Child Sex Warning Scheme Extended

At least ten children have been protected from potential abuse by sex offenders in the first six months of the Government's Child Sexual Offender Disclosure Pilot, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced today.

This early success has led to the decision to extend the scheme within the police forces involved. From today, the pilot will be extended force-wide in Cleveland, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire (including the Isle of Wight). The fourth pilot site, Warwickshire, is already force-wide.

Since the pilot launched six months ago, provisional management information which has been provided by the police forces shows there have been a total of 153 enquiries and 79 applications from parents, carers and guardians. Ten disclosures have taken place.

Under the terms of the pilot, launched in September 2008, a parent, carer or guardian can request that an individual who has access to their child or children is checked out for a record of child sexual offences.

If this individual is found to have convictions for sexual offences against children, and poses a risk of causing serious harm to the child or children concerned, then this information may be disclosed to the person best placed to protect the child - usually the parent, carer or guardian.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "Protecting children and families from sex offenders is one of my top priorities and the UK has one of the most robust systems of managing sex offenders in the world. Today's results are extremely encouraging - this pilot has provided crucial protection for children who might otherwise be at risk.

"The development of this scheme in consultation with Sara Payne, the police and children's charities has been a major step forward in our ability to protect children from sex offenders but also to empower parents and guardians to understand how to best protect their children."

She concluded: "There will be a full evaluation of the pilot at the end of the year and if it concludes that the pilot has been a success then I will be seeking to roll out the scheme nationally."

(JM/BMcC)