My question is to the Attorney-General. It is about a serious sex offender’s failure (because of a lack of any available holding cells) to appear in the Shepparton County Court on 31 January for sentencing over his sexual assaults of three girls under the age of 10.
My matter is for the Attorney General. It follows a 26th February article in The Australian newspaper, which reported that an agreement has recently been struck between all Federal, State and Territory Attorneys General to allow juries in child abuse trials to hear evidence of an accused’s prior convictions and interest in children. This evidence has previously only been disclosed in exceptional circumstances – which has meant that the histories of most child abuse perpetrators have remained hidden.
My matter, for the Attorney General, yet again relates to the non-custodial sentencing of those who assault emergency services workers. Among all the instances of non-custodial sentences for these attacks, it’s doubtful there are many clearer examples of the problem than the Aroub Arop case from only two weeks ago.
