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Human rights must apply to everybody – even to those who have abused others’ rights.
This is the uncomfortable underpinning of the Police Minister’s proposed register for the close monitoring of sex offenders in the community.
Anne Tolley has, however, struck the right balance in, first, piloting the monitoring system with about 300 convicted child abusers and, second, keeping the names secret.
Offenders against children present by far the greatest reoffending risk.
Other sex offenders judged likely to reoffend could be added when the system has been thoroughly tested.
The secrecy question is more problematic.
Parents want to know if a convicted paedophile lives nearby.
Expatriate New Zealander and broadcaster Derryn Hinch, twice jailed for breaching Australian child sex offenders’ suppression orders, makes a strong argument for parent power.
The proposal, for officials to identify paedophiles to members of the public only on a “need to know” basis, may be too limited.
For instance, people in a workplace would probably not be told a new colleague is an offender – but what about the office family picnic or offer to babysit the kids? Continue reading.
Source: The Listener
Image: kirontv.info
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News category: Analysis and Comment.
