Proposals to toughen laws on sex offences

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Paul Murphy has published proposals today designed to strengthen current measures to protect the public, particularly children and the vulnerable, from sex offenders.

Mr Murphy was speaking after the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, published a command paper entitled 'Protecting the Public', which represents the government’s response to the recommendations in the report of the review of part one of the Sex Offenders Act 1997.

Mr Murphy said: “It is a priority for this government to protect the public against crime, including sexual crime, which is so abominable, particularly in its effect on children.

“While the government has done a great deal to improve public protection, more is needed. In the coming year the Home Secretary intends to introduce new legislation to further strengthen protective measures against sex offenders and to comprehensively reform the law on sexual offences in England and Wales.

“The purpose of the Northern Ireland document is to explain how the Home Secretary’s proposals will relate to Northern Ireland”.

Under the proposed new legislation, offenders will have to notify police of changes to their registered details within three days as opposed to the current 14 days.

All notifications must be renewed annually, in person, with a power for the police to take new photographs and fingerprints. The definition of home address will also be broadened to include any location at which the offender could reliably be found.

A new civil order will be made available to compel those convicted of sex offences in another jurisdiction to register if they travel to the UK.

A second new order is proposed which will be available against adults who have not yet committed an offence but who have displayed inappropriate sexual behaviour towards children under 16.

The government also intends to make it possible for civil orders to be made against anyone who has been convicted of certain serious and violent offences (including murder, manslaughter, trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children) if there is evidence that they present a risk of causing serious sexual harm.

This will enable registration requirements to be imposed on these offenders, as well as other restrictions on their behaviour such as not associating with children or contacting victims, which will further enhance public protection.

Some new offences, and other existing ones designed to protect vulnerable adults, will also be made subject to registration.

(GMcG)