Dozens of sex offenders have been removed from the register in Tayside and Fife.
The Courier found 47 people previously subject to “indefinite notification” have dropped off the register in the last three years.
Serious offenders, including those convicted of rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, indecent exposure and possession of indecent images of children, can be on the register for “life” with a review every 15 years.
For offenders under the age of 18 at the time of conviction, the review period is eight years.
If a further period of notification requirement is not considered necessary then they are removed from the register.
After someone is convicted or cautioned in relation to a sexual offence, they are added to the sex offenders register, meaning they are required to notify police of their name, date of birth and home address.
Offenders must also notify officers of any intended travel and at least once a year, confirm their details are still correct by visiting a police station.
There have been 22 removed from the register in Tayside and 25 in Fife, since 2016.
The sex offenders left from the list in Tayside and Fife no longer have to register their movements and victims are not necessarily notified their attacker is no longer seen as a threat.
North East region Scottish Conservative MSP Bill Bowman said: “It would be reasonable to expect the worst criminals to remain on the sex offenders list permanently.
“So I’m sure it will surprise most people that these indefinite registrations can be quite short-lived.
“That is certainly how it seems when considering crimes that threaten public safety.
“Unlike in England and Wales, police in Scotland don’t wait for applications to review these types of registration.
“But that is the legislation. It is vital that dangerous offenders don’t just fade from view as a result.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Protecting the public is a top priority for Police Scotland.
“In Scotland Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), provides a comprehensive response to a complex issue, using professional assessment and management to properly target resources at those who pose a risk to the public.
“Police Scotland works in partnership with a number of agencies through MAPPA to ensure that all Registered Sex Offenders are robustly managed within the community.
“While we can never eliminate risk entirely, we want to reassure communities that all reasonable steps are being taken to protect them.”
