MP Sarah Champion’s success in campaign to ban registered sex offenders from changing names

CAMPAIGN SUCCESS: Rotherham MP Sarah Champion

MP Sarah Champion has welcomed a government announcement that it will adopt legal changes from her campaign to prevent registered sex offenders from changing their names.

Ms Champion has campaigned for the move for a number of years and the government has confirmed that it has now tabled amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill that would ban registered sex offenders adopting new names in certain circumstances.

In a letter to Sarah, the minister for victims and safeguarding Laura Farris said: “I am grateful for your commitment to raise awareness on the scale of the problem regarding name changes by RSOs and your efforts through Parliament campaigns to drive change on this matter. I recognise your commitment to addressing concerns raised by your constituents and the important role you have played in advocating for changes to safeguard the most vulnerable.

“Public protection is a priority for this government and the notification requirements for RSOs are an invaluable tool for the management of offenders within the community. We are committed to ensuring that the system is as robust as it can be.”

Rotherham MP Ms Champion said: “I am hugely relieved the government have accepted my campaign to stop registered sex offenders changing their name to avoid detection. It has been a long fight, but I am enormously proud of the victims and survivors who have used their experiences to show the horror that occurs when abusers exploit the existing loophole, often to secure a ‘clean’ DBS check in a new name.’

“I would like to pay particular tribute to Della Wright and the Safeguarding Alliance, who first alerted me to this issue and have done so much, over so many years, to bring about this change.

“I have spent many nights awake worrying about the risks of the current system. It makes a mockery of all the name based safeguarding schemes like Clare’s Law (the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme) and indeed the DBS scheme (Disclosure and Barring Service), when all you need to do to avoid detection is change your name by deed poll. It been a hard fight to make ministers understand the risks, but it is all worth it to protect others.”

The Criminal Justice Bill will return to the House of Commons on Wednesday May 15.