Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Whanganui residents demand action over rapist

Updated at 10:30 am on 14 August 2012

A packed meeting of Whanganui residents has demanded the council stop a serial sexual offender from living in their community.

The meeting followed the Corrections Department's announcement that Stewart Wilson will be released to live on Whanganui Prison grounds later this month.

Meeting organiser Michael Laws says it resolved to ask the district council to take all actions legal, political and administrative to ensure that Wilson is not paroled into the area.

Residents said Wilson will continue to reoffend and harsh bail conditions, including GPS tracking, won't protect them.

He was jailed in 1996 for sex offences against women, children and animals, spanning 20 years.

The 65-year-old is still considered high-risk but by law he must be released.

Sexual abuse survivor Kim Lewis told the meeting she is fearful for her five daughters.

"I am absolutely disgusted that this type of filth is being released into our community. For survivors of sexual abuse it brings back a lot of the memories, a lot of the fears."

Residents told the five councillors at the meeting that legal action must be taken to prevent Wilson's release, even if ratepayers have to pay for it.

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