Joseph Stephenson THOMPSON 22/06/2020

Parole Hearing

Under section 21(1) of the Parole Act 2002

Joseph Stephenson THOMPSON

Hearing: 23 June 2020

at Rimutaka Prison via VMR from NZ Parole Board, Head Office Wellington

Members of the Board: Sir Ron Young, Dr Jeremy Skipworth, Dr Greg Coyle, Chris King

In Attendance:

Elizabeth Binning – Media

DECISION OF THE BOARD

  1. Mr Thompson, who is 61 years of age, was sentenced to preventive detention for 129 crimes committed over 12 years.  The offending involved the sexual assaults of 47 girls and women.  Mr Thompson would select houses to enter at night.  Careful planning was involved after breaking into the residences he committed the sexual and violent assaults.  Some of his victims were over 17yrs of age..  One was 10 years of age.  Twelve were between 13yrs and 15yrs and 15 were between 14yrs and 16 years of age.
  2. This is the first time Mr Thompson has appeared before the Board.  He had a minimum non-parole period of 25 years.  Prior to this offending he had previous convictions also for violent offending.
  3. Today we had only a partially completed psychological report. We consider it vital given Mr Thompson’s background that we have a full report available.  We will, therefore, see him again by the end of February 2021 with the benefit of that full psychological report.
  4. We record that Mr Thompson accepted he had committed all of the offending that he was convicted of and was motivated to undertake any rehabilitation programmes suggested.  He is currently wait listed for the Child Sex Offender Treatment Programm.  He also accepted that he was at high risk of re-offending.
  5. We will see him again, therefore, by the end of February 2021.  In the meantime he is an undue risk and cannot be released.

Sir Ron Young

Chairperson