Laws enabling South Australians to access certain information held on the child sex offenders register have passed State Parliament this week.
South Australia Police maintains a database of registrable offenders, which includes child sex offenders as well as those offenders convicted of certain other serious offences against children.
Under the laws, which passed State Parliament yesterday, South Australians will be able to seek information about serious child sex offenders living in their area.
It will also enable parents to check whether individuals who have unsupervised access to their children are registrable offenders, and what offences led to their inclusion on the register.
In addition, the disclosure scheme would enable the Commissioner of Police to publish:
- Any or all personal details, including a photograph, of a registrable offender whose whereabouts is unknown and who has failed to comply with reporting obligations or has provided false or misleading information
- Photographs of dangerous and high-risk offenders living in the same suburb or town as an individual who applies for them
- Information about an individual who has unsupervised contact with a child in response to an application from the child's parent or guardian
The disclosure scheme will be implemented as part of the Digital Police Station initiative, funded in the 2024-25 State Budget.
This legislation builds on other tough new changes to child sex offender laws introduced by the Malinauskas Government including:
- Increased penalties for a range of child sex abuse offences, such as increasing the maximum penalty for gross indecency with or in the presence of a child from five to 15 years.
- Legislated to ban child sex offenders from working in places that also hire underage employees, such as hospitality or retail.
- Strengthened Carly's Law, so that tough penalties apply to offenders who communicate online with police officers posing as fictitious children.
- Legislated for serious repeat child sex offenders to be locked up until they can prove that they are no longer a danger to the community.
As put by Kyam Maher
This is a significant step forward in the protection of our communities, and will enable South Australians to be better informed about any registrable offenders living in their area.
It will also be an invaluable tool for parents wanting to ensure those involved with their children have not been hiding a background of child sex abuse.
This measure is in addition to other significant reforms this Labor Government has undertaken to protect children including; the indefinite detention of serious repeat child sex offenders, strengthening Carly's Law and increased penalties for child sex abuse offences.
This Government will do everything in its power to keep the community safe from the vile monsters who prey upon children.
