News In Focus
15 August 2006
Executive sex offender paper draws fire
Campaigners for public information about the presence of known sex offenders in communities have criticised the Scottish Executive's draft strategy document which rejects such disclosures.
The paper, issued for comment to groups such as housing bodies who would be required to accommodate offenders, recommends that they stay in mainstream housing in their local area with proper support to reduce the risk of further offending. This would include those who have been released from prison after serving a custodial sentence.
The strategy rejects the use of hostel and bed and breakfast accommodation as high risk, and states that offenders should not be evicted from accommodation without police and social work departments being consulted, so that offenders are not lost sight of.
A subcommittee of the Scottish Parliament's Justice 2 Committee is currently conducting its own inquiry into how much information should be made available to communities, and SNP justice spokesman Kenny MacAskill, a member of the subcommittee, criticised the document for pre-empting their report. He added that communities had rights as well as individuals.
The Executive maintains that the strategy provides a framework for public protection as part of its wider package for managing sex offenders. The final strategy should be published this autumn.