General Chat

Sunday, Jan 24, 2010

Sarah's law' set to be extended

A pilot scheme allowing parents to check if someone has a history of child sex offences is expected to be rolled out nationally.
The scheme enables a parent the right to check with police if anyone with regular unsupervised access to their children has a criminal conviction for child sex offences.
The programme, known as Sarah's Law, follows the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne by convicted sex offender Roy Whiting 10 years ago.
The youngster's mother, Sara, was crowned the Government's Victims Champion after her ceaseless attempts to bring in the law based on the so-called Megan's Law in the US which allows the publication of names, addresses and pictures of paedophiles in some states.

The pilot scheme has been running across four areas.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: "Protecting children and families from sex offenders is one of my top priorities and the UK already has one of the most robust systems of managing sex offenders in the world.
"The development of this scheme is a major step forward in our ability to protect children from sex offenders.
"Early results are extremely encouraging and the pilot has provided crucial protection for children who might otherwise be at risk. We are still evaluating the results from the year-long pilot and are talking to the police and children's charities before a final decision on rolling out the scheme is made shortly."
Sara Payne told the News of the World: "In all the long years of campaigning for parents' rights to keep their children safe from predatory paedophiles, this is the most important development to date."
The child protection campaigner fell ill just before Christmas and was initially thought to be in a life-threatening condition. But she responded well to treatment after complications following brain surgery and her health has improved.


I am glad Sara is getting well and this must help boost her - she has done so well to make some good out of the death of her daughter Sarah.

Lizx

n

Thanks Liz, so pleased to hear that Sara is recovering. Good news about Sarah's Law as well.

I was only just saying to hubby I wonder how Sara Payne is - as we have not heard any update on Sky News - and lo and behold Liz your thread has answered my question. Thanks.

Also good news re Sarah's Law

Mary xx

I am pleased that she is recovering and hope this news gives her a boost. It just shows the effect an ordinary person can have if an effort is made.

I think ordinary people making a stand is the only way this country will progress, sadly. Most of the government don't understand what affects people and lives or if they do, they seem unable to make any efforts that work.

Lizx

I agree the government allow these people back into soceity once they have abused they should be removed from soceity I belive this is the only way children can be protected and how can children who have been abused ever feel safe again and rebuild their lives Sarahs law is one step forward but why is it taking so long to protect our children my thoughts go to sara and i hope she makes a full recovery and maybe as mothers we can all stand together and our government will change the laws that enable our children can grow up better peotected pauline21

It isnt the KNOWN offenders you need to worry about, it appears that there are many so called close family members that need watching.

Bob

agree but what message is sent out to victims of abuse when the abusers that are caught are given such leient sentences and allow back in soceity to commit more abuse yes when family members are invovled or family friends i strongly beleive that they should be a place where they are sent for life and never have access to commit further abuse i have read many acconts written by adults who where abused as children by those knowned to them and total strangers this problem is as old as time but now 2010 we are still allowing these abusers their human rights and it seams they get more help then the victims pauline

It's obvious from my thread about the abusers of the young children that sentences aren't right, the first time a chap abused a young girl, he was let out on bail providing he stayed out of a certain area so he just moved elsewhere and raped another young girl, breaking her jaw in two places. Then he is sentenced indefinitely with a minimum sentence of 5 years, he could be out before those girls are out of their teens and he only in his twenties! Ridiculous!

Lizx

judges how do they decide what senteces to pass how can anyone belive that once someone has commited this abuse is not a threat to our children pauline21