AG: Child sex offenders will have passports marked

THE marking of convicted child sex offenders' passports is one of the amendments in new sexual offences legislation, reported Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi.

He was piloting the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill in the Senate today.

He said borrowing from the Australian and US laws, the passports will say "child sex offender." He added the individual will have the ability to possibly have the record expunged.

Al-Rawi explained with the Sexual Offenders Registry, there will be a public database with limited information such as photo, name and address, and a private register to which only the police will have access.

He said the law has been in existence since 2000 but no matters have been referred to the Sexual Offenders Registry.

"Is there a registry? Is there a computerised central database so that sex offenders, the most heinous of people, can be known our society, tracked by the TT Police Service, DNA collected so that repeat offenders can be managed? Any study on recidivism or numbers or details? Honourable members – none." he said.

Al-Rawi pointed out clause 9 states people who have responsibility for a child have an obligation to report registrable offences.