Government doing 'everything in our power' to keep SA safe from notorious paedophile

Notorious paedophile and former magistrate Peter Liddy. (ABC News) Notorious paedophile and former magistrate Peter Liddy was jailed in 2001 for sexually abusing children in the 1980s. Liddy's sentence is due to expire on June 4. The government has filed two applications to either ensure Liddy is indefinitely detained or the subject of an extended supervision order. Link copiedShareShare articleThe South Australian Attorney-General says the government is doing everything in its power to protect the community ahead of notorious paedophile Peter Liddy being released from jail next month. The 83-year-old former magistrate was jailed in 2001 for the sexual abuse of four children between 1983 and 1986, but his prison term is due to expire on June 4. Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the government had already put in an application for an indefinite detention order, which would mean Liddy will remain in detention if a medical report deems he can't or is unwilling to control his sexual instincts. "Things like not contacting children, not having access to the internet, electronic monitoring." South Australian Attorney-General Kyam Maher said Liddy had committed "heinous crimes". (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall) Mr Maher said Liddy had committed "heinous crimes against innocent children", and described the government's approach to public safety as "multi-pronged". "He abused the trust he held as a magistrate, he abused the trust he held in the surf-lifesaving movement," he said. "We're doing absolutely everything that's in our power to make South Australians as safe as possible in relation to Peter Liddy." Mr Maher lodged the application for his indefinite detention earlier this year, which Liddy's defence counsel Jeff Powell SC last week asked the court to stay permanently. He had argued the application to keep Liddy behind bars was "an abuse of process" and that it would be "unjust to subject him to an inquiry" given a 2019 report by a forensic psychiatrist had already found Liddy was capable of controlling his sexual instincts. In response Alison Doecke KC, counsel for the attorney-general, argued the report was almost seven years old and did not include a current risk assessment of Liddy's ability to control his sexual instincts. On Wednesday, Supreme Court Justice Rachael Gray refused Liddy's bid to permanently shelve the proceedings. South Australian Supreme Court Justice Rachael Gray agreed to the release on strict home detention conditions. (ABC News) But she instead ruled that the 83-year-old should be released on strict home detention conditions — at least temporarily — while the court awaits medical and psychiatric reports to determine whether Liddy can control his sexual instincts. Speaking on 891 ABC Adelaide today, former commissioner for victims' rights Michael O'Connell said he imagined Liddy's victims would like reassurance that their suffering has not been forgotten and "will be considered as a paramount interest in the future on how Liddy is dealt with". "With the application of the stay of proceedings, with the steps being taken by the Attorney-General, with the pending release, each of those is a stark reminder to each individual victim that we know of — and those victims that we're not aware of — that this person … committed some of the most heinous crimes against children that we've seen in the public field," he said. Advocate for abuse survivors, lawyer Andrew Carpenter, criticised the government's timing on making the applications. "The state government should've dealt with this a long time ago, and not waited until the last moment to seek these orders," Mr Carpenter said. Advocate for abuse survivors and lawyer Andrew Carpenter. (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall) He said victims would be fearful of Liddy's release because he has not shown any remorse or contrition for his crimes. "[He] doesn't accept his findings of guilt, anyone that remains of the view that they did nothing wrong is still a danger to society," Mr Carpenter said. The state government has been contacted for a response to Mr Carpenter's comments. Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesRBA expected to pause rate hikes as economist fears 'downturn'Topic:Unemployment

Government doing 'everything in our power' to keep SA safe from notorious paedophile

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