South Australia takes steps to establish a public child sex offender register

South Australia will introduce new laws to Parliament this week to make it easier for citizens to access information related to all the state’s convicted child sex offenders and their whereabouts.

The introduction of the laws may be of interest to SA approved providers of early childhood education and care (ECEC) as they may be able to apply for information about serious child sex offenders living in their area. Family Day Care (FDC) educators may also make use of the legislation to enquire about the presence of offenders close to the premises from where they offer education and care. 

The laws will also allow parents to be able to check whether people who have unsupervised contact with their children have any history of child sex offences.

South Australian police will also have stronger powers to keep tabs on serious child sex offenders who may be at risk of further offending under the proposed laws. 

The three-tiered disclosure scheme would allow the Commissioner of Police to publish:

• Any or all personal details, including a photograph, of a registrable offender whose whereabouts is unknown and who has failed to comply with reporting obligations or has provided false or misleading information
• Photographs of dangerous and high-risk offenders living in the same suburb or town as an individual who applies for them
• Information about an individual who has unsupervised contact with a child in response to an application from the child’s parent or guardian

The information would be made available through the planned Digital Police Station, which the Government announced as part of the 2024-25 State Budget.

“There is nothing more important than the safety of our children,” Premier Peter Malinauskas said.

“South Australians have every right to know whether their children could be at risk from a predator. A register like this will be of significant benefit to those parents and community members who want to keep our children safe.”