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Child sex offences
03/05/2009
A pilot project to give families greater protection from known sex offenders will start in a Scottish police force area later this year.
The disclosure project will allow members of the public within the pilot area to register a child-protection interest in a named individual who has access to their child(ren).
Police will be more readily alerted to concerns, with a presumption that they will inform the parent, carer or guardian if the named person has convictions for sex offences.
If the child is found to be at serious risk of harm then child protection measures will be instigated.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:
"The protection of our children is of the greatest importance to all of us. There are few crimes more damaging, more emotive and more sensitive than sexual offences against children.
"We have done a lot in recent years to improve public protection in Scotland and the vast majority of sex offenders comply with the conditions imposed on them. But we can always do more.
"The Parliament, a body of evidence and many experts have highlighted the risks of automatic disclosure of all sex offenders' details to the general public. Elsewhere such blanket disclosure has reduced compliance and can encourage offenders to go underground and therefore put children at greater risk.
"However, we do want to consider how we can better enable individuals with a child protection concern about someone in their lives and who has contact with their child to ask the police to investigate that concern.
"That is what the pilot seeks to do - to bring reassurance and peace of mind to those who care most about their children -parents, carers and guardians.
"While we must all rightly be alert to 'stranger danger', most sexual offences against children are in fact committed by individuals known to the child's family, adults who abuse a position of trust with that child.
"Our statutory agencies have strengthened their work to protect communities from the potential risks posed by sex offenders, as the annual MAPPA reports show. But the public too has a role in assisting the authorities.
"The project provides another link which will assist in identifying vulnerable children and families who are unknown to police and care agencies to ensure that correct help and advice are provided.
"There is a natural impulse - and obligation - to tackle child sex abuse. We are determined that our communities know the avenues open to them to ensure concerns are dealt with effectively.
"The project announced today has the potential to provide a further level of protection against those who seek to abuse our children."
The pilot will start in September 2009 and will run until the end of May 2010. A final evaluation is expected to be published next summer. Discussions are continuing with ACPOS to identify a suitable police force area.
Under the pilot, parents, carers and guardians of children under 18 will be able to register a child-protection interest in a named individual. This must be someone who has regular unsupervised access to the child.
The person registering their interest will be required to confirm that the information they are supplying is correct, and that they understand there may be legal consequences if they have made false claims.
There will be a presumption that relevant information will be disclosed if the subject of the disclosure report has convictions for child sex offences, and if it is decided that the disclosure will protect the child.