A young man jailed for beating and raping a five-year-old girl at a Tūrangi camp ground has a new relationship and job and no longer needs to report to the Parole Board.
Raurangi Mark Marino was 16 when, drunk and after smoking cannabis at a party, he came across the girl in an unlocked caravan at Club Habitat Holiday Park.
He choked her until she passed out as he tried to stop her screams, and she lost four teeth and suffered internal injuries during the December 2011 rape.
In 2012, Judge Phillip Cooper said the attack was "every parent's worst nightmare", and sentenced Marino to 10 years in prison for rape, aggravated wounding and burglary.
Last April Marino, now 24, was granted parole, and
a petition urging him not to be released was created around the time he was let out, in July.
He appeared again before the board on February 12 for
a progress report.
The board heard that Marino has done very well since his release - which has seen him gain employment, enter into a new relationship and been compliant in all his obligations of parole.
They were concerned that Marino hadn't begun work with a psychologist but part of the reason was to ensure his anonymity as a result of his profile and the consequential need for him not to be seen around the Community Corrections facilities.
"In our view, it is essential that this work commences straight away. We see no reason why Mr Marino cannot receive support through a psychologist at an alternate address, including his own home."
At the hearing, Marino also asked to live with his partner who knows about his offending. Permission for them to reside together at the approved address was deferred for a month.
The Board has decided it does not need to further monitor his progress on parole. He still has conditions he has to adhere to like not to possess, use or consume alcohol, controlled drugs or psychoactive substances except controlled drugs prescribed to him by a health professional.
To comply with the requirements of electronic monitoring. He's also not to associate with gangs, have contact with a person under the age of 16 years. He's not to have contact or otherwise associate, with any victim of his offending, including previous offending directly or indirectly.
Mario's statutory release date is December 28, 2021.
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