Loophole allows porn accused to flee country

Six New Zealanders on pornography charges have fled the country in the past decade because of a loophole in the law, figures released by the Department of Internal Affairs show.

The accused had not been required to surrender their passports before appearing in court.

Figures released by the Department of Internal Affairs and the police show 106 offences were committed under the Films, Videos, Publications and Classifications Act last year -- a five-fold increase since 1996, the Press newspaper reported today.

The department said that in the past decade, six people facing charges for possessing objectionable material had fled the country, some of whom are believed to have gone to south-east Asia.

At least one of the accused, former Christchurch schoolteacher Shane Rahui, has been seeking work in Asian kindergartens.

The alleged offenders have been able to leave the country because the charges laid against them are placed by Internal Affairs, which does not have the power of immediate arrest or to impose bail conditions.

Alleged offenders are alerted to their impending charges through a court summons, and the delay between the summons and the court appearance allows them to leave the country without restriction.

Internal Affairs told the newspaper yesterday that until a person charged under the Films, Videos, Publications and Classifications Act appeared in court, the department was powerless to act.

- NZPA