In a surprising move by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, this afternoon Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour announced that the six pardoned Death Eaters allowed back into England will be asked to subject themselves to tracking charms - not for others' safety, but for their own.
"With this recent rise of Death Eater related crime, the Ministry wants to ensure that those pardoned have an immediate and verified alibi," said Scrimgeour in a statement released late Wednesday afternoon. "None of them have been associated with known Death Eater Peter Pettigrew's supposed spotting in Hogwarts castle, and for their own safety and protection, we want to be able to tell the public for certain that these six are innocent."
This controversial move is supported by Minister for Magic Millicent Bagnold, who has praised the efforts of the Aurors to keep the six pardoned Death Eaters safe. "No longer are these individuals fugitives or banished from Wizarding Society - they are now citizens of England, and as such are subject to the same protection and rights as every other citizen. Innocent until proven guilty, and our only wish is to help them maintain a reputation where they can still participate in the Wizarding World without other well-meaning citizens making unfortunate and incorrect assumptions based on past allegiances that no longer stand."
The Ministry has kept mum on exactly how these tracking charms will work. The only details released were to assure the public that the information garnered by the tracking charms will only be accessed when verification of the whereabouts of these citizens is necessary. As for other pardoned or released criminals, the Ministry claims there are currently no plans to implement this procedure on anyone other than the six former Death Eaters.