Pedophiles To Live Within Prison Walls
THE Victorian Government will rush new laws into state parliament
today to ensure serious sex offenders can be forced to live inside
prison walls even after parole.
The changes come after a self-styled warlock and sex predator who
turned two teenage girls into sex slaves last week won the right
to live in the community.
Despite being eligible for parole in June, Robin Angas Fletcher,
49, had been living in a unit within the walls of Victoria's
Ararat prison under an extended supervision order.
Fletcher challenged the conditions of the order, imposed by the
Adult Parole Board under the Serious Sex Offenders Monitoring
Act, in the Victorian Supreme Court.
Judge Bill Gillard ruled the board acted unlawfully by forcing
Fletcher to stay within prison walls after he had completed his
jail term. He said the terms of the act required Fletcher to
live in the community.
Under amendments to the Serious Sex Offenders Monitoring Act,
the Adult Parole Board will have the power to require high risk
child sex offenders to reside either within the permiter wall of
a prison, or on prison property.
The new law applies to offenders subject to extended supervision
orders, which allow for the post-sentence supervision of certain
high-risk sex offenders.
"In light of evidence that some pedophiles are likely to offend
again and again throughout their lives, it is appropriate and
necessary to provide for their ongoing supervision," Police
Minister Tim Holding said today.
Fletcher will be subject to a range of conditions including
an electronic monitoring device and a curfew, as well as bans
on contact with children and going near schools and playgrounds.
He will only be able to leave the house when escorted by a
Corrections Victoria officer.
Fletcher made sex slaves of two 15-year-old girls by convincing
them they were taking part in pagan rituals. He used hypnotism
to entice the girls into prostitution, sadomasochism and black magic.
He was jailed in 1998 for ten years after pleading guilty to
wilfully committing an indecent act with a child under the age
of 16, one count of child prostitution and one count of
attempting to pervert the course of justice. He became
eligible for parole last year.
www.theaustralian.news.com.au (3-10-2006)
Ewin Hannan
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