THE British Home Secretary, Mr Michael Howard, yesterday unveiled plans for a sweeping crack down on sex offenders designed to stop them repeating their crimes. His proposals include creating a national register of convicted sex offenders and a new offence of convicted sex offenders looking for a job giving access to children.
The package also includes extending DNA testing of prisoners and greater supervision of offending after their release from jail.
Defend ant access to victims statements and photographs would also be restricted to prevent them being used as a form of pornography.
Launching a consultation paper at the Home Office, Mr Howard declared: "Of all the crimes which are committed, sex offences constitute a category which causes more alarm than practically any other.
"The government believes that we need to strengthen the arrangements for supervising convicted sex offenders after they are released from custody."
Earlier this year, Mr Howard published a White Paper, "Protecting the Public", outlining a tough new sentencing regime including the introduction of automatic life sentences for second time serious sex offenders.
The package of measures outlined yesterday is intended to combat less serious sex offenders.
The consultation paper proposes extended supervision of offenders on their release, the length possibly being determined by the prison term. Probation officers would monitor the offenders' conduct and arrange.
In some cases, offenders could be ordered to stay away from schools and swimming pools when children are present, with the offenders being monitored by electronic tagging.
Mr Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of the National Association of Probation Officers, said extended supervision in particular would require greater, resources.
He said: "The implications are, firstly, that over the next five years an additional 200-300 probation officers will have to be recruited and, secondly, all probation officers will have to be trained in how to deal with these offenders. Thin runs counter to all the decisions Mr Howard has made recently on probation officers training."
Earlier this year, the Home Secretary introduced plans to end the requirement for probation officers to take a two year social work course, a move seen as an attempt to open up the profession to former army and police officers.
A new offence would make it a crime for convicted sex offenders to seek a job, paid or unpaid, giving them direct access to children under 18. The intention is to put the onus on offenders.
The offence, which could apply to voluntary positions such as scout master as well as paid employment in children's homes, would be punishable by a £5,000 fine and/or six months' imprisonment.
On DNA testing, Mr Howard said the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 allowed police to take samples for DNA analysis from offenders convicted after April 19th, 1995.
But some 3,500 serving prisoners were convicted of sex offences before that date, and the consultation paper proposes extending the power to cover these prisoners.