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CONVICTED paedophile Dennis Ferguson is free to move to Bundaberg and hang around the region’s schools without their knowledge, despite the State opposition leader demanding his location be made public. Mr Ferguson was reported to have been at Elliott Heads on Friday, at the Shalom College Markets on Sunday morning and at the Bundaberg RSL Club on Sunday afternoon. Feelings ran high among callers to The News-Mail. “We don’t want these scumbags in our area," a father of three boys from Elliott Heads said. A woman who thought she saw Mr Ferguson at the Bundaberg RSL Club on Sunday afternoon said her belief was confirmed when she saw his photograph in yesterday’s News-Mail. Shalom College Parents and Friends president Drew Speight was concerned about the reports, but said the Sunday markets was a public place and the school could not restrict access. “I share the public’s concerns about it, if justice has been done and whether such offenders should be let back into the community,’’ Mr Speight said. “The man has rights, but these people do often re-offend and that concerns the community, which doesn’t seem to think the punishment is enough or enough is being done to prevent them from re-offending." Mr Speight called for more investigation of the conditions under which paedophiles could be released into the community. Opposition leader Lawrence Springborg, who will visit Bundaberg today, said the public’s right to know outweighed Mr Ferguson’s right to privacy. “You have people who are deemed to be a threat to the community and who haven’t completed rehabilitation,’’ Mr Springborg said. “The supreme right is the protection of the community. “When they offend in such horrific ways their rights are going to be impinged upon. “Some will remain threats until the day they die. “Child sex offenders have the worst re-offence rate of any prisoners, well over half. AAP (1-2-2005) Michael Secomb |
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QUEENSLAND Police have been called to protect a notorious pedophile from an angry mob that picketed his rented house, demanding he leave town. Dennis Ferguson, 56, who was released from prison in January 2003 after serving a 14-year term in a Queensland prison for raping three children, moved to Murgon, 300km north of Brisbane, last weekend. Police were forced to intervene after a group of up to 80 residents protested outside Ferguson's house today demanding he leave town. After being evicted by his landlord he was escorted by police to the local watch-house for safety, where he is believed to have arranged alternative living arrangements. No charges have been laid over the incident. "We won't sacrifice anything for this man, he's the one that's done wrong and he's the one who's gonna go," resident Cameron Bond told the Ten Network. Murgon Mayor Warren Hubner said the community was outraged after learning the convicted paedophile was living just 200 metres from a childcare centre. "I found this totally inappropriate and unacceptable," Mr Hubner said. "He had no restrictions placed on him at all. "I just can't understand if this man is genuine about wanting to rebuild a life after incarceration, why would he come to a small, rural town where he would be very conspicuous? "He was never going to be accepted into the community." But Police Minister Judy Spence said community vigilantism was not the answer to concerns about paedophiles. "I think we need to let police get on with their jobs and keep a watching brief on the community," she said. "These vigilante activities simply do not solve the problem ... we as community members as mothers and as parents need to watch out and protect our children." Ms Spence said she was not comfortable as a mother with having a man such as Ferguson living in the community, but he was a free individual who had served his time in jail. "I think that most of us abhor pedophilia and I think there is very little sympathy for people like Dennis Ferguson," she said. Concerns were raised about Ferguson's whereabouts after recent sightings of him in Bundaberg and Toowoomba. He returned to the state in December after serving 15 months in a Sydney prison for failing to notify authorities he had a job giving him access to children. Under new Queensland legislation, Ferguson has been placed at the top of the state's pedophile registry, which requires close police monitoring of sex predators after their release from prison. However, Ferguson is free to live where he wants, as long as he informs police of his whereabouts within 14 days of moving. Australian Council of Civil Liberties president Terry O'Gorman said the Government had to provide some sort of protection to pedophiles from vigilante action. "While one can understand people not wanting to have someone such as Ferguson in their street or community, the reality is he has done his time," Mr O'Gorman said. State Opposition leader Lawrence Springborg said laws must be toughened to protect the community from such offenders. "(Premier) Peter Beattie and Dennis Ferguson need to get one thing very clear: the only place for convicted pedophiles is jail," he said. Liberal MP Mark McArdle called for released pedophiles to be fitted with electronic tagging to protect the community. AAP (1-2-2005) |
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