Premier Gladys Berejiklian looking to fix parole flaws

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has committed to looking at all options to address flaws in the state’s parole system.

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Premier Gladys Berejiklian has committed to looking at all options to address flaws in the state’s parole system.

It is understood Ms Berejiklian is open to holding an independent inquiry or introducing new laws to stamp out dangerous gaps in the system.

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Premier Gladys Berejiklian has committed to looking at fixing issues with the parole system. Picture: AAP

She is expected to act as early as next week, after an ­internal police probe and Corrective Services Minister David Elliott’s investigation into the parole of sex offender Anthony Sampieri are finalised.

Ms Berejiklian said Mr Elliott is conducting a “detailed” review of the parole decision.

“The community must be protected from criminals, especially those who have previously been convicted,” she said. “It’s absolutely not acceptable for those standards to slip. Because we know what those consequences can be — that is a point that both the (Police) Commissioner and I have reinforced today.”

Labor leader Michael Daley on Wednesday promised that convening an independent inquiry into the parole system would be his first priority if he’s elected premier in March.

Mr Daley said the circumstances of the Kogarah attack, in which a seven-year-old girl was allegedly assaulted by Sampieri while he was on parole, warranted a public inquiry into the entire system.

Electronic monitoring bracelet are among the tools correctional services can use to supervise prisoners on parole.

“There is explaining to do, this is not finished yet,” he said. “We will pursue this, this matter is not over. The community is not satisfied, people do not feel safe, the system has failed. If the Premier won’t fix it I will.”

On Thursday Mr Elliott said he’d received a brief on the parole decision and “there is no evidence (the crime is) the result of a failure by the parole system”.

Labor is calling for any reports on the bungle to be made public but the government has rebuffed this saying it would jeopardise the judicial process.

After The Daily Telegraph called for more answers from politicians and police, Commissioner Mick Fuller and Police Minister Troy Grant fronted a press conference to respond to the crisis.

Ms Berejiklian also provided responses to questions.