Predator Hematullah Shafei free to stalk his prey
Katherine Danks
The Daily Telegraph
September 09, 2011
SENIOR police have called for tougher laws to protect children from perverts as a man avoided jail for a second time for trying to lure girls into his car.
Detectives called for a new law to deal specifically with offenders attempting to lure children into cars, saying existing laws were either not tough enough or were difficult to prosecute.
Hematullah Shafei, 19, received a seven-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to intimidating a 15-year-old girl.
He was already on a good behaviour bond for committing the same offence just months earlier. Angry police said the only charges available to them in such cases were attempted kidnapping - which
requires proof of intent - or intimidation, which carried a lesser sentence.
A police source yesterday said a specific offence for attempting to lure a child into a vehicle, which carried tougher penalties than intimidation, would tighten the legislation.
A submission along those lines to NSW Police Legal Services division four years ago had not been acted on.
The Daily Telegraph in July revealed a frightening trend of "stranger danger" incidents, with a child approached every two days. Since then, another 11 child approaches have been reported to police.
Police yesterday revealed a 15-year-old boy was sexually assaulted after being grabbed by a man of African descent and forced into a toilet in a park in Sydney's west.
Senior officers yesterday revealed they were increasingly frustrated by the tough legal requirements needed to prove the more serious charge of attempted kidnapping.
Police Minister Michael Gallacher last night said he was "open to any suggestion by police if they identify a weakness" in existing laws.
Petition - it's time to save Our Children
"The welfare of children is paramount," he said.
A senior police officer said that offenders were usually charged with intimidation, however "what you are really dealing with here is attempted kidnapping - but it's impossible to prove because you can't
show intent".
Child-welfare group Bravehearts said sentences should protect children and reflect the seriousness of the crime. "We support tightening legislation or introducing a new law if current laws are inadequate," a
spokeswoman said.
Former assistant police commissioner Clive Small said people who tried to lure children into cars were usually serial offenders. He said the existing legislation was adequate but courts were failing to impose
suitable sentences.
No comments:
Post a Comment