A name suppression story
A reader writes in:
The first time I became aware of the SST offender database was when we were gravely concerned about the attention and interest a 43 year old man had in an 11 year old family member. My suspicions and reasons to look for this information was based only on 2nd-hand information and hunches that something didn’t feel right.
His name didn’t appear on the SST offender database back then as he had name suppression for 3 prior sexual offences against children and as such this information was prohibited from being made public. Our girl was his 4th victim when he raped her before her 12th birthday and I sincerely wish this offender’s name had not been suppressed and that it had been on that database when I looked first looked as we may have averted years of trauma and heartbreak.
Btw. His name is now on the database and he is serving a Preventive Detention Sentence … too late for us …too late for victims that preceded
Far too many children get assaulted or raped because their offender had name suppression for previous offences. Sometimes this is necessary to prevent the identification of the previous victims, but what should be suppressed is details about their relationship to the offender, not the identity of the offender.
The Sensible Sentencing Trust has a violent offenders and sex offenders database. It is a pity they have to provide this service. I think court convictions should be listed by the Government in a searchable database – subject to the clean slate legislation, and any name suppression orders.