The British government has warned against creating a climate of fear after one tabloid newspaper yesterday published more photographs of convicted paedophiles and another demanded the death penalty for child killers. Probation officers criticised the "name and shame" approach taken by the News of the World - which published names and photographs of paedophiles for the second week running - saying it caused some child sex offenders on probation to break off contacts with police, and encouraged vigilantism.
Last week's list of convicted paedophiles in the newspaper ran to 49 names; yesterday's edition carried 33 names and photographs under the headline "More names and photographs of child sex offenders living near you".
The newspaper called on the public to sign a petition calling for tougher sentences for sex offenders. The Sunday People went further and demanded restoration of the death penalty for child sex killers under the headline "Hang Them".
British Home Office Minister Mr Paul Boateng called for restraint. "Our primary goal is the protection of children. But it is important to avoid panic or hysteria," he said in an article that appeared in later editions of the Observer newspaper after the News of the World had gone on sale overnight.
He also said there needed to be changes to the law to make sure everything was done to bring paedophiles to justice, and promised the police sex offenders' register would be reviewed with the aim of strengthening it.
The printing of paedophile names followed huge publicity given to this month's abduction and murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne, whose killer is still at large.
Her parents have signed a petition calling for tougher sentences for sex offenders and for information about convicted paedophiles to be made public, but also warned people against taking the law into their own hands.
Police warned the News of the World's action was counter-productive and encouraged attacks on paedophiles. "It reminds me of a witch-hunt," Mr Michael Hames, a former Scotland Yard detective, told Sky television. "These people are going to get attacked and disappear from sight."
Mr George Barrow, of the Association of Chief Officers of Probation, said child sex offenders were breaking their treatment programmes and planning to go underground. "Some of them have actually gone underground and they slip out of their monitoring and out of police surveillance, and the community is therefore at far greater risk," he said.
British Culture Minister Mr Chris Smith was worried by the News of the World campaign. While protecting children was a noble motive, he said: "I fear this is not the right way of going about it. I think it would be very wise for the News of the World to listen very carefully to the advice of the police in these matters," Mr Smith said.