Child protection group calls for lifetime warning on child sex offenders

Child protection group Bravehearts is calling for Australia to adopt UK-style legislation to allow police greater levels of disclosure to protect against child sex abuse.

Child protection group Bravehearts is calling for Australia to adopt UK legislation to allow police greater levels of disclosure to protect against child sex abuse.

The UK legislation, known as Sarah’s Law, allows any member of the public to ask police if a person in contact with a child has a criminal record for child sex offences or for any serious violent offences, such as domestic violence, that could pose a safety risk to children.

The law allows police to disclose information confidentially to the person most able to protect the child and covers an offenders’ lifetime.

Bravehearts’ chair and founder Hetty Johnston aims to make Australia the safest place in the world to raise a child. Picture: Jono Searle

In Australia, a child sex offender is listed on the confidential national child sex offenders’ register for a period of time specified by the courts, the minimum of which is five to eight years. Police cannot disclose information to parents or carers.

Bravehearts’ chair and founder Hetty Johnston said Sarah’s law would be of huge benefit here.

“The research is clear, between 85 per cent and 95 per cent of children are sexually assaulted by people known, trusted or even loved by them. They are predators who have expertly manipulated and groomed the family and child with the single aim of gaining their trust and getting time alone with the children to sexually assault them.”

Bravehearts said last week’s federal government proposal for an online national public child sex offender register — which would see offenders’ names published on a website along with their date of birth, photo, the nature of offence and their general location, such as postcode — was a “political stunt”.

The register has also attracted criticism from criminologists and law enforcers concerned it could lead to an increase in vigilante attacks.

Sarah Payne hugging her young sister Charlotte before she was abducted and murdered in West Sussex, England, in 2000. Picture: Supplied

Sarah’s Law was enacted in Britain after eight-year-old Sarah Payne was abducted and murdered in 2000 by Roy Whiting, who already had a conviction for abducting and indecently assaulting a child.

The law was initially piloted in four police areas in England in 2008 and after research suggested police and other criminal justice agencies had seen benefits, it was rolled out across England and Wales.

Scotland then introduced a similar scheme following its own pilot.

Sources at NSW and Victorian police welcomed the push for the legislation, which favours disclosure even if no one has asked.

They said there were often instances when they felt their powers were limited to notify guardians when a known sex offender was potentially in contact or posing a risk to children.

Roy Whiting, 42, on his way to Lewes Crown Court, England, in December, 2001, where he was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering eight-year-old Sarah Payne in July 2000. The trial judge recommended that he never be released. Picture: AP/ Chris Ison.

“I had a situation recently when a mother began a relationship with a known sex offender and her kids were in the house but privacy legislation means we can’t just go and tell that woman,” said a NSW police source.

“We have to tell community services there may be a welfare risk to a child and hope they intervene.

“People would be shocked at the lack of restrictions convicted sex offenders are under once they’re released in the community.

“Sex offenders are supposed to register their address with police, let us know if they’ve moved, and any changes in situation that could put them in contact with children — they’re not supposed to be within a certain distance of schools or children’s play areas but in reality that’s very hard to police.”

Originally published as Child protection group calls for lifetime warning on child sex offenders