WITH more than 62,000 people on the Sex Offenders' Register living in the UK, it can be of interest to many to see if there are any living near you. 

Sarah’s Law, officially known as the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, CSODS, was introduced following the abduction and murder of Sarah Payne, eight, by paedophile Roy Whiting, in 2000.

The scheme allows people in England and Wales to ask police if someone with access to a child has been convicted or suspected of child abuse.

Officers will look into the background of individuals and reveal details confidentially, usually to the parents of guardians, if they think it is in the child's interests.

Applications under Sarah’s Law can be made by anyone, but the police will only inform the person who is able to protect the child.

READ MORE >> Do you live on the same street as a convicted sex offender? How to check

Sarah’s Law went live for Essex Police in August 2010. 

The CSODS is a process that enables parents, carers, guardians or other interested parties to formally ask the Police to check if an individual who has contact with a child has a record for Child Sexual Offences. 

It does not identify if that person is registered on the Registered Sex Offender Register. 

A Freedom of Information Act has disclosed how many CSODs were submitted to Essex Police in 2021, how many were proceeded with, and how many disclosures were made relating to RSO.

Disclosures are made to the person who is in the best place to safeguard the child, and this may not necessarily be the person who originally applied. 

Where disclosure was not provided, this will be because there is no relevant information to share or was not suitable under Sarah’s Law.

Gazette:

More than eight were made each month in 2021, with the most being made in October, at 25.

Of those 25, four CSODs were proceeded with, and eight disclosures were made relating to RSO.

Data also showed year-by-year breakdowns since 2010.

2021 saw the most applications, with 173, however, only 17 of the CSODs were proceeded with. Fifty-eight disclosures were made relating to RSO.

In second was 2019, with 114 applications, and in this year all 114 were proceeded with. However, only five disclosures were made relating to RSO. Some 107 were non-disclosures.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “We can disclose information that is relevant, lawful and appropriate where there may be a need to ensure the safeguarding of a child from harm without any offences being committed. 

“The purpose of the scheme is to allow us to safeguard children from any risk of sexual harm before any offences are committed.”

How do I access the information?

If you feel a child is in immediate danger, you should call 999 straight away.

In all other circumstances that are not an emergency, you can request information relating to a child that you are in a position to protect or safeguard by calling 101 or visit your local police station.

Alternatively you can go to a police station and ask them for a ‘Child Sex Offenders Disclosure Scheme Form’ (Sarah’s Law), or Form 284.

If police checks show the individual has a record for child sexual offences, or other offences that might put the child at risk, the police will consider sharing this information.

You should know that disclosure is not guaranteed - the police will only consider telling the person best placed to protect the child – usually a parent, carer or guardian – if the person being checked has a record of child sexual offences or other offences that indicate they may pose a risk to a child.

The police will disclose information only if it is lawful, necessary and proportionate to do so in the interests of protecting the child, or children, from harm.