Crims' details free to all

A new online database offers the public free access to sentencing histories of New Zealand's worst criminals.

So far it has 90 names on three lists: Those serving non-parole periods of more than 18 years, preventive detention sentences for sex offenders of 11 years or more, and young people aged more than 17 given long, fixed sentences.

The database includes double murderer Graeme Burton, his crimes, victims, criminal and gang affiliations, parole and release dates, links to news stories on him, and copies of Parole Board decisions.

Creator Ross Crosby said he set up the database for the Sensible Sentencing Trust, which he joined five years ago as an 18-year-old disillusioned with New Zealand's justice system.

The former Wellington High School pupil, now living in Adelaide, helped maintain the trust's databases on violent and sexual offenders, and was now building up the new database to track the sentencing histories of our worst offenders across a range of crimes.

"You won't find a database like this which gives out free information anywhere else in New Zealand," he said.

He gleaned information for it from a variety of sources, including news reports, court records and victims, and said it would be useful to anyone wanting details about an offender or their sentence.

Offenders who went "straight" for 10 years could have their records removed, he said.

Mr Crosby was the victim of an unprovoked attack and robbery in central Wellington in 2001. He agreed to attend a family group conference, but his 15-year-old attacker twice failed to show up, leaving Mr Crosby feeling badly let down.

"It was a complete ... waste of time."

In June 2007, trust co-founder Garth McVicar said the trust had had threats to sue from people whose names had been added to its online sex-offender register of 500 names.

"We tell them, 'Make our day,' and they go away," Mr McVicar said.

Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff said anyone running a database had to be careful the information was accurate and not misleading.

- © Fairfax NZ News