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The Queensland opposition has vowed to implement a public child sex-offender register if the party wins government in October.
The proposed registry will be known as “Daniel’s Law”, named after 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe who was abducted and murdered on the Sunshine Coast in 2003.
Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli was joined by Daniel’s parents, Denise and Bruce Morcombe, to launch the proposal in Brisbane on Sunday.
David Crisafulli is taking the proposal for a child sex-offender register to the state election in October. (ABC News)
“If this register can even protect just one child from being put in harm’s way and having their life shattered it will be worth the register and the legislation," Mr Crisafulli said.
"This will tip the balance of power back in favour of the victim."
The LNP has allocated $10 million for the proposal but expects it to cost less.
How it would work
The proposed law would be mirrored on the model launched in West Australia 12 years ago, and the South Australian framework introduced last month.
WA's community protection website allows people to search their local area for registered sex offenders. (Supplied.)
The first tier would focus on offenders that have breached their reporting obligations with a public website that included photos and names.
An application-based process would form the second tier, where parents and guardians would be able request to identify “high-risk” offenders within their local area.
The final tier would increase the ability for people to be able to check adults who have unsupervised time with their children.
Mr Crisafulli said there were obvious issues around the potential misuse of public information but said provisions in the law would address that.
"There will be safeguards in place to make sure that it’s police who are doing the enforcement of any issues," Mr Crisafulli said.
"But this is about ensuring parents can keep their children away from any dangerous predators."
Are registers a deterrent?
Bruce and Denise Morcombe have long campaigned for a child sex-offender register. (ABC News)
The Morcombes have been campaigning for a public child sex-offender register for the past 15 years and welcomed the proposal.
"Our motto is to keep kids safe, and the victims have the right to be safe," Denise Morcombe said.
Bruce Morcombe said it was "good policy" that he hopes will be adopted at a federal level.
"It is a strong deterrent. So, if you want to go down that path, don’t bother. You’re going to be branded and your details will be accessible by the people that need to know," Mr Morcombe said.
When asked about the proposed register, Premier Steven Miles said he had questioned whether the state was doing enough to keep kids safe.
He said he had spoken with leaders in WA and SA about how their schemes worked.
"If there is more that we can and should do, then I want to," Mr Miles said.
Daniel's Law would be named after Daniel Morcombe, who was abducted and murdered in 2003.
But associate professor Danielle Arlanda Harris from Griffith University said registries were not the answer and can often create a false sense of security.
"There is 30 years of empirical evidence from the US that shows this system doesn’t work," Dr Harris said.
"There are people on the register that shouldn’t be, and perhaps more concerning is that there are people who should be on it, who are not."
Having spent more than 20 years conducting research across the US, UK and Australia in child sexual abuse Dr Harris said investment in understanding grooming behaviour and recognising that the majority of offences occur in the home or the child’s circle of trust would be more useful.
"The idea of a public sex offender registry leans on ‘stranger danger tropes’ and the reality and research shows that often not the case," she said.
"We need to be looking within, rather than looking out for each other."