After her blistering attack on Australia as a rogue nation, Golriz has followed that up with another righteous dressing down of the sensible sentencing lynch mobs thirst for vngnc with this damning indictment against th
Ex-NZ First MP Darroch Ball, advocating for victims, blasts ‘out of touch’ Greens for opposing child sex offender list
The Greens were the only party to oppose the amendments, and Green MP Golriz Ghahraman went further by questioning in Parliament the need for a child sex offender register altogether.
“Children and young people are most often abused, in terms of the types of offending that this piece of legislation encompasses, by those who are very well known to them, in their own homes. They are very rarely abused by strangers,” she said.
“These registers have existed and been applied in other jurisdictions for many years. It’s a measure that we’ve taken… It’s neither here nor there, I guess we could say, if there’s no evidence that it works.
“To persist with it, to lie to ourselves, to lie to victims and the public and say that we’re doing something that is essential to protecting children and young people, whilst we weaken the rule of law as a Parliament is, I would say, unacceptable.”
She is again, absolutely right.
The desire for vengeance whipped up by sensationalist media coverage of crime, exacerbated by long justice delays combine to project fears that are overblown and misdirected.
We have allowed this fear to contaminate the entire Corrections system which is the exact opposite of what good social policy demands.
The Sensible Sentencing Trust have done more to damage Corrections than almost any other group. Playing to their paranoia and rage is thee last thing any Government should do.
It’s good that the Greens have the agency to call that out.
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God Bless Golriz, that really did need to be said.
A sex offenders register is redundant anyway, those who work with children undergo police checks anyway, under which a sex related conviction would show up.
“Children and young people are most often abused, in terms of the types of offending that this piece of legislation encompasses, by those who are very well known to them, in their own homes. They are very rarely abused by strangers,”
It’s New Zealand, two degrees separation between any two people, a lot of cultures with very large extended families, and a lot of smaller communities where everyone knows everyone else and tend to be trusting of their neighbours. The boundary between “stranger” and “family” can be a blurry one, and that’s without even getting into how serial offenders can get around and be facilitated by organizations like churches and voluntary youth groups. And “rarely” is cold comfort to the outliers.
“These registers have existed and been applied in other jurisdictions for many years. It’s a measure that we’ve taken… It’s neither here nor there, I guess we could say, if there’s no evidence that it works.”
And recalling G. K. Chesterton’s fence, there’s no evidence that it doesn’t. If parents feel more secure knowing it exists, then that is a net benefit. As long as it’s not being waved around in public willynilly or people are being put on it for the wrong reasons, it’s not causing any social harm or resulting in vengeance, so what’s the problem?
“To persist with it, to lie to ourselves, to lie to victims and the public and say that we’re doing something that is essential to protecting children and young people, whilst we weaken the rule of law as a Parliament is, I would say, unacceptable.”
What rule of law is being weakened exactly?
Yes what about women getting involved with a new partner, who then becomes a step father? That would be helpful wouldn’t it? Even if the mother doesn’t check the register, grand parents etc could.
A concern I have is the gender self I’d bill. It’s perfect for predators who want to have access to women and children
But the Greens seem certain a register will be effective for firearms.
Like prohibition, guess their view is … *nuanced*
Of all the things to come out bat against yknow using all you might you choose this
? Strange.
Sorry, can’t quite work out what you mean there.
Dumb arse
A compelling analysis, indeed. Thanks for the contribution.
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