Editorial: 'Beast' gets constraints he deserves

It is good to see that serial sex offender Stewart Murray Wilson, better known as the Beast of Blenheim, will have strict parole conditions imposed on him when he is freed next month.

Residents of Blenheim have been anxiously waiting to hear where Wilson would be sent now that, according to our justice system, he cannot be kept in prison any longer.

The unfortunate winner of this rather grim honour is Wanganui. It could quite easily have been Hawke's Bay, but thankfully it is not.

Wilson was jailed for 21 years in 1996 for sexual offending against women and girls including rape, indecent assault, stupefying, wilful ill-treatment of a child and bestiality.

It is not often one feels a bit of sympathy for the Parole Board, but its hands were tied by the legal system and the conditions of Wilson's release show every precaution has been taken.

Despite being assessed as being at a high risk of reoffending, Wilson has to be released by September. Strict conditions on his release imposed by the Parole Board are set to expire in September 2015, at which point a 10-year supervision period will begin.

The Parole Board has often been criticised in the past for making the wrong decisions, but in this case it has done well under the circumstances.

Many of us would want Wilson to rot in jail, but for that to happen we would have to lobby our politicians to change the laws. Forced as it was to release him, the board has gone as far as it could to make life as difficult as possible for him. This is a good thing. For what he did, Wilson needs a bit more suffering in his life. Why should he be entitled to a nice, comfortable life?

He will housed in a house to be built on Wanganui Prison property and will have to pay rent.

He will be electronically monitored and can't move or leave the Wanganui district without the prior written approval of a probation officer. There are tough conditions around who he can interact with - under-16-year-olds and women being off-limits unless he has written permission and an approved adult is with them.

The board said Wilson could not take on a job or join a club, group, association, church, or support or addiction group without approval from his probation officer.

He can't advertise without approval or use an internet-accessible device without supervision by an appropriate person.

Wilson must not drink alcohol or use illegal drugs. He will also have to attend psychological sessions and will attend a hearing in three months to monitor his compliance with the conditions.

I haven't seen such strict parole conditions before and this shows the board is finally making the safety of the community the priority.

Let's hope it is enough.