The Antigua and Barbuda Government is moving to give the public broader access to the country’s Sex Offenders Registry, including the names and photographs of people convicted of sexual offences.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced the proposed policy shift on Saturday, saying he has directed Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Sir Steadroy Benjamin to take the necessary steps to make the registry more widely accessible.
If implemented, the measure would significantly change the existing system, which allows members of the public to seek information about a named individual only by applying to the Commissioner of Police.
Browne said the publication of photographs would help parents, guardians and communities identify convicted offenders and take appropriate precautions, particularly where children and other vulnerable people may be at risk.
The Prime Minister acknowledged concerns that unrestricted publication could be challenged as an infringement of the constitutional rights of people who have already been convicted and punished.
However, he argued that those concerns must be balanced against the public’s right to know whether a convicted sexual offender is living or operating in a community.
The move comes amid heightened public concern in Antigua and Barbuda over sexual offences, particularly cases involving children. Government officials and child-protection professionals have been calling for stronger preventative measures, greater public awareness and improved safeguards for vulnerable people.
Social and Urban Transformation Minister Rawdon Turner recently called for convicted sex offenders to be publicly identified, arguing that parents should not be left unaware when an offender is living near their homes, schools or communities.
Turner went as far as suggesting that the names and photographs of convicted offenders should be displayed publicly as a warning to families.
Antigua and Barbuda’s National Sex Offender Register Act was passed in November 2022 to provide for the registration and monitoring of people convicted of specified sexual offences.
The registry is intended to assist law-enforcement agencies in tracking offenders, reducing the risk of repeat offences and sharing relevant information with authorities locally and in other jurisdictions.
Information collected can include an offender’s name, nationality, residential address, employment details, fingerprints, photographs and information about institutions with which that person is associated.
The law covers several categories of sexual offences, including rape and other forms of sexual assault, incest, sexual intercourse with a minor and offences involving child pornography.
Under the present access arrangement, a person concerned about a named individual may apply to the Commissioner of Police for confirmation that the individual appears on the registry. The system was designed to provide limited disclosure for public protection while preventing misuse of offenders’ personal information.
The legislation also provides penalties for people who obtain information under false pretences, misuse information received from the registry or maliciously distribute it. Such offences may attract a fine of EC$10,000 or imprisonment for up to three years.
The Government must now determine whether legislative amendments, regulations or new administrative arrangements will be required to establish broader access.
It must also decide whether the entire registry will be made available online or whether publication will be limited to certain offenders based on the seriousness of their crimes, the risk of reoffending or orders made by the courts.
The issue has wider regional significance as Caribbean governments continue to grapple with monitoring convicted offenders who may move between neighbouring countries. During parliamentary debate on the legislation, Benjamin said information could be shared with jurisdictions that have security agreements with Antigua and Barbuda.
Jamaica, Belize and Trinidad and Tobago are among Caribbean countries that have enacted sex-offender registration legislation, although the level of public access varies across jurisdictions.
Further details are expected from the Attorney General on what information will be published, how the system will protect victims’ identities and when the expanded public-access arrangement will take effect.
