Sex offenders - Law must act to protect children

The case of the British sex offender who absconded to the south from the North where he was convicted of sexual offences, highlights the dangerous gaps which exist in our legislation.

Not for the first time have these deficiencies been pointed out which have given this country a distasteful and growing reputation as a comparatively safe haven for this type of offender.

Where the safety of children is concerned, every possible precaution should be in place to protect them, and the law should be sufficiently stringent to discourage the abhorrent activities of people such as Paul Hunter Redpath, a convicted paedophile.

Unfortunately, it is not at the moment because the way the current Sex Offenders Act is framed gives a certain amount of unintended safeguards, or cover, to those who are an insidious threat to young children.

As far as the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is concerned, the Republic is seen as a safe haven for high-risk sex offenders, like Redpath.

He has now notified the gardaí of his presence here, but not before a manhunt was undertaken by the PSNI and the gardaí after he breached his probation conditions and fled down south. It is now a matter for the PSNI to seek his extradition.

In the meantime, a convicted paedophile, known to be wanted in another jurisdiction, is at large to prey on vulnerable children because our relevant legislation does not confer the requisite powers on the gardaí to apprehend and return him automatically.

It should be as simple as that, but it is not, because the legislative provisions here make it attractive for a convicted paedophile to abscond to here.

The law here needs to be altered so that this situation is rectified as a matter of urgency. Under no circumstances should the existing legislation here be any the less severe than the jurisdiction from which a paedophile fled.

Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern has said that the British and Irish Governments have concerns about cases such as Redpath, because the fear was that the border could be used as a way for people to evade justice either way.

Their fears have been realised, and are a reality which could have extremely serious consequences for Irish children unless loopholes here are cleared up.

But the problem is potentially wider than just the legislative border between north and south, especially as the regime here is perceived not be as tough as other jurisdictions.

Chief executive of the ISPCC Paul Gilligan is quite correct to call for an international protocol between law enforcement agencies to ensure better international monitoring.

The threat exists not only from the North and Great Britain, but from any jurisdiction, and it should be rendered as difficult as possible for that threat to reach Ireland.

In the interim, steps must be taken to close off the gaps which do exist in the current legislation, particularly where employment with children is concerned.

The notification system needs to be strengthened, which entails widening its remit so that the gardaí can carry out necessary investigations with greater ease.