Online public registry 'to increase awareness of high-risk sex offenders' sought
A Labour MSP has put forward new proposals to deal with the threat posed by child sex offenders.
A Labour MSP has put forward new proposals to deal with the threat posed by child sex offenders.
Paul Martin has already gathered cross-party support for a motion calling for a review of the arrangements for managing sex offenders which will be debated at Holyrood today.
He wants a searchable web-based public registry containing information about high-risk sex offenders, which can be searched by name or postcode, to be put in place.
He is also calling for a panel of expert clinicians to assess sex offenders on a case by case basis to determine their risk of reoffending and their eligibility for the online registry.
There should also be a requirement for convicted sex offenders to disclose information about their convictions during the housing application process, Mr Martin said.
A review of sentencing tariffs for child sex offenders should also take place, he added.
The Labour MP will be joined at Holyrood by his constituent Margaret Ann Cummings, whose eight-year-old son Mark was murdered in 2004 by convicted sex offender Stuart Leggate in Royston, Glasgow.
Ms Cummings has campaigned for changes to the way serious sex offenders are managed since her son was killed.
She has said previously that the child sex offender disclosure scheme, which allows parents, carers and guardians to formally ask the police to tell them if someone has a record for child sexual offences, does not go far enough.
Meanwhile, a recommendation by a Holyrood committee in 2006 for sex offenders to disclose details of convictions on housing applications had still not been implemented by the Scottish Government.
Speaking ahead of the debate, Mr Martin said: It has been more than 10 years since the Justice 2 Sub-Committee in Holyrood published recommendations intended to keep children safe from dangerous sex offenders living in our communities.
A key recommendation, which would make it a legal requirement for sex offenders to disclose details of previous convictions on housing applications, has never been implemented, and others are no longer fit for purpose.
I believe every parent has a right to know if a dangerous sex offender is living nearby so they can take reasonable steps to protect their children.
The aim of the online registry would be to increase awareness of offenders thought to be at high risk of reoffending.
It is important to emphasise that such a system would be part of a basket of measures used to manage sex offenders, protect communities and support victims of abuse.
It would also be essential for any online registry to be closely monitored by the authorities and properly resourced.''
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: The monitoring of sex offenders in Scotland is now tougher than ever before.
The police and other criminal justice agencies have greater powers to manage these individuals and have a range of measures they can deploy for high risk offenders such as surveillance, electronic tagging, and curfews, as well as prohibitions on where convicted sex offenders can go and who they can contact.
We now have more measures in place to protect children than ever before, including the nationwide sex offender disclosure scheme which gives parents, carers and guardians the right to request information on any named individuals who may have regular unsupervised access to their child.
We will not be complacent.
Our top priority is keeping the public safe and we remain committed to the continual improvement of the management of offenders.''