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Warning on paedophile law trials Review says no to UK Megan's Law
(about 1 hour later)
Pilot projects giving parents the right to know if paedophiles are living in their area will endanger the lives of children, a charity has warned. A Home Office review of the way child sex offenders are handled in the community has decided against a Megan's Law for the UK, the BBC has learned.
Barnardo's said the trials would drive child sex offenders underground. The US law, named after Megan Kanka, 7, who was murdered by a convicted sex offender, gives parents access to names and addresses of known paedophiles.
But Labour MP Dan Norris, whose Wansdyke constituency in Somerset is believed to be one of the trial areas, said the scheme was "common sense". The Home Office now wants individuals to be able to request information about people they may be concerned about.
Under the scheme, parents will be told if paedophiles are in the area but will not be told their names and addresses. But it does not want the details of offenders to be made widely available.
Barnardo's chief executive Martin Narey told BBC News the trials were "very, very bad news". A report of the government's year-long child sex offender review, headed by Home Office minister Gerry Sutcliffe, is expected to be published next month at the earliest.
The Home Office says no official decision has been taken on the exact number of pilot areas or where they will be. The review has effectively decided that a Megan's Law is not appropriate for the UK.
If they're serial sex offenders, they should be curfewed, be subject to lie detector tests Martin NareyBarnardo's href="/1/hi/uk/5091800.stm">The story of Megan's Law The best way of supervising sex offenders, if they're not in jail, is to keep them under the most meticulous supervision Martin NareyBarnardo's href="/1/hi/uk/6540497.stm">Campaign for 'Sarah's Law'
A spokeswoman said it would not comment until its sex offenders review had been published which would not be until May at the earliest. A campaign to launch a 'Sarah's Law', a UK version of the legislation, was launched after Sarah Payne was murdered by paedophile Roy Whiting in 2000.
The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), which is opposed to such a scheme, said there had been no discussions with the Home Office about specific pilot areas. But the review does conclude that there is a case for wider disclosure of details held on the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) computer.
Under the pilot schemes, parents will have the right to find out if there are any paedophiles living in their neighbourhood although their names and addresses will not be revealed. BBC correspondent Mark Easton said that, at the moment, employers could request a CRB check if a potential employee was going to work with children while private citizens could not make such a check.
Single parents will also be allowed to find out if a new partner is on the sex offenders' register. For example, it was known that some paedophiles targeted single parents - working their way into the relationship in order to gain access to children, our correspondent added.
The pilot is based on Megan's Law in the US, named after Megan Kanka, a seven-year-old who was murdered in the US by a neighbour who was a convicted sex offender. Lone parents may, in the future, be allowed to request a CRB check.
A campaign to launch a "Sarah's Law", a UK version of the legislation, was launched after Sarah Payne was murdered by paedophile Roy Whiting in 2000. Pilot schemes
Our correspondent said a protocol was being worked out on how this might work and that the key factor would be whether the individual would have unaccompanied access to children.
The location of three pilot schemes could be revealed next month, the Home Office said.
Last year, Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (Mappa) began publishing details of how many sex offenders - not specifically child sex offenders - live in a borough.
Earlier, children's charities and probation watchdogs said that introducing a trial of a watered-down Megan's Law - where parents were able to find out how many known paedophiles were living in their immediate area - would drive child sex offenders underground.
Barnardo's chief executive Martin Narey told BBC News such trials would be "very, very bad news".
'Workable arrangements''Workable arrangements'
Mr Narey said "the best way of supervising sex offenders, if they're not in jail, is to keep them under the most meticulous supervision". Mr Narey said: "The best way of supervising sex offenders, if they're not in jail, is to keep them under the most meticulous supervision."
These pilots are a very valuable step in the road to making children safer Dan NorrisLabour MP
He told BBC News: "If they're serial sex offenders, they should be curfewed, be subject to lie detector tests and have staff observing them every single day.He told BBC News: "If they're serial sex offenders, they should be curfewed, be subject to lie detector tests and have staff observing them every single day.
"If paedophiles flee that they become very dangerous indeed." "If paedophiles flee they become very dangerous indeed."
He added that while parents in Wansdyke might feel "very safe" during the pilot, "parents of children in adjacent constituencies should feel very worried". "Sound and workable arrangements" for supervision were already in place including head teachers being made aware of the proximity of child sex offenders, he said.
"Sound and workable arrangements" for supervision were already in place including head teachers being made aware of the proximity of sex offenders, he said. And former Association of Chief Police Officers president Sir Chris Fox said that "a pilot in one area drives the problem to another".
But children's charity Kidscape said the pilot projects would make parents feel "safer and more confident".
"It is happening with a great deal of planning and thought, and we will see how it works in these controlled circumstances," director Michele Elliott said.
'Worthwhile' scheme
Mr Norris, who has campaigned for the introduction of such a scheme since 1998, said: "We mustn't duck or shirk our responsibility of protecting children and these pilots are a very valuable step in the road to making children safer.
"The truth is there are only so many professional staff who can deal with these people and nobody cares more about their kids than parents or grandparents."
Former Acpo president Sir Chris Fox welcomed the scheme but said it would be difficult for police to manage because "a pilot in one area drives the problem to another".
"Secondly, because of the atmosphere of rumour, innuendo and gossip that can develop very quickly when a potential offender is identified to someone," he added."Secondly, because of the atmosphere of rumour, innuendo and gossip that can develop very quickly when a potential offender is identified to someone," he added.
"However, as long as the pilots are proper ones and are not pre-ordained to give a result then I think they're worthwhile."