Keep juveniles off sex offenders registry, says rights group

US authorities should end the practice of placing juveniles' names on publicly available sex offender registries, a report from Human Rights Watch says. Offenders can face decades of stigma in addition to serving prison or juvenile detention sentences, the report says. The laws cover offences from the very serious, such as rape, to consensual sex between minors and public nudity.

The report says there is no evidence that listing youth offenders on such registries improves public safety. Some of those on the registry were listed for offences committed while they were as young as 10 years old, says Human Rights Watch.

source: Article 'Keep juveniles off sex offenders registry, says rights group'; www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22358354; BBC News; 1 May 2013