Opposition senator Robin Tucker today called on the Attorney-General to explain why she did not warn the public about the early release from prison of a prolific child sex offender.

Ms Tucker questioned whether Kathy Lynn Simmons, who is also the Minister of Legal Affairs, followed the proper protocol before Shuja Amon Muhammad left Westgate in October 2020.

The 48-year-old, who had been jailed in 2014 for ten years for molesting a seven-year-old girl, attacked three other children after his early prison release and is now awaiting sentence for those offences.

Ms Tucker said: “As a mother and a grandmother of young children, I am outraged by the fact that a repeat sex offender was released from custody without any apparent notification made to the public that would have allowed parents and guardians to safeguard their children.

“Where is the accountability to these children whose lives have been irreparably, and avoidably, damaged?

“Where is the accountability to their families? I am so very sorry that this has happened to these children. Sadly, no words of comfort will change it.”

The Progressive Labour Party promised before it was elected in 2017 to name sex offenders for “certain offences”.

The pledge came after public outrage when sex offender John “Chalkie” White was released in November 2016 without the families of his victims being notified.

Ms Simmons became the first minister to issue a public notification about a dangerous sex offender in early 2018 and she has issued further warnings since.

The Royal Gazette understands that in the case of Muhammad, previous victims were notified of his release but there was no general warning to the community.

A Ministry of National Security spokesman told the Gazette in May that Muhammad was in prison from 2014 and was released in 2020, adding: “Prior to his release, the Department of Corrections followed the sex offender notification protocol as required by the Criminal Code (Sex Offender Management) Amendment Act 2018 passed by the Progressive Labour Party government in 2018.”

A spokesman for the Attorney General’s Chambers said then: “The Attorney-General’s decisions are guided by different factors in each individual case, including psychological assessments provided by the Department of Corrections.”

Ms Tucker said: “Bermuda’s Criminal Code requires the Minister of Legal Affairs to implement a protocol for public notification. Was this protocol followed? How was it applied in this situation?

“It is useless having a system in place that this Government says is for the protection of our children but then they cherry pick how to apply it, if it is even applied at all.”

The senator said the “lack of wide public disclosure about the release of this individual is totally unacceptable”.

She added: “I call on the Minister of Legal Affairs to explain to every parent and guardian why she didn’t notify the public of this sex offender’s release.

“The public deserves to hear from the Minister directly and swiftly. It is a disgrace that she remains silent in the wake of such a clear display of poor judgment.

“This Government has failed these children and all others who have been left unprotected by a system that clearly doesn’t do what we have been told it will do.

“Someone must be held accountable for this tragedy and appropriate actions taken with greater urgency by this Government to prevent any more of our children from becoming future victims.”

Her remarks follow criticism of the Government earlier this week by child safety campaigner Sheelagh Cooper and calls for stronger sentences in January by the charity Saving Children and Revealing Secrets.

The Gazette has asked the Attorney-General for comment.