FC: U.K. may implant chips in sex offenders to warn of future attacks

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

http://www.observer.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,841827,00.html

   Surgical tags plan for sex offenders
   Silicon chip to be inserted under skin
   Martin Bright, home affairs editor
   Sunday November 17, 2002

   The Observer
   Britain is considering a controversial scheme to implant surgically
   electronic tags in convicted paedophiles amid fears that the extent of
   the abuse of children has been massively underestimated.

   Documents obtained by The Observer reveal the Government could track
   paedophiles by satellite, with a system similar to that used to locate
   stolen cars.

   The tags can be put beneath the skin under local anaesthetic and would
   also be able to monitor the heart rate and blood pressure of the
   abuser, alerting staff to the possibility that another attack was
   imminent.

   A letter from Hilary Benn, the Minister responsible for the
   supervision of sex offenders in the community, reveals the Home
   Office's electronic monitoring team is already developing technology
   to track paedophiles constantly. The team is now investigating the
   'implant tag' after it was alerted to its capabilities by a campaign
   group for victims of paedophiles.

   [...]




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