 Mrs Cummings wants the law to be changed |
A bereaved mother has appealed to MSPs for a new law requiring the police and councils to tell people if a convicted sex offender is living in their area. Margaret Ann Cummings, whose son Mark was murdered by a known sex offender in Glasgow last year, presented a 5,000-signature petition at Holyrood.
It calls for Mark's Law in memory of her eight-year-old son.
MSPs decided that Holyrood's justice committee and the Scottish Executive should look at changing the law.
Complete reform
The tracking of sex offenders is high on the political agenda following the murder of 11-year-old Rory Blackhall in Livingston last month.
A man whose body was discovered by police investigating Rory's death had appeared in court charged with abusing three girls, but failed to return after being granted bail.
Ministers will respond to a report into the operation of the sex offenders register in about six weeks.
Mrs Cummings has been campaigning for a complete reform of the sex offenders monitoring system.
She said: "If it was any other crime the police would inform you who was doing it.
"They are not willing to inform us who is living next door to us and who is living round about.
"We are not asking for names and addresses. All we want is to be told, 'yes, they are in your area'."
Her local MSP Paul Martin raised concerns about the current strategy for housing sex offenders.
The Labour MSP for Glasgow Springburn said: "The case of Stuart Leggate was that he, as a result of being identified in another part of Scotland, felt the need to take up residence in Charles Street, where Mark Cummings was murdered.
"That was not a managed process, that was Stuart Leggate managing his own housing prospects."
In response, petitions committee convener Michael McMahon said: "We will pursue it with as much vigour as we can to ensure that we get some clarification on where the legislation can be amended to address the concerns of Mrs Cummings, given the tragedy that she has experienced."
Glasgow Nationalist MSP Sandra White said: "I've had long term concerns regarding sex offenders and the lack of information communities are given."
Dunfermline East Labour MSP Helen Eadie added: "Paul (Martin) has spoken very well on this and everything that he says chimes I'm sure with the grave concerns that there are across Scotland on this very important issue."
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I've had long term concerns regarding sex offenders and the lack of information communities are given
