MEDIA RELEASE
11 November 2011
Why Name Supression for Child Sex Organiser?
Family First NZ is questioning why a man found guilty of organising underage sex tours to Thailand has been granted name suppression, and says that the community has a right to be aware of his identity in order to protect themselves from him.

“Earlier this year, Christchurch Judge David Saunders said that the ‘naming and shaming’ of offenders has a real deterrent effect,’ says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “Not only is it a deterrent for other potential offenders, but it has a protective element in terms of identifying someone who may put children and families at risk. The protection of the community should always outweigh the rights of an offender to be able to mask their crime – especially in a case like this involving the exploitation of highly vulnerable people.”

“Child sex tours are simply part of a multi-million dollar industry including child prostitution, child trafficking, and child sex abuse images, and this case may be just the tip of the iceberg.”

“The police should be congratulated for their thorough work through the two-year long operation involving the Police Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand (OCEANZ) team, the Police Undercover Programme, Counties-Manukau Child Protection team and the New Zealand Customs Service.”

“We hope that the police will have adequate resources and full cross-agency co-operation to stop this horrendous exploitation of children. But the judiciary must also send a strong message showing the community’s disgust with the sexual abuse and exploitation of young people with tough sentencing,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“Name suppression undermines that need,” says Mr McCoskrie.

ENDS

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