Australia’s states and territories approved a plan on Wednesday to set up a national register of child sex offenders, despite fears the listing could spark vigilante attacks on suspected paedophiles.
Police ministers from the eight states and territories approved the plan which will involve listing the names, addresses, employment and car registration details of convicted child sex offenders.
The list will be available to law enforcement agencies, but not to the public.
The list is expected to come into use by the middle of next year, but first states must pass complimentary legislation to permit the joint listing, officials said.
Police Minister John Watkins from New South Wales (NSW), Australia’s most populous state, said the register would allow police to track the movements of convicted paedophiles across the
country.
”Very clearly we need a national scheme because a registered sex offender in NSW can currently go interstate,” he told reporters.
Federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison welcomed the agreement, saying the register would allow Australia to sign international child protection agreements.
”It is critical that governments come together to ensure that child sex offenders who travel across borders are treated in a consistent manner and that no state or territory can be used as a haven for those who commit such crimes,” he said.
Wednesday’s decision follows an informal agreement reached by the states in November.
Civil liberties organisations have opposed the creation of the register on the grounds that information could leak out and damage people who have already been punished or prompt vigilante attacks on suspected offenders.
The Australian council for civil liberties said the listing should only apply to people who have been ordered by courts to register with police after leaving jail.
The overwhelming majority of child sex offences occur within families and range from touching through clothes to serial predators who act outside the home, it said. – Sapa-AFP