 Marchers called for a change in the law |
About 1,000 people joined the family of a murdered schoolboy to call for a new law which would see parents notified if a sex offender is living in their area. Mark Cummings was killed and thrown down a rubbish chute by Stuart Leggate, who lived in the same tower block.
His family led a march from their home in Royston, Glasgow, to George Square.
The eight-year-old's mother Margaret Ann said: "We want a change in the law and we want our children to be able to walk the streets without worrying."
Many of those who gathered for the demonstration were wearing T-shirts bearing Mark's picture.
The marchers included local Labour MSP Paul Martin, who said: "We need to improve the legislation so that communities can manage sex offenders rather than the other way around.
Lenient sentencing
"It's not appropriate Leggate had such easy access to children.
"For devious repeat offenders like him life should mean life and rehab programmes are wasted."
He said he would campaign to make a parent's rights to know if paedophiles are living in their community part of the Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences Bill.
This legislation, which outlaws the internet grooming of children, is being introduced to the Scottish Parliament.
 |  Our children should be safe to play in the streets  |
"We need to look at the housing allocations and ensure housing associations are given the right to know of these sorts of predators in the community so they can let their tenants know," he told those gathered in George Square. He said there was also an issue over lenient sentencing.
Leggate, 28, was released in September 1999 after serving a four-year sentence for assaulting boys aged between three and 10.
He was on the sex offenders' register when he committed the murder in June.
Leggate sexually assaulted and strangled Mark before throwing his body down the flats' refuse chute.
Notify families
He was jailed for a minimum of 20 years after pleading guilty to murdering the eight-year-old.
Neighbours did not know that Leggate, who had been convicted three times for offences against children, was on the sex offenders' register.
Ms Cummings wants to see the introduction of "Mark's Law" to oblige police to officially notify families that sex offenders are living in their midst.
 Mark Cummings' family led the protest to George Square |
"Our children should be safe to play in the streets, we should have the right to put our kids out in the streets," she said. "They shouldn't be hidden away because the authorities put people like him in our area when they're such a high risk and they re-offend and they re-offend.
"When do they stop? When they murder somebody? That's not good enough. They should be stopped before."
She said that predators such as Leggate should not be released from prison if the authorities do not have the resources to monitor them properly.
Campaigners also want attackers to undergo compulsory treatment while in jail and are calling for better screening after they are released into residential areas.
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