LNP promises public register for some child sex offenders if elected

Queensland’s LNP opposition has promised to set up a public register for some child sex offenders if it wins government in the looming October 26 election.

The proposed register – sought by Daniel Morcombe’s parents for years and long supported by the LNP – would operate with three tiers of available information.

But experts have previously questioned the idea – as they have with other such registers – and its potential to provide a false sense of security or identify victims.

Bruce and Denise Morcombe, whose son Daniel was murdered by repeat child sex offender Brett Peter Cowan.Credit: Nine News Queensland

Reintroduction of a register to public debate by LNP leader David Crisafulli comes amid a key election campaign in which his party has focused heavily on crime.

“If this register protects just one child from becoming a victim, it is a decision we must make,” Crisafulli said in a statement on Sunday describing the register as “public”.

“Government must create the legal and administrative framework in which reform can occur and the safety of children can be promoted,” he said.

“If this register protects just one child from becoming a victim, it is a decision we must make,” says David Crisafulli. Credit: Matt Dennien

“These law changes will be attributed to an innocent young boy from the Sunshine Coast and forever be known as Daniel’s Law.”

Realistically, the proposal would only be semi-public, with the first of its three tiers to include a website with photos and details of “reportable offenders” who fail to meet obligations or mislead police.

A second “application-based” tier would identify “high-risk” offenders in a local area and allow residents to apply for a photo.

Finally, a third “community protection disclosure scheme” tier would allow parents and guardians to “inquire about a specific person who has regular unsupervised contact” with their child.

Bruce and Denise Morcombe, in comments reported by News Corp, backed the plan and said they hoped it would be sufficiently robust to not face court challenges.

“It’s a healthy and large step forward to protect our children,” Mr Morcombe said.

The scheme – closely mirroring the country’s strictest system, which has been operating in Western Australia since 2012 – would come with new offences to prevent the misuse of any information.

There have been recent calls in that state to reform the system, which can see children themselves forced onto the register for anywhere between three and 15 years for acts such as sexting.

South Australia’s Labor government introduced laws last month to set up its own three-tiered scheme.

Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has previously called for a national public register, sparking warnings by experts and the NSW government. Non-public registers exist nationwide for use by police.

A 2018 Australian Institute of Criminology paper on the issue warned about the “plausible argument” that public registers could cause vigilantism. It described the WA model as “semi-public”.

The paper noted concerns that public registers place extra burden on police, and concluded that despite decades of use in the US, there was evidence that they actually increased reoffending because exposing perpetrators likely excluded them from work and support systems.

However, the paper also said there was some evidence the registers made people feel safer.