Letters | Wednesday, 15 October 2008

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Need for a sex offender’s register

Following the Malta Association of Social Workers’ (MASW) comments on the conviction of a 61-year-old for the rape of a 10-year-old, the MASW would like to formally call on the authorities to seriously consider the introduction of a sex offenders’ register.
Research shows that resident rehabilitation programmes reduce the risk but are nowhere near sufficient alone.
While it is not possible to completely eliminate the risk that sex offenders of children may pose to the community, every possible effort must be taken without delay to further protect children and prevent that risk.
The introduction of a sex offenders’ register must be discussed with agencies, services and departments involves in order to make the necessary recommendations to the current child protection system. Such a register should help police, social and education services to reform, monitor and assess these individuals through inter-professional practice to prevent these tragic incidents of abuse.
The long-planned and promised social work services for family and individuals in the community, based on the “Access” model, should be introduced without further delay.
The presence of such services would strengthen the currently poor preventive role of the system. These would help identify and prevent problems before they escalate to such tragic incidents of abuse which results in family breakdown and uprooting of victims from their community.

Anthea Agius
Chairperson,
Malta Association of Social Workers

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