The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Against Crime Executive Director Rev C B Moss said yesterday he was “disappointed” that the government had “dropped the ball” on advancing regulations for Marco’s Law since passing the legislation last year.

Rev Moss called on National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage to expedite the movement of the regulations.

The government tabled Marco’s Law, an amendment to the Child Protection Act, more than one year ago on December 5, 2013.

In the months that followed, Dr Nottage several times said that the enactment of the law was soon expected.

His latest assurance came in September when he told the media that enacting Marco’s Law was expected within a month. However, that deadline was missed.

The regulations would see the MARCO alert system and a sex offender registry implemented for the first time in The Bahamas.

“We are disappointed that this has not been implemented to date,” Rev Moss told The Tribune. “While we are not certain of all of the intricacies of the delay, at least government officials could have told why it hasn’t been implemented.

“We thought they had the ball on this. But it seems as though the ball has been dropped and it is sad that this has not been moved fast enough.

“Initially Bahamas Against Crime was in the forefront of this, but once the ministry, and particularly the minister, said he would move it in parliament, we took a back seat.

“We want the government to expedite this and get it done, otherwise we might have to apply some pressure.”

The law is the direct result of the gruesome killing of 11-year-old Marco Archer by convicted paedophile Kofhe Goodman in 2011 and was considered a move to strengthen child protection laws.

Last December, when the legislation was being debated in the House of Assembly, Dr Nottage said Archer’s family wrote to him shortly after the boy’s death and recommended implementing an alert for missing children and a sexual offender’s register.

Dr Nottage said the changes to the law would cover all missing children by establishing the guidelines for a Mandatory Action Rescuing Children Operation alert.

When a child is reported missing and authorities are satisfied that there is a risk of harm or death, the commissioner of police will be required to use the MARCO alert. The system is expected to be similar to the Amber Alert in the US.

Once the alert is issued, radio stations, television broadcasts, text message, electronic network system, billboards and other means necessary will be used for dissemination.

The register would be a list of persons convicted of sexual offences.