Straw will meet the parents of murdered Sarah, 8
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Your support makes all the difference.The Home Secretary, Jack Straw, will today meet the parents of murdered eight-year-old Sarah Payne to hear their demands for public access to the sex-offenders register.
The Home Secretary, Jack Straw, will today meet the parents of murdered eight-year-old Sarah Payne to hear their demands for public access to the sex-offenders register.
Sara and Michael Payne will ask Mr Straw to amend the Sex Offenders Act to ensure parents are informed when a paedophile is living nearby. They will also ask for tougher sentences for child abusers.
The Home Office, which had already announced a review of the offenders register before the abduction and death of Sarah in July, said Mr Straw wanted to hear the Paynes' views at first hand.
But it is understood Mr Straw, who will meet the couple tomorrow afternoon, just hours after returning from an official trip to India, is unlikely to make any major announcement on changes to the law.
The Home Secretary's brother, William, 47, was placed on the sex-offenders register on Friday after being found guilty of indecently assaulting the 16-year-old daughter of friends.
A Home Office spokeswoman said yesterday: "The Home Secretary has been keen to hear from the Payne family about what they feel can be done to improve the register.
"He was deeply saddened by Sarah's death and he shares their concerns. He may well outline to them the Government's thinking on these issues, but it is more about hearing from Mr and Mrs Payne what they want."
The Paynes, both 31, called on the Government to introduce a "Sarah's law" to provide residents with information about neighbours convicted of sex offences following their daughter's murder in West Sussex 10 weeks ago. Mrs Payne said: "The change in the law is what this country wants. The country has asked us to carry it forward and that's what we'll do. For Sarah."
Police have confirmed that detectives are sifting 200 calls from the public after an appeal to find a lorry driver who may have seen Sarah's killer.
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