The News of the World was a British tabloid newspaper that was published from 1843 to 2011. Throughout its long history, the newspaper was known for its sensationalist reporting and scandalous headlines. However, one of the most important roles that the News of the World played was in the campaign for Sarah’s Law.
Sarah’s Law is a piece of legislation that allows the public to access information about convicted sex offenders living in their community. The law is named after Sarah Payne, an eight-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered by a convicted sex offender in 2000. The tragic case shocked the nation and prompted calls for a change in the law to better protect children from dangerous individuals.
The News of the World played a crucial role in bringing Sarah’s Law to the forefront of public consciousness. The newspaper ran a high-profile campaign advocating for the introduction of the law, publishing stories about the dangers posed by convicted sex offenders and calling for action to be taken to protect children from harm.
In 2006, the government introduced the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, commonly known as Sarah’s Law, which allows parents to ask the police if someone who has access to their child has a history of child sex offences. This was a significant victory for campaigners and was largely thanks to the tireless efforts of the News of the World in raising awareness of the issue.
However, the newspaper’s involvement in the campaign for Sarah’s Law was not without controversy. In 2011, the News of the World was embroiled in a phone hacking scandal, which ultimately led to the closure of the newspaper. The scandal revealed that journalists at the newspaper had been illegally accessing voicemails of celebrities, politicians, and victims of crime in order to obtain stories.
Despite the scandal, the News of the World’s role in advocating for Sarah’s Law cannot be ignored. The newspaper played a crucial part in raising awareness of the issue and putting pressure on the government to take action to protect children from sexual predators. The introduction of Sarah’s Law has had a lasting impact on the safety of children in the UK, and the News of the World’s campaigning efforts played a significant role in bringing about this change.