New sex offender monitoring laws reverse soft approach of LNP

• Government doubles the length of time child sex offenders to be monitored (from 5 years to 10 years)
• Repeat child sex offenders to be monitored for 20 years (from 10 years to 20 years)
• Police given new ability to get surveillance device warrant

With these new laws, Queensland will have the toughest legislative framework in the nation when it comes to the monitoring of child sex offenders.

It rights a very significant wrong of the former Newman LNP government, which when in government reduced the monitoring periods of child sex offenders.

This government will now double the periods for the monitoring and reporting of child sex offenders.

With this amendment, any predator convicted of a child sex offence will be required to report to and be monitored by police for periods of 10 years, up from 5 years.

For repeat offenders, the monitoring period will double from 10 to 20 years.

The most serious recidivist child sex offenders will be monitored for their entire lives.

These reforms will reinforce the strongest, most comprehensive monitoring laws in relation to child sex offenders in the nation.

This is important legislation.

It allows our dedicated law enforcement agencies to keep convicted child sex offenders under their watchful and ever-present eye for far longer than they previously could.

Under these new laws, police will have the ability to apply for a surveillance device warrant, when deemed necessary, to monitor the movements of a reportable offender.

Quotes attributable to Police Minister Mark Ryan:

“This week we rewrite the record and further crack down on child sex offenders.

“We are righting a terrible wrong, a terrible, soft on crime decision by the LNP.

“Overnight under the LNP more than 1,700 convicted child sex offenders were no longer monitored by police.

“It was just another example of the LNP’s complete disinterest in community safety, and it’s lack of commitment to resourcing police properly.

“The Palaszczuk Government is fixing that – tough new laws and backing our police one hundred percent.”

Quotes attributable to Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll:

“The Queensland Police Services welcomes these laws as an additional mechanism to monitor and prevent repeat offending by reportable offenders.

“The safety of all Queenslanders remains paramount to the QPS and our approach to the monitoring of reportable offenders within Queensland continues to be a priority.”