News In Focus
10 April 2009
Housing associations appeal over sex offender data
Three Scottish housing associations have lodged an appealed at the Court of Session over the refusal by Strathclyde Police and the Information Commissioner to provide information on how many sex offenders live in their communities.
The associations - from Blochairn, north Glasgow, Craigdale, on the south side of the city, and Dunbritton, Dumbarton - claim they have been refused the data on incorrect legal grounds.
The associations say they have been seeking the details since the 2004 murder in Glasgow of schoolboy Mark Cummings by Stuart Leggate, who had previous convictions for sexually assaulting children and was on the sex offenders register. They are concerned that sex offenders are being “dumped” in socially deprived areas.
In 2006, Strathclyde Police refused to provide details on the number of sex offenders by postcode, claiming it exceeded the cost ceiling of £600 to gather it. Earlier this year, Information Commissioner Kevin Dunion ruled that the police did not have to provide the data on the grounds that it could enable the identification of individuals.
Michael Carberry, director of Blochairn Housing Co-operative, said: "We are not about stirring up vigilantism. We expressly do not want names and addresses or to be able to identify any individual.
"We are looking for statistical evidence that can inform a proper, rational debate.”
Mr Dunion and Strathclyde Police have 21 days to decide whether to contest the appeal.