Reform of sex offender laws is much needed, stakeholders say
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Laws protecting children and vulnerable adults from sex offenders have long needed upgrading, stakeholders have said. The Times of Malta on Tuesday reported that Cabinet was set to discuss an overhaul of the way sexual offenders are prevented from working witReform of sex offender laws is much needed, stakeholders say
Laws protecting children and vulnerable adults from sex offenders have long needed upgrading, stakeholders have said. The Times of Malta on Tuesday reported that Cabinet was set to discuss an overhaul of the way sexual offenders are prevented from working with children. The proposed reform is based on the system used in the UK, which offers more information and is administered by trained professionals. Marco Bonnici, president of the Malta Union of Teachers, said the existing law was far too complicated. “Private schools, who are employers, at the end of the day, have to go to the courts and wait, and the information they get is often inadequate. The current system is not good enough.” Mr Bonnici was quick to add that, in the past, teachers were employed only for institutions to find out later about past convictions or inappropriate incidents, then being forced to fire them. The calls for a legislative reform were backed by lawyers who told Times of Malta about the cumbersome process that the educators, employers and organisations responsible for the well-being of children and vulnerable adults had to endure. Ensuring that every member of staff that came into contact with... Read more