New laws set to give Queensland parents access to names and photos of paedophiles
Queensland parents will soon be able to access the names and photos of paedophiles on a public sex offender register, as part of new laws in honour of Daniel Morcombe.
Daniel's parents Bruce and Denise Morcombe have campaigned for a public sex offender register since paedophile Brett Peter Cowan abducted and killed their son in 2003.
Today they joined premier David Crisafulli as Daniel's Law prepared to pass through state parliament.
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Denise and Bruce Morcombe today joined premier David Crisafulli as Daniel's Law prepared to pass through state parliament. Nine
"We can't go back in the past and remove what happened to Daniel, but this is something that can protect children in the future, and that's what we're really proud about," Mrs Morcombe said.
"It's really heartwarming. It's his legacy."
Daniel's Law will give Queensland parents access to a list of convicted paedophiles, including child sex offenders released from jail on supervision orders, offenders who have failed to comply with those orders, and those whose whereabouts are unknown.
Names and photos will be published along with personal details, like identifying tattoos.
Daniel Morcombe was abducted and killed by paedophile Brett Peter Cowan in 2003. Nine
"For too long, monsters have been able to hide in plain sight, living next door, having interaction with kids," Queensland premier David Crisafulli said.
"This gives parents another tool to try and keep their kids safe."
There will also be a locality search, where parents can find out whether high-risk offenders are living near them.
A register will also be made available for parents to check whether an individual who has or will have unsupervised contact with their child is a registered child sex offender.
The registry won't list all pedophiles, but police are confident it will help the public to assist authorities in connecting the dots in what are usually complex cases.
Daniel's Law will give Queensland parents access to a list of convicted paedophiles. Nine
"We can protect our children going forward much better," Queensland Police Service Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said
"We'll be able to do things now by making those connections that will make a difference to our investigation."
The register is expected to be up and running by December.
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