The Government has announced an urgent law change to protect children from predators after a Supreme Court decision forced police to remove hundreds of people from the Child Sex offender Register due to a technicality. The changes clarify the intent of Parliament when it passed the Child Protection Act in 2016 for the register to apply to everyone who had committed a qualifying child sex offence, irrespective of when the offence occurred. The law change followed a Supreme Court decision last month, which determined the Act lacked clarity. Photo: NZH File"As a consequence of this decision, police has had to remove hundreds of individuals from the Child Sex Offender Register," Police Minister Poto Williams said. It will also ensure police can register individuals convicted of historical child sex abuse.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 17, 2021 02:37 UTC