Palaszczuk Government passes tough new Child Sex Offender laws

The Palaszczuk Government has further strengthened the strongest laws in the nation to protect the community from child sex offenders.

Today the Queensland Parliament passed amendments to the Police Powers and Responsibilities and Other Legislation Act 2018 that will extend strict monitoring conditions for life and create stronger powers for the police and the courts.

The new amendments passed by the Parliament include:-

• applying new monitoring arrangements to child sex offenders who have been subject to supervision under the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act  2003 (DPSOA)
• reducing the threshold and expanding the types of conditions, for the police to apply for court orders for all child sex offenders.

As well, the Palaszczuk Government will provide the Queensland Police Service with extra funding to provide extra resources for surveillance and enforcement operations in relation to these offenders.

Police and Corrective Services Minister Ryan said the new regime would ensure the Police Commissioner will know where these offenders are and what they’re doing.

“The community can have confidence in the fact that these offenders will be monitored and will have strict reporting conditions,” Minister Ryan said.

What this means, is the police will know -

• Where they live
• Where they travel
• Any contact with children
• Any changes to their appearance, such as tattoos or distinguishing marks
• Details of their phone and internet connections
• Details of their social media accounts, interactions and importantly passwords

“If they fail to meet these reporting conditions, they face up to five years in jail,” Minister Ryan said.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Yvette D’Ath said that while Queensland already had the strongest legislation in the country, today’s amendments would keep the community even safer.

“Laws like these are what the community has elected us to enforce.

“This Government stands with victims.

“We stand with the community and against those who prey on our children,” Mrs D’Ath said.

“Under the changes we’re announcing today, when a child sex offender’s Order (under DPSOA) ceases, they will now become automatic reportable offenders under Child Protection (Offender Reporting and Offender Prohibition Order) Act 2004 (CPOROPOA) for the rest of their life.

 Minister Ryan said there would be another safeguard: police could apply for “Offender Prohibition Orders” for any convicted child sex offender in the community that they had renewed concerns about. 

These changes are not limited just to post-DPSOA child sex offenders.

These orders would place restrictions on their movements.

“This would give police the power to stop someone living or working near a school, for example, or going to a children’s playground," he said.

“We’re lowering the threshold for what constitutes ‘concerning conduct’ and expanding the types of conditions a court can impose, including enforcing GPS tracking, making counselling sessions compulsory, and directing them where to live.

“Whereas now police must have concerns for a child’s 'sexual safety', we’ll broaden that definition to relate to a reportable offender posing a risk to the 'safety or wellbeing of any child or children'.”

Minister Ryan said these strong laws had also been designed to withstand a challenge in the courts.

“You can’t protect the community if your laws don’t stack up.

“You can’t be strong on child protection if you’re weak on the law.

“The LNP has a track record of coming up with laws that get blown away by judicial challenge.

“Thought-bubble laws the LNP irresponsibly puts forward knowing they will fail in the courts.

“The LNP are policy lite.

“All smoke and mirrors.

“They’re not fair-dinkum.

“They’re policy pretenders.

“Our laws to monitor child sex offenders are robust and will stand the test of time.

“Not only that, these new laws help keep the Queensland community safer,” Minister Ryan said.

 Media contacts:

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice: 0417 675 917

Minister for Police and Minister for Corrective Services:  0411 535 180