By Sophie Roberts.
Survivors of abuse requested a new law, after the revelation that hundreds of sex offenders have gone missing. Since 2019 more than 729 sex offenders went missing, with the main reason for their disappearance being that they’ve been changing their names. Some offenders have then applied for new identity documents which enables them to acquire new careers, potentially even with children. Advocates fought for a ‘Della’s Law’ to be introduced, named after survivor of child abuse, Della Wright, who’s abuser Terry Price changed his name multiple times, even once between court hearings. The law already requires any sex offenders to inform the police of any changes to personal details, such as their name, or they may face a maximum of five years in prison. Della Wright criticised the government stating the system is “far too simplistic” and believes survivors shouldn’t have needed to beg for the law to be changed years later.
In May 2024, the then home secretary Suella Braverman committed to instating a new measure preventing sex offenders from changing their name. Sarah Champion, a Labour MP, had been campaigning for this change but stated that the law “doesn’t go as far as I want”, she earlier believed the problem had been “dumped in the ‘too difficult’ drawer”. After years of campaigning, Sarah is relieved that sex offenders are now unable to obtain a DBS certificate which would allow them to work with children and other vulnerable people. However, emerging cases of missing offenders raise the question – is this law enough?
A disturbingly recent example of an offender using a different name to escape from incarceration is Richard Burrows, an 80-year-old man who went on the run for just under thirty years and only faced trial in April of 2025. Burrows was found guilty in Chester Crown Court of 54 offences and had earlier already plead guilty to a further 43 offences. Indecency with a child, buggery, assault, and possession of false identity documents are just some of Burrow’s charges. Through specialist image tracking technology, detectives discovered Burrows had spent his time living in Thailand under the name of Peter Smith. He managed to obtain work at an advertising company whilst there and even appeared on the local news in 2019. Burrow’s first offences began in 1968 and lasted until 1995, where he abused at least 24 boys across the Cheshire, West Midlands, and West Mercia areas. In Cheshire, he exploited the vulnerable children he looked after as a Housemaster for Danesford Children’s Home. Burrows also worked as a leader for local Scout groups in the West Midlands, abusing children there by using his seniority.
The discovery of Burrows lengthy disappearance highlights the truth behind Sarah Champion’s beliefs that the new law may not be enough for the government to crack down on the extensive amount of missing sex offenders, demonstrating that more effective measures must be introduced in order to bring justice to victims who’s abusers have managed to escape punishment by flying under the radar for so many years. Hopefully the government realise protecting and bringing peace of mind to the mass number of victims should be of upmost importance, and introduce more sufficient legislation soon.
