Youngest person on sex offenders register aged 20

There are 141 people listed on the sex offenders register with the youngest person being 20 years old, information tabled in parliament shows.

Two of the offenders are women and the rest are men, according to the information tabled by Justice Minister Jonathan Attard. He was replying to a parliamentary question by Opposition MP Graziella Attard Previ.

The oldest person on the register is 78 years old and the average age is 41.

Popularly known as the sex offenders register, it lists the names of people who would have been found guilty of sexual crimes against minors and also serious drug trafficking. The register is maintained by the Registrar of Civil Courts and Tribunals and is not publicly accessible. Public, private, religious and non-governmental organisations and companies that work with children, are required by law to file an application with the law courts to verify whether prospective employees or voluntary workers are listed on the register.

The process involves notifying the Attorney General and a hearing in front of a judge. The minister told parliament the verification process takes around one month.

The register was introduced in 2012 to ensure that adults who work or offer a service in organisations that deal with children are not convicted paedophiles.

There have been several calls over the years for the register to be made public, something legislators have not been keen on since it could lead to witch hunts.

Others have called for widening the scope of verification to anybody with a concern over a person and not just organisations or companies that work with children. Something on the same lines already exists, for people who would like to know whether their partner or prospective partner has had previous domestic violence cases.