Daniel’s Law: Queensland leads the way with new public child sex offender register

This article contains references to child sexual abuse, which may be distressing for some readers. Please read with care and prioritise your wellbeing. Resources for support are provided at the end of the article.

As Queenslanders took part in this year’s Day for Daniel walk, a powerful new law bearing the same name has been passed, marking a milestone moment for child protection and community safety.

The Queensland Parliament has passed Daniel’s Law, establishing Australia’s first public child sex offender register. The legislation honours Daniel Morcombe, the Sunshine Coast teenager abducted and murdered in 2003, and reflects more than two decades of tireless advocacy by his parents, Bruce and Denise Morcombe.

For Bruce and Denise, the passing of the law is deeply personal.

The legislation passed almost exactly 22 years after Daniel’s disappearance and coincided with the national Day for Daniel, Australia’s largest annual child safety education and awareness event. Each year, thousands of schools, early learning services and community groups wear red and participate in local walks to honour Daniel’s legacy and promote child safety education.

The new legislation creates a three-tier disclosure system, allowing different levels of public access to information about convicted child sex offenders:

Tier 1 – Public access:
A publicly available website will list offenders who have breached their reporting obligations or whose whereabouts are unknown, including their name, photo and year of birth.

Tier 2 – Local checks:
Residents can apply online to find out if a convicted offender lives in their local area.

Tier 3 – Child contact checks:
Parents and guardians can request information if a person with unsupervised contact with their child is a reportable offender.

Misuse of the register,  including for harassment or vigilantism, will be punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. The Queensland Government has committed approximately $10 million to develop and maintain the register, which is expected to be operational by late 2025.

While the law primarily applies to law enforcement and community access, its introduction carries broader significance for those working with children, including early learning and care professionals.

For services, Daniel’s Law reinforces the shared responsibility of all adults to create and maintain child-safe environments. It also aligns with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and the Child Safe Standards, which emphasise vigilance, transparency and community awareness.

Early learning services may wish to use this moment to:

• Review and reaffirm their child protection and reporting policies.
• Communicate with families about the law and other available child safety tools.
• Provide educators with updated training on risk identification and prevention, especially around grooming behaviours.
• Encourage family participation in child safety conversations both at home and in the service community.

To support the community’s ongoing education and awareness, the Daniel Morcombe Foundation has released a suite of new Keeping Kids Safe resources, available free of charge on its website.

These include child-friendly activity sheets, videos and guides designed to help parents, carers, educators and children learn about personal safety in age-appropriate, empowering ways.

The resources align with key learning areas such as recognising unsafe situations, help-seeking behaviour, and respectful communication, reinforcing the Foundation’s message that education and prevention are every child’s right.

Experts note that while public registers increase transparency, they are not a complete solution. Many child abuse cases involve individuals known to the child, including family members or trusted adults, meaning vigilance, education and prevention remain critical.

Child protection advocates also highlight the need to balance offender disclosure with privacy and victim protection, ensuring the system remains ethical, evidence-based and focused on preventing harm rather than punishment alone.

Through both the Day for Daniel initiative and now Daniel’s Law, the Morcombe family’s message remains clear: education and awareness save lives.

The passage of this law represents not only a Queensland first, but a step toward a stronger, safer Australia for every child.

Further information:

• Queensland Government: Daniel Morcombe Foundation – Day for Daniel
• ABC News: Queensland passes Daniel’s Law to establish public child sex offender register
• Moree Online News: Queensland delivers historic Daniel’s Law

If this article has raised distressing issues for you, please contact:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
• Bravehearts: 1800 272 831
• Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
• Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380
• Australian Childhood Foundation: 1300 381 581
• National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service: 1800 RESPECT, 1800 737 732