South Australia
A CHILD-SEX abuse survivor wants a photograph of her tormentor now he has been released from jail on parole — but authorities have refused, citing his right to privacy.
“Jean” — not her real name — was repeatedly abused as a child by Raymond Edward Barry.
Now he is free she wants to both avoid him and warn the public of his “evil nature”.
She told The Advertiser that, by refusing her request for a recent photo of Barry, authorities were prioritising criminals over abuse survivors and potential future victims.
Jean said laws allowing for offenders to be identified online if they breached their release conditions should be extended to all sex-crime parolees.
“This isn’t about revenge, and I’m now old enough to protect myself,” she said.
“This is about protecting potential future victims, and I think the community deserves to know who these people are.”
In 2011, the District Court jailed Barry for a minimum of 18 months despite an offending history dating back to 1957 and a doctor’s warning he still posed “a significant risk to children”.
He had been charged with having committed 13 sex crimes against Jean, between 1979 and 1982, but pleaded guilty to two counts in a plea bargain deal.
The court ruled Barry, then 77, was at risk of becoming institutionalised were he jailed for a longer period, adding his paedophilia was “in remission”. Gosh, we wouldn't want someone in jail to become 'institutionalized'! "Pedophilia in remission"? This is the first I have heard that pedophilia can go into remission. How do you know it is in remission? Can it be trusted to stay in remission? Why did one doctor say he was still a significant risk to children?
It appears that sentencing was all about the pedophile with little or no concern for the victims or potential victims. This is disgraceful!
Jean said that, when the Department for Correctional Services informed her of Barry’s parole, she asked to be provided with a recent photograph of him.
“They said no because it ‘has to do with confidentiality’, so I called the police and spoke to the lady who assisted me in court,” she said.
“She told me it’s the law, not so much to protect him as to protect me and the community if we come across him — meaning vigilante action.
“I disagree, and I think it’s wrong for them to protect him — the community deserves to know what he looks like so we can be protected.”
In March, SA Police announced it would operate a publicly-accessible online register of convicted child-sex offenders accused of breaching their release conditions. So that means they get, at least one chance to molest a child while under anonymity, before they are identified. Again, the rights of the criminal trump the rights of the victims and potential victims.
A person who is convicted of pedophilia should have no right to anonymity!
Jean said that database should be expanded to include all paroled offenders.
“In the US, you’re allowed to know where they’re living, and I think there should be similar provisions here,” she said.
“Whether they are in their 70s and 80s or much younger, these offenders get out and have access to more children in the community or through their computers.
“We’ve got to do everything we can to protect potential future victims and, if we don’t stand up for this, it will be swept under the carpet.”
Attorney-General John Rau would not be drawn on whether he would expand the law.
“Under laws we introduced last year the police commissioner has the power to publish personal information about child-sex offenders, including a photograph, on the commissioner’s website if the offender is in breach of their reporting conditions,” he said.
A CHILD-SEX abuse survivor wants a photograph of her tormentor now he has been released from jail on parole — but authorities have refused, citing his right to privacy.
“Jean” — not her real name — was repeatedly abused as a child by Raymond Edward Barry.
Now he is free she wants to both avoid him and warn the public of his “evil nature”.
She told The Advertiser that, by refusing her request for a recent photo of Barry, authorities were prioritising criminals over abuse survivors and potential future victims.
Jean said laws allowing for offenders to be identified online if they breached their release conditions should be extended to all sex-crime parolees.
“This isn’t about revenge, and I’m now old enough to protect myself,” she said.
“This is about protecting potential future victims, and I think the community deserves to know who these people are.”
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| Jean (not her real name) and mum-in-law |
He had been charged with having committed 13 sex crimes against Jean, between 1979 and 1982, but pleaded guilty to two counts in a plea bargain deal.
The court ruled Barry, then 77, was at risk of becoming institutionalised were he jailed for a longer period, adding his paedophilia was “in remission”. Gosh, we wouldn't want someone in jail to become 'institutionalized'! "Pedophilia in remission"? This is the first I have heard that pedophilia can go into remission. How do you know it is in remission? Can it be trusted to stay in remission? Why did one doctor say he was still a significant risk to children?
It appears that sentencing was all about the pedophile with little or no concern for the victims or potential victims. This is disgraceful!
Jean said that, when the Department for Correctional Services informed her of Barry’s parole, she asked to be provided with a recent photograph of him.
“They said no because it ‘has to do with confidentiality’, so I called the police and spoke to the lady who assisted me in court,” she said.
“She told me it’s the law, not so much to protect him as to protect me and the community if we come across him — meaning vigilante action.
“I disagree, and I think it’s wrong for them to protect him — the community deserves to know what he looks like so we can be protected.”
In March, SA Police announced it would operate a publicly-accessible online register of convicted child-sex offenders accused of breaching their release conditions. So that means they get, at least one chance to molest a child while under anonymity, before they are identified. Again, the rights of the criminal trump the rights of the victims and potential victims.
A person who is convicted of pedophilia should have no right to anonymity!
Jean said that database should be expanded to include all paroled offenders.
“In the US, you’re allowed to know where they’re living, and I think there should be similar provisions here,” she said.
“Whether they are in their 70s and 80s or much younger, these offenders get out and have access to more children in the community or through their computers.
“We’ve got to do everything we can to protect potential future victims and, if we don’t stand up for this, it will be swept under the carpet.”
Attorney-General John Rau would not be drawn on whether he would expand the law.
“Under laws we introduced last year the police commissioner has the power to publish personal information about child-sex offenders, including a photograph, on the commissioner’s website if the offender is in breach of their reporting conditions,” he said.
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