SYDNEY: New laws designed to stop paedophiles convicted in Australia from travelling overseas to offend again came into effect Wednesday, with the government saying it will make vulnerable children safer. It is now an offence for registered child sex offenders – those convicted of the most serious forms of abuse – to leave Australia without approval from law enforcement agencies. “Australia has up to 20,000 registered child sex offenders who have served their sentences but are subject to reporting obligations that help to protect the community,” said Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. “For too long, these predators have travelled overseas undetected, including to countries where weaker laws mean they have opportunities to commit heinous crimes.”Last year alone, 800 registered child sex offenders travelled overseas, often to developing countries in Asia, and about 40 percent did so without notifying police. Justice Minister Michael Keenan called the crackdown “the toughest on paedophiles in a generation“, making Australia “a world leader in protecting vulnerable children overseas from child sex tourism.” --AFP

Source: New Strait Times December 13, 2017 00:45 UTC