Teen who raped 5-year-old to be paroled, with conditions, after serving 7 of 10 year sentence

Raurangi Marino pictured while being sentenced in the Rotorua District Court in 2012 for the rape of a 5-year-old tourist in Turangi. Photo / File

A teenager who raped and assaulted a 5-year-old girl at a Turangi campground has been granted parole.

Raurangi Mark Marino was 16 when he attacked the youngster in December 2011 as she and her younger brother slept in a caravan at the then Club Habitat campground.

The horrific assault provoked an outpouring of national shame and New Zealanders donated gifts and money totalling $62,000 to the family, who were from overseas.

Marino, whose father was a Mongrel Mob member, was sentenced to 10 years' prison but would now be released after serving 7 of those years.

He was assessed in March 2018 as having a high risk of violent offending and a moderate to high risk of sexual offending.

However, in their latest decision, the Parole Board said since their last meeting with Marino, in October last year, he had "done what the board had asked of him".

The only aspect he had not been able to complete - guided releases - was through no fault of his own, the parole board said, as he was currently classified as a low risk prisoner and not minimum.

"In speaking to the Principal Corrections Officer [PCO], however, it became clear that some consideration may be given to reducing his classification to minimum by an override. We are also advised that if Mr Marino has a release date then it will be possible for him to undertake guided releases into the community even though his security classification is at low."

Marino also had strong support for his release through an organisation which would "provide support for him in the community".

He had also matured and accepted that contact with certain people - whose names were withheld - was "not currently helpful".

"Overall, Mr Marino has done all that has been asked of him in terms of re-integration. He has also identified a residence at [withheld] who have accepted him for post release residence.

"We are therefore satisfied that he is no longer an undue risk but only if he completes in the next three months before his release the following undertakings."

Marino's first task would be to undertake a whānau hui with his family, the Department of Corrections, probation and others who have an interest in his welfare.

He would then undertake a number of guided releases.

"Mr Marino was imprisoned at age 16; he is now 23 years of age. He will simply not be familiar with the community and he needs to have a confidence that he can do the ordinary things in life, go to the bank, purchase food, and also become familiar with the [withheld] residence he is to go to in [withheld]."

Marino's release comes with a list of 16 conditions, one which will see him attend a monitoring hearing in February next year to see how he has fared on parole.

Other conditions include not to possess, use, or consume alcohol, controlled drugs or psychoactive substances except controlled prescribed drugs; provide unimpeded access to an approved residence by a probation officer; submit to GPS monitoring; not to communicate or associate, directly or indirectly, with any person known to associate with gangs and attend; and participate in and adhere to the rules of a monthly sexual offenders relapse prevention group.

At his sentencing in 2012, the court heard how Marino had come from a troubled, violent background and dysfunctional family and was drunk at the time of the attack and could recall little of it.

He had been bullied, abused, had attempted suicide and began taking drugs and alcohol from an early age.

The families of both of his parents had been involved in gangs.