Queensland’s new public child sex offender website has had more than 205,000 visits so far this year, with early searches assisting police to identify suspected breaches and start new investigations.
Ten weeks into the launch of the Daniel’s Law website, nine reportable offenders have been identified in Tier 3 searches, including two who now face charges relating to breaching reporting obligations.
Seven other individuals who were not on the register were identified, prompting fresh investigations by the Queensland Police Service.
The Community Protection and Child Sex Offender Public Register (Daniel’s Law) is one of the most significant reforms to child safety laws in Queensland’s history, honouring a key election commitment of the Crisafulli Government.
The online tool empowers parents and carers to access information about convicted child sex offenders so they can better protect their children in three ways.
- Tier 1: A publicly available website listing reportable offenders who have failed to comply with obligations and whose whereabouts are unknown (the offenders full name, photograph and year of birth will be accessible by members of the public, but they must agree not to misuse the information).
- Tier 2: An online application for residents to view photographs of reportable offenders living in their local area.
- Tier 3: An online application for parents or guardians to confirm if a particular person with unsupervised contact with their child is a reportable offender.
The scheme also includes three offences to prevent the misuse of information or acts of vigilantism.
The landmark register honours the legacy of Sunshine Coast schoolboy Daniel Morcombe, whose abduction and murder in 2003 inspired two decades of advocacy for stronger child protection laws.
Premier David Crisafulli said the website provided vital information to help keep kids safe.
“We promised reforms to make our community safer and that is exactly what Daniel’s Law is delivering,” he said.
“It’s still early days but these results are already proving having this knowledge gives parents and police the power to act.
“We owe this to Daniel, to his family, and to every Queensland child who deserves to grow up safe.”
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Dan Purdie, a former Child Protection Detective on the Sunshine Coast, said fulfilling Daniel’s legacy was one of the proudest moments of his career.
“We have delivered a tool to help parents protect our children, who cannot protect themselves,” Minister Purdie said.
“We are putting the rights of victims ahead of the rights of offenders to make our communities safer.
“This is a powerful tribute to a young boy whose memory will keep kids safe for generations.”
The Daniel Morcombe Foundation founder, and Daniel’s father, Bruce Morcombe last week told the Dance For Daniel audience their fight to protect Queensland’s kids is far from over.
“A law is a law, but a law that makes a difference is truly something that we value,” he saud.
“To have it named in honour of our son is truly something special because it is making a difference, it’s protecting Queensland’s kids.”
For more information visit the Daniel’s Law website.
