WELLINGTON - The Parole Board yesterday apologised to women attacked by convicted murderer Peter Robert Howse while he was on parole.
Police, politicians and women's groups criticised the board's release of Howse, who has more than 80 convictions.
The board chairman, Justice Heron, said it acted in good faith but its assessment
of risk in granting Howse parole was proved wrong.
"For that the board expresses deep regret to Howse's victims," he said.
Police argued against Howse's parole in 1995 because he had kidnapped and indecently assaulted a teenager while on weekend leave in 1991 from his life sentence, imposed for the murder of his de facto wife in 1982.
Howse, aged 50, of Wellington, was found guilty on Tuesday of a sex attack on a 26-year-old Canadian tourist in Wellington in August 1997. He is in custody and will be sentenced on February 19.
The attack was the third that Howse had been found guilty of in the past six months.
Justice Heron said Howse was granted parole in 1995 on the advice of specialist reports.
"Psychological assessments together with information showing Howse had a strong support network in the community suggested that Howse had made real progress. He had also been regularly released on work parole without incident.
"It is regrettable that in this case the then board's estimation of risk was wrong, but this also highlights difficulties in predicting which offenders can be safely released, as very few life imprisonment inmates go on to commit further serious offences." - NZPA
