FG: Freedom makes mockery of pledge on sex offenders

THE release of the rapist Larry Murphy from Arbour Hill prison made a mockery of the Government’s promises to deal with such dangerous criminals.

This was the view of Fine Gael frontbench spokesman Charlie Flanagan. He said Justice Minister Dermot Ahern’s own strategy document from January 2009, on the management of sex offenders, said electronic tagging would be valuable for prisoners who did not cooperate with treatment options.

Mr Flanagan said these were precisely the circumstances surrounding Murphy, yet there was still no system in place to track and monitor his whereabouts due to the failure to pass a law to tag rapists on their release.

Mr Flanagan said there was no reason to put members of the community in danger because a prisoner had shown good behaviour while serving his sentence.

“Releasing someone from jail early for ‘good behaviour’ under the system of automatic remission is ludicrous.

“It is clear that automatic remission is being used as a release valve for our dangerous and overcrowded prisons. Failure to create extra prison space is no reason to put dangerous criminals back on the streets.

“This case has exposed serious flaws in the Government’s management of a justice system that simply is not functioning properly or providing the protection society deserves,” he said.

His sentiments were echoed by the Labour Party’s women’s movement.

Its chair, Katherine Dunne, said the state had an obligation to protect all of its citizens.

She said to do this, there has to be proper treatment of offenders such as Murphy before their release and support systems in place outside the prison walls.

Ms Dunne said anybody let out of jail under the terms of an early or temporary release deal should have to meet the criteria which suggest there was a real reduction in the risk they posed.

“The provision of effective, independently-monitored treatment programmes for released offenders further improves our safety,” she said.

“Those from outside criminal justice system exhibiting sexually harmful behaviour can also be included in treatment programmes, whose aim is the safety of the citizens.”

And she said it was in the interests of everybody to have a proper and vigilant system in place to keep an eye on those who have committed sexual crimes.

“Monitoring released sex offenders lessens hysteria and also gives the offender an opportunity to say I will not re-offend because I cannot do so, so please let me get on with my life,” she said.