Family of murdered teen Leigh Bradley furious over laws protecting her killer
LESS than a third of offenders on the NSW Child Protection Register who breach their reporting conditions are sent to jail, with the family of one murdered teenage girl furious at the leniency of the system and its protections for vile offenders.
LESS than a third of offenders on the NSW Child Protection Register who breach their reporting conditions are sent to jail, with the family of one murdered teenage girl blasting the system’s protections for vile offenders.
Statistics revealed by The Daily Telegraph show the number of child predators convicted of breaching conditions of the register has more than doubled in five years — from 170 in 2013 to 361 in 2017.
The most popular punishment imposed by courts was “bond without supervision”, given to 107 offenders.
Just 95 were sent to jail, for an average of 5.7 months, according to the figures from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.
Adding insult to the misery of victims, strict laws protect the privacy of offenders on the register, prohibiting the media from identifying them, even after they have reoffended.
Authorities will not even confirm how many offenders are on the register. However, The Daily Telegraph understands there are almost 4000 across the state.
The protection and lenient sentences have infuriated the family of Leigh Bradley, who was just 17 years old when she was brutally murdered in 1991.
Her killer has been on the register since his release from jail in 2008. But he twice breached the register’s reporting conditions when he made contact with a 15-year-old girl and opened a social media profile without informing authorities.
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Erin Bradley, who was 12 when Leigh was murdered, was furious her sister’s killer copped a slap on the wrist for breaching his conditions. Meanwhile, she was being denied the most basic information about his case.
“It’s disgusting that as victims of crime we don’t have anyone looking out for our safety in the community, but his identity is protected by law,” Ms Bradley said.
“If he moved to my suburb we would not be told.”
Leigh Bradley’s murderer refused to talk to The Daily Telegraph when questioned recently in Wagga Wagga, where he has lived since 2014.
In May 2017, a magistrate handed him a 12-month good behaviour bond after police learned he had breached two of the register’s strict conditions by giving cigarettes to the 15-year-old and having a Facebook page without telling police.
The register is used to protect the community from people who commit violent or sexual offences against a child.
Offenders must keep police up to date on minute details of their life including travel plans, tattoos, workplace, car, mobile phone, internet devices, internet connection, email and social media.
Police must also be told when an offender “befriends a child” and has any verbal, physical or written contact with a child.
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