Queensland has become the second Australian state to establish a public register of child sex offenders, with the passage of legislation named after murder victim Daniel Morcombe. The new law, known as Daniel’s law, allows for the public naming of some convicted child sexual abusers, marking a significant step in a campaign by Daniel’s parents, Bruce and Denise Morcombe, for a national register.
The Morcombes, who founded the Daniel Morcombe Foundation after their 13-year-old son was murdered by paedophile Brett Peter Cowan in 2003, expressed hope that other states would follow. Bruce Morcombe said the register would deter offenders from moving to states without such laws, urging those jurisdictions to act.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli hailed the day as monumental for families, stating that the register would help prevent predators from hiding in plain sight. The system, similar to Western Australia’s existing model, has three tiers: a public website for offenders who breach reporting requirements and are missing; a facility for residents to view facial images of offenders in their suburb; and a check for parents about individuals with unsupervised contact with their children.
However, child sexual abuse prevention service Bravehearts warned of a potential false sense of security, noting that only 6% of convicted offenders were included in the WA scheme. It cited research showing that most abuse is committed by people never convicted, and that similar policies have no effect on recidivism. The organisation recommended adopting the circles of support and accountability model, which has been shown to reduce reoffending by up to 88%.
Police Minister Dan Purdie stressed that vigilantism would not be tolerated, with three new offences created to prevent misuse of information. The legislation also includes safeguards to protect victims’ identities, as raised by victims’ group Voices for Victims.
