Samoa passes law enforcement only Sex offender registry.
Samoa just passed a sex offender registry. There are two important differences, however, between theirs (and most other countries that have a registry) and the US.
Firstly, the registry and accompanying requirements will not be imposed retroactively against those who are not in custody as of it’s enactment. and secondly, the registry is for law enforcement only.
The “register… ensures that access to the personal information in the Register is restricted to the greatest extent that is possible without interfering with the purpose of this Act. “Persons with access to register not to disclose personal information from it,” says the Act.
The Police Commissioner or a person authorized to have access to the Register or any part of the Register may disclose information in the Register to a government department, public statutory authority, foreign law enforcement or supervisory authority or court for the purpose of law enforcement or judicial functions or activities or as authorized or required by or under any Act or law.
If it’s going to have a registry, at least Samoa’s preserves human rights!
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LE only registries are absolutely useless, too. There is not one single case where the registry played a role in the investigation of any offense, less registry violations. There’s nothing in them that wouldn’t be in the federal and local databases. Factor in the exceedingly low RSO rearrest rate and there is no coherent reason to maintain a separate SOR, especially when those databases are acessed as routine in any criminal investigation anyway. Even where RSOs commit another crime, his RSO status isn’t known until after arrest.
That said, it does make good political sense. An announcement that the registry is being dissolved would certainly be followed by news “reporting” that would portray that all former RSO hands (to include those dead and incarcerated) would be down the pants of every child in America the next day. An LE-only registry might help detract that. Probably not, but at least it would show effort.
So, I wonder if it is not going to be retroactive for those that are off sanctions if those that complete their sentences will be removed?
I give the Somoan government a A for their stance on implementation of a registry for 2 reasons 1 Law Enforcement and official government need to know only information may not be distributed publicly 2 Not being applied retroactively. They could earn a A+(A) If there are no residency restrictions and (B) There is a fair clear path to be removed from the registry entirely. But such as it is kuddos Samoa