Morrison Government urges states to help establish national sex offender register

A public sex offenders’ register, loosely based on the US where parents can look up where convicted child sex offenders live, would be created across Australia under a move being urged by the Morrison Government.

A public sex offenders’ register would be created across Australia under a move being urged by the Morrison Government.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has called on all states and territories to join with the Commonwealth to establish a national register for child sex offenders.

As revealed by the Herald Sun today, the move would be loosely based on registries in the United States where parents can look up where convicted child sex offenders live to keep their children away from danger.

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Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton is believed to have written to state and territory leaders late last month about consultation on a preliminary model for a national sex offenders registry. Picture: AAP/Darren England

The online register would include a person’s name, photograph, date of birth and general location, such as their postcode. It would also outline the nature of their offending.

Mr Dutton said it would be the toughest crackdown on paedophiles in Australia’s history and the first registry of its kind.

“It would have a strong deterrent effect on offenders and ensure that parents are not in the dark about whether a registered sex offender has access to their children,” Mr Dutton said.

The Home Affairs Minister wrote to state and territory leaders late last month about consultation on a preliminary model.

It is understood that the Victorian government will participate in the consultation but will not make a call on whether to support the national register until after experts and police have weighed in.

Independent Victorian senator Derryn Hinch, who has been campaigning for the register for years, last night said he “could die happy”.

“This is the reason I went to jail so many times — it was about protecting children,” Senator Hinch said.

“It is why I started the Justice Party in the first place a few years ago. It’s been in the United States since 1996 and it had worked,” Senator Hinch said.

“If you know that a convicted child sex offender is living in your street, you can say to your children don’t play near that house.

“Down the track I would like all sex offenders to be on the list but this is a great announcement.”

A number of states, including Victoria, already have a sex offenders’ list, but the details are not public.

The Commonwealth would need the support of all states and territories to pass new laws to establish the national register, which would be hosted by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

Senator Derryn Hinch says he “could die happy” if the register is established. Picture: Kym Smith

Law enforcement agencies would supply information after making sure it was accurate and no victims were identified. Details about offenders aged under 18 would not be made public.

Victoria has made a raft of changes to sex offender supervision laws following the Harper Review, including police powers to apply for court orders restricting offenders’ movements or banning them from certain jobs.

Reports of child sexual abuse and exploitation in Australia continue to rise — soaring by 77 per cent in 2018 compared to the previous year.

Mr Dutton said the abuse and exploitation of children was “a global epidemic” that was “becoming more prevalent, more organised and more extreme”.

“It will send a clear message that Australia will not tolerate individuals preying on the most vulnerable members of the community — our children,” he said.

“I look forward to working with state and territory government and key non‑government stakeholders on this important initiative,” Mr Dutton said.

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