Child abusers should be made to join a register just like sex offenders, Conservatives say
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailGet our free View from Westminster emailThe Conservative Party has called for a new register, similar to the existing sex offenders list, to track individuals convicted of child abuse offences, arguing it would prevent them from "disappearing" and reoffending.Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy described the proposal as a "vital safeguard" against repeat crimes. Currently, those convicted of specific sex offences are legally required to inform police of changes to their name, address, travel plans, and any contact with children.Under the Conservatives' proposed child cruelty register, criminals found guilty of offences such as child cruelty, infanticide, causing or allowing a child's death, and female genital mutilation would be mandated to provide personal information to authorities upon release from court or prison.Conservative frontbenchers in the House of Lords have tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to establish this scheme.Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy (UK Parliament/PA)“A serious justice system cannot allow people convicted of brutal child cruelty to disappear, potentially able to repeat their crimes against other children unchecked,” Mr Timothy said.“Protecting the most vulnerable must come first, and the Conservatives’ amendment would do exactly that.“It is a vital safeguard to make sure those who pose an ongoing risk to children remain seen by the authorities forever.”Alicia Kearns, a Conservative shadow home office minister in the Commons, said offenders “can change their name, move county, and simply disappear once their sentence ends”, which she added “cannot be right”.She continued: “We track sex offenders because the risk doesn’t end at the prison gate, the same must apply to those cowards convicted of child cruelty.“A child cruelty register will keep dangerous individuals visible to police and puts children’s safety first.”The Crime and Policing Bill has already cleared the Commons but faces further scrutiny in the upper chamber before it can become law.Peers will begin a process to amend the Bill at report stage next Wednesday.
