Questioning by WA Liberal Leader, Dr David Honey MLA, in Parliament has revealed that Labor Attorney General John Quigley is intentionally watering down the current Criminal Code restrictions on the ability of Child Sex Offenders to interact with one another, known as consorting.
“Currently, convicted Child Sex Offenders registered under the existing scheme are not allowed to consort with other child sex offenders,” said Shadow Attorney General Nick Goiran.
“This is important to protect the community and to quote former Labor Attorney General Jim McGinty:
“…penalties were designed to stop paedophiles and drug traffickers getting together or communicating by phone, fax, SMS or Internet to plot more crimes.
‘Child sex offenders are disgusting individuals who often work together as part of a ring of paedophiles,’ Mr McGinty said.
By preventing them from consorting and communicating with each other Police can stop these sick crimes on vulnerable children.”
“The existing arrangements are sensible safeguards to protect Western Australian children.” said Mr Goiran.
“What is truly disappointing is that WA Labor is deceiving Western Australians by hiding these changes within anti-bikie laws”, said Dr Honey.
“I think the vast majority of Western Australians would be appalled and outraged that WA Labor are watering down laws that protect our children from dangerous sex offenders.
“Effectively under WA Labor, Child Sex Offenders will go from not being allowed to consort at all to only being prevented from consorting if they are engaging in conduct constituting an indictable offence.
“This will make it more difficult to shutdown interactions between convicted Child Sex Offenders and reduce protections for WA children.
“In my view, this is seriously out-of-step with community expectations.
“In addition, it places an additional administrative burden on police.
“Currently, there are around 800 Child Sex Offenders registered on the existing scheme.
“Clearly, under WA Labor’s new laws convicted Child Sex Offenders will have more freedoms and rights then they currently have.” said Dr Honey.
Dr Honey announced: “That’s why I have today launched a new website www.stopchildoffenders.com for the public to let WA Labor know we don’t want restrictions on Child Sex Offenders to be watered down.”
