This ebook, written by Doogue + George Directors Bill Doogue and Kristina Kothrakis, explains how the Sex Offender Registration Act works in Victoria and what it actually means for someone placed on the register.
It starts by setting out the purpose of the Act, which is to keep police informed of a registered offender’s whereabouts and personal details in order to reduce reoffending and assist future investigations, while also barring registered offenders from child related employment. The book explains who ends up on the register, covering the difference between mandatory registration for offences involving children and discretionary registration under section 11, where a court must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the person poses a risk before making an order.
There’s a clear breakdown of how long reporting obligations last depending on the class and number of offences, ranging from 8 years right through to life, with reduced periods for people who were children at the time of offending. The book also covers the limited pathways off the register, including registration exemption orders for young offenders and suspension orders available after 15 years of compliance, both of which require the person to be assessed as low risk.
A big part of the book focuses on what being on the register actually involves day to day, including the extensive personal details that must be reported on first contact and kept updated, what counts as having contact with a child under the Act, and the restrictions around overseas travel, including a real case study showing how a client successfully applied for permission to travel. It also explains police investigative powers, such as taking fingerprints or DNA samples from registered offenders, and sets out the penalties and defences available for failing to comply with reporting obligations, backed up by a case study showing how an inadvertent reporting mistake was successfully defended in court.
The book closes by pointing out that the register can operate harshly, sometimes keeping fully rehabilitated, low risk individuals under lifelong obligations, which makes proper legal defence at the outset so important.
If you need advice on sexual offence charges or navigating the Sex Offenders Register, contact our lawyers now.
