Prime Minister Gaston Browne
People across Antigua and Barbuda could soon have easier access to information on convicted sex offenders, with the government moving to make the country’s Sex Offenders Registry publicly available, including photographs of those listed.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced the move on Saturday, saying he has instructed Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Sir Steadroy Benjamin to take the necessary steps to make the registry accessible to the public.
The proposed change would mark a significant shift from the current system, under which access to information contained in the registry is restricted.
Browne acknowledged that concerns have been raised over whether publicly identifying convicted sex offenders, particularly through the release of their photographs, could infringe upon their constitutional rights.
However, the Prime Minister argued that those concerns should not outweigh the public’s right to know who has been convicted of sexual offences.
The Sex Offenders Registry came into effect in Antigua and Barbuda in November 2022 as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s response to sexual offences.
While the registry has been operational for nearly four years, it has not been freely accessible to the general public.
Under the existing arrangement, eligible individuals seeking access to the registry must apply through the Commissioner of Police before being permitted to view the information.
The government’s latest move would therefore represent a major expansion of public access, allowing residents to identify convicted sex offenders, including through photographs.
Further details are expected on how the registry will be published, what information will be made available and when the new public-access system will take effect.
Thanks it’s a long time coming but a change has come.
About time! The public has a right to know, especially parents who are trying to protect their children.
But serious question though… if someone was convicted 20 or 30 years ago, served their sentence and never committed another offence, are they going to be publicly listed too? These are the things I want explained.
Making the registry public may help protect our communities, but what about the victims? In a small country like Antigua and Barbuda, publishing an offender’s name, photo and conviction could make it easy in some cases to figure out who the victim is.
Will the media also be allowed to publish everyone on the registry or revisit old cases? Public safety matters, but so does a victim’s right to privacy. I hope that balance is carefully considered.
One time you all demand for the photos of the offender and now it’s been given you all in another thought about it. Make your damn mind.
My thing is don’t stop here. What about better support for victims? What about counselling? What about faster cases in the court? A registry alone isn’t going to solve everything.
I understand the Prime Minister’s argument about the public’s right to know, but I don’t agree that putting every convicted person’s name and photograph out there is necessarily the answer. If someone has served the sentence handed down by the court, completed rehabilitation and stayed out of trouble, are we saying that person should be publicly branded for the rest of their life? And what about their children and families who committed no crime but may now face ridicule or harassment because of it? Protecting the public is important, especially our children, but constitutional rights and rehabilitation matter too. We have to be careful that in trying to protect society, we don’t create another form of punishment that never ends.
If you’re convicted of doing that to somebody child I have zero sympathy. Sorry not sorry.
Would this ever happen after years of promises? How can we protect our women, especially the young girls and boys, in the country from these demons. Gaston and the ABLP administration need to get serious with all these promises to the people of Antigua and Barbuda. We need actions not false promises.
I support protecting children, but I hope this is done properly and the information is accurate. Once somebody’s photo and name is public, the consequences are serious.