Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Irish/British address paedophile loophole
I'm pleased to see movement from the Irish and British governments towards addressing a bizarre and unsettling legal loophole which allowed sex offenders to travel freely within both state jurisdictions.
Paedophiles who have committed offences in the North have been free to live without prosecution in the South and vice versa but a memo of understanding has now been exchanged between Dublin and London that will lead to changes in the law on both sides of the Irish Sea.
In light of the Good Friday Agreement and its various strands, both governments have been moving towards a position to close down this legal anomaly.
It's understood legal changes are being worked on that will ultimately allow the British and Irish police the freedom to monitor and arrest known offenders from opposing jurisdictions.
This is all welcome news but I don't understand why it has taken this long?
It's outrageous that paedophiles from north of the border could be free to live south of the border without prosecution and vice-versa. Common sense should have prevailed over this matter years ago.
I suppose it's a case of better late than never, eh?
Paedophiles who have committed offences in the North have been free to live without prosecution in the South and vice versa but a memo of understanding has now been exchanged between Dublin and London that will lead to changes in the law on both sides of the Irish Sea.
In light of the Good Friday Agreement and its various strands, both governments have been moving towards a position to close down this legal anomaly.
It's understood legal changes are being worked on that will ultimately allow the British and Irish police the freedom to monitor and arrest known offenders from opposing jurisdictions.
This is all welcome news but I don't understand why it has taken this long?
It's outrageous that paedophiles from north of the border could be free to live south of the border without prosecution and vice-versa. Common sense should have prevailed over this matter years ago.
I suppose it's a case of better late than never, eh?
# posted by United Irelander @ 12:34 AM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
