The Tasmanian Government is continuing to put the safety of our children and most vulnerable at the forefront, with laws set to be debated in Parliament that form part of a national movement for greater child protection laws.
The Community Protection (Offender Reporting) Amendment Bill 2024, which will be known as Daniel's Law, in honour of Daniel Morcombe, will introduce new offences, greater penalties, and importantly, allows for a reportable offender's details to be publicly displayed if they fail to uphold their conditions with their whereabouts being unknown.
The laws will allow a parent or guardian of a child to ask Tasmania Police about a specific person who has regular, unsupervised access to their child to see if they are listed on the sex offender register.
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Felix Ellis, said protecting our children must always come before privacy for perpetrators.
"I want to pay tribute to Bruce and Denise Morcombe, who have spent 15 years advocating for stronger child protection laws after the tragic loss of their son, Daniel," Minister Ellis said.
"Through immense tragedy, Bruce and Denise have driven change. With this week being the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, Tasmania joins the Queensland, South Australian, and Western Australian Governments in fighting for Daniel's Law to deliver a sex offender register disclosure scheme.
"Daniel's Law will ensure our police have greater powers to monitor the activities of sex offenders online and in the community.
"Daniel's Law will also empower our parents and caregivers by giving them the information they need to protect their children.
"Through our Government's 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future, we are absolutely committed to protecting our children, ensuring Tasmania remains the best place to live, work, and raise a family."
Bruce Morcombe, of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, said he had been campaigning for a publicly accessible sex offender register in every State and Territory for 15 years.
"Our family has had a connection with Tasmania for over two decades. We are honoured to see Daniel's Law before the Parliament of Tasmania," Mr Morcombe said.
"I am pleased to see Tasmania joining other States like WA, SA and QLD in this plan.
"I believe the proposed Disclosure Scheme will provide the necessary access for a parent or guardian to feel comfortable in knowing that they will have the ability to check the history of sexual offending against children for anyone that has unsupervised access to their children.
"It provides the tools to educate the public in a sensible, measured way and safeguard our children.
"With the right checks and balances in place it is a win-win to keep Tasmanian children safe."
CEO of Beyond Abuse, Steve Fisher, said the sex offender register disclosure scheme gets the balance right to protect children with appropriate safeguards.
"If these reforms can prevent even one child from sexual harm or abuse, then they have my support," Mr Fisher said.
"The disclosure scheme provides a pathway for parents and carers to make informed decisions about who their children interact with, and that's something we should all get behind."
