Rather than waiting for tales of horrific sexual abuse involving children and women to hit the headlines, Bermuda must take action with an aggressive national plan that aims to prevent violent sex crimes, says a leading Policeman.

Det. Sgt. Mark Clarke, who runs the Police?s Juvenile Domestic Crime Unit, is calling on Government to curtail the number of sex crimes against women and children with a national preventative strategy of child abuse and domestic violence.

And rather than waiting around for yet another victim to come forward, Det. Sgt. Clarke said Government needs a clear prevention strategy and a public register of high risk dangerous sex offenders.

The issue of child sexual abuse and the level of protection children have through the law has become a hot topic after paedophile Police officer John (Chalkie) White was convicted of violent sexually abuse and exploitation against three young boys. White was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment.

National statistics for the number of cases each year of violent sexual crimes, particularly paedophilia, are not available to the public and Det. Sgt. Clarke said this lack of information indicates how the public has not ?digested or understood the roles these crimes play in our community?.?

The Ministry of Health and Family Services has a list of people who have been convicted of child abuse crimes, but it is not available to the public and is only available to specific authorities.

The Children?s Act of 1998 makes provision for a Child Abuse register maintained through Government and the courts.

People with their names on the list can specifically request to review the entry relating to them.

Publicity surrounding child abuse was also highlighted in the 2004 Throne Speech.

Government identified the establishment of Police Consultative Committees to operate in parishes throughout the Island with the aim of allowing citizens to become involved in crime prevention. The speech states; ?Child Abuse regulations will be implemented to provide the ability to track and monitor individuals convicted of child abuse.?

In the Speech Government states that offenders will be encouraged to focus on the consequences of their behaviour through an Uncommon Results Programme.

However, Det. Sgt. Clarke questioned the plans, telling they are not specific enough and are too vague.

?What measures will be put in place to modify behaviours of high risk offenders, and what penalties will then be used to modify behaviour,? he asked.

He continued: ?We have to protect women and children from becoming victims. As a community we are not working to prevent victimisation.

?This is something we can prevent with a plan that targets behaviour of individuals who may be exhibiting actions that lead to sex abuse. For example, what do we do when we know there is a prowler hanging around a playground and he has been convicted of engaging in sex crimes against children. What are the penalties we can use as a community to prevent this kind of behaviour??

In California, Det. Sgt. Clarke said the Domestic Violence and Child Abuse policy works to reduce crime.

?Over a five-year period in San Diego, the Domestic Violence and the Child Abuse policy has seen a reduction of crimes against children and and domestic partners drop fifty percent.?

Shadow Health Minister Michael Dunkley also expressed concern with how Government manages high risk offenders and people?s unwillingness to talk about the topic of paedophilia and violent crime against women and children.

Instead of being reactionary he said Government needs to lead open community dialogue on the issue.

?There are more and more victims every year,? he said. ?We?re too easy on people who have been convicted. Westgate is too nice a place to live ? if you?ve done something wrong it should be that you lose your rights until the community says it?s time to have them back. Knowledge is power ? the public has a right to know so that people are aware so they can act accordingly.?

Sheelagh Cooper, head of the Coalition for the Protection of Children, has also supported a paedophiles? register.

Mrs. Cooper said the community must know if there is an offender living in their area as the first step to preventing the individual from re-offending.

In Canada residents in certain communities adopt the Circle of Care and Responsibility as it is known in British Columbia where communities know where a sex offender lives.

?The idea is not to stigmatise someone,? said Mrs. Cooper. ?But to have people be alert and aware, not to shun or demean this person but to protect your children from him so he does not re-offend with this kind of behaviour. If the person is nurtured by the community he is less likely to be a danger.?

News of White?s conviction reached as far as Australia where parents sent e-mails explaining how certain communities throughout Australia upheld Megan?s Law.

Through this law which is also used in the United States, paedophiles are named and their offences are detailed and made available as a public record. Any individual who is charged with abusing and assaulting a child when they move into a neighbourhood is made known to other residents.

Activists Jackie Wilkinson and Barbara Montgomery of Sydney, Australia said: ?We expose paedophiles living in the community, and we will do this at every opportunity.

?Paedophiles are never rehabilitated and studies worldwide support this. We want to ensure that they have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.?