Child protection agencies have rejected plans for a national child sex offender registry, claiming the list will not protect children and will only give power to vigilante paedophile hunters.
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton revealed his plans to introduce the $7.8million measure during the federal Budget on Tuesday night.
He claimed the registry, where paedophiles’ names, aliases, photos, and the nature of the crimes would be made public, will help reduce child sex offences across the country.
The proposal, however, has raised concerns among child safety advocates who feel the idea could backfire.
Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnston (left) said the registry is not an effective solution in protecting children. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton revealed the plans to introduce the $7.8million measure during the federal budget on Tuesday night
The founder of child protection organisation Bravehearts, Hetty Johnston has called the law ‘flawed’ and ‘waste’ of taxpayers’ money.
Ms Johnston told Daily Mail Australia the register was not supported by research and would only capture a minute number of paedophiles.
‘If these people are so dangerous that we need to spend $7.8 million of taxpayers’ money to tell us what suburb they live in, they shouldn’t even be on our streets,’ said Ms Johnston, who is campaigning to represent Queensland in the Federal Senate.
‘I want to know where child sex offenders are and that is behind bars where they can never have access to children again.
‘There is no research anywhere in the world that says the proposed model works and, worse still, it gives people a false sense of security.’
She highlighted a number of ‘flaws’ in the proposed registry such as, only having access to the identity of registered child sex offenders – which are only a small percentage of paedophiles that are ever known to police.
She also pointed out that the majority of offenders are often people trusted by a child such as relatives or family friends.
‘I understand why people want this, I want to know where they are too,’ Ms Johnston told Daily Mail Australia.
Serial paedophile Dean Angus Bell (pictured left) is only 25 but has been rated by experts among the top one per cent of sex offenders internationally. He re-offended within hours of release. Former A Current Affair Ben McCormack (right) described himself as a ‘proud ped’ in a messages that saw him plead guilty to a child pornography charge
‘But we’ve researched it and found it does not work. I’m really unsure why the minister has chosen a model that does not work.’
She urged the Federal Government to adopt Western Australia’s register model, which is based on the UK’s ‘Sarah’s Law’ – allowing the community to contact police if they are concerned about a person in their child’s life.
‘This disclosure process is a proven effective response to community concerns about child sex offenders and has my full support rather than wasting $7.8 million on a register that will never see the light of day because the states won’t support a failed model.
According to Ms Johnston, most child sex offenders have an 85 per cent chance of re-offending and not getting caught once released, and suggested tightening the laws to keep paedophiles behind bars.
If elected, founder said she will push for legislation to not release sex offenders back into the community.
Ms Johnston previously stated she believes the move could be politically motivated.
Cathy Kezelman, president of the Blue Knot Foundation which assists survivors of child abuse, said the registry may not work on low-risk offenders and could encourage vigilante behaviour.
There are more than 17,000 convicted paedophiles in Australia. Western Australia alone has more than 3,500 on its register for a population of less than 2.7 million
She echoed Ms Johnston’s sentiments in that the government can learn of the impact and stats of the WA model, ather than having knee-jerk reaction,’ ABC reported.
A report published by the Australian Institute of Criminology in 2007 found that there was little evidence to support the system would do much to prevent offences.
Sex offender registries already exist in other countries such UK and the US – which implemented Megan’s Law in 1996, requiring authorities to publicise information on sex offenders.
However, the AIC found the law posed a number of issues including, not being able to monitor vigilantism and creating a false sense of fear and security among communities.
It also pointed out that some offenders can still continue to offend by ‘going underground.’
The Australian Law Council released a statement saying it did not object to the ‘principle’ but said it should only apply to ‘high-level offending.’
‘Inclusion brings onerous reporting obligations like ongoing police monitoring of, and involvement in a person’s activities, the risk of adverse community attention, and vigilantism. Therefore, only offenders posing a demonstrated risk should be required to register,’ Law Council President, Arthur Moses SC, said.
He added the courts should be in charge of determining whether or not a person is required to register.
Worst of the worst: Half of the nation’s convicted paedophiles re-offend within four years. Warren Hayter (left) abused disabled boys across several states, while the NSW government is fighting to keep Michael Guider in jail
Budget documents said the register will also detail offenders’ date of birth, their physical description and the ‘general location and nature’ of their offending.
Budget papers make it clear the register will be ‘publicly available’ and hosted by the secretive national crime fighting body, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC).
Police agencies in every state and territory will provide, vet and manage the information included on the $7.8million register.
‘Protection of our most vulnerable – our children – remains one of the highest priorities of the Morrison government,’ Mr Dutton said in a statement.
The Budget papers don’t specify what the rules would be for perpetrators whose victims would be identified if they were named – such as mums and dads who abuse their children.
The papers also do not elaborate on what crimes would land offenders on the register.
For instance, former A Current Affair reporter Ben McCormack was convicted of a child pornography charge, but not physical offences against children.
It’s not known whether that sort of offending – he expressed he was a ‘proud ped’ – would land a person on the register.
Paedophiles’ names, aliases, photos and the nature of their crimes will be made public with the Federal government announcing it will establish a national child sex offender registry
Mr Dutton has previously floated the idea of a child sex offender registry but said the government would consult with the states.
But the register was announced as a funding commitment in the second budget paper on Tuesday evening.
A police source said he was ‘very concerned’ about the announcement, and wondered how the government will compel the states and territories to join the scheme.
Bravehearts opposed the proposal when Mr Dutton suggested the measure in January, branding it a political stunt.
Ms Johnston said: ‘The bottom line is that all dangerous and repeat sex offenders should not be on a register, they should be in jail.
‘No offender should be released until the risk they pose is of a level that can be managed in the community. A register will not keep children safe.’
But Mr Dutton said: ‘It will send a clear message that Australia will not tolerate individuals preying on the most vulnerable members of the community – our children’.
The sex offenders register is likely to become another issue dividing the parties at the coming election.
Labor has previously said any changes must be ‘evidence-based and effective’.
The party has pointed out former prime minister Tony Abbott once ruled out the measure.
‘It would be good to know what has changed since then,’ a spokesperson told the ABC.
Budget papers also revealed the government will set up a national museum and memorial for victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.
It will provide $2.5 million to consult stakeholders on potential options and form of a ‘national museum or memorial’.