The News of the World is within sight of its aim to see the Government bring the American-style Sarah’s Law to the UK. In 2002, it is determined to push for total success.
While Home Secretary David Blunkett remains adamant the law, allowing neighbourhoods to know if dangerous sex offenders are living in their midst, would not work in the UK, he has given huge support to the monitoring and detention of paedophiles in other ways.
"Nevertheless, one final piece of the jigsaw yet has to be put in place and that remains our objective," NoW managing editor Stuart Kuttner told Press Gazette.
Related
In massively publicised moves following the Roy Whiting trial for eight-year-old Sarah Payne’s murder, Blunkett met her parents, Michael and Sara Payne, NoW editor Rebekah Wade and Kuttner in an hour-long meeting on 18 December.
Afterwards, Blunkett expressed his solidarity with them.
"The Government has already implemented seven-eigthths of the Sarah’s Law campaign," he said.
Content from our partners
It has added 10 years of community supervision and police surveillance to a prison sentence; required the police and probation services to set up local protection panels to manage dangerous offenders; is taking a new look at tougher and longer sentences for sex offenders; is giving the police powers to stop offenders moving round the country and setting up criminal records bureaux next spring which can alert areas to local danger.
By Jean Morgan
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
