Expert say public registration might be counter-rehabilitative and could increase the risk of reoffending.
The Queensland opposition has announced plans to create a public child sex offender register if the party comes to power in October.
Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli proposed naming the register “Daniel’s Law,” after 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe, who was abducted and murdered on the Sunshine Coast in 2003.
Crisafulli was joined by Daniel’s parents, Denise and Bruce Morcombe, to launch the proposal in Brisbane on Sept. 8.
“If this register can even protect just one child from being put in harm’s way and having their life shattered, it will be worth the register and the legislation,” Crisafulli said.
The LNP has announced it will allocate $10 million for the proposal but expects the cost to be lower. The proposed law would be modelled on the system launched in Western Australia 12 years ago and the South Australian framework introduced last month.
The Liberal Party has proposed that the first tier of the policy focus on offenders who have breached their reporting obligations, featuring a public website with photos and names.
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The second tier would include an application-based process allowing parents and guardians to request information on high-risk offenders in their local area.
The third tier would enhance the ability for people to check on adults who have unsupervised time with their children.
To avoid misuse of public information, safeguards will ensure that the police enforce the policy.
The Morcombes have been campaigning for a public child sex offender register for the past 15 years.
“Our motto is to keep kids safe, and the victims have the right to be safe,” Denise Morcombe said.
Queensland Labor Premier Steven Miles said the state was doing enough to keep kids safe.
He mentioned that he had spoken with leaders in WA and SA about how their schemes worked.
“If there is more that we can and should do, then I want to,” Miles said.
Meanwhile, an Australian government report from 2018 on the impact of public registers for sex offenders found the results to be “mixed.”
The report, which studied U.S. states with similar policies, as well as Australian states, concluded that there was little evidence that such policies reduce reoffending. Some studies suggested an increase in sex offence recidivism.
“Conversely, there is some evidence that it has a general deterrent effect on first-time or non-convicted sex offenders in the community, likely due to the perceived risk of being placed on a public register.”
The report also noted that interviews with key stakeholders, including police and practitioners, raised concerns that public registration could be counter-rehabilitative and might increase the risk of reoffending.
