Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson MHK has been presented with a petition calling for tougher sentences for child sex offences.
A public campaign launched last year by Lisa Taylor and supported by Sadie Sanders has generated more than 5,600 signatures. The two local women bravely waived their right to anonymity to speak out on the issue following a high-profile court case in the Isle of Man.
Lisa and Sadie have held meetings with Minister Watterson and senior officers at the Department of Home Affairs to discuss the possibility of strengthening sentencing powers to deal with convicted paedophiles.
Lisa said: ‘The response to the online petition has been overwhelming, which shows the depth of feeling in the Isle of Man. I wanted to raise public awareness, to give victims a voice and to play a part in helping future generations of children to be safe. Since the petition was launched, more than a dozen women have been in touch to share their stories.’
Sadie added: ‘The support we have received from Minister Watterson and the Department of Home Affairs has been encouraging. We hope to see some meaningful progress in the time ahead and to achieve something positive from a very negative situation.’
Minister Watterson has voiced his support for the principle of the petition and is working with officers to progress a number of initiatives aimed at addressing the issue.
The Minister said: ‘I recognise Lisa and Sadie’s concerns and commend them for having the courage to share their personal experiences and highlight such a difficult topic. The Department is working up legislation to ensure sentences for sexual offences in general, and sexual offences involving children in particular, reflect the gravity of the offence.’
He added: ‘We recognise that the law in this area is outdated and has not kept pace with modern society. This is a comprehensive and ongoing piece of work that will be delivered after the House of Keys general election. In addition, the Department is committed to giving victims of crime a more powerful voice as part of its modernisation of the Island’s criminal justice system.’
The Minister has also reiterated the Isle of Man Constabulary’s ‘zero-tolerance approach’ to sexual offences, including historical cases.
He commented: ‘All reported incidents of this nature are investigated and prosecuted where possible. The courage of local victims and the publicity that has followed cases in the UK has combined to increase the confidence of victims to come forward and place their trust in the police.’
Photo - Sadie Sanders (left) and Lisa Taylor.
