An Australian Child Protection Offender Reporting scheme has been established by legislation in each Australian State and Territory. The scheme requires child sex offenders, and other defined categories of serious offenders against children. The purpose behind the scheme is to ensure that police are kept informed of sex offenders’ whereabouts and other personal details for a period of time after they are released into the community. However, in all states and territories (except Western Australia), the registry is not available to the public and can only be accessed by police.
The MAKO Website
To view the details and whereabouts of sex offenders in Australia, the public does have access to the ‘Movement against Kindred Offenders’ (‘MAKO’) website. MAKO is an Australian non-profit organisation. This website is not endorsed or authorised by any government body so its legitimacy cannot be verified. However, one can see that its relatively simple access may be appealing to parents or other concerned parties.
The website lists parties’ names and locations based on the following evidence:
“send copies of whatever documentation/ proof you can to regarding the sex offenders court case/ guilty plea/ convictions/ sentencing/ appeals...Victim compensation documentation and other case related material may also be helpful.”
Once this information is verified by the organisation, it can be put up on the website, where the public can access the offender’s name, age, known locations and other relevant details. The MAKO website enables you to search for offenders by surname, or more generally, offenders by the state or territory in which they are known to be located.
As long as the state and federal governments of Australia do not allow the public to have access to the names and locations of sex offenders across the country, the MAKO website is at least a starting point to ensure the safety of children.
If you have any legal queries in relation to the sex offender registry or offences against children, please do not hesitate to contact our offices on 02 8719 8700.