Police wrongly charged released detainee over sex assaults
Victorian police are apologising profusely after wrongly arresting a former immigration detainee over sex offences. After announcing they'd charged the detainee over a spate of assaults in Melbourne, police later said they got the wrong man. He was one of the 149 people released from detention by a high court ruling last year.
Transcript
00:00 Word travels quickly through Parliament House.
00:05 My question is to the Minister for Immigration.
00:08 Particularly when it's about the alleged behaviour of an individual recently released into the community.
00:13 Charged with sexual assault, stalking and two counts of unlawful assault in Victoria.
00:20 Yesterday police arrested a man who they said was one of the 149 people set free following last year's High Court ruling
00:27 that indefinite immigration detention for people who can't be deported was unlawful.
00:32 He appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court today, not once but twice.
00:36 The charges dropped this afternoon with police confirming they'd got the wrong guy.
00:41 A local man not connected to the released detainees, now the person of interest.
00:45 With further evidence it is clear the person arrested is not the offender
00:50 and for that we are sincerely so sorry that this person has been detained.
00:54 The development coming well after the Coalition had sought to make political mileage out of it in question time.
01:00 Why did the Minister fail to use his powers to seek to re-detain this serial sex offender and protect these two Victorian women?
01:08 I am not in a position and I will not comment on any individual case because I will not risk prejudice any court proceedings.
01:17 The Opposition weaponising the issue ahead of this weekend's by-election in the Melbourne seat of Dunkley.
01:22 The Deputy Opposition Leader posting on social media,
01:25 "If you live in Frankston and you've got a problem with Victorian women being assaulted by foreign criminals, vote against Labor."
01:32 Susan Lee's office isn't retreating from that sentiment in light of this embarrassing blunder by Victorian police
01:38 arguing there's a broader issue at play with how the government has handled the release of this group.
01:44 And ahead of the Dunkley poll it's banking on the community feeling the same.
01:48 Despite Labor's insistence it's done all it can to keep them safe.
01:53 [BLANK_AUDIO]