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Spectator cameras at this week's
national gymnastics championships in Christchurch will be registered and labelled
to combat the risk of paedophiles taking inappropriate photos of young
gymnasts. The Press newspaper reported today
that Gymnastics New Zealand planned to crackdown on cameras, including
photo-capable cellphones, at the champs which features 700 athletes,
including young people. Spokesman Dave Worsley said
nothing specific had prompted the move. He said Gymnastics New Zealand had
the right to confiscate cameras or delete images considered unsavoury. SAFE sexual offenders programme
director John McCarthy said the risk of paedophiles attending the event was
small and while he understood the organisers' thinking it seemed
overcautious. He said sadly those interested in
explicit images of children were also attracted by normal images of children.
He said people with paedophiliac
tendencies could find child gymnastics appealing. But the great majority of child
sex abuse took place within a family environment or by someone known to the
child. |
