Independent Senator: Make Sex Registry public

AMID the outcry over the murder of schoolgirl Ashanti Riley, 18, Independent Senator Varma Deyalsingh has lent his voice to the call for the general public to be able to view the National Sex Offenders Registry. At present, a search online for the registry draws a blank, as it is held by the police and is only accessible to the public via a court order.

The original bill ordered the Commissioner of Police to establish a registry of offenders online, “accessible to the public via a website designated for that purpose.”

However, NGOs argued the register could lead to the stigmatisation and victimisation of offenders (and their families,) leading Parliament to water down the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2019, to restrict public access. More so, the register would be comprised only of new offenders, as the Attorney General said legal issues made it hard to include sex offenders from 2000-2019.

Since the bill’s introduction in January 2019 (and being proclaimed a year later), Deyalsingh told Newsday that events have called for a re-balancing of the scales in favour of assault victims.

“I will support the Attorney General’s original format because I think that will serve a greater interest to the public now that all these crimes are there. We have to give it more teeth and I think it is time for a rethink. I think the AG’s original bill is something we have to now consider.”

Deyalsingh said women and children remain under siege. “We have now to swing that pendulum back a little bit to try to see if somehow people can have a greater awareness of who are these persons among us.” He said the public and not just the police should have knowledge of sex offenders.

Deyalsingh said many sexual predators, in practice, find it hard to change their ways which may be ingrained habits of abuse. “Someone who preys on women and has a history of this may find it difficult to change.” He said people tend to fall back into their habits.

“If someone has gone through the court system and found guilty of committing a sexual offence, there is no problem putting him on a sexual offence register where people can check.

“What if they haven’t changed their life? Would you be comfortable having an individual like that living next to you if you have daughters and you have no public awareness (of these individuals who are amongst us)?

“Right now with the situation of the daily bombardment of the murders of females and sexual assault against children and teenagers, we have to put things in place that some people may find a bit draconian and might interfere with the private life of an individual who wants to be rehabilitated,” Deyalsingh said.

He said it was time to re-balance the pendulum against the perpetrators. “In the US there is Megan’s Law whereby if you are a sex offender and you are moving into a new area, persons will have to have knowledge of this.” Deyalsingh said job applicants should be screened and checks should be done on PH drivers. Newsday was unable to reach AG Faris Al-Rawi on Monday evening for a comment.