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M.A.K.O. Prevention in Action- MAKO in the media

The purpose of this website/ information is to promote public awareness/protection, prevent you and those close to you from the potential dangers posed by individuals who have committed sex offences in the past and to deter sex offenders from offending/re-offending. Any criminal actions taken by persons against the offenders named within this site, may result in arrest and prosecution of those persons.

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Website To List Rapists, Paedophiles

A VIGILANTE group that "outs" sex offenders has opened a website naming convicted rapists and pedophiles and their crimes. Movement Against Kindred Offenders will post photographs and list the names of more than 600 convicted sex offenders and their sentences at www.mako.org.au next month.
It also will provide an avenue for victims to post information, report sex crimes to the police and a referral service.
MAKO Adelaide founder Peter, said yesterday the website was a response to Federal Government resistance to supply a national public register of pedophiles.
Since its establishment as an incorporated association in May, 1998, Peter said his organisation had notified 58 communities of convicted pedophiles.
The level of publicity depended on the nature of the convicted offender and the number of their convictions.
"For first-time convicted offenders there will be letter-drops informing people a sex offender is living in the area," Peter said.
"In that case, we put a number where people can ring if they want more details about names, crimes etc.
"For people who have been convicted of more than one offence, we have put their name, crimes and sentence.
"For those who have committed very serious crimes, we distribute letters with their name, offences, sentence and residential address."
Peter said 90 per cent of the letter- drops concerned pedophiles who were living within 300m to 500m of a primary school, kindergarten or playground.
However, civil libertarians are outraged by the initiatives, particularly the website.
Australian Council of Civil Liberties president Terry 0'Gorman said state Attorney-General Michael Atkinson should take immediate action.
"These sorts of websites in the past have encouraged vigilantism and attacks on the wrong people because of mistaken identity.
"If these photos are published it means the person convicted cannot resume a normal life... and it decreases their chance of rehabilitation."

Adelaide Advertiser (27-6-2002)
Danielle Gordon