Ben McNulty, the deputy mayor of Wellington, New Zealand, has issued a public apology after referring to a member of the public as a “nonce.” This term is a derogatory slang typically used to describe individuals accused or convicted of sexual offenses, particularly against children.

On Wednesday, McNulty took to social media to express his regret over the incident. “In January, I responded to a post from an anonymous user by calling them a nonce,” he explained. “I have since learned the offensive nature of this term, which was not my intention, and I am sorry for using it.”

The comment arose during an online interaction between McNulty and the individual, highlighting the potential pitfalls of digital communication and the importance of understanding the implications of language. McNulty’s apology underscores his recognition of the mistake and his commitment to addressing it responsibly.

“I now know that term has a meaning I did not intend and using it was offensive. I regret using the term and apologise for doing so.”

Nonce is a colloquial and offensive term to refer to an alleged or convicted sex offender, especially in cases involving children.

McNulty made the comment during an online exchange with a member of the public.

That comment led to a Code of Conduct complaint against him, the NZ Herald reported, which Wellington mayor Andrew Little has upheld.

This story has been reproduced with permission from Stuff.co.nz.

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