The government is supposed to kick men who abuse children out of the country – except when they’ll miss their family (apparently).
Immigration Minister Tony Burke will not intervene.
Edward James Kilbey was jailed for 14 months two years ago after he was convicted on charges relating to holding down and sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl.
He was also charged over the abuse of a young boy but was acquitted at trial.
His visa was revoked but then it was re-instated after he told the Administrative Review Tribunal he would face hardship leaving Australia because he would miss his family and because he is old and has some health issues.
“You held or pinned her down,” Perth District Court Judge Felicity Zempilas said during his sentencing.
“This conduct was not fleeting and involved a degree of force or coercion by you towards her.”
While acknowledging harming the girl was ‘very serious’ ART deputy president Simone Burford said the tribunal was “satisfied” his ties to community, age and health were outweighed the impacts of his crime.
The children’s families are outraged Kilbey gets to stay in Australia.
“We were completely let down, completely betrayed,” one mother told a media outlet.
“His needs were put before the victim’s, before the community … why are we giving priority to an abuser over Australian child victims of sexual abuse?”
She wrote to the Immigration Minister three times but only received a response from the Department of Home Affairs, saying Burke was not going to act.
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