Mather urges House to back sex offender registry bill

Hon Stacy R. Mather is pushing the House of Assembly to advance legislation that would set up a sex offender registry for the British Virgin Islands.

The AL representative said such a registry would help families shield their children from harm. He made clear the measure targets those already convicted of serious sexual offences through the legal system, not people based on rumour or accusation, and does not encourage vigilante action.

"When it comes to protecting our children, we cannot wait until another child is harmed before we act," Mather said in a Facebook post on Thursday, October 15.

The government opened public consultation earlier this year on a draft Virgin Islands Sexual Offences Bill, 2025. Mather said lawmakers must now move forward with the bill, including tough reporting rules, penalties for failure to comply, and measures to deal with convicted offenders who come into or return to the territory.

Mather has long pushed for the registry in the House. While he acknowledged that rehabilitation matters, he stressed that child safety must take priority. "One child harmed is one too many," he added, noting that although no safeguard can eliminate all risk, lawmakers have a duty to put protections in place where they can.