New Zealand Parole Board -

Parole Hearing

Under section 21(2) of the Parole Act 2002

Edward ANAND

Hearing: 29 June 2022

at Tongariro Prison via Microsoft Teams

Members of the Board:

Judge G F Ellis (Panel Convenor)

Mr A Spierling

Ms K Coutts

In Attendance: [withheld] (Case Manager)

Support Persons: [withheld]

DECISION OF THE BOARD

1. Edward Anand, aged 73, is serving a sentence of 13 years imprisonment having been found guilty at trial of serious sexual offending including rapes of female children aged 10 to 15.
2. He was convicted on 12 charges relating to 8 complainants between 1980 to 1986 all of the victims being disadvantaged girls “in care” of social welfare. Mr Anand was then working as a social worker at the Girls’ Home where the children were located.  He was then aged between 31 to 38.  He lost that employment when his offending came to light.  He has no record of any offending since 1986.
3. Mr Anand was last before the Board on 20 December 2021.  The Board noted that he continued to deny his offending.  He had not been eligible for a child sex offender treatment programme.  He had however completed the pilot programme for offenders in denial, Te Anga Whakamua.  He had been working on his safety plan but he had no address and he was continuing to pursue avenues to challenge his convictions.
4. The Parole Assessment Report now before us confirms that he has completed Te Anga Whakamua and has consented to his treatment report being provided.  That has been considered by the Board.  A hui has been held on 17 February including his friends and supporters with whom he discussed the programme and to whom he presented his safety plan.  Those supporters attended this meeting by AVL and each was given an opportunity briefly to speak in his support.
5. Mr Anand does not yet have an approved address.  He was declined by a [withheld] supported accommodation.  An application is currently before [withheld] and he told us that he is expecting to have an interview on Friday of this week.   He has no employment arranged.  He is now in his 70s and qualifies for national superannuation.  He has however gained qualifications in beekeeping and he has an interest in gardening which is appreciated and shared by his supporters.
6. We have seen the treatment report of 14 March that confirms that he completed Te Anga Whakamua Programme and prepared his safety plan, but it was of concern to note in that report and that he did not see association with young females as a high-risk situation for him.  The report writer noted that he had needed to be prompted to include that situation in his safety plan.  In the report writer's opinion, his learnings needed to be developed and tested in different situations.  That led to the Board's view that a further period of re-integrative activity is important for Mr Anand while the learnings that he has spoken of from his programme are consolidated and while he continues to develop a comprehensive release proposal looking beyond the prospect of housing through [withheld].
7. Considering all of the material before us, we are not satisfied that Mr Anand has yet reached the position of no longer posing an undue risk.  For the present, parole is declined.  The Board will see him again in nine months.
8. In the meantime, he is encouraged to consider a move to [withheld] which has been suggested because his support base is now clearly in the [withheld].  We would encourage him to engage in whatever reintegrative activity is made available to him including guided releases and if possible, the opportunity for Release to Work to develop his contacts and skills and to be tested in a variety of situations as the treatment report writer recommended.