Child sex offender register passes

Stuff reports:

Child Sex offenders released back into the community will now be tracked on a Government register, in some cases for the rest of their lives. 

Parliament has passed a law to allow the setup of the register, which Social Development Minister Anne Tolley said would safeguard the community. 

“Currently, these offenders can disappear back into communities when they have completed a sentence or order.

“When the register begins operating these offenders will be required by law to provide a range of personal information and inform Police of any change in their circumstances, which will allow a dedicated team of Police and Corrections staff to know where they are and track changes in their lives,” Tolley said.

Any changes could be a trigger for reoffending, and authorised staff across a number of approved agencies would have the power to monitor and assess risks and take any necessary action.

The register would operate on a tiered system, with offenders required to be on it for a term of life, 15 years or eight years – depending on their offence and the sentence imposed.

Any failure to give the required information, including giving false information, would land an offender with either a fine or imprisonment.

Very pleased to see this pass.