Parents flock to Daniel’s Law website in overwhelming response
Every thirty seconds, a concerned parent and caregiver would visit the website Daniel’s Law, the public registry of child sex offenders.
Since its launch, the online website has given parents and carers access to vital information about convicted child sex offenders in Queensland and the figures are staggering.
One of the most significant reforms to child safety laws in Queensland history, Community Protection and the Child Sex Offender Public Registry (also known as Daniel’s Law), went live in December.
In just over two months, the online platform was accessed more than 205,000 times, with a new visitor clicking every 30 seconds.
“We promised reforms that would make our communities safer, and Daniel’s Law does just that,” said Prime Minister David Crisafulli.
“It’s early days, but these results prove that having this information gives parents and police the power to take action.”
The program contains three levels of information designed to protect children.
The first tier is a public website that lists criminals who have disappeared, defaulted on their obligations, and whose whereabouts are unknown.
His full name, photograph and year of birth are available to anyone who agrees not to misuse the information.
The second phase allows residents to apply to see photos of registered offenders living in their area.
The third stage allows parents and guardians to apply to check whether a particular person with unsupervised access to their child is a reportable offender.
Misuse of information in the registry, including vigilance, is a criminal offence.
The registry is named after Sunshine Coast student Daniel Morcombe, whose kidnapping and murder in 2003 devastated a state.
His parents refused to let their son’s death be in vain and became prominent child safety advocates.
Daniel’s parents, Bruce and Denise Morcombe, who founded the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, celebrated 21 years at the annual Dance For Daniel, a fundraising event supporting “a safer world for children”.
“A law is a law, but a law that makes a difference is something we truly value.” ” he told a crowd of his supporters on Saturday night,” Mr Morcombe said.
“It’s really special to have this place named in our son’s honor because it makes a difference, it protects Queensland’s children.
“We owe it to Daniel, his family and every Queensland child who deserves to grow up safely.” Prime Minister Crisafulli said:
