Chris Rattue: We must do more to protect children

Peter John Wrigley, whose extensive involvement in sport included coaching young people, admitted a "raft of sickening child sex-abuse offences".

Another heartbreaking disaster about a child abuser who is a sports official has had its day in court, this time in Wellington.

As a report put it, Peter John Wrigley, whose extensive involvement in sport included coaching young people, admitted a "raft of sickening child sex-abuse offences".

This is not just a sports story, but the heavy sports element cannot be ignored. Are we doing enough as a society to protect our children from this tragic abuse? Are we going the extra mile and then some? Are we desperate and clever enough?

Do we move heaven and earth to make sure every person and club who needs to know is informed about these people? I'm not talking vigilante justice here, but ensuring beyond doubt that every possible protection measure has been taken.

My own - admittedly simplistic - view is that paedophiles should never walk the streets again, that preventative detention is the only solution. These people are often extremely manipulative, unrepentant, expert at targeting and grooming the vulnerable, don't understand the horror of their crimes, and have an illness that is very hard to remove or treat.

Those judging their readiness to be released into society are easily fooled. Relapses are always possible. If an effective life sentence means those who are successfully treated are badly treated, this is simply a price that has to be paid.

These predators also seek out jobs in charge of kids, including as sports coaches and administrators. One perpetrator equals a horrendous number of victims and we probably have no idea of the full extent of this disaster, to individuals and society. These monsters who appear as ordinary and even well-respected folk are probably victims themselves but their rights don't exist against the need to shield kids from the attacks.

Protecting children from those yet to be unmasked is so difficult, and the area we might concentrate better on, although law enforcement is to be congratulated on its victories, and enforcers did track down Wrigley.

I don't feel qualified to put forward solutions. But there must be people with more direct knowledge who can see what might be done. To go back to the original question: Are we - and is sport - really doing absolutely everything possible to protect children? I may be out of step with what is going on but from the sidelines, we are not committed and ruthless enough. Wrigley's fate will be decided by a judge in February.

Think again Sky
Sky TV was the one-stop shop for sports watching, a reasonably affordable system that worked very well, but is breaking apart as the internet becomes technically better.

Sky's loss of the English Premier League has been followed by a substantial part of major golf coverage also being snared by Coliseum. Those two sports were a key part of Sky's sports menu. It costs a combined $400 a year for anyone wanting to claw them back.

And yet the price for subscribing to Sky remains the same. Sky has nibbled at our wallets over the years. Having lost two key sports, it doesn't appear to be nibbling the other way.

Maybe Sky is hoping to freeze Coliseum and other internet newcomers out by holding up its price, so sports fans are persuaded against paying subscriptions elsewhere. But as the internet possibilities take hold, Sky's billing system looks antiquated and inflexible. A lot of us are paying for many channels that we never watch. Sky has a monopoly on our biggest sports and the price for its service is no longer a top deal.

Hughes affair over the top
Australian cricket has taken the Phillip Hughes mourning period and activities too far. His death was a hard-to-believe tragedy, but it didn't occur in a test match and he wasn't a great (or current) test player.

Displaying his playing number huge on the Adelaide turf during the test against India, the idea that players commemorate his last playing total of 63, the batters looking skyward, the references by some commentators although not all ... the overall effect was too much. Even the televising of his funeral service felt like a publicity circus. Many of us have felt the tragedy, but to elevate Hughes' death so far above lives more ordinary is not right. Some responses - such as the test-ground number - are inappropriate and a bit ghoulish.