Almost 1,300 disclosures made to Sarah’s Law since the introduction of the scheme, according to recent FOI data
Nearly 1,300 disclosures have been made to The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme over the past nine years, according to recent data from a freedom of information request.
The FOI data showed that 279 disclosures and 2974 applications had been made to the scheme from 2018/19.
The area with the most disclosures this year was Surrey, with a total of 41 disclosures.
Northumbria, Norfolk and South Yorkshire also had a notable number of disclosures from 2018/19.
Sarah’s parents set up the law in response to the tragedy alongside the News of the World.
Despite the importance of the law, there can often be complications in terms of handling disclosures to members of the public.
An officer from the Metropolitan Police, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘I think it’s a good thing to disclose enough information regarding what the offender has committed to safeguard the children and the local community.
‘However, obviously there has to be a balance between that and the offender’s rights to a free and independent life.’
The mother became suspicious of her neighbour after he knocked on their door and asked if their daughter would like to go berry picking with him.
After using Sarah’s Law, Claire discovered the horrifying information that he had previously been in possession of infant and child porn.
However, under the conditions of the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, Claire was made to sign a non-disclosure form, preventing her from warning anybody else.
The mother was eventually taken to court after exposing the paedophile’s identity.
Carol Wale, a grandmother from Portsmouth, felt that there could be difficulties in terms of dealing with disclosures of information to the public.
She said: ‘If someone was convicted of being a paedophile and I felt they were trying to groom my son or daughter, then I would definitely want to know.
‘However, it’s one thing for me to find out I need to protect my child, it’s another thing for me to get together with the neighbours and for somebody to get targeted.’
The number of disclosures and applications to Sarah’s Law has risen significantly since the introduction of the scheme and as the law has been rolled out to more areas.
From 2010/11, there was a mere 401 applications and only 40 disclosures.
Helen Mould, another Portsmouth resident, commented that families needed to ‘do whatever they could to protect their children.’
She added: ‘As a parent you want to protect your child, so I feel the law is required because we’re in a different time and age now.’
There is a similar version of the scheme in Scotland called ‘Keeping Children Safe.’
Since the murder of Sarah Payne in 2000, her mother has written several books about the incident and has co-founded an organisation called The Pheonix Post, which advocates for children’s rights.
Their website states: ‘To make a request for information, please visit your local police station. An officer or member of staff will take the time to gather all the necessary details and discuss the next steps with you.’
