Sex crimes - Deal to track offenders is welcome

ANY move to improve the detection of sex offenders is to be welcomed, such as the new agreement, which is due to be signed between this country and Britain.

This should make it easier to track and monitor sex offenders moving between both countries and the North, but, although welcoming it, the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland (RCNI) points out that our system is somewhat lacking in information.

Specifically, this country can only vet people who actually have convictions for sex offences, and few people have convictions here, the country having the worst record in western Europe.

Where a prosecution for a sex offence is abandoned, that information is not currently available, although the person charged is suspected of posing a risk to children. Ireland needs to become sophisticated in information-gathering, although the RCNI recognises the fact that the new agreement would pull the country “up the ladder a bit” in that regard.