Cultural Differences Allow Paedophiles to Escape the Law, Says Child Sex Abuse Investigator Chris O'connor

Herald Sun
November 7, 2013

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/cultural-differences-allow-paedophiles-to-escape-the-law-says-child-sex-abuse-investigator-chris-oconnor/story-fni0ffnk-1226755176312

Detective Chris O'Connor pictured while he was part of the child exploitation unit. Picture: Craig Hughes Source: News Limited

PAEDOPHILES from some ethnic groups in Australia are avoiding capture because of a cultural reluctance to report the abuse.

"I can't recall the last person of black nationality who was charged with serial sexual assaults on kids," Det-Sen-Sgt Chris O'Connor said yesterday.

Sen-Sgt O'Connor, one of Australia's leading child sexual abuse experts, said common sense suggested paedophilia was just as common in ethnic groups as it was among white Anglo-Saxons,

He is calling for urgent research to be carried out into the problem.

Sen-Sgt O'Connor said the ethnic groups who should be targeted would probably claim it was racist to single them out.

But he urged authorities to ignore the complaints and not bow to political correctness by refusing to probe the paedophilia problem just because of the cultures and races involved.

POLICE don't have enough evidence to be sure Karmein Chan was one of serial child abductor Mr Cruel's victims.

DETECTIVES this year charged another man with the 1984 rape of a woman originally thought to have been a Mr Cruel victim.

SEVERAL Mr Cruel suspects were interviewed by police immediately after schoolgirl Siriyakorn "Bung" Siriboon went missing last year, but police have since ruled out any link between the Mr Cruel attacks and Bung's disappearance.

THE current royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse should have been ordered years ago after successive governments were provided with ample evidence of religious and other organisations covering up paedophilia.

PAEDOPHILES are continuing to infiltrate organisations which give them ready access to children, such as schools, religious orders and sports clubs.

Sen-Sgt O'Connor said just about every paedophile police had ever charged came from a white Anglo-Saxon background.

Police say they don't have definitive proof that Karmein Chan, 13, was murdered by Mr Cruel. Picture: HWT library.

He said common sense suggested paedophiles were just as active in other ethnic groups, but were getting away with it.

"Where we are talking about charges laid over paedophile rings and serial child sex offenders, the offenders are predominately of an Anglo-Saxon background," Sen-Sgt O'Connor said.

"Of course that doesn't mean paedophile activity is any less in other races or cultures.

"But if there isn't the motivation within that culture to report it to police or welfare organisations then it goes unnoticed.

"This is a situation that needs investigating."

Sen-Sgt O'Connor has been Victoria Police's child sex abuse expert for decades and is internationally recognised for his experience in the field of tackling paedophilia.

Mr Cruel suspects were questioned about the disappearance of schoolgirl Siriyakorn 'Bung' Siriboon. Picture: HWT library.

He today said there needed to be research done into whether the same values of behaviour against children that Australian laws reflected were held by various ethnic groups in the community.

"If paedophilia is occurring in those communities - and the reason it is occurring is people within those communities are being dissuaded from going to police or welfare authorities - then that needs to be exposed," Sen-Sgt O'Connor said.

"Doing research into the problem shouldn't be seen as singling out any particular race or culture.

"Common sense would suggest that if paedophiles are offending in the Anglo-Saxon community in Australia, and we know they are, then they are also offending in various other ethnic groups here.

"But we are not seeing paedophiles from those other groups being charged."