Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Register) Bill
Public submissions are now being invited. The closing date for submissions is Wednesday, 28 October 2015
This bill establishes a Child Sex Offender Register that aims to reduce sexual reoffending against child victims, and the risk posed by serious child sex offenders by providing government agencies with the information needed to monitor child sex offenders in the community and providing up-to-date information that assists the Police to more rapidly resolve cases of child sex offending.
MAKE A SUBMISSION – all the details are here
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/sc/make-submission/51SCSS_SCF_00DBHOH_BILL64667_1/child-protection-child-sex-offender-register-bill
READ Family First Submission
Family First NZ is welcoming proposals for a child sex offenders register, and says that a publicly accessible register will not only protect the public but will also protect child sex offenders from themselves. The register should also make it mandatory for schools and other sensitive places where children may be playing with limited supervision to be informed of the presence of offenders.
Much of the ability for child sex offenders to commit their crimes is based on secrecy. To bring their criminal offending in to the open and exposed to the light of day means that families and school communities will be aware of the safety concerns and can ensure that safeguards are put in place, but also that the offender themselves will be fully aware that their actions can no longer be hidden and that their trust must be earned over a period of time.
Child sex offenders need to understand that one of the consequences of their actions will be the right of families and communities to be aware of what they have done.
When their actions are hidden and suppressed, and when they are ‘sneaked’ in to communities and living opposite schools and playgrounds with unlimited access to children, we are simply exacerbating the problem and the temptations.
We actually need to protect child sex offenders from themselves and their weaknesses, while ensuring they continue to get the treatment and support that they need.
Politicians also need to consider the rights of families and children, rather than the rights of offenders. The protection of children should be our paramount consideration, even if that infringes on the so-called rights of the offender. The welfare of children takes priority over child sex offenders.
Sex offender registers are publicly available online in Australia, the United States and, to a lesser extent, Britain.
Sex offenders starting a community based sentence (child sex offenders)
– National figures
- 2013-14: 2343 (1104)
- 2012-13: 2456 (1104)
- 2011-12: 2563 (1188)
- 2010-11: 2596 (1214)
- 2009-10: 2722 (1275)
- Total: 12,680 (5885)
Source: Department of Corrections
In 2012-13, 505 offenders were convicted of 1,819 sex offences against children
Source: 1st Reading of Bill
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/debates/debates/51HansD_20150915_00000020/child-protection-child-sex-offender-register-bill-—-first
Convictions released under new domestic violence scheme
3 News 17 Dec 2016
The Government is launching a new disclosure scheme to help increase the safety of family violence victims. It comes a day after the officer in charge of Mei Fan’s murder investigation admitted we need to do more to protect victims of abuse.
http://www.3news.co.nz/politics/convictions-released-under-new-domestic-violence-scheme-2015121710#axzz3uWirrNbY