Paedophile not punished for parole breach

Convicted sex offender Graham Wootton, who appeared in the Christchurch District Court today. Picture / Simon Baker

The convicted paedophile who was run out of the West Coast settlement of Blackball has not been punished for breaching his parole conditions.

Graham Wootton appeared in the Christchurch District Court this morning charged with breaching his parole.

He had moved from Christchurch to Blackball a month ago without informing his parole officer, who was supervising him since his release from prison in 2003. Wootton commuted to Christchurch for his parole meetings.

The Corrections Department approved Wootton's move after hearing he had shifted but decided to prosecute him for breaching the conditions by moving anyway.

Wootton was convicted and discharged today, which United Future law and order spokesman Marc Alexander today slammed.

"I have two problems with that decision: First, his parole conditions have not been enforced, so they become meaningless, and second, their should be a penalty for wilfully breaching them," Mr Alexander said.

"Such decisions make a mockery of the already dubious parole process. Perhaps we should just let criminals set their own parole conditions if were not going to enforce them?"

Blackball residents held a protest outside Wootton's house last weekend, forcing him to flee to Greymouth. On Tuesday he and his wife moved back to Christchurch.

- NZ Herald