The idea of electronic tagging for sex offenders is not a new one. It was considered by the Department of Justice in 2009 in relation to the Discussion Document on the Management of Sex Offenders, and continued to gain political interest in the following years, up to the recent announcement that new legislation will make provision for this perceived shortcoming in our law. Full Article
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UK: Police relax monitoring of sex offenders to focus on high-risk criminals
Police forces have dropped measures designed to stop convicted sex criminals reoffending, the National Police Chiefs’ Council has said, in a bid to focus more on those who present a greater risk. The new approach will see some low-risk offenders no longer being subject to annual home visits or having the risks they pose reassessed as thoroughly as before. Full Article
Read MoreSamoa: Girls, women and mothers have a right to be protected from sex offenders
The launch of the Samoa Law Reform Commission’s Report on the Sex Offenders Register yesterday is a step in the right direction. And with Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi’s use of such strong language in relation to repeated sex offenders, it certainly sends the message that there is no place in this country for such people. Which is fantastic. At last we are moving on to something that should have been established a long, long time ago. We say this because over the years we’ve been extremely concerned about repeated sex…
Read MoreCanada: Justin Trudeau accuses Conservatives of crass political games over sex-offender registry demands
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the safety of children is a priority, but he won’t say whether his government will move ahead with a public registry for high-risk child sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreCanada: Officials advise Goodale to rethink plan of public sex offender database
Federal officials have advised Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale to put the brakes on setting up a publicly accessible database of high-risk child sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreAUS: Australia to strip convicted paedophiles of passports
Convicted paedophiles will have their passports cancelled to prevent them travelling overseas to offend again under tough new laws which Australia Tuesday (May 30) hailed as a “world first”. Legislation will be introduced to parliament this month making it illegal for registered offenders to leave or attempt to leave the country as part of a crackdown on child-sex tourism. Full Article Related http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/child-sex-offenders-to-lose-passports/news-story/57c0c2fb70412cf456f8166ab3cb53ed http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11866342 http://www.fresnobee.com/news/politics-government/national-politics/article153295749.html http://m.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11866342
Read MoreUK: Primary schoolchildren are coming home sunburnt as schools ban teachers from applying sun lotion
Experts say sunburn during childhood can more than double the risk of developing skin cancer as an adult. Touching pupils, such as to apply sun cream or offer a reassuring hand, is not banned under government rules, with the official guidelines stating there are occasions ‘when physical contact… with a pupil is proper and necessary’ But in practice, many schools discourage teachers from touching pupils with controversial ‘no touch’ policies. Full Article
Read MoreUK: Men won’t volunteer to help the Scouts for one depressing reason: they’ll be labelled paedophiles
Ever since it was officially recognised by Royal charter in 1912, the Scout Association has taught British kids the type of campfire practicality and social do-gooding that is arguably lacking in our tech-rich, late capitalist world. All that is in danger, however, as the organisation is having to turn away young applicants due to a lack of adult volunteers willing to teach them life skills such as how to tie knots, launch watercraft and work together to achieve a goal. … The second barrier is a more general red flag: the very real fear among many…
Read MoreTrinidad & Tobago: Bring sex offenders registry
The T&T Government should partner with the Angel Watch Centre and the United States’ Department of Justice in a bid to alert foreign law enforcement partners about intended travel by convicted registered sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreIndia: Sex offender registries don’t work (Opinion)
Last month, Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi once again reiterated the need to set up a national sex offender registry after a convicted sex offender allegedly confessed to raping hundreds of girls for over 10 years in New Delhi. These registries are not a novel suggestion. They have been operational in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and a few other English-speaking countries for more than a decade. Full Opinion
Read MoreUK: Police hunt for sex offenders who have fled country
Five registered sex offenders have evaded police and fled the country, it has emerged. Figures from Police Scotland show there are currently more than 4,000 sex offenders being managed in the community and a further 1,283 in custody or in hospital. But five registered offenders who are required to notify the authorities of their whereabouts are wanted by police and are believed to have left the UK. Police Scotland said its enquiries had confirmed all five are abroad in “known countries”, with measures in place to arrest them should they…
Read MoreUK: Facebook damages payout to Limavady child sex abuser may be reduced
Facebook remains liable in damages for details about a convicted child abuser featuring on pages set up to name and shame paedophiles in Northern Ireland, the Court of Appeal has ruled. But senior judges restricted the period when the social network knew private information was being published – meaning a £20,000 compensation award to the sex offender could now be cut. Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan indicated that a further hearing will explore the appropriate level of payout due to the changed circumstances. Full Article
Read MoreEU proposes U.S.-style security checks to vet visa-free travelers
BRUSSELS — The European Commission wants additional security checks on visitors to Europe, it said Wednesday, proposing a US-style online system to vet visa-free travelers as part of efforts to clamp down on terrorism and illegal immigration. Full Article
Read MoreTrinidad & Tobago: Online seminar on Sex Offender Registry
A SENIOR policy advisor from the United States’ Department of Justice SMART department — which is in charge of the Sex Offender registration policy in the US — will speak at an online seminar hosted by the Caribbean Committee Against Sex Crimes (CCASC) on November 18. Full Article
Read MoreAUS: Crackdown on child sex offender passports
The federal government will work with crossbench senator Derryn Hinch to stop child sex offenders from travelling overseas. Full Article
Read MoreInternational “Sex Offender’ Registries Expand and Proliferate
The number of “sex offender” registries continues to expand and proliferate, according to a recently released federal government report. There are now 24 nations that have existing “sex offender” registries as well as an additional 16 nations that have considered or are considering the creation of “sex offender” registries. The 24 nations that currently have registries are Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Maldives, Malta, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom, and the United States.…
Read MoreCanada: Edmonton judge rules national sex offender registry is unconstitutional
An Edmonton judge has ruled that the national sex offender registry is unconstitutional as it is “over broad and grossly disproportionate” and violates people of their charter rights. In a recently released decision involving the case of an Edmonton man convicted of two sexual assaults, Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Andrea Moen found the Sex Offender Information Registration Act removed judicial discretion to refuse to place offenders who present no risk of reoffending on the registry. Full Article Related http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/an-edmonton-judge-ruled-the-sex-offender-registry-list-is-unconstitutional
Read MoreAUS: Dangerous offender laws the antithesis of free and democratic society
DETAINING people after they have served the sentence imposed on them by a court is unconscionable. Yet this practice, which has its origins in Nazi Germany, has become common across Australia, and the Turnbull Government’s plan to keep people convicted of terrorism offences locked up potentially until they die is the latest incarnation of this trend. Full Article
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