Plan for ‘animosity against abusers offence’ dropped

Tasmania’s government has abandoned a proposed law change that would have made it illegal to “incite animosity” towards registered child sexual offenders.

The government wants to amend the Community Protection (Offender Reporting) Act, with the goal of making information about offenders on the register more accessible.

Under the plan, parents and guardians would be allowed to apply to find out if people who are in regular, unsupervised contact with their children are on the register.

The draft bill also proposed to create offences for breaches of confidentiality, vigilantism and “inciting animosity” towards registered offenders to “balance” the disclosure of more information.

It proposed fines of up to $39,000 or jail time of up to two years for people who “intend to create, promote or increase animosity towards, or harassment of, a person who is an identified offender”.

Child abuse survivors, the Labor opposition and an independent MP criticised the animosity clause, with some labelling it too vague.

There were also fears it may prevent survivors from sharing their stories.

The state government has announced it will remove the word “animosity” from the draft bill amid ongoing consultation.

“It has been clear that there is community concern about a clause regarding creating or promoting ‘animosity’ towards an identified sex offender,” MP Felix Ellis said.

MP Lara Alexander, one of two now-independents who quit the Liberals in May and plunged the government into minority, described the animosity clause as a “slap in the face” for victim-survivors.

Consultation on the draft bill, which the government says has been based on West Australian laws, opened in December and closes on February 16.

The state government is implementing 191 recommendations from a commission of inquiry into child sexual abuse in public institutions, but the draft bill is not among them.

The final report of the commission, released in September, found governments over decades had too often responded inadequately to allegations and instances of abuse.

The commission also said it was unable to make findings against some public servants because of complex legal interpretations adopted by lawyers.

The government has announced several reviews after the inquiry, including into whether public servants whose received legal advice paid for by the state acted in “good faith”.

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