MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 26 April 2012

Sex Offenders Register raises complex issue

Ann Tolley has this week announced her intention to set up a sex offender register.

Child Matters Academic Services Manager Amanda Meynell believes that there could be benefits in a Sex Offender Register and the access and information sharing that it would provide for authorities and agencies.

However she says “It is quite a complex idea, and among the many issues to be considered, are such things as, the length of time that a person could stay on the register, how that is determined for each individual case and what crime would warrant a person being placed on it. It is also important that there is a process for people to know that they are on the register in the case of mistaken identity.

Mrs Meynell believes that we can learn much from the experience of other countries which have sex offender registers. “The trend and thinking in the UK now is towards them being for the use of authorities only. Authorities in the UK can let approved local groups know if a paedophile has moved to their area.”

“It is important to remember that most paedophiles and sexual offenders escape the notice of the authorities altogether and will therefore slip through the cracks. They will not be on a register as they will not have been convicted or charged with any crime.”

“So it is even more important that employers in schools, child care service, social services, sports groups (and all other organisations that have the care of children), take particular care to undertake vigilant recruitment processes. They need to understand that most child abusers will not be on any register and so it is up to the employer to ensure the safety of the children.”

Child Matters publishes a book called Safe not Sorry that is a handbook for selecting suitable people to work with children. This is available from www.childmatters.org.nz.

ENDS

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