Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: British Court Backs a 'Megan's Law' > LONDON (AP) -- British police have a legal right to > publicize the whereabouts of convicted child molesters, > an appeals court ruled Wednesday. > > But the Court of Appeal said authorities should do more > to find appropriate housing for people released from > prison after convictions for child sex offenses. > > The court rejected an appeal by Peter Thorpe, 46, and > his wife Christine, 42, who were evicted from a trailer > park after police notified the owner of their criminal > history. > > Both were released from prison in July 1996 after > serving more than seven years of 11-year sentences after > a series of indecent assaults on children and the rape > of a 16-year-old girl. > > They had been driven out of several places after their > past became known. They have ceased to cooperate with > authorities and their present whereabouts are unknown. > > Lord Woolf, speaking for the three-judge panel, said the > police and probation service had acted lawfully, but in > future cases ``disclosure should only be made when there > is a pressing need for that disclosure.'' > > He said determining right action to take to protect > children from risk ``will still remain an immensely > difficult problem, but if previous sexual offenders know > that help with safe accommodation will be available they > are less likely to go'' underground. -- Two rules in life: 1. Don't tell people everything you know. 2. Subscribe/Unsubscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the body of the message enter: subscribe/unsubscribe law-issues
