Collette Gallacher's sisters fight to make sure sex offenders can't just change their name...

5 replies

SerfnTerf · 10/06/2023 14:04

You'd think this was just common sense wouldn't you?!

Glad to see their campaign is being picked up by some MPs and I really hope they're successful in getting the law reformed around this.

‘We knew a bad man had taken her’: the murder of Collette Gallacher – and her sisters’ fight for justice

After serving his sentence, Collette’s killer changed his name, making it very difficult to trace him. Her sisters Lauren and Claire describe the appalling toll of his crime and their campaign to ensure sex offenders can’t so easily assume a new identi...

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/08/we-knew-a-bad-man-had-taken-her-the-of-collette-gallacher-and-her-sisters-fight-for-justice?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

OP posts:

Original poster

SerfnTerf · 10/06/2023 14:05

Arg bloody autocorrect, I did spell her name right in the thread title, honest! Will ask MNHQ to edit for me now.

OP posts:

pickledandpuzzled · 10/06/2023 14:21

Shocking. I mean, honestly. How hard should it be?

DenmarkStreet · 10/06/2023 14:29

What is striking me in that article how defensive they have to be:
"The sisters want to make it clear that their activism does not stem from vindictiveness. “This is not a witch-hunt. "
. “It’s not about pitchforks. It’s about keeping women and girls safe,” she says."
They should not have to feel that they should be apologetic about this campaign.

Thelnebriati · 10/06/2023 18:23

There was a similar campaign earlier in the year, called Della's Law.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4749410-dellas-law-close-dbs-loophole-ban-sex-offenders-from-changing-their-name

Della's Law - Close DBS loophole, ban sex offenders from changing their name. | Mumsnet

''The Government is facing mounting pressure to crack down on a 'dangerous loophole' that sees '7,000 sex offenders' drop off the list 'every year', i...

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4749410-dellas-law-close-dbs-loophole-ban-sex-offenders-from-changing-their-name

WhiteFire · 10/06/2023 18:48

It's absolutely dreadful that this can happen and the measley rule "they should inform of a name change" just doesn't work.

Any new passports /BC should have a marker to indicate that it has been issued in a new name, no-one (bar witness protection perhaps) should be able to hide old identities where it is inappropriate to do so.

Flip