The Parole Board has refused to release 83-year-old former Marist Brother Charles Robert Afeaki, citing a steady stream of new historical abuse allegations still emerging against him.
Afeaki’s lawyer argued the elderly paedophile—who has serious health problems and is described as a model prisoner—poses a low risk, but the panel said it cannot proceed while fresh charges remain active and psychological assessments are on hold.
Afeaki, who has 40 convictions and at least eight confirmed victims from his years teaching at Catholic boarding schools in the 1970s and 80s, is already serving a 25-month sentence expanded earlier this year.
He faces additional allegations from Whanganui in 1977 and a new complaint filed in September, both of which he denies and will contest at a judge-alone trial. His next parole hearing is set for April, though the board indicated an urgent review could occur if circumstances change.
I won’t be losing any sleep over this old ratbag remaining in custody, though if his health is deteriorating, it seems a waste of taxpayers money if he could otherwise be sufficiently monitored. What does concern me, however is that the parole board no longer posts notifications of releases, or considerations on their website. So no one can be forewarned if “Vicious Vincent” is about to be released into the community, or the board’s justification for release or non-release. One would think that this should be part of the Parole Board’s accountability to the public and to victims. Yes it is stated on the board’s site that requests can be made about individuals, but if no one is aware that an inmate is due for consideration, how does that work? We should not be reliant on media reports for information that the board should be supplying. That surely is their job!
That’s what you get for not coming clean, die in prison bugger boy.