UK- New scheme targets paedophiles

9-16-2008 United Kingdom:

It's every parent's worst nightmare - a paedophile they don't know about being part of their children's lives.

To try and stop it happening, a new scheme is being tested by four police forces in England.

For the next 12 months, relatives of children living in Stockton, Southampton, Peterborough and across the whole of Warwickshire will be able to call up and get officers to check the background of anyone they're worried about.

Chris and Gaynor live in Coventry and have three children aged seven, four and two.

They said: "We think it's a great idea. If you've got children you've got to be able to protect them from whoever's out there.

"If it's a babysitter or say a football coach then obviously you need to know.

"You hear so many stories about people that have had them living round the corner, or actually being in schools, so I think every parent has the right to know."

There's already a similar scheme in America called Megan's Law. There the authorities are allowed to publish the names and addresses, as well as pictures, of known paedophiles.

This trial doesn't go quite as far as that.

While any relative can ask the police to check someone out, police will only tell the parents or guardian of the child involved if they find something out. And they'll have to keep it to themselves.

For Carl, who's got a three-and-a-half year-old boy, that's where the idea falls down.

He said: "I can't see that happening. Parents are going to tell other people if they find out there's a paedophile living nearby. And if that happens there's bound to be problems with vigilante style attacks."

That's exactly what critics of the scheme are worried about - the fear of vigilantes pushing paedophiles underground.

If that happens it'll make it much harder, if not impossible, for the authorities to know what they're up to and where they're living.

But just because Carl's not sure if it'll work, it doesn't mean he won't use it himself.

He said: "If my kid goes to a football team or a social club I think I'd use that facility.

"He's a bit young for social sports and things like that but I'm sure in the next couple of years - definitely." ..News Source.. by Dan Whitworth, Newsbeat reporter in Coventry