Public Opinion is Clear: Urgent Legislation Required to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation! Read the story

Ireland May Join the US and Australia in Restricting Foreign Travel for Sex Offenders

Posted on Apr 19, 2018

A bill concerning SECTT has been brought before the Irish parliament by Independent MP Maureen O’Sullivan in an effort to curtail incidences of convicted sex offenders travelling abroad to sexually exploit children.

Just as in the US and Australia, convicted paedophiles would have to seek permission from a judge in order to travel abroad.

O’Sullivan has worked closely with PREDA Foundation (People’s Recovery Empowerment Development Assistance), the child rights organisation, in drafting the bill. The founder of PREDA, Father Shay Cullen, who has been nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize, commented on the bill “The passing of this amendment to the Sexual Offenders Act 2001 will curtain the child abuse sex tourism and protect children. It is high time for government and society to take action to support the bill and protect vulnerable impoverished children.”

Father Cullen heads the PREDA home for abused children to recover from sexual abuse and exploitation. Many of these children were abused in their own homes and after they ran away, they were picked up on the street by traffickers.

The foundation said sex tourism from Ireland is growing and it is vital that the government here does something to stop convicted sex offenders here from travelling to countries where there is little or no protection for children. If passed, Ireland would be the first country in the EU to restrict the travel rights of convicted sex offenders.

The bill has passed the first stage of consultation in the Irish parliament.

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