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| Offender alerts may be expanded | Offender alerts may be expanded |
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| Parents across England and Wales could be told about sex offenders who may come into contact with their children. | Parents across England and Wales could be told about sex offenders who may come into contact with their children. |
| The government is considering rolling out the scheme currently being trialled in Southampton, Warwickshire, north Cambridgeshire and Stockton-on-Tees. | |
| Home Secretary Alan Johnson said early results were "extremely encouraging" and the project had protected children. | Home Secretary Alan Johnson said early results were "extremely encouraging" and the project had protected children. |
| "Sarah's Law" was proposed after the murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne by a convicted sex offender 10 years ago. | "Sarah's Law" was proposed after the murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne by a convicted sex offender 10 years ago. |
| Sarah was kidnapped and murdered by Roy Whiting in West Sussex in 2000. | Sarah was kidnapped and murdered by Roy Whiting in West Sussex in 2000. |
| 'Encouraging results' | 'Encouraging results' |
| Her mother, Sara, a child protection campaigner, told the News of the World: "In all the long years of campaigning for parents' rights to keep their children safe from predatory paedophiles, this is the most important development to date." | Her mother, Sara, a child protection campaigner, told the News of the World: "In all the long years of campaigning for parents' rights to keep their children safe from predatory paedophiles, this is the most important development to date." |
| Under the measures, families will be able to ask police if someone with access to a child has convictions or has been previously suspected of abuse. | Under the measures, families will be able to ask police if someone with access to a child has convictions or has been previously suspected of abuse. |
| Harriet Harman: It looks very encouraging from these pilots" | |
| In the first six months of the trial, which started in September 2008, more than 150 parents made inquiries. Of those, 10 were given relevant information. | |
| The home secretary said: "Protecting children and families from sex offenders is one of my top priorities and the UK already has one of the most robust systems of managing sex offenders in the world. | The home secretary said: "Protecting children and families from sex offenders is one of my top priorities and the UK already has one of the most robust systems of managing sex offenders in the world. |
| "The development of this scheme is a major step forward in our ability to protect children from sex offenders. | "The development of this scheme is a major step forward in our ability to protect children from sex offenders. |
| "Early results are extremely encouraging and the pilot has provided crucial protection for children who might otherwise be at risk." | "Early results are extremely encouraging and the pilot has provided crucial protection for children who might otherwise be at risk." |
| He said results from the year-long pilot were still being evaluated and talks with the police and children's charities would take place before a final decision was made extending the scheme nationally. | He said results from the year-long pilot were still being evaluated and talks with the police and children's charities would take place before a final decision was made extending the scheme nationally. |
| 'Heart-breaking cases' | |
| Leader of the Commons, Harriet Harman, said there were cases where the system would make a big difference. | |
| She told BBC One's Politics Show: "There have been heart-breaking cases where a woman's got together with a partner and discovers that she's been specifically targeted by him because she's got young children. | |
| Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling: "We all have huge sympathy with the objectives of Sarah's Law" | |
| "Then she says 'if only I knew what you knew, but there was no way for me to find out'." | |
| Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said he supported extending the scheme, as long as checks were made to prevent vigilante action. | |
| He said: "I think it's been right to pilot this whole approach in a number of areas of the country. | |
| "If those pilots have shown that actually it makes a difference, that it doesn't lead to vigilante-style justice, then I'd be very sympathetic and supportive of the idea that it could be extended." | |
| But Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne called for more information about the schemes to be made available. | But Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne called for more information about the schemes to be made available. |
| He said: "The concern is that this will do nothing for the safety of children and could even lead to an increase in sex offenders." | He said: "The concern is that this will do nothing for the safety of children and could even lead to an increase in sex offenders." |
| American law | |
| Martin Narey, chief executive of children's charity Barnardo's, said he was encouraged by how the pilots went. | |
| He said: "I was very cautious about this experiment, and we at Barnardo's were worried about the possibility this scheme might drive sex offenders underground, away from police and probation supervision, and put children in danger. | |
| "That doesn't appear to have happened in these four pilots." | |
| Michele Elliott, founder of the Kidscape charity, welcomed the move. | |
| "We are absolutely delighted, we have been campaigning for this, we think it's good for children and it's about time," she said. | "We are absolutely delighted, we have been campaigning for this, we think it's good for children and it's about time," she said. |
| "It's interesting that they have chosen to do this now with an election around the corner, it's a popular thing, but whatever the motivation of the politicians it's important that parents will now be able to get access to this information." | "It's interesting that they have chosen to do this now with an election around the corner, it's a popular thing, but whatever the motivation of the politicians it's important that parents will now be able to get access to this information." |
| The so-called Megan's Law in the US, which allows the publication of names, addresses and pictures of paedophiles in some states, prompted calls for an equivalent "Sarah's Law" in the UK. | The so-called Megan's Law in the US, which allows the publication of names, addresses and pictures of paedophiles in some states, prompted calls for an equivalent "Sarah's Law" in the UK. |
| Sara Payne, who is the government's Victims Tsar, has been undergoing treatment after complications following brain surgery but is said to have responded well. | Sara Payne, who is the government's Victims Tsar, has been undergoing treatment after complications following brain surgery but is said to have responded well. |
| Could the "Sarah's Law" scheme help protect children? You can send us your views using the form below: | Could the "Sarah's Law" scheme help protect children? You can send us your views using the form below: |
| A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. | A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. |
| The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |