to jail’
Plettenberg Bay anti-child abuse activists believe the second similar conviction of a well-known dentist while serving a sentence of house arrest for sex crimes against a child, is a prime example of why stricter sentences are necessary for child abusers.
Ian Venter, a dentist from George, was convicted on Wednesday 11 April of sexually assaulting a then 12-year-old boy during a sleepover at his Herolds Bay home on 11 April 2015.
Venter was arrested by the George family violence and sexual offences unit and according to police was accused of going into the guest room of his home, where the boy was sleeping, and between 20:00 and 21:30 pulled the child’s pants down and touched his private parts. The boy was visiting Venter’s son.
Contravening house arrest
This after the father of three was sentenced in December 2014 to four years house arrest following his conviction on several charges including sex with a minor boy.
He was also in the meantime arrested in May 2017 for allegedly contravening the conditions of his 2014 sentence. One of the conditions of his sentence was that he was not allowed to work with children, but it came to light that he was allegedly treating children at his dental practice while serving his sentence.
This case is set to continue in the Thembalethu Regional Court on Friday 20 April.
‘Stricter sentence needed’
Plettenberg Bay resident and anti-child abuse activist Joanne Barrett, who has been attending court in all three matters and campaigning for stricter sentences for child abusers, said this is a prime example of why stricter sentences are needed in cases involving sex crimes against children.
“Venter was given a slap on the wrist for his first offence and now another child’s life is affected. He should not have been given house arrest, but rather jail time. This would never have happened if he had been behind bars,” Barrett said.
During the most recent conviction, the victim testified and the court found him to be a credible witness despite his age, unlike Venter.
‘We cannot allow reoffence’
“We at Women and Men Against Child Abuse are strongly relying on the court to hand down a lengthy jail sentence to Venter. We say no more house arrest as he has reoffended during his time under house arrest. We will not tolerate another child being sexually abused due to inappropriate sentences given to child molesters and offenders. We cannot allow him to reoffend,” Barrett reiterated.
“We are appealing for the combination of his current sentence with the new sentence that will take place in June. He must be sent straight to jail where he must be confined under lock and key,” she said.
Venter is set to appear in the George Magistrate’s
Court on 6 June for sentencing.