The Tribune

ACTIVISTS are harnessing the power of social media to demand the creation of a sex offender register and the activation of the MARCO Alert system for missing children in a viral protest today.

Non-profit group Solidarity242 is calling on Bahamians to flood social networks with hashtags and videos in a bid to grab the attention of lawmakers who have been slow to fully enact amendments to the Sexual Offences Act and the Child Protection Act.

“It has been five years since the Bahamas was rocked by the brutal death of Marco Archer and yet Marco’s Law is not fully functional. There is no sex offender’s registry, there is no MARCO Alert,” said Kishlane Knowles, co-founder of Solidarity242.

“Our children are being left vulnerable and we as Bahamians have to push back and demand that the government does its part in protecting our children, as promised. Sexual predators are walking among us, nameless and faceless,” Ms Knowles said.

“We don’t know who they are until they have hurt a child. When a child goes missing there is no systematic way of alerting the general public immediately. How many children between 2011 and 2016 could have been saved from sexual abuse and/or abduction had the government implemented the elements involved in Marco’s Law? Let’s really think about that.”

In late 2013, the government tabled two amendments, one to the Sexual Offences Act and the other to the Child Protection Act, which would create a sexual offender register, and a MARCO alert for missing children, respectively.

The changes are the direct result of the death of 11-year-old Marco Archer who was murdered by convicted paedophile Kofhe Goodman in 2011.

The Child Protection Amendment Act 2014 came into operation on August 26, 2015. Under the Mandatory Action Rescuing Children Operation or MARCO alert, when a child is reported missing and authorities are satisfied that there is a risk of harm or death, the commissioner of police will be required to use the alert.

The regulations that will govern the MARCO alert were introduced in the House of Assembly in February of this year.

The sexual offender register would place all persons who are convicted of sexual offences on the proposed list. However, it is unclear when this will come into force.

Meanwhile, the viral protest will take place at 6pm. People are urged to post on social media using hashtags like #justiceforMarco, #MarcosLaw, #protectourchildren and #Solidarity242.

Selena Archer, event organiser, said: “There will be hashtags, a temporary profile picture for supporters to download and two other elements that we are keeping under wraps until Friday’s launch.

“The protest has been designed to be inclusive of all Bahamians no matter what island they live on or what country they live in. The beauty of the viral protest is that all the activities can be done online from the comfort of a smart phone, tablet or computer.”

Activists plan to use the support garnered from the event to demand answers from the government on the stalled process.

Interested persons can visit the Solidarity242 Facebook page for more information on how to get involved in the event.