Friday 9 October 2009

New curbs on sex offenders

By Ben Quérée

THE police and the courts are to get new powers to monitor the behaviour and movements of paedophiles, rapists and other sex offenders.

States Members yesterday voted overwhelmingly yesterday for a new Sex Offenders Law, which means that Jersey will get a sex offenders register for the first time. It is expected that it will be up and running by Easter.

Home Affairs Minister Ian Le Marquand said that schools could be informed that a paedophile was living nearby if that offender was thought to pose a serious risk. However, he said that details of who was on the list would not be made public.

In addition to setting up the register, the law will give the Royal Court the power to make orders about where registered offenders can live, where they can travel to and what they can do.

Article posted on 9th October, 2009 - 3.00pm
New curbs on sex offenders