This Act of Scottish Parliament has two main purposes. These are to prevent the accused in a sexual offence case from personally cross-examining the complainer; and to strengthen the existing provisions restricting the extent to which evidence can be led regarding the character and sexual history of the complainer. The first purpose will be achieved by requiring the accused to be legally represented throughout his or her trial.
Document giving details of a scheme whereby parents or guardians of children can request information from the police to see if someone involved in their childrens' lives they have concerns about is a child sex offender.
Report that presents the key findings of a review of the literature on child abuse in organisations. It aims to inform methods of recruitment in settings where staff or volunteers may come into contact with children. The study also draws on interviews with relevant professionals and a small sample of convicted child sex offenders.
Episode of Woman's Hour which considers the subject of women paedophiles. It asks questions such as whether there are differences between male and female sexual offending, what the scale of the problem is and how such offenders can be managed in a community.
This episode of Radio 4's Woman's Hour series asks if a community can recover when a known abuser returns to live there and if a small community can help in the rehabilitation of a sex offender. What benefits does the community gain? A mother whose daughter was sexually abused by a local man is concerned how his return to their community will affect her family's lives. Jenni Murray talks to child psychotherapist Anne Bannister to discuss how a community can heal itself when a known paedophile lives within it.
The primary policy objective of this Act is to improve the protection given to children and young people from those who would wish to cause them sexual harm, or exploit them for sexual purposes. The Act also aims to improve the protection given to adults and children alike from those convicted of sexual offences who still pose a risk of sexual harm.
Briefing paper that collates for the first time, statistics about multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) across Scotland. The paper begins by outlining the MAPPA arrangements in Scotland and compares information about offenders managed through MAPPA in Scotland with those in England and Wales. It then offers a detailed examination of the data available about MAPPA in Scotland.
This report is organised into six chapters and explores a range of issues including the approaches to risk assessment by different professional groups and the progress of validation in respect of the different risk assessment tools in use. Comment is made on risk assessment in action, who carries out risk assessments, how they are carried out and the mechanisms that are in place to ensure a consistent approach to risk assessment within organisations.
The aim of this Report was to develop a cohesive framework for dealing with sex offending. Some of the 73 recommendations build on the policies and processes already in place in order to strengthen existing measures aimed at protecting communities from sex offenders. Other recommendations support the introduction of new measures and new arrangements which will help to deliver a safer environment.
Report charting the progress and findings of the evaluation of the Community Sex Offender Groupwork Programme as it is being rolled out in Scotland. Data from all six pilot areas are included as well as three areas which have more recently started the programme.