KEY POINTS:
A judge is worried that if someone catches a 15-year-old Christchurch boy sex offending with young children again he could be killed on the spot.
The boy is awaiting sentence in Christchurch District Court after a Youth Court judge decided the case was too serious to be dealt with there.
His name remains suppressed after the sentencing was partially completed today. It could not be finished in the time available so Judge Lindsay Moore adjourned the rest of the hearing to Monday.
The boy has admitted charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, indecent assault, assault, and attempted sexual connection. All four of the victims are boys aged from 6 to 8 years.
Judge Moore said he was struggling with how to get treatment for the boy while still protecting the community. If he jailed him, no suitable treatment programme would be available to him until next year.
Crown prosecutor Ruth Thomas urged imprisonment because it involved less risk to the community. But defence counsel Liz Bulger said the boy should get a non-custodial sentence of supervision which would enable him to continue treatment under the STOP programme for sex offenders.
"This youngster has committed terrible offences," said Judge Moore. "I have got reports that say he continues to be a high risk to himself and to others."
This type of offending caused outrage in the community. "The first reaction of most people, if they caught him in the act, would be to deal with him there and then in a way that would ensure there is never a need for a trial. If he was caught doing to little children what he did to these ones, a lot of people would just hoe straight in and think about it afterwards."
Judge Moore said it was the most difficult case any of them were likely to deal with for some time. He hoped that by adjourning the rest of the hearing to Monday, somebody will think of something that might help".
The boy remains in social welfare custody, living in supported accommodation and with a "tracker" assigned to stay with him 24 hours a day.
- NZPA
