The Australian state of Queensland has officially launched its first publicly accessible register of convicted child sex offenders, named 'Daniel's Law'. The move follows years of campaigning by child safety advocates and the parents of murder victim Daniel Morcombe.
How Daniel's Law Works and Immediate Public Response
The register, which went live on New Year's Eve, allows Queensland residents to apply for access to photographs of offenders in their local area who are deemed to pose the highest risk of reoffending. Queensland Police Minister Dan Purdie revealed that almost 105,000 people had already accessed the site in its first few days of operation.
Users must provide a driver's licence or proof of a Queensland address to use the system. It operates on a three-tier system, but does not disclose names, addresses, or other personal details for most listed individuals. A separate list includes the full name, date of birth, and photo of 'reportable offenders' who have failed to meet their reporting obligations or whose whereabouts are unknown.
Parents or guardians can also make a specific disclosure application to check if someone with unsupervised access to their child is a registered offender in the state.
Expert Criticism and Calls for a National Scheme
Despite the strong initial public uptake, the register has faced immediate criticism from child protection experts who argue it does not go far enough. Adam Washbourne from Fighters Against Child Abuse Australia said the register falls "far short of the mark" it was promised to be.
"It was hyped up as a child protection register. I'd like to know how they think that nameless faces are going to protect children," Mr Washbourne stated. He highlighted that photos taken at the time of arrest may no longer be accurate and argued for a national register to prevent offenders from moving between states.
Criminologist Dr Vincent Hurley from Macquarie University raised concerns about the register creating a "false sense of security". He pointed out that most child sex abuse is perpetrated by family members or acquaintances, not strangers who might appear on a public list. "Public registers often backfire... it does nothing for [offenders'] rehabilitation," Dr Hurley added.
The Legacy of Daniel Morcombe and Anti-Vigilante Measures
The law is named in honour of 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe, who was abducted while waiting for a bus in 2003 and later murdered. His parents, Bruce and Denise Morcombe, have championed the register through their charity foundation, which has become one of Australia's largest child safety organisations.
The register includes strict anti-vigilantism measures. Users face criminal charges, including potential jail time, if they share the provided photographs or harass anyone they suspect to be an offender. Mr Washbourne questioned the emphasis on these measures, stating, "vigilantism against child abuse isn't a thing we have a lot of."
Daniel's killer, Brett Peter Cowan, was arrested in 2011 and is serving a life sentence. The Morcombe Foundation, initially set up to find Daniel, now focuses on child safety education and lobbying for legislative changes like Daniel's Law.
