Rapist walking free sparks calls for sex offender register
After spending close to 20 years behind bars, Noosa’s Christmas Day rapist walked away from prison on Thursday a free man.
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After spending close to 20 years behind bars, Noosa’s Christmas Day rapist walked away from prison on Thursday a free man.
At 49, Kym Spoehr kidnapped, tied up and repeatedly violated a Japanese tourist in Noosa National Park on Christmas Day in 2001.
He served 14 years in jail for the rape, but returned to jail after he hit another prisoner in a housing precinct with a piece of wood.
Noosa Christmas Day rapist released from jail
Now 68, Spoehr, was released back into society on Thursday, August 12, free to roam about the community.
Currently, Queensland does not have a public sex offenders register, and therefore the public has no knowledge if a sex offender, such as Spoehr, is living in their town.
LNP Shadow Attorney-General David Janetzki said this was not acceptable, claiming the Labor Government is “soft on sex offenders, putting their rights ahead of the community safety”.
“Labor has watered down the supervision of offenders and is allowing predators to be monitored ‘remotely’ during the coronavirus crisis,” he said.
While Spoehr’s new residence may be unknown, he will be supervised until August 12, 2025, joining about 21,000 Queenslanders on community-based orders.
According to the Queensland Corrective Services website, community-based orders are set either by the courts or by Parole Board Queensland.
Queensland Corrective Services’ role is to ensure the orders are followed.
“We have no legal authority to restrict the movement of offenders unless there are court or parole conditions that allow it,” the website states.
According to the site, unless the sex offender’s order prevents them from frequenting particular areas, offenders on supervision orders have every right to move about in the community.
“In fact, it is an important part of their re-entry as a productive member of society,” the site states.
“Offenders need to be able to access accommodation, employment, health services and community support services to minimise their risk of reoffending.”
Mr Janetzki claimed Queenslanders “must be better protected from sexual offenders when they are released back into the community”.
“An LNP Government will introduce a public sex offenders’ register which will allow Queenslanders to check if a sexual offender is living in their neighbourhood,” he said.
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