Tuesday October 16, 2007
Names of sexual offenders to be made public
By LOURDES CHARLES
BANGKOK: The names and offences of sex fiends, including paedophiles, will be published in newspapers and posted on the Internet soon in a drastic move to curb cases of children being sexually assaulted, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said.
A registry of all types of sex offenders, which will include their photographs, is also being planned, but the Attorney-General will have to study the legal implications first.
Musa said the move to compile the list was to alert the public so that they could take extra precautions.
The move comes following the call by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to name and shame sex offenders following the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, who was also sexually assaulted.
“We will let the public know what type of crime the convicted person had committed and to be wary of him if he is in their neighbourhood.
“We know some may say why punish them again, but in view of the current trend of children going missing and being sexually assaulted we have to take drastic measures,” he said.
Musa, who is here attending the Euro-Asian Police Co-operation meeting with his CID director Commissioner Datuk Christopher Wan Soo Kee, said that a number of children have been reported missing and the police do not know where they are.
He said police have agreed to exchange information on such people with enforcement agencies worldwide.
He said intelligence on any convicted or known sex offender, rapist or even stalker would be exchanged.
“If we know that a convicted paedophile or sex offender is about to enter the country we will bar him from entering immediately.”
Musa urged parents to be more responsible towards their children and not leave it to the authorities to find solutions when problems arise.
He said they must know who their children’s friends were and if they were involved in any unhealthy activity or group of people like Mat Rempit.
“Some Mat Rempit contribute to social problems and they take advantage of or even abuse young children.
“Parents must not be too protective. When we take action against their children they say we are too strict or overreacting. Some even accuse us of causing their children’s accident,” he added.
Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said he would study whether the photos of sex offenders could be published in the registry.
“I will discuss with the NGOs, Bar Council and other interested groups on this matter. We need to study and look at the relevant laws,” he said, adding that they were studying whether the names of first-time sexual offenders could also be included.
National sex offender registries can be found in the United States, Britain, New Zealand and Australia.
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