Labor Pledges New Pedophile Register To Protect Aussie Kids, Families

A public sex-offender register that will allow police to tell families if high-risk paedophiles are living in their neighbourhood will be established in South Australia if Labor wins the state election later this month.

Under Labor's plan, paedophiles who breach their reporting conditions would be identified publicly.

Police would also be allowed to provide information to parents about sex-offenders in their area who may come into contact with their children.

South Australia's public register would be based on a successful Western Australian model, and is among a raft of new measures proposed by the Labor Part to increase public safety.

Legislation under Labor's law and order plan could see serious child sex offenders detained indefinitely, or until they can prove they are no longer a threat to children.

The most serious of offenders would also be subject to lifetime GPS tracking when they are released from prison.

Penalties for child sex offences would also increase, while loopholes in current legislation would be closed.

South Australia's Labor leader Peter Malinauskas told the Adelaide Advertiser that the proposed measures would 'prioritise the safety of children and families'.

“The most important responsibility of government is to protect the community, particularly the most vulnerable,’’ he said.

“Labor’s package of laws and penalties for child sex offenders will be the toughest in the nation when it comes to protecting our kids and punishing predators.

"We have listened to victims, their families and the broader community, and we know that there is a strong will for tougher action on these predators.’’

Killers who conceal the bodies of their victims from authorities could be jailed for an additional 15 years, on top of their murder or manslaughter sentence, if Labor's crackdown on violent crimes goes ahead.

Overview of SA Labor’s proposed law and order initiatives. There is limited detail in the article about how some of these would work, incl. the public sex offender registry, which only says it will be based on the WA regime. pic.twitter.com/wtpNeAdoSN

— Lisa Parker (@_LisaParker) March 6, 2022

Mr Malinauskas said the extra jail time was important to grieving loved ones who suffered an additional loss as it provided incentive to reveal where bodies were.

"Concealing the body of a victim also adds to grief, suffering and uncertainty for the loved ones of victims," he said.

Under South Australian Labor's law-and-order election pledges, an additional $2million in funding would be allocated to assist victims of crime during court proceedings and processes, as well as additional funds for the Victim Support Service, which has had its funding slashed under the Liberal government.