From the Sex Offender Act 1997 a Sex Offenders Register was introduced.  The register is kept and maintained by the police.  Paedophiles have a legal duty to register their details, recording their names, addresses and personal details within fourteen days of their release from prison or from hospital.  Furthermore, all changes of address have to be notified to the police.  If anyone fails to register, they could face up to six months in prison and a fine.  On analysis of this register, it appears that it does not take account of the past therefore anyone who was convicted of sexual offences before 1997 was not registered.  One could argue that this is unjust and that the protection of children should be paramount in so much that all the names of convicted offenders should be added to the register.

I believe that the priority is for better education to make children more aware of the dangers, particulary with regards to the increasing crime rate of child abuse through the internet.  Parents also need to be educated about such dangers in order to adaquately safeguard and protect thier children.

sapphires-tiger

Is it not true that the majority of cases will commit an offence upon release. You state we have procedures in place for these persons and based on the information supplied the State is concerned or else then would be no time limitations to register or  the threat of imprisonment and a fine.

What is a fine or prison sentence to a person who has committed these crimes. the time they have spent in prison is normally in the company of similar offenders where they have the opportunity to share information, make partnerships and plan for their release.

based on the information i have read or seen on TV i would suggest the best method is to protect our children at any cost even if it means the loss of freedom for these people.

Don Kiddick