Media Statement
For immediate release
Wednesday, 7 September 2005

Alexander backs Corrections inquiry call

United Future’s Marc Alexander today back National’s call for an inquiry into the Corrections Department debacle that saw a youth surrounded by sexual misconduct allegations sent to do community work in a school where he raped an eight-year-old girl.

“It’s just a disaster and it’s not good enough to say there was simply a communications breakdown,” Mr Alexander, United Future’s law and order spokesman, said.

“We can never, ever exonerate or accept that there is any excuse that makes this failure acceptable.

“In this case it was an eight-year-old girl and that is simply appalling; but there have been too many failures and we cannot accept that.

“There does indeed need to be an urgent inquiry and steps taken to guarantee that such an abject failure is never again repeated,” he said.

“And the inquiry should look at the whole private-public issue. Frankly, cases like this show we need the outfits that will do it best, not those that do it ideologically.”

ENDS

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