Sex offenders given new rights by the Government

by Tom McTague, political correspondent

UP to 2,000 paedophiles, perverts and rapists could have their names wiped from the sex offenders’ register every year under Government plans.

The revelation was buried in a Home Office report on proposed changes to the law to protect human rights.

A Supreme Court ruling last April said indefinite terms breached their right to a family life.

The Government yesterday said it would give sex offenders the right to appeal to get off the register after 15 years – and then every eight years after that if they were not successful.

In year one, following the rule changes, 1,201 perverts could get their names wiped. By year nine that will jump to 2,048.

Shadow Home Office Minister Diana Johnson said: “This change will cost £1million a year to administer and will involve over 2,000 offenders a year.

“The Government needs to think again.”

Yvonne Traynor, chief executive of Rape Crisis, said: “These plans suggest an unrealistic understanding of the nature of sexual violence.”

Tory Douglas Carswell said it was “evidence there is something wrong with our judiciary”.


(2011-6-15/mirror)