In an
ironical turn of events Dennis Ferguson, the Australian paedophile acquitted
under some controversial circumstances recently, is under heavy police
security. And those guarding him fear mob violence.
District judge
Botting had set him free saying the 60-year-old convicted sex offender would not get a fair trial
in Queensland
on new child sex charges in view of the frenzy his case had evoked.
Ferguson is now
being cared for by a church group on a property southeast of Brisbane at a cost to taxpayers of $1000 a
day and supervised by police around the clock.
About 1000 people
at a public forum in Carbrook, south of Brisbane,
Sunday night protested Ferguson’s presence in their midst.
Queensland Police
Minister Judy Spence and Acting Police Commissioner Kathy Rynders were shouted
down by the crowd at the meeting.
A police
prosecutor, senior constable Heather Steinberg, received a standing ovation
after she said her job was at risk but she had to protest against convicted
pedophile Dennis Ferguson’s presence for the sake of her two daughters aged two
and four.
``Why is the
commissioner making me protect him and not my children,’’ she wanted to know.
Another woman
said she was able to see the house where Ferguson
was living.
``Our freedom has
gone. You have imprisoned us in our own home. My children are frightened,’’ she
said.
Howls of derision
met Spence’s attempts to explain that Ferguson
was technically a free man.
``Whether you
like it or not Dennis Ferguson has been allowed to be a free man by the
courts,’’ she said, but not many would seem to buy it.