NZ Wiser Than UK Wiser Than USA

Friday, 27 April 2012, 9:46 am

Sex Offender’s Register will Increase Public Fear

 "The UK system would create more problems than it solves, and result in the costly and time consuming surveillance of people who are at a very low risk of offending. In the UK, two teenagers engaged in under age consensual sex could end up on the register. Treated sex offenders with, with a likely recidivism rate of 4 – 8% could be included. Not all sex offenders are paedophiles, but there will be a tendency, even by officials, to treat them as though they are – the recent Piha case is a good example of that.

The UK experience shows that there is no control over what people will do with the information, once they have it. Sex offending is a highly emotional issue, and the information can be used to harass [o]ffenders who are determined to go straight, get a job, and get on with their lives.

While the UK system is better than the public registers common to the USA, they are still likely to do more harm than good. Driving offenders into hiding increases the chances they will offend. It is also likely to result in offenders being re-imprisoned, not for reoffending, but for failing to register. The result is a further marginalisation of offenders from society."

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1204/S00312/sex-offenders-register-will-increase-public-fear.htm

Lobby warns against sex offender register

http://www.3news.co.nz/Lobby-warns-against-sex-offender-register/tabid/423/articleID/252040/Default.aspx

Thursday, 26 April 2012, 4:12 pm

Sex Offenders Register raises complex issue

"Mrs Meynell believes that we can learn much from the experience of other countries which have sex offender registers. “The trend and thinking in the UK now is towards them being for the use of authorities only. Authorities in the UK can let approved local groups know if a paedophile has moved to their area.”

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1204/S00305/sex-offenders-register-raises-complex-issue.htm

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Comment: So long in coming, so obvious the case.

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