‘Sarah’s Law’ Comes To Essex

THE HOME OFFICE SCHEME that allows parents to check with the police if someone with regular access to their children has a history of child sex offences is being extended to Essex.

’Sarah’s Law,’ which was proposed after the murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne by a convicted sex offender 10 years ago, is being rolled-out to eight more forces and will be expanded to the whole of England and Wales by next spring. The scheme was piloted in four areas in England from September 2008.

Home Secretary, Theresa May, said the expansion of the scheme was an ‘important step forward for child protection’ which would also help police manage known sex offenders more effectively.

‘Being able to make these checks reassures parents and the community and, more importantly, keeps children safer,’ May said.

The Home Office said more than 60 children had been protected from abuse during the pilot scheme. Nearly 600 inquiries to the four forces involved in the pilot led to 315 applications for information and 21 disclosures about registered child sex offenders. A further 43 cases led to other actions, including referrals to children's social care, and 11 general disclosures regarding protection issues linked to violent offending, they said.

Chief Constable Paul West, of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), said the new arrangements were a ‘major development.’

’They empower members of the public to initiate action aimed at protecting children and will help to increase public confidence in the police and other responsible authorities as part of their role in monitoring sex offenders,’ he said.

’Some of the cases that have arisen during the pilots have included extended family members and neighbours who have raised concerns.

’Their interventions have undoubtedly resulted in children being protected from potential abuse.’

Diana Sutton, of the NSPCC, said it was good the pilot schemes had helped protect some children; but urged the government to ‘tread cautiously’ as it expanded the initiative.

‘We remain concerned about the risk of vigilante action and sex offenders going underground. All new local schemes need close management and proper resourcing to avoid this,’ Sutton said.