Tougher checks for sex offenders

All registered sex offenders in England and Wales now face much tougher checks. The new measures are intended to tighten areas of the current law that could be open to exploitation by offenders who seek to cause harm.

The changes, which the government announced in March this year following a 12 week consultation, will make it mandatory for sex offenders to notify the police:

• of all foreign travel, including travel outside the UK for one day,
• weekly where they can be found when they have no fixed abode,
• where they reside or stay for at least 12 hours with a child under the age of 18, and
• of certain information in relation to their passports or other identity documents, bank accounts and credit and debit cards.

The Home Office has published new guidance for the police and probation service on the changes, which are set out within Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

The new measures received widespread support from voluntary sector organisations, the judiciary, the Association of Chief Police Officers as well as a number of public protection units within police forces.