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Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders
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Author:  pcernie [ Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8540481.stm

Quote:
Scottish parents are to be given the right to learn whether people who have access to their children are convicted sex offenders.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said the scheme would allow parents to ask for background checks on anyone they may have concerns about.

Police would then tell them whether the person in question had convictions for sex offences.

A pilot of the scheme has been running in Tayside since September.

Mr MacAskill said it would start to be rolled out nationwide by the end of the year, although Fife Constabulary and Central Scotland Police had already said they were keen to have the scheme running in their areas by the autumn.

He said: "Scotland is one of the leading countries in the world in terms of its approach to the management of sex offenders and we will continue to strengthen this approach.

"We have made progress in recent years to toughen up safeguards in place - such as strengthening measures to assess, manage and minimise the risks posed by sex offenders - but I am determined to go even further."

Under the Tayside Police pilot, child protection measures are instigated if any youngster is found to be at serious risk of harm.

The force has said feedback from parents who have requested information has been "very positive".

The pilot will run until the end of May and a full evaluation will be published in August which will allow other forces to learn any lessons from Tayside before implementing the scheme in their own areas.

'Positive step'

Mr MacAskill added: "Discussions are currently taking place with all of Scotland's police forces about how quickly we would be able to have the scheme up and running in their areas.

"However, I fully expect the roll-out process to begin later this year and for all of Scotland to be covered in a matter of months thereafter - meaning that parents in every part of the country will get the extra reassurance that the disclosure scheme provides."

Assistant Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, from the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, welcomed the decision to roll out the initiative.

He said: "The Keeping Children Safe pilot in Tayside has been a positive step which adds to existing child protection measures and increases the intelligence the police have in relation to monitoring sex offenders.

"The implementation throughout Scotland will increase our ability to protect children and other vulnerable members of the community.


I'll be interested to see how this does given time, as will other parts of the UK I imagine :)

Author:  rustybucket [ Sun Feb 28, 2010 5:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

Very sad indeed. :cry:
Quote:
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

I'm emigrating first chance I get.

*shakes head*

Author:  Linux_User [ Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

Wait wait wait, if I understand these proposals correctly, parents will basically be able to get a CRB check done on anyone who works with their children?

Whatever happened to reasonable suspicion? If I'm interpreting this proposal correctly then I am completely against the idea and am appalled by it.

Author:  Coref [ Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

Anyone fancy a bet if it'll lead to paediatricians having their house attacked again?

Author:  pcernie [ Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

Linux_User wrote:
Whatever happened to reasonable suspicion?


This seems to be handing that to the parents, which is why I'll be interested to see how it turns out :twisted:

Author:  l3v1ck [ Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

pcernie wrote:
Quote:
Scottish parents are to be given the right to learn whether people who have access to their children are convicted sex offenders.
That should be nobody as they'd fail the checks before they got the job.

Author:  davrosG5 [ Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

pcernie wrote:
Linux_User wrote:
Whatever happened to reasonable suspicion?


This seems to be handing that to the parents, which is why I'll be interested to see how it turns out :twisted:


So, how long until 'reasonable suspicion' is more like 'I'm curious to see if that person has any skeletons in their closet'. :roll:

I'm all for protecting children from paedophiles but that's rightly a job for the police, courts and the prison system (if we had faith in them). Letting paranoid parents instigate CRB style checks on everybody that might come into contact with their kids is shear lunacy.

l3v1ck my understanding is that this isn't just employees or volunteers that will come into contact with the kids but basically anyone who can come into contact with the kids. So you could check your next door neighbour or the single person who lives over the road.

Author:  pcernie [ Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

davrosG5 wrote:
pcernie wrote:
Linux_User wrote:
Whatever happened to reasonable suspicion?


This seems to be handing that to the parents, which is why I'll be interested to see how it turns out :twisted:


So, how long until 'reasonable suspicion' is more like 'I'm curious to see if that person has any skeletons in their closet'. :roll:


That would be the bit I'm interested in ;) , and especially how the police will deal with the requests, 'The police turned down my request and the guy across the street turned out to have child porn on his computer!' etc :oops:

Author:  Linux_User [ Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

If this policy really goes ahead then not only would I like to see limits on requests that parents can put in, but also parents go to prison if it's found that the request was put in maliciously.

Author:  Amnesia10 [ Sun Feb 28, 2010 11:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

I think that if you checked out a partner then the relationship cannot be that good. There do need to be safeguards.

Author:  Linux_User [ Sun Feb 28, 2010 11:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

Amnesia10 wrote:
There do need to be safeguards.


IMO the system should not exist at all.

Author:  Amnesia10 [ Mon Mar 01, 2010 12:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

Linux_User wrote:
Amnesia10 wrote:
There do need to be safeguards.


IMO the system should not exist at all.

I do agree, but if there is such a system it has to have safeguards or the whole system will become a legal minefield.

Author:  veato [ Mon Mar 01, 2010 8:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

When my kid goes to nursery won't CRB checks have already been done on the employees by the employer?

I dont know how far they intend to take this but I think I'd want to know if my kid was at a nursery/school/youth club that employed a (child?)sex offender. At least that way I can simply make the choice as to whether I want my child in their care or not. I dont think thats unreasonble. I guess the issue though is what some parents might then do with that information though.

Author:  Amnesia10 [ Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

veato wrote:
When my kid goes to nursery won't CRB checks have already been done on the employees by the employer?

I dont know how far they intend to take this but I think I'd want to know if my kid was at a nursery/school/youth club that employed a (child?)sex offender. At least that way I can simply make the choice as to whether I want my child in their care or not. I dont think thats unreasonble. I guess the issue though is what some parents might then do with that information though.

Yes but in a nursery or school environment they will have all been cleared to work there or else they would have left. This legislation is for single mums to check their prospective partner out for any such concerns. While commendable it does beg what about the mother keeping an eye out for any suspicious behaviour? Just to rely on a records check is not really good enough.

Author:  veato [ Mon Mar 01, 2010 12:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Scottish parents to learn of sex offenders

Single mums checking partners? What if the mother is the offender! Who's checking her.

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