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Graham Capill admitting he has sexually abused young girls is the "worst form of hypocrisy you can imagine", Christian Heritage Party leader Ewen McQueen says.
The former
leader of the morally conservative party, who used to preach
that sexual abuse of children had to stop, pleaded guilty to
several charges ranging from unlawful sexual connection to
rape.
All offences were committed against two girls, who were aged under
12. In April, Capill admitted indecently assaulting a young girl
and then two women came forward and said Capill had also abused
them.
The current party leader said on Breakfast he never got on with Capill.
"I stood down as deputy leader in 1999...and perhaps now I know why. He was a hard man to get to know. Not many people knew Graham," McQueen said.
He said the party's image has been damaged by Capill's sex crimes and it considered a change of name. But with the upcoming election, the party feels it shouldn't hide from the issue.
Capill will be given protection in prison because sex offenders are generally regarded as the lowest of the low, sociologist Greg Newbold said.
McQueen said he feels ambiguous and ambivalent about Capill getting protection.
A group working to end sexual violence against children, Stop Demand, said Capill's crimes are "truly shocking" but some credit has to be given to him for his guilty pleas. Sex offenders who plead not guilty force victims to go through painful trials, the group's spokeswoman Denise Richards said.
Ritchie said Capill's plea is a reminder that child sex offenders can include highly respected members of society.
