The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Tayside communities see rise in sex offenders
Charity urges police to inform parents of someone living nearby who may pose a threat to children
The number of registered sex offenders living in Tayside communities has risen by 20 over the past year – and now includes three women.
As of March 31 this year there were 369 people on the sex offenders register in Tayside, up from 349 the previous year.
Charity NSPCC Scotland has said police and social workers need to be more “proactive” about informing parents if someone deemed a risk to children is living nearby.
Figures released in the annual report for Tayside Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) revealed there were 168 offenders living in Dundee, with 102 resident in Angus and 99 in Perth and Kinross.
MAPPA is responsible for managing all registered sex offenders living in the community.
Offenders are either managed by social workers or by social workers in conjunction with police, depending on the severity of their offence.
A third of all the offenders – 133 – are subject to statutory supervision managed jointly by Police Scotland and social workers.
Nearly a quarter (23%) of all registered sex offenders were guilty of internet offences.
Two of the offenders were under the age of 18 and 13 were under the age of 20.
Twelve offenders were returned to prison for breaching supervision requirements and six were convicted of further serious crimes.
The Tayside Community Justice Authority will discuss the report when it meets in Dundee City Chambers on Tuesday.
From April 1 this year, MAPPA arrangements have been extended to cover offenders who are deemed a risk to the public.
The report states: “During the year, responsible authorities have worked with Scottish Government to prepare for the management of a wider range of offenders through MAPPS.
“We have tested our local systems to ensure these are robust and both social work and Police Scotland staff have received additional training.”
Under Sarah’s Law, which was introduced following the murder of school- girl Sarah Payne in July 2000, residents can ask police to disclose if an individual is on the sex offenders register.
No such disclosures were made in Tayside during 2015/16 but a spokeswoman for NSPCC Scotland said the authorities should be more proactive about informing parents about potential risks to their children.
She said: “It is understandable that parents, carers and families would want to know if there is a sex offender in their local area.
“The police need to be proactive in empowering communities to protect vulnerable children and that means sharing relevant information when they are asked about individuals who pose a risk to children.
“There may sometimes be very good reasons for not disclosing information held to applicants, but it looks as if there is a real postcode lottery at work across the UK with some forces seeming to be too cautious. This could put children at serious risk of harm.
“We need to see regular independent evaluation of this vital law to make sure it’s working as it should.”