An offenders registry can help curb sex offences

It will monitor perpetrators but the State must ensure there is no overreach

India on Thursday joined eight other countries that maintain a registry of sex offenders. The registry, which will be maintained by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), will include address, photographs and fingerprints details of convicted sexual offenders. In the US, the sex offender registry is available to the public, whereas in India, and countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, the registry is available only to law enforcement agencies. The Indian registry is expected to list 4.4 lakh cases but the state police have been asked to update data from 2005 onwards. The government has promised that the database won’t compromise an individual’s privacy. It will have details of offenders convicted under charges of rape, gang rape, POCSO and harassing women.

The opening of the registry is timely because crimes such as rape, voyeurism, stalking and aggravated sexual assault are on the rise. Latest NCRB data shows a 12% rise in rapes between 2015 and 2016, and that the majority of offenders are known to the victim. In such a situation, the list can definitely help the investigation and monitoring process as well as work as a deterrent.

However, there are some issues that need to be tackled before the registry starts its work. First, what will be the process of categorising offenders? For example, can the rape of a minor in Kathua be termed more heinous than the rape reported at a school in Dehradun, or vice versa? Second, while in a digital age it is reasonable to expect the use of technology in crime detection, there will be legitimate concerns about the misuse of data. Third, there is a possibility that this registry may tarnish a person’s life forever even if he is reformed after serving his legal sentence. While the list could help monitor an offender’s behaviour, the State must ensure that there is no overreach and misuse.