Protecting our Children

[John]

Below is a letter that is going to be sent to the Canberra Times. The first sitting of the 
trial occurred on Wednesday this week, but if people are interested in helping, giving advice etc, then they are welcome to reply to this email address. 

The description of the facts of the case are limited in this email due to the necessary 
process of the judicial system.

The case has been described in Saturday's (22/6/96), Tuesday's (25/6/96) Canberra Times, Thursday's (27/6/96) Telegraph/Mirror, and on some of the Canberra Region television news broadcasts.

"It was alleged that my friend, and former colleague, Mark Lambert, found something nasty on the Net. 
What I don't know.

It is further alleged that, acting as a concernted Parent, and without any prompting whatsoever, he immediately reported this to the authorities, freely and openly.

It now appears that as a direct result of this, he has been arrested, and charged with a 
number  of offences. He's lost his security clearance, his income, and his good name. 
His four children are suffering the waking nightmare of their father being paraded in 
front of the media, with the most vile and innacurate imputations being made about his character.

In my  opinion, and from what little I know, this prosecution is strongly against the 
public interest. Why? Because concerned parents, who take the time and trouble to 
report anything nasty they find to the authorities, now face the same treatment as 
Mark Lambert - Public Burning, using the Media as the Executioners. It would tend to allow 
the real villains to go unchecked, free of any fear of discovery.

I think the AFP does a pretty good job, generally. They're understaffed, adn under a 
lot of pressure to get results regarding allegations that have been made against 
people in DFAT. But I have to say, this time they've got it wrong - they've targeted 
someone who was only doing his public duty, and his famiily has been caught in the 
crossfile.
"