Prof Alec Spencer: Registered offenders are the 'tip of the iceberg'

Published on Monday 26 October 2009 21:09

I AM one of those people who believe that the number of sex offenders identified on the register is probably just the tip of the iceberg.

If you look at the research which suggests one in six boys and one in nine girls suffer abuse, which is a low estimate, then there are probably more offenders out there.

Even if just one in ten people have suffered sexual abuse then that would mean around 500,000 people in Scotland.

However, I believe the figures published by the Scottish Government yesterday represent good news for the public.

The rate of reoffending does appear to be very low, which suggests that the measures being taken at the moment are successful.

In 2006 I was the main advisor to the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee, which included Kenny MacAskill, when it came up with recommendations on how to deal with sex offenders through community justice.

What we now have in place is the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPAs), which mean that the various services and authorities monitor offenders in the community and manage them.

This means that social services and the police know where these people are and can give them the chance to positively change their lifestyles so that they do not offend again.

What we find is that it is positive actions rather than negative ones which work best.

If somebody is forced to stay in a house lonely with nothing to do, they are more likely to fantasise and return to sexual offences.

If they can start building normal relationships and have work or activities to fill their lives then they will not.

This is also an argument for not making their identities widely known with a Mark's Law or Megan's Law.

All this achieves is to drive the offenders underground and away from those who can properly manage their rehabilitation.

Of course there is always the difficult question over resourcing.

A case can always be made that more money can be spent on everything.

Personally, I believe that resources would be better used in dealing with sex offenders in the community than on short-term sentences.

It is interesting to note that the average prison term for a sex offender is just 23 or 24 days.

You barely have time to register the person's name, take their address and arrange for their release in that time, so it seems to me to be a complete waste of time and money in tackling the offence.

&#149 Alec Spencer is an honorary professor at Stirling University and one of Scotland's leading experts on sex offenders and prisons.