Canada: Ottawa agrees to national sex offender registry.

February 14, 2002

MONCTON, N.B. - A sex offender registry will be included in the main database used by Canadian police forces, Solicitor General Lawrence MacAulay said Wednesday.

The provinces have been lobbying for a mandatory registry for more than a year. At a meeting in Moncton on Wednesday, MacAulay agreed to the provinces' demands.

The Canadian Police Information Centre's computer lists all offenders with a criminal record in the country. MacAulay said a separate category will be added to the database for sex offenders.

An offender's identifying marks such as tattoos and scars will also be included in the files, and eventually pictures will be added. The information would only be available to police officers.

Sex offenders who are released from jail will be required to tell police where they are living. If a child is abducted then police could quickly carry out a search.

Ontario set up its own registry last year. The province's Solicitor General, David Turnbull, said he's pleased Ottawa changed its mind, and he expects the national registry will be similar to Ontario's system.


Click here to read this article in full.


Source: © 2002 CBC News