We must ask ourselves do we truly care about the protection of children in this country?

If we say we care about children in this country, then can anyone answer the following “whys” and “whos”?

• Why would someone who was reported, investigated, charged, convicted and imprisoned for committing a sexual crime against a child have the freedom upon release to attend an event where there are children? Who would be OK with that?

• Why would someone who was reported more than once, investigated more than once, charged more than once, and convicted more than once for sexual crimes against children be allowed upon release to live in the same building that houses children? Who would be OK with that?

• Why would we allow a released convicted child sex offender permission to change their name by deed poll? Who would be OK with that?

• Why are we taking risks? Have we not learnt lessons? Have we not seen the traumatic effects on children who have been abused, deceived and betrayed?

• Who is making the decision that convicted child molesters are not considered dangerous upon release?

• Who is determining that the treatment provided at Westgate for a convicted child sex molester can prove that upon release an offender will not be a danger to a child? Why do the public not know what criteria that decision is based on?

• Who deemed a recently released and repeated child sex offender to be at no or low risk to children before he was released? How did that happen and who allowed it? Was that decision based on progress reports provided to the Parole Board?

• Who is ensuring that section 70QA of the Criminal Code is complied with? The law since 2019 says a sex offender shall not be entitled to be released on licence or on his earliest release date until any mandated programmes contained in a case plan are completed.

• Who will accept responsibility and be held accountable when he reoffends and changes a little life for ever? Let’s not forget that those that commit a sexual crime against a child won’t stop with one.

• Why are we not seeing progress as it pertains to convicted and released offenders who commit sexual crimes against the children of this country? They are a risk and require strict licence conditions upon their release that reduces risk.

Saying sorry doesn’t cut it. Blaming children doesn’t cut it. Being nice doesn’t cut it. Professing to know God doesn’t cut it. Saying they did their time doesn’t cut it.

I appeal once again to those who hold the power to take this crime as the most serious because this crime of abuse against a child causes the greatest damage to them, their family and our entire community.

If we care about child protection, we must do everything we can to reduce the risk of children being sexually harmed — and it shouldn’t end at Westgate!

• Debi Ray-Rivers is the founder and executive director of the child sexual abuse prevention organisation Saving Children and Revealing Secrets