Update 17/11/14 An ex-MP has revealed what he alleges is the suppressed name of the ex-sporting star on Twitter, Stuff reported on the tweet adding

Last month the woman involved, Louise Hemsley, successfully applied to lift her automatic name suppression – granted by law to all victims of sexual offending…source

.New Zealand’s criminal justice system has again attracted ridicule after the Queenstown newspaper Mountain Scene released details of a ‘cover up’ that protected the identity of a sex offender then released him without conviction, presumably because he was a “prominent” member of the community.

Here’s what Rodney Hide wrote about the matter, in an article headed

Forget Rolf, Maggie. We have our own sexual predator to name and shame

“…Here’s a case from the Queenstown newspaper, the Mountain Scene. On the morning of November 11, 2011, a “prominent” New Zealander visited a woman he knew to discuss a business venture with her and her husband. She invited him in for a cuppa to await her husband’s return. The “prominent” New Zealander took the opportunity to grab her, push his tongue down her mouth, paw her, push his hand down her pants, and jam her hand on his “whatsit”. He only stopped his attack when her teenage daughter returned. Following his attack the man was completely blase . He carried on like nothing had happened.

His victim is left scared to be in her own home and is no longer the bubbly person she once was.

In August 2012, the man pleaded guilty to a charge of performing an indecent act intended to insult or offend a woman. He was convicted and ordered to pay $5000 emotional harm reparation and $1500 in counselling costs.

But earlier this year Judge David Saunders discharged him without conviction and gave him name suppression. In doing so the judge accepted the attacker had “carried a bit of a cross” in the time since his attack first came before the court.

A “bit of a cross”? And the victim? What does the judge think she’s had to carry? The man should be carrying a cross: he’s the offender.

I know something of this case. I certainly know the attacker. And I know some of our leading politicians know him and know, too, of his attitude and behaviour towards women. It was a topic of conversation when I was in Parliament. There are possibly other victims. I know one but she will never come forward…“

He then went on to plead with MP Maggie Barry (who recently revealed she’d been the victim of an attack by Rolf Harris) to use her parliamentary privilege to name this offender who is known to her.

It it worth noting at this point that if someone like Rolf Harris had been tried in New Zealand, rather than the UK, his identity would never have been revealed, and he would have been given permanent name suppression to ‘protect his reputation.’

Whether or not Maggie will take the brave step to name and shame the prominent New Zealander remains to be seen. If she did it would go some way towards dismantling New Zealand’s rapidly growing reputation for having a rape culture. One that protects that offender, prevents further complainants from coming forward and casts aside the victims of sexual assaults.

New Zealand has become a place where the victims of sex offenders have to forgo their anonymity and brace themselves for the backlash just to enable justice to take place. As in the case of Tania Billingsley.

Rodney finishes his article by giving the victim of ‘prominent man’ the last word

His victim is clear: “He is a dirty bastard and people should know … For me, it’s not over – I want his name out there.” And of him? “There is no remorse there; absolutely no remorse whatsoever.” Sound familiar?

You can read the Mountain Scene report here Prominent Man Accused of Indecency is Discharged.

Australian blog names and shames

An Australian blog site run by Derryn Hinch (see photo at the top of this page) has published what it alleges is the discharged sex offender’s name, confirming his age.

We must stress we have no idea if this allegation is true or not, if it isn’t then the guilty man should come clean and clear the person Hinch has named. Time for him to stand up and be a man.But by mid November 2014 only one name has ever been spoken of.

Hinch says that a plea bargain was reached with this man. The deal was if he pleaded guilty he would be offered diversion or discharge without conviction.In other words, ‘fess up to the charge and you’ll get off.’

NZjudgethejudges.com and NZ family court.com have also published links to Hinch’s blog. A discussion about it has been held on RadioNZ).

NZ Censorship

After naming  a man in his late middle age, Hinch then goes on to talk about another person – AB forward Robin Brooke, one of many NZ personalities involved in sex offenses.

…Robin Brooke was accused of groping a 15-year-old girl in Fiji on New Year’s Eve and assaulting a 17-year-old male who tried to intervene on her behalf. He was not charged but apologised for his behaviour on New Zealand television. When his name came out, another woman claimed that when she was 18 she awoke to find Brooke having sex with her after a test match against Australia in Christchurch in 1998.” source

Related

Diplomat Gets Name Suppression in NZ, Burglary and Attempted Rape Allegations Will Not Interfere with Trade. Malaysia Talks Openly “Alleged diplomat victim criticises John Key” Stuff.co.nz