A new pilot scheme which allows worried parents ask police if someone with significant access to their children is a convicted sex offender has been launched by the government.
The Home Office says it will make it possible for single mothers, for example, to find out the background of a new boyfriend, or for worried parents to check out babysitters.
The measures do not go as far as ”Megan’s Law” in the United States that allows local communities to find out about convicted paedophiles living in their area, but Sara Payne, whose daughter Sarah was murdered by a predatory paedophile in 2000, has campaigned for such a law in Britain and said the new pilot scheme was a welcome start.
However, probation officers and charities have warned that the disclosure could force some offenders to hide from police checks. They also voice concern that the scheme could simply be ineffective because parents would be unlikely to check on their partners while pointing out paedophiles carefully groom victims over long periods of time.
Is the scheme a good idea, or does it go too far or not far enough? Send us your comments.
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19 comments so far
Its unhelpful when the media confuse “Sex Offenders” with “Paedophiles.” This is like saying all criminals are or could be potential killers. The large majority of Sex Offenders are those convicted of minor non contact Sexual Offences who go on to live normal lives without any reoffending. There are a small number of serious and persistant offenders who are those this scheme is aimed at. However, these individuals should never have been allowed into a situation where contact with children would be possible so the scheme is pretty much a waste of time in this respect. Megans law has failed in the US for the same reasons it would fail here.
- Posted by Mike JamesIt is about tiem t he government did sometime to make our families secure. These men are hurting our children. some of these offenders are family members, and some are total strangers.
Government should even move quicker into putting measures to restrict child abusers from re-offending.
Please for our safety help find a cure for these sick people, and have them permanently treated. Chemical castration would be a good treatment for all child abusers.
The majority of these attacks happen alot in low income areas, and working class environments. Minority cases are seen in the rich man’s world, and are clearly hidden from publicity. In poor areas, fathers, brothers, cousins and the lot are abusing siblings, it is sad that the people they trust are doing this to them. Then we have strangers who stoke our children at the swimming pools, public toilets and resturants.
Please, help our children grow up in safe environments. do something about this illness.
- Posted by Patsurly the only people that wont like this idea is the sex offenders them self. they did the crime. they should be named so it does not happen again
- Posted by aliSARAH PAYNE IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT WHEN SHE SAYS WE NEED A FULL MEGAN`S LAW IN THIS COUNTRY. THIS NEW SHCEME IS A START BUT IT NEEDS TO GO MUCH FURTHER - ALL PARENTS NEED TO KNOW THE WHEREABOUTS OF CONVICTED CHILD SEX OFFENDERS WITHOUT HAVING TO ASK QUESTIONS SO THEY CAN ENSURE THEIR CHILDREN DO NOT GO NEAR THEM. IT IS TIME CHILD SEX OFFENDERS REALISE THEY HAVE GOT TO STOP DOING THINGS TO CHILDREN, AND THAT INCLUDES LOOKING AT PICTURES OF CHILD PORN ON INTERNET, A VERY VERY BIG PROBLEM THAT IS VASTLY UNDER-ESTIMATED.
- Posted by sylvia macphersonI resent anyone assuming I might be a paedophile should I happen to be involved with children at some stage. There used to be an presumption of innocence in this country, but this sort of thinking merely feeds the hysteria and I find it disgusting.
- Posted by SheumaisEveryone wants to protect children. But what do we mean by sex offenders?
- Posted by AdamThere was a case recently of a 15 year old boy who “pinged the bra strap” of a girl at school in jest. He was accused by PC teachers of “sexual harrasement”. The police came round, he agreed to a “caution”. However, this meant he had to go on the sex offenders register and his life could have been affected. Fortuntaly for him his father tenaciously fought the case through the courts and his name was removed.
A drunken kiss at college disco has led to a similar “listing” a student unable to work in teaching.
We have also had idiots attack the premises of paediatricians thinking they were advertising as paedophiles!
Let’s be careful about trusting “Joe Public” and the authorities.
As a victim of abuse I reckon this scheme should be available to the whole country, not just 4 parts of London. But its a start.
One of my daughters was also abused by a man i married in the forces. If this scheme was in place across the country I possibly could have check it out and save my daughter and I would never has married him.
The whole world is under suspicion now. Men & women. We’ve got to try save our kids & be kept one step ahead of any Paedophiles in out area.
I think this is a good idea. If it saves one child then its worth it!
- Posted by Paula“A VERY VERY BIG PROBLEM THAT IS VASTLY UNDER-ESTIMATED.”
Is it? How would you know?
- Posted by SheumaisYet another assumption that all men are going to sexual abuse children, the council law that no single men allowed in the park, does this apply that men can check up on potential female partners?
- Posted by Vmanand why is there a presumption of innocence applied to women?
Equal rights and laws for everyone, isn’t that what was fought for and defended?
This country is going to the dogs and very fast
Judging by other comments, the first priority is to clarify the issue. My comment is about paedophiles, not sex offenders. Uncontrollable as paedophiles are, they should be put down. Our society being probably too squeamish for this, the next resort should be to castrate them by chemical means perhaps - I don’t really care how … we just have to stop them for good!
- Posted by D.ThomasD.Thomas.
I completely agree with Adam. There is a possibility of feding the hysteria we saw with the paediatrician having his windows smashed and people marching through the streets!! (NOTW name and shame…) Megan’s law has failed in the US, look at the research, and it would fail here. Only a small percentage of sex offenders actually inform the authorities where they are, so yes we could potentially know about ‘Mr A’ who lives at no 43, but what we don’t know about is Mr B at No 79 who didn’t declare he has returned to live with a cousin, or the person over the road who has no convictions but has been molesting children for years. We need to stop knee jerk reactions and educate our children about keeping safe, teach self-protection skills to children, and be vigilant parents. We also seem to forget that most abuse happens within families. I kept a close eye on my children and i always had the view that potentially ANYONE could harm my child, and as a result they learned to be vigilant of everyone, not just a select couple the authorities have made me aware of. It makes us complacent about the rest.
- Posted by debbiePaople cannot seem to distinguish sex offender from paedophile, you can be classed as sex ofender for putting your hands on someones knee and making a suggestive remark jokingly, this is not the same as a paedophile, until there is a distinction and only for high risk offenders then this will cause more harm than good.
And for all those so called “victims”, likelyhood is you knew your victim or was a family member, so how would this law have protected you? Think about it.
- Posted by Frank dIf someone with a contagious & potentially fatal disease was living freely near me, in my area, I would want to know who it was & where they were! Any sane person would. This is no different- & please dont irritate me by quoting me the “offenders rights”, I do not accept any rights exists for paedophiles, as rights are earned, & they deserve none. If the Police are, as usual, too busy with terrorist and motorist, tackling claims of ‘institutionalised racism’ by foreigners in the Met or claiming they are underfunded/undermanned/under-resourced and under the impression that only foreigners have any rights now, we at least deserve the right to protect ourselves, without being hampered by the very body we all pay so dearly to protect us!!
- Posted by Stevewhy were these counties chosen?
- Posted by ian macdonaldwhy were suspects,who may not even be guilty, included?
doesn t it have nuances of the witches of salem-another
american phenomemon?
Given that offenders are monitored by social services shouldnt it be upto social services to warn partners if a child is at risk? This just seems a good way to split up families were a step father is involved as no man would stay in a relaionship where the partner suspected he/she was an abuser of his/her children.
- Posted by chrisThe greatest number of sex abuse cases against children involve members of the same family - and/or close friends.
This is an unsavoury fact of life that many refuse to even contemplate, let alone acknowledge as being reality.
Why don’t we check parents and family members out? Huh?
No? I thought so - and this illustrates how barmy, irresponsible and stupid society is acting re. child sex abuse.
Until we tackle the crux of the problem - then more and more innocent people will become scapegoats and whipping boys.
We even have moves to stop single males from walking through parks where ther are playgrounds. This is an abuse of human rights and a shameless attack on liberty. How dare ANYONE supsect someone without ANY evidence?
It turns habeus corpus on its head and makes a mockery of charge of slander and even malicious victimisation.
More and more malicious people are using these developments as a good excuse to victimise those they dislike or hate.
I think society is going to hell in a beasket and it’s taking the good name of strangers with it!
- Posted by TheTruthIs...Paedofiles go undetected for years - often they are never brought to justice as thier victims feel such shame and humiliation as well as fear.
Every body has a right to know if there is a Paedofile
close to thier children.
Paedofiles are evil cockroaches who are cunning and evil
they prey on the weak and defenceless. They are experts
at lying and manipulating, they groom children, they
make children feel guilty, they make children feel fear
they make children too ashamed to speak out.
I believe that as parents we should be grooming our
children to know that if some evil person makes an inappropriate
advance on them (even by relatives) they have someone
to tell. There should be a person in a school appointed
to help in these situations.
Paedofiles show no remorse, do not possess morals and
society has to act soon to send out message that thier
actions will not be tolerated and importantly Children
have to be educated to know that these animals have to be reported. Children have to know that they are not to blame - children have to know that there is someone to stop this. Children do not deserve this abuse.
I feel very strongly about this subject as my daughter
- Posted by Linda Fennellwas badly abused by a paedofile who I was in a relationship with. It has broken my heart to discover what that evil monster put her through. I never had a clue. PAEDOFILES DO NOT HAVE WITNESSES. They are too
clever.
This monster was sentenced last year to 5 life sentences and is now appealing dragging on the awful memories for my daughter.
I can never forgive this monster and I will do everything I can to stop any other suffering to other
innocent children from these evil paedofiles.
Mothers please beware of most men and most important
ask your childten questions. Just like you would check
your childs hair for lice.
Please please be diplomatic and ask your children gently
if they have experienced any friend or family doing
starnge things to them.
i agree that there should be a “megans law” in england
- Posted by mandyi met some one on the internet and been with him a while and he has abused my daughter so i will back for this law to be legalised and like to see something out in place to protect the kids and there parents
this NEEDS to be available constantly for every one in the world to access and check if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about if you do have something to hide you don’t have the right to hide it in the interest of child safety
- Posted by mark