Sarah's Law uncovers seven perverts with access to children in Dorset (From Bournemouth Echo)

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Sarah's Law uncovers seven perverts with access to children in Dorset

11:00am Friday 27th January 2012 in News By Miriam Phillips and Darren Slade

Sarah Payne

SEVEN child sex offenders with regular access to children have been uncovered in Dorset, thanks to the introduction of Sarah’s Law.

More than 60 concerned families have also contacted Dorset Police to find out if their child is safe.

Sarah’s Law, known as the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, came into place in the county last October after campaigning from parents and Sarah’s Law supporters.

It was introduced after a successful trial in four police forces and Dorset is now one of 18 forces that have it.

The scheme allows parents controlled access to information about whether a sex offender is in their area.

It was named after eight-year-old Sarah Payne, who was murdered by convicted paedophile Roy Whiting in 2000.

Martyn Underhill of Poole was the detective who led the inquiry into Sarah Payne’s murder in 2000.

He said at the launch of Sarah’s Law: “This is great news for Dorset – empowering parents in the fight against paedophiles can only be a good thing.”

The mum of a 15-year-old sex abuse victim, whose attacker faced a two-year-sentence, said the introduction of the scheme was a real step forward for parents in Dorset.

She said: “When the unimaginable happens you can’t help but blame yourself for not being perceptive enough to keep these monsters away from our children. But in reality it was very difficult to find out and I just wish this was around four years ago.”

She was surprised only 60 families had contacted the force.

Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole and former Liberal Democrat spokesperson for children, said last night she was “absolutely staggered” that seven sex offenders had been able to have regular contact with children.

“One really needs to know more details about the cases. It’s really important that we protect our children, but on the other hand we have to try to get the situation where somebody can be let out of prison without a witch hunt. “That means we put our trust in the police and other authorities to monitor them. This is one area where we can’t save scarce resources. We have to do this job.”

Claire Smith, Bournemouth’s former children’s champion, said: “I welcomed Sarah’s Law at the time and I still welcome it.”

She said the law was encouraging more cross-referencing of information by the authorities. “For parents who perhaps have asked someone in authority for reassurance in the past but felt they were fobbed off a bit, this can be another way for them to get reassurance,” she said.

And she said the law could quash unfounded rumours about innocent people being abusers.

Kidscape deputy director Peter Bradley told the Echo: “The uptake of parents using Sarah’s Law is a similar picture around the country.

“Sarah’s Law is very important for parents to be able to find out if their child is safe and it’s an avenue they can use to investigate any concerns they have.”

Detective Inspector Joan Carmichael said: “Since January 2011, seven child sex offenders with regular access to children have been uncovered in Dorset and 60 concerned families have contacted the force.

“The relevant parties have had a face to face meeting with officers and safeguarding measures have been put in place for the children.”

• You can make enquiries online, at a police station, or by calling 01202 222 222.

The campaign for Sarah’s Law

Sarah Payne disappeared on July 1 2000 from a cornfield near her grandparents’ home in West Sussex.

Her body was found on July 17 in a field nearly 20 miles away.

Roy Whiting was found guilty 17 months later of of killing SarahSarah Payne, and it was revealed that he already had a conviction for abducting and indecently assaulting an eight-year-old girl.

The campaign for Sarah's Law was spearheaded by the now-defunct News of the World. Sarah’s mother Sara Payne appeared with the paper’s editor Rebekah Wade (now Rebekah Brooks) at the Conservative Party conference in Bourne-mouth in 2002 to promote its aim of controlled access to the Sex Offender Register.

Comments(32)

Huey says...
11:07am Fri 27 Jan 12

Oh come on just chop their bits off and let's be done with this.