Both political parties have come together in support of a committee to investigate how the Island should deal with sex offenders.

The motion, moved during Friday’s session of Parliament by the PLP’s Zane DeSilva and amended by OBA backbencher Mark Pettingill, would create a joint select committee to examine existing legislation surrounding the sex offenders registry, and other matters related to convicted sex offenders.

Mr Pettingill said the most important question surrounded the establishment of a public sex offenders registry, particularly relating to those who target the Island’s children.

He said the incidents of sexual offences against children were amazingly prevalent, noting a US study which found that one in four women and one in six men are interfered with before the age of 18.

“Around 73 per cent of child victims don’t tell anyone, don’t know how to tell, don’t know where to begin, don’t understand and internalised the pain they suffer,” he said.

He also noted that the majority of sexual predators are not strangers but people who parents believe their children can be safe with.

This includes friends and family members.

While Mr Pettingill said the concept of a public sex offenders registry appears to be an easy step, he noted that there are real concerns about vigilantism, noting that he himself received a phone call from someone prepared to kill someone who had sexually abused his [the caller’s] daughter.

“Some of the most rational, sensitive, loving people that I know have that reaction, have that feeling,” he said.

“I talked that man down because that wasn’t the answer and not only has his daughter lost her innocence, but she would lose her father.”

He said that the issue of a public sex offenders registry would be one obvious point for the committee to investigate, it was not the only one.

He also suggested that the committee look at protocols to protect children and adults by requiring two parents to be present when a child is disciplined, and that those involved in child-related organisations be subject to screening and proper training.

Mr Pettingill said he hoped the Committee would work quickly so that legislation could be tabled within the next few sessions, Mr DeSilva said he hoped to see legislation as soon as February.

“These are long overdue amendments,” he said. “This country will benefit and the children will benefit greatly.”

Mr DeSilva said he also knew people who had been impacted by sexual abuse, noting the lingering affects of such offences in the victims.

“It goes on for a long time,” he said. “This abuse can lead to a life of drugs or alcohol addiction. It causes victims years of pain and unhealthy behaviour. It can, in many cases, be a life sentence. When some one is convicted, they get a couple of years. Four or five years. Maybe six. They get out with good behaviour. The victims are impacted for life.”

He told the House that he follows the rule of three — that there should always be at least two adults present with a child — to help discourage abuses, and he hoped the committee would suggest a mandated code of conduct and mandatory background checks for those who work with children.

Mr DeSilva said he supported the creation of a public list of sex offenders in order to protect children from known sexual predators, asking the House: “Do we want to protect our children or do we want to protect a convicted, adult sex offender? Very easy choice.”

Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell said that he had not planned to speak in the House on the issue of child sex abuse but after hearing such emotive speeches felt compelled to. He said that he would like to see mandatory minimum sentences of five years imposed on perpetrators, and the doubling of sentences if they reoffend.

A number of ministers stressed the importance of education as part of the solution to child sex abuse Island and highlighted the Scars (Saving Children and Revealing Secrets) prevention training programme. The free programme teaches adults how to prevent, recognise and react responsibly to child sexual abuse while encouraging children and adults to report such crimes.

Attorney General Trevor Moniz said that he was yet to be convinced about a public registry and said such a registry was “just the tip of the iceberg”. A big problem, he said, was the number of cases not reported.

He spoke of the Joint Select Committee being launched to debate the topic and said he would welcome Shadow Minister of Health Kim Wilson to sit on it due to her experience dealing with the matter.