Sarah's Law 'will not lead to witch hunts', say police
Police have played down fears a new law allowing parents to check up on people who have access to their children could lead to vigilante attacks or to paedophiles being publicly unmasked.
From today, police forces across the region will launch the controversial Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, also known as Sarah's Law, which will allow parents to legally find out whether their children are in contact with criminals or paedophiles.
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Sara Payne
The law is a watered-down version of US laws where convicted paedophiles' addresses are made public.
Its implementation is the result of 10-year campaign by Sara Payne, whose daughter Sarah was killed by a convicted paedophile in 2000.
Police can already disclose information about registered sex offenders to people, including headteachers, employers and parents. But this is the first time members of the public can use a formal process to apply for information about people who come into contact with their children. The police forces in the West who are first in the queue to introduce the new law are Wiltshire, Dorset and Gloucestershire.
Gloucestershire and Dorset denied claims releasing such sensitive information could lead to witch hunts, while Wiltshire were not available for comment.
Dorset Police Detective Inspector Sarah Derbyshire said: "A specialist police officer from the Dorset Police public protection department will have a face-to-face meeting with all applicants of the disclosure scheme. The identity of the applicant will be verified along with their relationship with the child and disclosure will only be made to those people who are best placed to protect the particular child.
"Anyone providing false information in registering their interest or misusing any information disclosed, for example, by engaging in vigilantism, or the harassment of sexual offenders, would be subject to police action or civil proceedings.
"From a police service perspective, we have a duty of care to all members of the community and this clearly includes registered sex offenders and is something that we take very seriously."
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Kelly, of the Gloucestershire Public Protection Bureau, the man behind the implementation of the new law, said it would be a fantastic tool to protect children.
He said: "Members of the public might be able to request information about someone but they will only be given that information if we deem it necessary in their role.
"This is not a witch hunt. It doesn't mean anyone can find out whether people are registered sex offenders or make wild allegations about the person next door. It's an extra tool aimed at giving children the best possible protection."
3 Comments
by louise, taunton
Friday, October 15 2010, 8:07AM
“i think it should be made that anyone can see who is a threat to our kids, you dont know who they are or where they are, it could be a man or women living next door who we call a friend , half of these people havent been caught and are still doing these things til they slip up, make our kids safe dont protect the guilty ones, we have a right to know who these pervs are,”
by matthewhobb444, boston mass
Wednesday, October 06 2010, 12:04AM
“Is there a registry in place here???? Are these new ways of informing society on more information on offenders. If there is a registy in place, why add more, if a registry is not in place then this is a far better way to manage information that can be used to harrass and damage a group of humans that have already had their civil rights taken away, and double jeapordy laws. God this society is becoming the modern day ku klux plan. Yes it is the police offers duty to "protect and up hold the law". Sorry I live in this mess. Not happening. Yes we attend church, but don't join. God lets all of us into his house, it is MAN who tries to over ride the law of God. Shame Shame”
by Lila Folster, United States
Sunday, October 03 2010, 5:19AM
“I truly have to compliment you on your intelligence and preservation of human rights, while still effectively protecting children. The U.S. has fallen far short on all of the above. The plight of the sex offender here has become even worse than a witch hunt. The perception of what constitutes a sex crime has become so all encompassing, that many of the children, who are supposed to be the ones protected are actually becoming victims of the registry. There are now approximately 800,000 registered sex offenders of which approximately 200,000 are children as young as 9 years old and include crimes such as slapping another child on the buttocks at school deemed "inappropriate sexual behavior" and teenagers who are in boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, even if they marry, the husband is still required to register. Every offender on the list, have ALL of their information on the public registry, including home address, schools attended, crime committed, employment, and a current photo, many also include a map right to the offender's house. Anyone with access to a computer can find anyone by a variety of means such as name, city, county, state and postal code. Many who were released from the registry by completing their required time have been forced back onto the registry when new laws were enacted, without committing any new crime at all. They may have been productive members of society for decades, but that doesn't seem to matter. Many are harassed at work and lose their jobs, many, along with their families are made homeless and driven from society. It wasn't this way before the registry was made available to the public. It has become law in some states for signs to be posted in your yard for all to see that a sex offender lives there. Some states mark "sex offender" on your drivers license and even require special license plates on your car that tell everyone in view that you are an offender. This leaves them wide open for the very worst of vigilante attacks. As God is my witness, they have even taken away the right for a sex offender to attend church. Anyone who tells you there is freedom for all in the United States is WRONG! The best advice any nation can follow is do NOT allow a public registry, the public is not capable of handling it properly”