The imminent release of a Dunedin recidivist child abuser prompted groups to ask whether Justice Minister Judith Collins would honour her pledge to detain those offenders at greatest risk of reoffending.
Ms Collins confirmed to the Otago Daily Times the Government would honour its pre-election pledge and introduce civil detention orders.
"The Government is concerned about the release of high-risk offenders into the community; that is why we are in the process of developing civil detention orders."
This week it was revealed Graeme Murray Purvis (47), of Dunedin, who has served three and a-half years at an undisclosed prison location, has a statutory release date of Saturday, March 17.
He was jailed for three years in 2009 for possessing, making and distributing images of child sexual abuse and rape, and attempting to sexually groom a vulnerable teenage girl.
Purvis has been assessed as being a medium-high risk under the automated sexual recidivism scale, and has turned down rehabilitation to address his offending.
After confirmation of his release, Family First NZ national director Bob McCoskrie called on Ms Collins to honour a pre-election pledge of introducing civil detention orders.
"The justice system owes it to the public that offenders are only released when the safety of families can be assured. As there is no guarantee in this case, and with the rejection of any rehabilitative work by the offender, we should not take the risk."
Purvis last month appeared before the Parole Board, which imposed five release conditions that will last for six months past his statutory release date.
Those conditions include Purvis' being prevented from using a computer or electronic equipment capable of accessing the internet, to reside at an approved address, no contact with victim(s) and to have no contact with those under the age of 16.
Alan Bell, of Ecpat Child Alert, a registered charitable trust working to prevent the sexual exploitation of children, said the release restrictions were not robust, were difficult to monitor, and were over a "fairly short term".
"When there is an identified risk, and the Parole Board has actually identified that he is a risk, than there should be some precaution taken to monitor and possibly even place that person in an area where the risk is as low as it can be."
Offenders tended to be released back to the same community, which had a "downside and an upside" - the downside being victims were likely to be in the area, while the upside was offenders would have support.
A Southern District Police spokeswoman said police would work closely with the Probation Service "to ensure that people released after serving a sentence for a serious offence are provided with enough support to manage any risk to the community".
Civil detention orders
• Will protect the community from a very small number of offenders still at imminent risk of serious sexual or violent reoffending at the end of a finite sentence.
• Instead of being released back into the community, these offenders will be held under a civil detention order in a secure facility.
• Will allow an application to be made to the High Court for such offenders to be held in custody until the Parole Board is convinced they are safe for release.
• Are expected to apply to between five and 12 offenders over a 10-year period. The majority of these people are expected to be child sex offenders.
SOURCE: MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
