According to data from the Ministry of Justice, the database that came into operation in 2015 currently has 7,286 records related to those convicted of sexual crimes against children, which contains information such as name, age, residence and crimes committed against minors.
The database that contains the criminal identification of those convicted of sexual crimes against children was created ten years ago and consultation requests reached their highest number last year.
According to data sent to Lusa by the Ministry of Justice, the database that came into operation in 2015 currently has 7,286 records related to those convicted of sexual crimes against children, which contains information such as name, age, residence and crimes committed against minors.
The annual number of convicts registered in this database has been practically the sameabove 300 registrations, except in 2017, when 287 sexual offenders were registered. O highest value of registrations occurred in 2022, when 386 names were placed on this list and this year, according to data up to November 11, 303 people were registered.
Orders increase annually
Requests for access to the database have been increasing annually, with 2024 being the year that recorded the highest number of queries. Last year, 3,522 requests were made, much more than in 2023, the year in which 2,595 requests were registereds.
Until 2022, the number of orders had never exceeded the 1,000 barrier. The upward trend continues this year: until November 11th, 3,282 requests were made.
This database can be consulted by judicial magistrates and the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the context of criminal investigation, police, General Directorate of Reinsertion and Prison Services, Commissions for the Protection of Children and Young People and also by citizens who are responsible for children under 16 years of age, who justify their interest in accessing the data.
As stated in the publication order, published in August 2015, access to this database may be requested from a police authority if there is a well-founded fear that a person on the list of sexual offenders resides, works or has been seen “in the area of residence or in the area where the minor attends after-school activities or in the vicinity of the educational establishment attended by the minor”.
According to the law, this list contains data on sexual offenders for five years, in cases where a fine or prison sentence of up to one year is imposed, for 10 years in cases where the prison sentence is between one and five years, for 15 years in cases where the prison sentence is between five and 10 years and for 20 years for sentences exceeding 10 years.
