Police say two convicted child sex offenders among detainees released in SA

SA Police have revealed two child sex predators are among six newly released detainees now calling our state home.

South Australian Police say a joint operation with federal authorities responsible for monitoring former immigration detainees is “working well”, despite one convicted sex offender already being charged with indecent assault of a woman just weeks after leaving his detention in Perth.

On Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner of Crime John Venditto said there were several former immigration detainees now living in South Australia – two of which are convicted child sex offenders who are being closely monitored.

“We give them the conditions. We make sure they don’t go near children, we make sure children don’t go near them,” the assistant commissioner said.

There have been 148 non-citizens – including rapists, murderers and drug traffickers – released since November 8 when the High Court ruled a stateless Rohingya man, known as NZYQ, convicted of child sex offences could not be indefinitely detained.

Mr Venditto confirmed there were now six former detainees living in South Australia – one of which is in custody after allegedly assaulting the woman in Pooraka over the weekend.

He said SA Police have the details for all detainees who have been released, regardless if they come into the state or not.

Assistant Commissioner of Crime John Venditto speaking at the press conference at Police Headquarters after a former immigration detainee was arrested in SA. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

“The first one who came to SA presented to a police station and we were immediately notified,” he said.

“The system is working very well. Of the 145, we have six in South Australia – one in jail and five not in jail.”

He said the detainees who require electronic tracking devices were being monitored by the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Border Force, but SA Police would intervene if they were caught committing crimes.

“If they are wearing a bracelet that is monitored by federal authorities, it isn’t monitored by SAPOL.

“If they have a bracelet, we are advised and we are made aware of the curfews and conditions in which we need to police them.

“We had a situation over the weekend where a person was arrested and they had a bracelet. The offending occurred within a place where the accused person was permitted to be, so there was no failure to comply, but we are are aware of the offenders habits and lifestyles when we visit them.

“We can’t see around corners, but we can see through BS and we know what they’re planning, what they’re not planning, whether they intend on moving, who they want to associate with.”

When asked how he could believe that systems are working well when a detainee has already been caught allegedly doing the wrong thing, Mr Venditto said police couldn’t have prevented it.

“We can’t prevent it, no police can. But our response to the situation in that we’ve been given is working as best as possible.”

He said the former detainees were visited “frequently” if they were living in a temporary location.

Aliyawar Yawari has been charged with the indecent assault of a woman at the Pavlos Motel, where he was residing at the time. Picture: Paul Garvey

Pavlos Motel on Main North Road, Pooraka is where Aliyawar Yawari was staying. Picture Dean Martin

“If they’re at a permanent location, and they’re settled, its less frequently.”

He said the five free detainees were living mainly in the northern areas of Adelaide.

“We go face-to-face and meet them, we verify their identity, and we welcome them to South Australia. We explain to them how we are going to police them and that we are going to visit them regularly.”

Aliyawar Yawari, a convicted woman-basher, has been charged with indecently assaulting a woman at the Pavlos Motel in Pooraka, with court documents revealing that location was his fixed address.

However, Mr Venditto declined to speculate whether a hotel room was a suitable place for a detainee to settle after leaving detention.

“The state police are not involved in immediate housing,” he said.

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