KTR responds positively to ‘sex offenders registry’ proposal

Hyderabad: Telangana minister K.T. Rama Rao responded positively on Thursday to Sunitha Krishnan, Padma Shree awardee and founder of the Prajwala Foundation, who proposed a "sex offender registry" for convicted sex offenders in the state.

Sunita Krishnan proposed in a tweet that the Telangana government create a sex offender registry similar to the one in the United States, where the Sex Offender Registry is open to the public. KTR responded, saying, "Let's absolutely get it done. Please present the concept note and we will take it forward."

On Thursday, she submitted to the minister the Concept Note-Sex Offenders Registry, the Proposed National Sex Offenders Registry that can be adapted for the state, and the Draft Telangana Sex Offender Registration Bill, 2022.

 “Countries like USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Jamaica, Ireland, have already adopted the proposal of Sex Offender’s Registry in their legislative regime and they are now seeing its results,” she told Deccan Chronicle. “While the government of India has some database of convicted offenders, it is neither been used to facilitate deterrence against sex crimes nor accessible to public for the purpose of criminal antecedent verification,” she said.

She stated that the repository of sex offenders can be open to the public and that the dual purpose of such registration is to build deterrence against sex crimes while also awakening public conscience. "In addition, the victim receives reassurance that the state is on her side," she added.