Brave Hera discusses closed register for sex offenders with the Public Prosecution Service

Het consultation took place within Project Argus, through which the foundation seeks to strengthen the protection of children against sexual violence. The proposed register should only be accessible to authorised bodies. Representing the OM at the meeting were public prosecutors mr. Panchoe and mr. Nunes. Brave Hera was represented by Samuel Jabini and Damaris Wijntuin.

According to the foundation, the consultation showed that current legislation has limitations regarding the supervision of convicted sex offenders. In a suspended sentence, a judge may impose a reporting requirement and other conditions, such as a ban on contact with the victim or mandatory psychological counselling. According to the information provided, the afdeling Justitiële Kinderbescherming (JKB) monitors compliance with these conditions. Once a person has fully served their sentence, the law, according to the findings from the consultation, no longer provides for further supervision.

The screening of people who work with children was also discussed. According to Brave Hera, a Bewijs van Goed Gedrag is not mandatory in Suriname, including for positions in which employees come into contact with children. According to the foundation, there is also no body that checks whether employers request this certificate.

Existing systems on which it may be possible to build were also discussed during the consultation. Brave Hera mentions, among other things, the provision of information through the Bewijs van Goed Gedrag to employers of civil servants and a protected registration system for young people that exists in cooperation with UNICEF. According to the foundation, the OM considers an internal, non-public overview of sex offenders for investigative purposes to be possible in principle.

Another point of attention concerns people convicted abroad of a sexual offence who subsequently settle in Suriname. A register containing only Surinamese judgments would leave this group out of sight.

According to Brave Hera, the OM received the initiative positively and indicated that it wishes to provide support where possible. The foundation is continuing discussions with authorised bodies and intends to incorporate the findings into concrete legislative proposals. It is also studying the legislation of other CARICOM member states, with particular attention to Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica.

Brave Hera is committed to the legal protection of vulnerable persons, especially children and young people, and to the prevention of sexual violence.