While the news that the National Register for Sex Offenders will be accessible to the public by the end of the month is a significant victory for advocacy groups such as Action Society that have long fought for transparency, people should not be too quick to breathe a sigh of relief if the name they searched for does not appear on the registry.
According to Statista, 53 285 sexual crimes were reported for the 2023/2024 fiscal year. Shockingly, only 3 813 of the 5 276 cases that went to trial ended in convictions. Many sex offenders are never convicted or have their names added to the register.
Making the registry public is absolutely a step in the right direction. However, it also highlights the need for a more effective system to ensure a higher conviction rate so sex offenders are held accountable and the public is safer.
CONCERNED MOTHER
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