Thanks to pressure from ECPAT UK supporters, the Government yesterday launched an 8-week consultation on the Sexual Offences Act 2003, focusing on four key proposals to strengthen the existing notification requirements for sex offenders. This marks a step forward in ECPAT UK’s campaign to close the so-called ‘3-day loophole’.

Back in February this year, ECPAT UK published a report entitled Off the Radar: Protecting Children from British Sex Offenders who Travel. The report highlights the failures of the UK to respond to the sexual exploitation of children by travelling sex offenders and calls for a cross–government strategy to deal effectively with the investigation and prosecution of child sexual offences committed by Britons abroad.

One of our recommendations in the report is for the Government to take immediate action to close the ‘3-day loophole’ in the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which currently allows known sex offenders to travel abroad for up to 3 days without having to notify the authorities of their intent to do so. Given the ease and speed of travel nowadays, British sex offenders can easily travel abroad (to European countries and beyond), commit child sex abuse and return home within this 3-day period.

ECPAT UK is pleased that the Government has finally launched this consultation, which was first announced back in February. We will be responding to the consultation and urging the Government to fulfill its commitment to implement the closure of this loophole by December this year.

Andrew Howard, Campaigns Officer

Link to Home Office statement on 14th June: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110614/wmstext/110614m0001.htm#11061450000006

Link to Home Office consultation documents: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/media-centre/news/sex-offenders