An Opposition MP has called for schools to be directly informed when sex offenders are released from prison.

Robin Tucker, the Shadow Minister for Youth and Family Services, called for a “procedural gap” to be addressed following the release of Kevin Leon Goater.

Goater, 66, was released last Thursday, having served just over two years of a six-year sentence after he admitted having unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl who was under the age of 14.

In March 2024, he pleaded guilty to a single count of the offence, which took place on an unknown date between December 2013 and December 2014.

Upon confirmation of Goater’s release, a spokesman from the Ministry of Justice last week said that “as the notice was issued publicly for the information of the wider community, a separate notification to schools was not required”.

He added that “the victim was notified in advance”.

Ms Tucker has since called for a mandatory notification protocol.

She said: “The Ministry of Justice confirmed that prior to Mr Goater’s release, the victim was notified and a public notice issued, but also stated that no separate notification to schools was required — this a procedural gap that raises serious concerns about how information of this nature is shared with institutions responsible for children’s safety.

“Schools carry a unique responsibility for the wellbeing of young people, and public notices are not a substitute for direct communication with those entrusted with safeguarding minors.

“To help close the procedural gap it is suggested that the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education jointly establish a mandatory notification protocol requiring that all schools be directly informed, in writing, whenever a convicted sex offender — particularly one whose offence involved a minor — is being released into the community.”

She said she shared the views of Debi Ray-Rivers, the executive director of the child sexual abuse education charity Scars, in seeking “clear answers regarding the reasons for Mr Goater’s early release from Westgate, his assessed risk level to the public and the safeguards that are in place to prevent any access and future risk to minors”.

Kim Wilkerson, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, responded that she “understood the public concern that follows the release of any convicted sex offender, particularly where the offence involved a child”.

However, she added that “a mandatory public notification in every case, or a mandatory written notification to every school in every case, is not something that can be applied across the board without careful consideration”.

Ms Wilkerson said: “The law and the Government’s established protocol require a balance between the offender’s lawful ability to reintegrate into the community and the level of risk that the offender is assessed to pose.”

She added that the publicly available sex offender fact sheet “makes clear that public notification is for the highest risk offenders” and that “sex offenders are subject to monitoring, assessment and supervision”.

“In this case, the law was followed in relation to the inmate’s release, and the law was followed in relation to the issuing of a public notification.

“The public notice was the required notification. It was publicly available, including to schools and other institutions. There is no separate legal requirement for the Attorney-General to issue a specific notification directly to schools.

“It is also important to correct the suggestion that Mr Goater was released unlawfully or outside the normal legal process. He was not released early in the sense of being released outside the law.

“He had served the required portion of his sentence and was eligible to apply for parole. As with any offender who meets the legal criteria, the matter was considered by the Parole Board.”

Ms Wilkerson was unable to comment on the specifics of the risk assessment or release conditions, as these are confidential under the law.

She said: “The ministry is confident that the appropriate legal steps were taken in this case. We also recognise the strength of public feeling on these matters, and where there are constructive recommendations about improving communication, the ministry is prepared to consider them.

“However, any change must be lawful, proportionate and based on assessed risk, not a blanket approach that may undermine the careful management framework already in place.”

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