Everyone is entitled to their secrets – unless a secret is putting someone at risk.
That’s why Senator Derryn Hinch is calling once again for a national public paedophile registry.
He wants the world to know about dangerous sex offenders, especially those who whose sexual appetites extend to children.
It’s also why Bruce and Denise Morcombe are joining forces with Hinch to further the campaign.
The entire nation came together in the wake of 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe’s disappearance in December 2003.
In 2014, Brett Peter Cowan was convicted for Daniel’s murder and for indecently dealing with a child under the age of 16. Cowan had two previous convictions to his name.
“We think it may have helped Daniel 14 years ago if this sort of policy was out there,” Denise Morcombe said while launching the petition in Parliament House.
“Daniel’s perpetrator may have said, ‘Well, I won’t go down that road again. Too many people know who I am and I’ll get caught’.”
The campaign for Daniel’s Law is similar to Megan’s Law in the United States – a federal law that requires each state to create a public registry of sex offenders.
Information about the whereabouts of sex offenders may be able to help families make decisions about where to live and how best to protect their children.
Bruce Morcombe also spoke on the matter, calling child sex offenders “the worst of the worst”.
“You need to understand that these crimes have implications on children for the rest of their life. So too, your actions need to be recorded for the rest of your life.”
Hinch was quick to address some of the concerns about Daniel’s Law.
“One of the arguments against it is it will identify victims,” he said. “Victims do not get named on the register … this is for convicted sex offenders.”
Hinch is hoping to get Daniel’s Law on the agenda for the next Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting.
The most recent COAG meeting took place just last week; the frequency of the meetings is at the discretion of the councils, so Daniel’s Law will not have an immediate effect.
There’s no knowing whether Daniel’s Law will be met with approval; however, in late May, the government announced it would undertake “world-first” legislation to make it illegal for child sex offenders to leave Australia without permission.
In response to “civil libertarians” who would disagree with the restrictions imposed by Daniel’s Law, Hinch had only one thing to say: “When you rape a child, you lose your civil rights.”