Courts can impose harassment orders on sex offenders from today

Courts will be able to impose harassment orders on convicted sex offenders from today, prohibiting them from contacting or approaching their victim for a specified period of time.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has signed an order commencing further provisions of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017.

Mr Flanagan said: “The introduction of harassment orders is an important step to help protect those who have suffered from sexual offences from being victimised further by their attackers.

“Breach of these orders will be an offence punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment for up to five years. I hope this measure will help bring some peace of mind to victims in the potentially traumatic period around the release of their attacker.”

Harassment orders may prohibit the offender from communicating by any means with the victim or from approaching within a distance specified by the court of the victim’s home, workplace or any other place frequented by the victim as the court deems appropriate.

Orders can be imposed at the time of the offender’s sentence, where the sentence includes a term of imprisonment, or at any time before the offender’s release from prison (including time for remission).

The orders may be made for a term not exceeding 12 months from the date of the offenders release from prison.

The order signed by Mr Flanagan also commences the provisions of the Act which amend the Sex Offenders Act 2001 to allow a court to amend conditions or include new conditions for convicted sex offenders under the supervision of the probation service post-release.