Paedophile ex-magistrate Peter Liddy released after 25 years

Notorious paedophile and former magistrate Peter Liddy has taken his first steps of freedom after serving a 25-year prison term for sexually abusing four children.

Liddy was jailed in 2001 for sexual offending against four children between 1983 and 1986 while he was volunteering at the Brighton Surf Life Saving Club.

He has been placed on an interim supervision order with strict conditions, including home detention, while the South Australian government pursues an application to have him indefinitely detained.

The 82-year-old's release comes after the Supreme Court refused Liddy's bid to shelve those proceedings.

Despite questions from the media as he left the Adelaide Remand Centre his only words were "excuse me".

The conditions of the interim supervision order include restricted internet access and a ban on contact with children, including a prohibition on going within 50 metres of any school, kindergarten of public playground.

Last month, the Supreme Court heard the premises where Liddy would live were "currently being assessed", but that there were "complexities" which could not be articulated in open court.

Advocate for abuse survivors, lawyer Andrew Carpenter, said he felt for the victim-survivors "who thought this day should never come".

"They were shocked, they never thought that he would ever be the kind of person that would be released," he said.

He said the victim-survivors were also "quite disheartened" that the government had not moved to keep Liddy indefinitely detained sooner.

"[The victim-survivors] have been dealing with the trauma — for not just the 25-years he's been in prison — but ever since they were children, when he first abused them."

"It's a bit of a kick in the guts for them, especially the fact that he's shown no remorse and still denies his offending."

"That monster they've been avoiding all these years is now back on the loose."

Yesterday, Attorney-General Kyam Maher said there was "a special corner of hell reserved for people who have committed these sorts of crimes, especially when you consider the position he held — a serving magistrate".

He said the government was pursuing its applications to have Liddy indefinitely detained, or placed on an extended supervision order with "exceptionally" strict conditions.

"In the alternative, if that's not granted by the court, we have made an application — and we will be pursuing it — to have those strict conditions continue to apply."

'High position of trust'

Liddy was sentenced in September 2001, and was initially housed in high security at Yatala Labour Prison, before being moved to Mount Gambier Prison in 2011.

His 25-year head sentence was understood to be the longest jail term imposed on a paedophile at the time.

Liddy became eligible to apply for parole in 2019, but it has never been granted.

He was the state's longest-serving magistrate, having also spent 25 years after being appointed to the bench when he was aged about 29.

In sentencing, then-Supreme Court Justice Margaret Nyland said Liddy "occupied a high position of trust" at the time of his offending, which made his crimes "particularly serious".

"The community is entitled to expect the holder of such a responsible position to be vigilant in the care and protection of their children," she said a the time.

"Instead, you chose to exploit this important and in many ways privileged position."

In 2010, a second set of offences, allegedly involving an additional 10 child sex charges relating to five other victims between between 1969 and 1983 was thrown out of court.

Yesterday, SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said he was aware of a flyer circulating in regional South Australia which had warned of Liddy's pending release.

He said the Department for Correctional Services was responsible for ensuring Liddy complied with the supervision order, but that SA police would "have a broader public safety role".

"If there are any concerns about the safety of other people in the community based on his conduct then we'll be taking action," he told 891 ABC Adelaide yesterday.

He said there was no reason for concern currently, but said police "don't tolerate vigilante activity".

"Equally, he has a lawful right under the circumstances to be within the community, so if there's any threats or harm to him we'll be obligated to take action in that regard."

The government's applications to have Liddy indefinitely detained, or placed on an extended supervision order, have a hearing scheduled in November.