Authorities must not let public down

The latest sex offenders’ list, which requires those convicted of sexual crimes to register with their local Garda Siochána, is growing almost four times faster in this country than in Britain, relative to the population of each country.

Some 449 people are now registered here as sex offenders, but that figure includes a staggering of increase of almost 33% in just four months of this year.

This phenomenon is partly explained by the head-in-the-sand approach that Irish authorities adopted towards the sexual abuse of children over the decades. It is only recently that they have begun to face up to the problem.

Many of the recent cases have resulted from convictions following Operation Amethyst, under which people were arrested for downloading images of children being abused sexually. The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children contends that the authorities have failed to undertake an adequate risk assessment of those convicted of possessing such material.

There is a distinct need for public confidence that the authorities are on top of the problem, because this is such an emotive and sensitive issue that it could have disastrous consequences if the public ever feels a need to take matters into their own hands.