NEW charges against self-confessed paedophile Maurice Van Ryn will not be heard in Bega Local Court as its courtrooms have no audio visual link (AVL).
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Van Ryn was scheduled to appear in Bega Local Court on Tuesday, June 23; however, the case has been adjourned for a committal hearing on July 13 at Batemans Bay Local Court.
Batemans Bay has the closest court to Bega with AVL facilities.
“I’ve got to have him on the screen,” Magistrate Doug Dick told the court on Tuesday before adjourning the matter.
The families of Van Ryn’s victims have previously raised concerns that, currently, there is no AVL in Bega Court House.
One of the victims' parents, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said relocating the case to Batemans Bay will not necessarily slow proceedings, but they were “slightly annoyed”.
“You can’t help but feel everybody’s time gets wasted,” they said.
“All the families involved are inconvenienced as they have to travel to Batemans Bay.
“Things could have progressed and we could have had an indication of how Van Ryn will plead if the court had these [AVL] facilities.”
On Monday, June 22, the NSW Government announced it was providing $300,000 to install AVL facilities at the Bega Court House by the end of this year.
The AVL will be in each of the two courtrooms and the jury deliberation room.
“A majority of larger courts in metropolitan and regional NSW have audio visual link,” a NSW Justice spokesperson said.
“The NSW Government is currently investing millions of dollars in expanding AVL in justice facilities across the state, including the courthouse at Bega.”
The parent said while they were glad Bega Court House will get AVL facilities, the installation planned to be completed by the end of the year was a “bit late”.
“But I am pleased to know Bega Court House will have the facilities considered standard in other courtrooms in NSW,” they said.
The parent said the families will see if they will be reimbursed for their travel expenses to Batemans Bay so they can attend the committal hearing in July.
The families have previously drawn attention to the fact some of them, such as the ones with adult children, have not been compensated for travel and accommodation costs in order to attend a previous court case against Van Ryn in Sydney.
The parent of one of the victims said once the duties of a witness in a court case are completed, responsibility of funding of the witness passes from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to Victims Services and Support (VSS).
One of the legal requirements for VSS to continue to fund the witness’s expenses to attend court is medical evidence of damage done to the victim.
The parent said the victims “have been through the wringer enough” and should not be “poked and prodded” any more.
“But we want to be there to see justice to our children completed,” they said.
Van Ryn's victims 'holding up very well'
THE victims of self-confessed paedophile Maurice Van Ryn plan on taking civil action against their abuser.
A parent of one of the victims has said they plan on making a class action suit, but this cannot get underway until Van Ryn is sentenced.
On April 10 this year, the Supreme Court made a “freezing order” against Van Ryn, prohibiting him from selling or disposing of or diminishing the value of his assets both overseas and in Australia.
The parent said the victims are “holding up very well”.
“They get support from the families and they trust the legal system will look after them,” the parent said.
The parent also said the recent news that a teacher from Lumen Christi Catholic College had been arrested for child procurement amplified the fact that Van Ryn’s crimes were not an one-off case in the Bega Valley.
“This is a problem for everyone in the community,” they said.
