The Advertiser editorial: Time to heed call to protect our children

NO one better understands the heinous impact of child sex offending than those who have survived it.

NO one better understands the heinous impact of child sex offending than those who have survived it.

They are the ones who battle, every day, not only to come to terms with their ordeal but to forge positive lives for themselves.

And it is for those reasons that the importance of their insight and their opinions cannot be overstated.

Today, the man known as XX has spoken publicly for the first time — 27 years after he was abducted as a child, taken interstate and abused by serial predator Colin Charles Humphrys.

Few would have blamed him for responding to Humphrys’ imminent release — under supervision at Bowden-Brompton — by doubling down on his privacy.

Instead he chose to issue a call to arms, urging the public to push for legislative change that will stop future offenders from ever leaving their prison cells.

Moreover, his rallying cry is not one of vigilante action, nor of social media outrage and campaigning.

Instead, his message is one of nonviolence and morality — because to act otherwise would only convince courts and judges to create further protections for sex monsters.

XX is to be commended for both his courage and his measured, responsible reaction to a situation that is no doubt causing him tremendous emotional trauma.

It now falls to the community to listen, take up his message and push for legislative amendments that are so sorely needed.

And all sides of politics — including our new State Government — must listen to what XX and the public have to say.

Thanks to SA’s sad history of child sex abuse, there are many more criminals like Humphrys in the system, waiting for their turn to seek release on licence.

This is a problem that will not go away — it will only recur, with frightening regularity, and worsen over time.

It is our responsibility — as parents, as community members, as politicians — to change the system before the next child is victimised.

It is up to us to ensure no one suffers as XX has.

That’s real cool

AT a time when we are repeatedly told that manufacturing is on the wane in South Australia, it’s pleasing to report a good news story that provides a little positive counterbalance.

Airconditioning company Seeley International is, of course, an exceptional South Australian company, and has been for a long time.

And it’s fair to say it keeps stacking up an incredible list of accomplishments on the world stage.

It’s latest achievement is to win a $50 million export contract to install 50,000 evaporative air conditioning units at Mecca in Saudi Arabia, one of the hottest places on the planet.

The units will be part of the enormous tent city on the outskirts of Mecca which will house millions of Muslim who have made the pilgrimage to their religion’s most holy place.

Seeley was chosen after an exhaustive tender process. Company founder Frank Seeley said they competed against 90 other contenders from all over the world before its Breezair units were chosen.

The contract will mean around 100 local jobs and as Mr Seeley said it shows SA “can beat the world’’.