Independent reviewer to look at suppression breach

File photo / NZH

An independent reviewer is to be appointed to look into the accidental publishing of two sexual abuse victims' names on the Ministry of Justice website.

Two brothers were named on the website when their abuser's sentencing notes were posted online on Thursday. The document was removed the following day, when the error was discovered.

The publishing of the names breached the automatic suppression rules surrounding sexual abuse victims.

Justice Minister Simon Power spoke with ministry officials this morning and said he had decided to appoint an independent reviewer to look at the ministry's processes.

The person conducting the review was likely to be named within the next two days.

Mr Power said it appeared the ministry was following instructions from the judiciary when it published the names, and that no suppression orders had been marked on the document.

The ministry had contacted one of the men to apologise, but was still trying to contact the second man.

In a statement yesterday, the ministry said it was working with the judiciary to review how the error had occurred.

"The ministry takes very seriously its responsibility in publishing judicial decisions on behalf of the courts. It very much regrets that this error has occurred."

The abuse happened 20 years ago and involved the offender, aged under 17 and a sexual abuse victim himself, regularly abusing the boys near a rural swimming hole.

He was this month sentenced to four years' jail on eight counts of sexual violation of a boy under 12 and five counts of indecent assault or inducing an indecent act.

- NZPA