…but new sex offenders law is on the way

Saturday 17th January 2009, 9:59AM GMT.

A NEW law that aims to increase the powers of the courts and the police to protect the public from sex offenders will soon be debated by the States.

Members are due to discuss the Sex Offenders Law on 24 February. The proposed law would enable the police to keep tabs on those who have been convicted of sex crimes. It would also be retrospective, so even if a person has been found guilty before the law comes into force, he or she could still be monitored.

It also gives Island officers the authority to access information about, and keep an eye on, sex offenders from outside of the Island. As things currently stand, offenders can only be monitored if they agree that the police can watch them.

Steve Austin-Vautier, the chief officer of Home Affairs, said: ‘This is often referred to metaphorically as setting up a “sex offenders register”, but a register as such isn’t established by the law. ‘It allows the courts to make orders restricting the activities of people who may be sexual predators or who may sexually exploit children and vulnerable persons.’

• Picture: Home Affairs chief officer Steve Austin-Vautier

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1
dave brown

January 17, 2009 at 10:28 am

so the date will move foreword hopefully from the 24th of febuary to the next states sitting and they will not leave the chamber untill the new law is passed.
and show the world, in veiw of the h.de.l. garrene. debacle, that we can act swiftly.

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2
Lou

January 17, 2009 at 11:59 am

In your own time ministers…

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3
the future

January 17, 2009 at 5:58 pm

I would be happy to have the strictest sex offenders laws in the world.

Could we be world leaders in this area please.

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4
Mary Jayne

January 17, 2009 at 7:36 pm

Looking at the draft law, there is no requirement for any conviction – the Police can add anyone to the register, with no need to prove anything. Is that good? I don’t think so – all you have to do is report a suspicion of a neighbour, and (s)he is on the list. I can see that being abused, by the police if no-one else.

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5
J G

January 17, 2009 at 10:54 pm

We can be very tough on drug dealers and yet we do not have a law yet on these dangerous predators. It is ‘to be discussed’, but apparently no funding to put this in place until 2010. What a disgrace when you think of all the useless squandering that goes on with States money. They certainly know how not to get priorities right. Once again miles behind any other civilised country, but of course, nothing like this ever happens in Jersey!!!!!

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6
point blank

January 18, 2009 at 10:11 am

So, in the meantime whilst we are all waiting, we give paedophiles a chance to relocate.

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7
Ed

January 18, 2009 at 10:58 am

I agree with #3, we COULD also be “world leaders” regarding…
Social Justice
Pollution
Employment Laws
Housing… and we COULD be VAT free with no retailers “ripping” people off we COULD get our tourism industry back.
As usual the politicians wait for something to be brought to the attention of everyone before anything is done.

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8
RL

January 19, 2009 at 9:36 am

Not sure what is meant by ‘a register as such isn’t established by the law’. It is in the UK.

Under the Sex Offenders Act 1997, as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 2003, all convicted sex offenders must register with the police within three days of their conviction or release from prison. The police receive notification from the courts following conviction, and both the prisons and probation service following release.

It’s not rocket science, one wonders why it’s taken so long in Jersey or what kind of register is being established.

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9
Bruce Labey

January 19, 2009 at 2:26 pm

I’m with Ed – how come we seem to be the worst protected citizens in Europe? but then if people keep on saying that businessmen make the best politicians I suppose this is what you get. Run for business by business and to hell with kids, the elderly, the poor, the sick, the needy and the vulnerable, in fact to hell with everyone that isn’t a businessman. Time to change our politicians.

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