Rapist, child killer Peter Davis too dangerous to release from prison after 28 years

A man who raped and murdered an Invercargill girl has been refused parole. Photo / 123RF

Sarah Curry was just 8 years old when she was raped and murdered by a convicted sex offender.

And 28 years on, that man remains in prison - with no end date to his lag in sight.

The Invercargill schoolgirl was found in a reserve after being sexually assaulted and murdered by Peter George Davis in 1992.

Davis was on parole for a previous rape conviction in 1987 when he attacked and strangled the child.

Sarah had been playing at a friend's house the day she died and was on her way home when Davis approached her and took her life.

He was sentenced to life in prison and preventive detention for the shocking crime.

Davis has been denied parole a number of times over the almost-30 years he has been behind bars.

And his latest appearance was no different.

"He has a serious history of violence and sex offending in his past prior to his 1992
imprisonment," Parole Board chairman Sir Ron Young said.

"We saw him last in December 2019.

"At that stage he had seen a private psychologist no further rehabilitation was required but he needed detailed release planning.

"The concern was he had no real support in the community other than professional support."

At a hearing in May, the board heard Davis had completed three guided releases from prison but his safety plan was dated in 2005 and the address he was proposing to move to was not somewhere he had ever lived.

"He has very little support in the community but it is true to say that there is no realistic prospect of him improving his personal support from prison given he has been in prison for 28 years and that he does not have any background or history in the area where he proposes to be released," Sir Ron said.

Davis told the board he had "some ideas" about what he might do if he was to be released to the area he was seeking approval for.

"He talked about providing help and support ... and as well he had a number of other ideas for community involvement through groups relevant to his own age," Sir Ron explained in the parole decision released recently.

Peter George Davis attempted to get parole with a safety plan formulated in 2005. Photo / NZME

"He talked briefly to us about the need to stay away from young children and families relating to his high-risk situations.

"He showed us his montage which illustrated his high-risk situations, the support he might have in the community and the activities he might undertake.

"Mr Davis said that he was going to put the montage on the wall of his accommodation."

However, the board was not satisfied the community would be safe from the killer and recidivist rapist.

"There are several things that Mr Davis needs to do before we could be satisfied he was no longer an undue risk," Sir Ron said.

"Firstly he needs to update his safety plan. It is now 15 years old and circumstances have significantly changed for Mr Davis."

Sir Ron said a "reintegration hui" was needed between Davis and his supporters.

He also needed further guided releases.

"He has been in prison for 28 years now and will need regular guided releases to familiarise him with the community outside of prison," Sir Ron ruled.

"In particular it would be helpful if he could be taken to his [proposed] residence so he could familiarise himself with his accommodation.

"In the circumstances, therefore, [he] remains an undue risk. We will see him in six months' time by the end of November 2020."