Paedophile's lawsuit over police outing begins

Police go to court today to defend a claim by a convicted paedophile that revealing his identity to neighbours was an abuse of police powers and breached his human rights.

The Wellington man was last released from prison in 2001 after being jailed for indecently assaulting a five-year-old boy and abducting a five-year-old girl.

He says he was beaten up and was forced to move after police outed him in a mail drop to neighbours.

The man's lawyers have asked the Court of Appeal to continue his name suppression but that court has yet to make its decision.

The lawsuit hearing is set down for four days in Wellington District Court.

- NZPA