Shock number of sex offenders
25% per cent of pervs live in area
East Kilbride and Avondale is home to nearly a quarter of South Lanarkshire’s sex offenders.
Under the Freedom of Information Act, the News obtained figures from Police Scotland which show, as of May 4, there were 38 convicted paedophiles, rapists and sex attackers resident in East Kilbride and seven in Avondale.
The sex offenders register contains the details of anyone convicted, cautioned or released from prison for a sexual offence against children or adults since September 1997.
There are 184 perverts on the register in the whole of South Lanarkshire meaning East Kilbride and Avondale houses one in four sex offenders.
In neighbouring towns Rutherglen and Cambuslang, there are a total of 50 resident sex offenders with 31 in Hamilton.
Of the 126 offenders living in East Kilbride, Avondale, Rutherglen, Cambuslang and Hamilton, 20 offenders have been released from prison to their current addresses.
The notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 place no compulsion or restriction on offenders in relation to where they can reside. Offenders may own their own property or rent private accommodation and may receive community-based sentences.
There are currently 3948 registered sex offenders at liberty in Scotland.
East Kilbride MSP Linda Fabiani said: “East Kilbride is the biggest population centre in South Lanarkshire and our police and other agencies work together effectively to manage the risk posed by sex offenders in the town.
“I completely understand why residents would be concerned, as do the local police who will continue to do all they can to ensure the proper arrangements are in place to monitor each case so as to protect the public.
“Sexual crimes are abhorrent, and much emphasis has been given in the last few years to giving victims the confidence to report crimes, the confidence that they will be supported and that all efforts will be made to bring the perpetrators to justice. That’s why it’s so important to maintain the extra officers that have been put in place and why the police resource budget has been protected.”
Central Scotland MSP Monica Lennon said: “It is important that the public are confident that our local communities are safe.
“The victims of sexual crimes deserve justice and all the support they need to rebuild their lives. People in East Kilbride need to be reassured that every effort is being made to punish sex offenders but they also need to know that robust risk controls are in place to prevent reoffending.
“Local police and other agencies need to be properly resourced and funded. This is why SNP ministers cuts to the budgets of our police, courts and local authorities are making people question if all reasonable measures are in place to keep them safe.”
Sex offenders are monitored and managed in the community depending on the level of risk they pose to the public under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) which involve the police service, local authorities, the NHS, Scottish Prison Service and other partners.
MAPPA states the checks undertaken will depend on the offender but could include a physical check of the location of the house to verify its proximity to schools, nurseries, play parks, community centres and libraries.
South Lanarkshire Council says it follows strict guidelines on how and where sex offenders are housed.
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “Police Scotland works in partnership with a number of agencies through MAPPA to ensure that all registered sex offenders are robustly managed within the community.
“Our priority as Police Scotland, working in partnership with other organisations involved in public protection, is public safety.”