Government to Take a ‘Second Look’ at Legislation on Sex Offender Registry
“Where we are in the society, our laws need to favour the protection of life and the protection of the victim rather than trying to protect the criminals. It is time that the society draws a clear line that we must eliminate the criminals from our society. They mean you no good.”
– Prime Minister Holness
Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has committed that the Government will review the legislation on sexual offences, specifically the sex offender registry.
Speaking on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 11) on Job Lane, Spanish Town, while on a visit to the home of nine-year-old Kelsey Cassidy Ferrigon, who was assaulted and killed. Prime Minister Holness reassured members of the community that everything is being done to bring the perpetrator to justice.
The Ministry of National Security has announced a two-million-dollar reward for information leading to the capture of the person responsible. The police have also named a person of interest in the matter.
Prime Minister Holness praised residents for playing their part in giving information to the police to assist with the investigation.
Dr. Holness said the Government is listening and will review aspects of the sex offender registry.
“This incident must be considered a turning point. The person who is alleged to have committed the crime is someone who is a repeat offender. Someone who is out on bail. And as the mother of the child who perished pointed out, she had no idea that this man who was essentially her neighbour was a repeat offender and was actually out on bail. So that speaks to certain weaknesses, certain issues. We have to take a second look at our criminal justice system. We have recently reformed the Bail Act, and we do have in place a sex offenders registry. I think this incident requires that we take a second look at how we make this sex offenders registry available to the public so that the public can be armed with information to protect themselves. Yes, there are constitutional issues that we have to balance. But where we are in the society, our laws need to favour the protection of life and the protection of the victim rather than trying to protect the criminals. It is time that the society draws a clear line that we must eliminate the criminals from our society. They mean you no good,” declared Prime Minister Holness.
Dr. Holness said residents can no longer afford to give shelter to criminals in the society.
“We are drawing the line now. Those who are involved in criminal activities, we cannot support them anymore. Because it could have been your child; innocent, it has nothing to do with anything. So inasmuch as the society is now emerging with confidence in the police, the society must also resolve itself and be unambiguous in being against criminals, and our laws must reflect that as well. Certainly, in terms of reforms that may be needed in how we use and operate the sex offender registry,” noted the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Holness said with the reforms in the security forces, citizens have greater confidence in their abilities to deal with crime.
“This is the new Jamaica that you see emerging. Even out of conflict and these kinds of gruesome situations, the citizens have confidence that the police will be able to find the perpetrator. The citizens have confidence that the police will bring the perpetrator to justice. Therefore, the people will play their role in cooperating, supporting and ensuring that this [crime] does not happen again. This is how we build a strong and just society where law enforcement, which has a specific role, can do their jobs, and the public, which will always have the moral duty to provide information against crime, will support the police, and once that strong relationship starts to emerge between the citizens and the police, we will have a safer Jamaica and a safer community.”