Govt considers 'all options' as increased sexual offences convictions put pressure on prison system

The Government says it’s prepared to consider the most difficult options when it comes to convicted paedophiles with nothing off the table where the safety of children is concerned.

Opening the Association of Compliance Officers’ Conference, the Minister for Justice said the responsibility of governments should not only focus on the rehabilitation of the offender but extend to the protection of victims and the wider public.

Nigel Feetham said he was working on legislative measures to strengthen the deterrent against serious sexual offending.

And, he added, he was willing to go further if it’s found the measures already announced do not deliver the protection that, he said, our children deserve, even considering measures that some may regard as extreme.

The comments come as an increase in convictions puts pressure on the prison system.

In his address Nigel Feetham said that whether sexual offending was increasing, or whether we were simply getting better at detecting and reporting it, there was a need to look carefully at whether Gibraltar’s systems and laws remained fit for purpose.

He said that thinking had informed the work undertaken to strengthen the framework around serious sexual offences, including tightening parole provisions, strengthening public protection safeguards, addressing the use of cautions, ensuring the views of victims and their families are properly taken into account and giving the RGP extra resources.

He added that particularly when the safety of children is concerned, the Government has a responsibility to do everything within its power to protect them. 

“Those who commit these horrendous crimes against children will certainly not be expecting what option we might consider next. And it will not just be chemical castration. “

So far the prison system is coping but the number of sexual offenders being prosecuted is on the rise.

Without looking at individuals currently being investigated by the Royal Gibraltar Police.

there are currently 11 cases in the supreme court or being prosecuted.

There are four in the Magistrates Court.

Of these 15, nine include offences involving children.

The prison has capacity for 98 prisoners and currently holds 40.

Eight are sexual offenders with six of these serving sentences involving children.

They serve their sentence in a separate wing for their own protection.  This wing can house 22 and therefore, could in the near future, prove inadequate.

The latest data from the Council of Europe shows 8.6% of sentenced prisoners across Europe are serving sentences for rape and other sexual offences. On the Rock 20% of the current prison population are sexual offenders.

Each prisoner is currently costing the taxpayer almost £127,000 a year.

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And, Christina Cortes spoke to the Minister for Justice about the prison statistics, as well as the possible plans for further measures to tackle sexual offences.

She first asked Nigel Feetham about the data showing 20% of the Rock's current prison population are sexual offenders, compared to under 9% across Europe.