A HIGH level of emotion has surrounded the trial of Sarah Payne's killer and this is not surprising.

Few people can have been left unmoved by the murder of this eight-year-old girl. Watching last night's television news, few can have felt anything but sympathy for the deep and unimaginable anguish which Sarah's family must have suffered at the time and must endure still.

Sarah Payne went missing after playing hide-and-seek in a Sussex cornfield. Her parents clung to the faintest hope during the two weeks that followed. Their deepest horrors were founded when Sarah's naked body was found. A much-loved daughter had become another victim.

Yesterday the judge at Roy Whiting's trial described the man who murdered Sarah as "every parent's and grandparent's nightmare come true".

Sarah's parents want to ensure no other family has to suffer as they have suffered. They have campaigned for a new law which would require known paedophiles to be publicly identified.

Such a measure already exits in the United States, where it is known as Megan's Law. Sarah's parents believe that a 'Sarah's law' would be a safeguard against further such murders of children.

It is understandable that Sarah's grieving parents should think this, but whether such a law would work is still in doubt. There are fears that such a measure would whip up vigilantes, while driving paedophiles underground and away from professional supervision, leaving them freer to commit further crimes.

But lessons must be learned from the shocking revelation that Whiting had a previous conviction for abducting and indecently assaulting a young girl. While Whiting was in prison he is said to have shown no remorse and refused to take part in rehabilitation programmes. In the light of this, his sentence should have been reviewed and he should have been left in prison.

As it was, the system allowed a dangerous man to leave prison and, eventually, to commit another and even more terrible crime.

Clearly the system failed Sarah Payne. Changes must be made to the sentencing of sex offenders before it tragically fails another child.

Updated: 10:50 Thursday, December 13, 2001