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New law passed will create register of paedophiles

The law passed on Tuesday with 157 votes in favor and one against.

A new law passed will create a register of paedophile offenders while preventing them from working in contexts involving children. The law passed on Tuesday with 157 votes in favor and one against.

An electronic searchable database will contain names in the register for parents and other relatives to query once a legitimate request has been made. The database which also contains a list of one-time felons may only be used in the service of protecting children. Meanwhile, the penal code has been changed to ensure that perpetrators of certain types of child pornography receive a prison sentence of 20 years without the possibility of parole. One such example is violence used against a person below the age of 12. Others include child sex abuse, harassment or violence committed by officials or recidivists. In cases of serious paedophile crimes, the statute of limitation no longer applies. In milder cases, however, the statute of limitations applies in cases in which the victim is 21 or above instead of the current age of 18.

The employment ban for paedophiles in health or education is being expanded to include leisure-related jobs involving visits by minors, such as beaches, amusement parks, zoos and sports associations. Also, paedophiles will be banned from government or political leadership posts.