New SA laws to jail repeat child sex offenders for life come into effect

From Monday, serious child sex predators will be locked up for life if they commit another serious crime against the state’s most vulnerable.

Repeat child sex offenders will be jailed indefinitely under tough new laws.

Repeat child sex offenders will be locked up indefinitely from tomorrow, under some of the toughest protection laws in the country.

The new legislation mean pedophiles who have been jailed before and then commit another serious child sex offence will automatically spend life behind bars.

These serious offenders will only be released if they can prove to the Supreme Court they are not a threat to the community and can control their sexual instincts.

Even if they were released, they would face electronic monitoring for the rest of their lives.

Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the new laws would better protect South Australian children.

“If you are convicted of a serious child offence and you offend again, then you will be locked up and we will throw away the key.

“You won’t see the light of day for the rest of your life.

Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the new laws would come into action from Monday. Picture: Ben Clark

“The vile monsters who offend sexually against children deserve to rot in jail.”

“This government will come down on the side of victims every single day of the week, we will be on the side of those children whose lives are ruined by adults who commit sexual offences against them.”

Under the strict legislation, offenders must demonstrate to two psychiatrists that they can control their urges.
The move, which fulfils a 2022 election promise, comes after notorious sex child predator Colin Humphrys was denied a bid for freedom in 2020.

SA convicted child molester Colin Humphrys pictured in Jan 1995. Picture: Supplied by police.

The predator was indefinitely detained in 2009 following a horrific spate of offending against children, but applied to the Supreme Court to be released on strict conditions in 2018.

“People like Colin Humphreys would have not been allowed to offend a lot earlier if these laws were in place,” Mr Maher said.

“They would have been locked up and not been able to get out of jail to go on and offend again.

“These laws are squarely aimed at protecting children from the devastating damages that child sex offenders do.”

Sonya Ryan, who founded the Carly Ryan Foundation after her daughter was killed by a pedophile in 2007, welcomed the crackdown – but said a zero-tolerance policy should be adopted.

“It is the most horrendous crime and the fall out from the crime is horrendous, and depending on the resilience of the child and the support they get will determine whether they can recover,” she said.

Child protection advocate Sonya Ryan said there should be a zero-tolerance policy for child sex offenders Picture: supplied

“This is a lifelong sentence for a child so I believe it should be one-strike and you’re out.

“Another chance means another child suffers.

“Are we prepared to risk that as a society for another child to be in the hands of an offender like that, who will go on to ruin that child’s life.”

The laws will not be backdated to child sex offenders already in prison for multiple offences.

Originally published as New SA laws to jail repeat child sex offenders for life come into effect