October 31, 2025
Attorney-General Deb Frecklington has used the annual “Day For Daniel” – the last Friday in October – to explain the passing this week of “Daniel’s Law” by State Parliament.
The legislation, named in honour of Daniel Morcombe who was abducted and killed by a paedophile in 2003, establishes a sex offender register open to the public.
The photographs and personal details of reportable offenders who fail to comply with their obligations will be listed, graded within three tiers:
- Tier 1: A publicly available website listing reportable offenders who have failed to comply with obligations and whose whereabouts are unknown (the offender’s full name, photograph and year of birth will be accessible by members of the public, but they must agree not to misuse the information)
- Tier 2: An online application for residents to view photographs of reportable offenders living in their local area
- Tier 3: An online application for parents or guardians to confirm if a particular person with unsupervised contact with their child is a reportable offender
Mrs Frecklington said the Queensland Community Protection and Public Child Sex Offender Register would give parents access to vital information to help keep their children safe.
“Daniel’s Law is another tool to help protect the State’s most vulnerable,” the Attorney-General said.
“This law gives parents peace of mind and ensures transparency and accountability when it comes to child protection.”
The State Government has put in place measures which it says will safeguard the register from misuse, including possible jail sentences for sharing information online (including on social media) or using the information to incite violence, threaten or harass anyone.
However, critics of the register have claimed it has the potential to provoke vigilante action, fails to address rehabilitation and could further socially isolate offenders, potentially leading to more incidents of child abuse.
Queensland Council For Civil Liberties president Michael Cope said there was no evidence the scheme operating in Western Australia (which formed the basis for the Queensland legislation) or a similar scheme in the United Kingdom had been effective in reducing offences.
“We all know that access to housing, employment and stable social relationships are fundamental to reducing the risk of re-offending,” he said.
“However, community notification increases the prospect of the offenders being ostracised, harassed and relocated, significantly reducing the chances of this successful rehabilitation.
“In fact, this increases the prospect of offenders being located together with the very serious risk that they will network, increasing the risks to children.
“These laws increase the prospect the offenders will go into hiding which must surely be a most undesirable outcome.”
