MOSCOW (Sputnik) — UK Police do not know the whereabouts of almost 400 convicted sex offenders, the Press Association news agency reported Tuesday, citing obtained police figures.
Police forces in the UK are responsible for monitoring registered sex offenders. The offenders, in turn, are responsible for notifying authorities of address changes. New information reveals that many offenders have not been in contact with police in decades.
In England and Wales, on average one law enforcement employee is responsible for as many as 50 registered sex offenders, the agency's freedom of information request from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has revealed.
"The monitoring of registered sex offenders in communities needs urgent attention by the government to ensure it is fit for purpose," Jon Brown, the NSPCC Head of Strategy & Development for Sexual Abuse, told Press Association.
NSPCC also found that 46,102 convicted sex offenders were on watch. As many as 2,000 of them are considered likely to commit new offenses, the society revealed.