Sarah's Law won't work

Posted by Simon Glover

Talk of chemically castrating paedophiles might upset the civil rights lobby but will no doubt make Home Secretary John Reid more friends than enemies.

The proposal makes attention-grabbing headlines but it would be voluntary – not compulsory – and is actually an expansion of an existing programme.

What is new is what Mr Reid has to say about the rights of the public to know about paedophiles living in their community.

He says going along with the US’s Megan’s Law, which gives widespread access to a sex offenders’ register, would simply drive paedophiles underground.

Instead, he proposes a “middle way” in which parents would only have the right to find out whether those with access to their children are convicted sex offenders.

But the partial release of information would surely be more likely to lead to rumour-mongering and misplaced vigilante action.

And it would do nothing to protect children like Sarah Payne, whose murder by paedophile Roy Whiting, a stranger, led to calls for a British version of Megan’s Law.

Comments

[margaret]

thats horrible what happened to sarah payne

[SUSAN CARRAGHER]

We moved into a new property 2 years ago,we thought we had checked out area we spoke to neighbours etc 6 months later our neighbour started exposing himself to our eldest daughter.when we first reported him to the police we were asked to have a chat with him and more or less asked to give him the benifit of the doubt. This led us to believe it would be a one off and thought if he had been known to them they would have taken our concerns more seriously.He then began exposing himself again and also stopped my daughter in the street. We again reported this to the police who again gave us the same advise this time however we insisted they spoke to him.He was warned about his behavior and any questions we had about any previous convictions he may of had hit a brick wall We were constantly told he had human rights. Here we were, we did not know what kind of a man we were living next to. We worried constantly for the safety of all our children We live next to a park area and also worried about not only our children but others. We stopped our childrens friends from visiting because we felt they may also be vunerable My daughters mental state was in tatters. Three months later he was up to his old tricks again, after reporting him this time to the police they arrested him 2 weeks later. We were given a police alarm and told that he was potetially dangerous and his mental state was questioned. He was given bail and was able to return home but yet again all our questions about any previous convictions fell on deaf ears and his human rights were again explained to us. We evetually managed to sit in court were guess what we were told he had previous confictions of a similar nature. If we had known this 2 years before we could have made an informed choice. We are now living next door to a man who we live in fear of. We have a property that is going to be worth nothing when we have to declare to any potential purchaser the problems we have had. As a mother how would you pass this on to another family.What about our human rights AND THE SAFTEY AND WELL BEING OF MY CHILDEN?

[Andy]

I'm amazed at the brainless, narrow minded, ignorant twits that have latched on to one person who has expressed his views in a coherent manner. You're the kind of ignorant twits who will pick on anyone who's views you cannot understand or comprehend because of your lack of intelligence. Go back to school!

[j blaze]

Raskolnikov eat sh!t pedo lover who you calling a marshmallow you the idiot go play on a main road an wait for a truck im sick of listening to that verbal sh!t you keep typing go hug some pedo scum

[Raskolnikov]

If only to ensure the immature beckie aka becky does not get the last word...
Do you like being ignorant?
Again. there is a lack of modration here. It cannot be acceptable to allow marsmallow brains to post comments that are libellous. It would be interseting to hear from Orange's lawyers as to how the Defamation Act is bypassed by merely signing up to a blog.

[beckie]

hi evey 1 what u mean that pervs russian guys still on here what sad act let me ask u a quetsion do u lot play with each other ad well as little innocent kids lmao

[Ice]

thank you everyone, now we can show these political softies that the majority and common sense prevail.

[russ]

thankyou for your support this Raskolniko bloke keeps using fancy words and phrases like bush quote with us or against us. And it aint its if all else fails do it yourself nowt wrong with a bit a mob justice worked on some chavs causing trouble the other day. there is strength in numbers togher we are one and show the pedo network that either stop or face our rath

[barry]

yea i am jeff bro and i think every one needs to no what you are so i reposted in stead of wasting my time typing see that a clever idea

[sarah]

pedos should not walk free in this life let me ask u 1 question Raskolnikov if u had kids and it happened to u i am sure your points of view would change it not fair sticking up for these animals i would not even insult a animal they r monsters like monsters who children r scared of this world is mad it says we need to look out for our kids but it dosnot like for instance the obseity inquire their worry more about that then they do this story it aint fair and any 1 who agrees with theres sickos needs shhoting i no that evey 1 is allowed an option but some ppls do not count like look at that girl who got raped by a man would not eat and ripped her teeth out with pliyers and that lil girl who got took frm her own home frm her bath wen her parents where in the living room they are not even safe in there own home so people need to open up their eyes and see what going on

[Raskolnikov]

Barry's comments bear an amazing similarity to Jeff's of 13th June @ 21:20. Bizarre!

[ged]

As long as there are plonkers like Raskolnikov who are to soft on punishment there will be no end to this. I think he is a member of the human rights brigade. We have tried it their way for years and it just dosen't seem to work does it. Russ I think shares the same opinion as the majority. Something positive has to be done to send a clear message to these sickos it will not be tollerated

[barry]

Do you know what, Raskolnikov you are exactly the sort of person that I cant stand. Drawing on the fact that someone used the word "sicko" and then using that to belittle what they meant. Anyone who rapes a child is a so far removed from our normal range of thought that it makes us feel sick to think of it. Then this reaction is our most comfortable way of describing that person "SICKO". I find it worrying that in the future a defence team could pin point a lack of a certain chemical in the brain as to the reason why someone murdered or why a child got raped.. These people are secretive, manipulative, devious and depraved They are not mentally ill they are those who pander to an unnatural instinct and show little remorse for their crimes. Maybe the thought of the Death sentence would halt their sickening actions. Infact I am sure it would.

[Raskolnikov]

It is clear that the measures already in place have failed in some cases. there ws a recent case of a priest from N Ireland and his friend grooming another child upon release. He was not checked properly regarding any contact with children. The system failed that child, but the legislation is already in place.
The use of lie detector testing is fatally flawed. What about pathological liars? Messrs Archer and Hamilton (ex MPs) spring to mind. Anyway back to work! Not for the Government lol!

[Ice]

if u had read MY post u would have read that yes, there is a need for discretion when it comes to cases in progress or people that courts have deemed not guilty. But what about after that? should a parent be able to leave their child with a neighbour, trusting in them, blissfully unaware of his past? Maybe there would be a vigilante offensive but is it any less than they deserve, or are you implying that 'the people' as you so delicately put, should adopt the forgive and forget attitude, till next time it happens? in response to your questions:
1- i would happilly undergo a lie detector test and any other tests to prove my innocence.
2-could you please rephase the question?
3-Yes maybe people close to the family and in positions of trust are more likely to offend, but with stricter CRB checks people in trust wont get these jobs, and people in the family would be dealt with either in-house or by the legal system.

[russ]

dont know what that book is to busy working to read and to a degree i can agree with you on some points but stop creating a firewall for these people and the remark about having the court both ways im not the courts would probably let me off for two reasons one i have a good solictor and two they let drug dealers and yobs off with asbos so what is me dishing a bit of rightful punishment the police are not allowed to do either lock them up in a mental unit or death for current repeat ofenders and do you work for the gouverment by ne chance?

[sarah]

i think it aint fair taking it out on russ like u say every 1 has their views at the end of the day think how sarahs parents felt and that was a man who was released because ppl thought he was safe in society and jessicas and hoolies parents it is not fair and ppl should open up their eyes and get this law in to use

[Raskolnikov]

For the record, I believe that the criminal should forego some human rights upon conviction. The anonymity would in my scheme only extend UNTIL conviction but this is a different matter to naming and shaming upon release.
As regards sentencing I think there is a valid arguent as to lack of proper sentences. It could also be argued that persistent offenders need to be detained indefinitely (this does happen in rare cases). We seem to jail so many minor offenders in this country (contrary to media opinion).

[Raskolnikov]

Russ,if you can show me where in my meanderings it says they should be hugged and kissed (or indeed that I do it) I will send you a dictionary and a copy of 'The Brothers Karamazov'.On the one hand you say that nobody has faith in the judictional (sic) system but then say that it would let you off. You cannot have it both ways. I'm sure you care for your children 100% but do not imply that nobody else cares for their children, just because they do not share your views. If you read my last post you will see that I found it difficult to deal with these people. It is sickening but it was a job that was necessary. Fortunately, I do not do it anymore.
3 questions for russ and supporters:
1. How would you feel if you were wrongly accused?
2. Would that be OK because 'the people' have decided he is guilty?
3. Do you agree that the greatest (by far) threat comes from close relatives and friends plus people in positions of responsibility e.g youth leaders, church?

There have been failings with the CRB checks and this clearly needs tightening up on.However, it was a positive step. I can understand people calling for a Megan/Sarah's law but the evidence shows that it does not work.
I promise no more literary allusions as long as posters refrain from defamatory and inappropriate comments. Detente? I still reserve the right to claim sovereignty over parts of Maidenhead!

[Ice]

Intelligence and vocabulary do not equate to superiority. Maybe a suspect should remain annonymous till proven guilty but after that? there is no excuses for hidding the identity of known, or convicted sex offenders exept to protect them from the very groups of ppl they seek to harm. you state that this is all down to a knee jerk reaction but would you class 6, maybe 7 years as knee jerk? and would you be the one to tell the family of the next child murdered at the hands of a repeat child molester it could have been prevented, but we had to respect his 'human rights'? and would you tell them their childs human rights were worth less than the beast that snatched their life away

[russ]

stop using literature and quotes you do your hugging and kissing with the pedos and I will defend my children by any means neccesary if it means doing time then so be it i will get off with jus like the pedos do

[sarah]

i no where every 1 is coming frm and this is a sad way of life having to take some ones innocents for a buzz i do agree with putting the pedos to death like i feel sorry for becky u must have gone through alot i neva never been through out like that and i would not want to every

[Raskolnikov]

The original article refers to middle ground. It seems that some here cannotunderstand the subtleties of differing opinions. It reminds me of Bush's 'for us or against us' stance.
for my part, I have dealt with victims and perpetrators. representing people accused of abominable acts was very difficult, but everyone deserves a defence. The system may be imperfect but it is the least worst sysyem and improvements in evidence giving One thing that I found unpalatable was an attitude by some that they saw nothing wrong with what they were doing. Perhaps the literal definition of paedophilia is relevant here. this was the case after a finding of guilt. This contrasted with, for instance, a burglar wrily accepting his/her fate after a verdict.
It must be said, however, that I did come across people falsely and maliciously accused. Their careers were ruined notwithstanding being cleared. In such cases there should be anonymity until conviction.Of course russ and the other dictionary bereft contributors would have handed out their own sysytem of justice. I'm reminded of a Python vox pop sketch about 'putting little birdies down their throats'
On another aspect, I have dealt with victims (or survivors as one early poster described herself-a great point) of abuse too. One element that surprised me was the correlation between people abused as children and those that went on to commit these crimes.
I had to look up Parsifal as I could only recollect some connection with Lohengrin and a trip to Weimar.

[Ice]

too right Russ, as a father myself i totaly agree. too long this government has stuck up for the so-called 'human rights' of murderers, rapists, paedos and anyone else that prey on the needy and vunerable. ppl like that will 9/10 times will never rehabillitate and intergrate back into the community, so why release them after 2 years? and if they do ACTUALLY get life (real life sentence nt just 15yrs) why should i have to pay to keep them alive, rotting in a prison cell for the next 25-30years?

[russ]

ap what are you rattaling on about austrailian incedent and who are you to call people idiots just because you try to type posh using big words. puit it this way it wont be long before the people will have had enough the courts are failing and i know a group of farthers that will quite happily defend there children me included the police carnt be everywhere and we have no faith in our judictional system so eventualy law will fall in to the parents hands no matter what you type

[AP]

I do much prefer 'The Dispossed', and I've nothing against Kropotkinite anarchy. 'The Idiot' is more Parsifal than the common idea of the meaning of that word, so I'll refrain from any jokes.

I agree with point #2. I don't advocate the individual taking the law into their own hands, neither do I advocate those who think they know better than the mass of the people assuming the right to decide for them. Professionals are biased, they have a vested interest, but should certainly be listened to if not necessarily followed.

I'm afraid I'm still not willing to give too many details over the Australian incident, and it was over 25 years ago. I wasn't involved, but had it described to me after the event in great detail. I assure you that the man concerned was most certainly guilty and that those who took action had support from the community, to the extent that a conviction would be virtually impossible. I was in Darwin when a jury refused to find a man who had admitted shooting another man dead guilty, much to the annoyance of the judge. As the foreman of the jury said on TV, "Of course we weren't going to find him guilty. In those circumstances any of us would have done the same." But perhaps you don't like the inconvenience of trial by jury anymore than NuLab now seem to.

When I read some of the comments I do wonder if certain people are capable of making any decision in the true sense of the word. It's a hell of an indictment of the failings of the British education system. And no Raskolnikov, you haven't said anything supporting paedophiles, despite what the moron fringe think (is 'think' applicable as a descriptor for illiterates when conceptual thought and language are so entwined?).

We are however diametrically opposed.

Establishment of guilt is most certainly a problem, even by early teenage years false accusations are not uncommon ... try talking to any cop that's had to deal with rape cases. I have worked with abused kids at times but never with offenders, nor would I wish to. I'm afraid my sympathies are 100% on the side of the kids.

[Raskolnikov]

Yes becky you are becky - Your comments were pasted into mine to save people scrolling down. The wonders of technology. Do theyteach english at school these days? (he asked rhetorically though someone will respond)

It would be nice if you read my posts and then commented rather than regurgitating your tabloid and playground hollerings.

On what basis can it be said that not wanting capital punishment/ritual burning etc is 'sticking up for perverts'?

Anyone able to discuss? I think we're a bit tired of the usual suspects. (me included)

[Ice]

U dirty perv Ruskie dats sick

[becky]

look u freak who wrote that last comment is a twit u aint becky i am and all pervs r sick END OF STORY..................................

[ta]

these people that are going to stick up for perverts,are as sick, they dont know what its like to be abused, it makes me mad nobody asks to be abused and this castration is not good enough, one peodo in the paper said it does'nt stop him having the thoughts in his head which mean he is still dangerous, the goverment need to ask the poeple that have been abused what punishment they want and act on it. that would put a stop to them doing it cos i know if i was ask what punishment for my uncle who abused me would be i would pick hanging for him.

[Raskolnikov]

I was actually working. haven't got so much time on my hands.
firstly, are posts moderated. Clearly there are comments here which are offensive rather than adding to the debate. you can criticise my opinions but it is libellous to suggest that I am one.
I refer to the following post from a so-called becky and I quote...
"raskolnikov where u say when u see a kid in a t-shirt saying sexy and u say it is disturbing u mean it turns u on how can any 1 find it disturbing it a word and dosnt effect normal day ppl u say that u have kids ma arse u mean u like to fiddled with kids u r a sick person and u need shooting ur self get a grip and stop stickin up 4 pervs

Posted by: becky | 14 June 2007 at 14:16

look u freak raskolnikov u sound like a lil perv to me who in the right mind sticks up 4 pervs they r sick dirty ppl who need their piravate parts chopped off and need fu*king killin a nice slow and painful death my lil sister got abused by a perv and she was only 5 it took my family alot to get through what happen and it ripped us all a part how can any 1 take a child innocents frm them u u stiock for these pervs u must be 1 ur self and if u have neva been through it then i hope u do just so u no what it feels like then u wont stick up 4 them just think of all of they innocent children they have done nought wrong and do not deserved to be tampered with"

It is hard to argue against it. I am not in favour of censureship but the moderators should ensure all comments are sustainable and not defamatory or moronic.

[Ice]

we should tie them naked to the back of a very fast motor vehicle by their 'roody doodies' (lol) and drive very fast over a cactus patch several times. i pity the fool!!!!

[Deanooo]

Ere' Mate!

[russ]

yeah but boar!!!!!!!!!!! all pedos should not have there nuts chopped off they should have there hands and pork swords chopped off so they carnt do any thing

[Ice]

DEEEEEEAAAANOOOOOOooooo!!!! Lol cant w8 to finish 2nite. whens break?

[Ice]

Yeah luks like it Russ mate.

[Deanooo]

IIIIICE! yea it is abit boring like :-(

[Russ]

dont see mike or Raskolnikov around must know wen they beaten who the idiot now

[Ice]

Helloooooooooo Deano Emo. How borin is work? muwahahahahahahah :D

[Deanooo]

Becky Smells :-)

[Deanooo]

Hello ICE!!! :P

Personally i think all pedo's should be shot :-) or if for some reason they dont they should get their 'Nads' chopped off!

[becky]

well said ice they all should be killed and batterd to death let them feel pain for a change they get it easy even if they do go to jail

[Ice]

Child molesters cant be 'cured' so there is no point trying to rehabilitate them. they drain our public funds if left to rot in jail, so is there any viable alternative to execution? they destroy the lives of those they attack so they should have theres taken. this would stop most vigilante attacks and would restore faith in the judicial system. ppl may see it as 'an eye for an eye' solution, but as mike said: you should get what you give.

[Ice]

Child molesters cant be 'cured' so there is no point trying to rehabilitate them. they drain our public funds if left to rot in jail, so is there any viable alternative to execution? they destroy the lives of those they attack so they should have theres taken. this would stop most vigilante attacks and would restore faith in the judicial system. ppl may see it as 'an eye for an eye' solution, but as mike said: you should get what you give.

[russ]

i think mike is taking this Raskolnikov side could this be the same person??? stop giong light on the people there is no excuse

[becky]

here mike i aint no fool put this way pervs dont get punished they victims do ppl always make excuses like they r ill its a load of crap and u need to see what going on in this world lil kis r suffering so get a life mike

[becky]

y was it any 1 who sticks up 4 pervs is sick he is sick

[Mike]

Becky, my apologies about that, I appreciate what you said but the hatred towards Raskolnikov was unnecessary

[Mike]

Becky, my apologies about that, I appreciate what you said but the hatred towards Raskolnikov was unnecessary

[Mike]

Becky, don't be a fool. Raskolnikov, you have some very interesting views on this subject and I can understand and appreciate your sentiments and meanings. However, I don't entirely agree. My own opinion is that "you get what you give", in this they (paedophiles) given out abuse and torment, they have changed the lives of their victims in a terrible way, this is something you cannot justify, this is something done with intent, there needs to be punishment and this punishment needs to be equally destructive.

[becky]

raskolnikov where u say when u see a kid in a t-shirt saying sexy and u say it is disturbing u mean it turns u on how can any 1 find it disturbing it a word and dosnt effect normal day ppl u say that u have kids ma arse u mean u like to fiddled with kids u r a sick person and u need shooting ur self get a grip and stop stickin up 4 pervs

[becky]

look u freak raskolnikov u sound like a lil perv to me who in the right mind sticks up 4 pervs they r sick dirty ppl who need their piravate parts chopped off and need fu*king killin a nice slow and painful death my lil sister got abused by a perv and she was only 5 it took my family alot to get through what happen and it ripped us all a part how can any 1 take a child innocents frm them u u stiock for these pervs u must be 1 ur self and if u have neva been through it then i hope u do just so u no what it feels like then u wont stick up 4 them just think of all of they innocent children they have done nought wrong and do not deserved to be tampered with

[Ice]

re-introducing the death penalty for paedos may not deter them but it will certainly stop repeat offences. I personally think that anyone caught should be hung, drawn and quartered. there is no excuse for it, and anyone who supports/condones it is just as guilty as the offenders themselves

[russ]

carnt be botherd arguing with
Raskolnikov the clown go hug an kiss the sickos if a pedo came near my kids he wouldnt b breathing afterwards they are a plague leave it at that

[Raskolnikov]

It is not a justification for sexual assault that a person was wearing alluring clothing. Unfortunately, there are still judges who take the view that the victim 'was asking for it'.
I agree that there is a worrying element to the overt sexualisation of children by clothing firms and the media in general. There is something clearly disturbing about seeing a young girl with a T shirt emblazoned with 'SEXY' etc.

[Andy]

In response to Keefa's remark, I don't think any normal man would suggest than a child scantily dressed becomes a sexual object. It's not about what children wear it's about mentally sick individuals who seek out vulnerable children regardles of their clothing. I do however question the morals of the people responsable for selecting clothing for female children to sell in retail outlets. What kind of person selects clothing that will make a child look like she's dressed for a night out on the town????

how about branding them on their faces ? No choice in the matter ...just do it!
Sod humane reasons...they lose all 'human' rights when they do what they do to children.
let the world see them for what they are I say !

[ta]

my sister suffered abuse from age 5 till she was ten then he went on to abuse me and there was no one to turn to he was are uncle he was there to protect us not sexully abuse us and he has got away with it to this day and me and my sister have lived the nightmare since its wrecked are marriges and lives, they should dish out the death pently for all abuses, because they will never stop my uncle never there sick,and its uncurrable by locking them in prison they sit and think more about what they will do to the next victom,if i had one wish it would be for my uncle to pay for what he did and there are thousands out there in the same boat as me trapped and scared by abuse and with no justice

[KEEFA BARNNET]

Whith this countries obsession with sex offenders dont you think its time that the law should enforce some sort of modesty code as to the wearing of over revealing clothing but not to islamic dress code exstremes. after all its the males natural instinct to be visualy aroused by the shaped of the female body whatever may you think and there is certainly a lot of revealing going on just look at the young women/girls coming home from school .but the people who prey on kiddies should be dealt with severely Keefa barnett

[KEEFA BARNNET]

Whith this countries obsession with sex offenders dont you think its time that the law should enforce some sort of modesty code as to the wearing of over revealing clothing but not to islamic dress code exstremes. after all its the males natural instinct to be visualy aroused by the shaped of the female body whatever may you think and there is certainly a lot of revealing going on just look at the young women/girls coming home from school .but the people who prey on kiddies should be dealt with severely Keefa barnett

[Andy]

I don't think it would matter to these monsters how severe the punishment was; they would still follow their sick instincts. I don't even think the threat of the death penalty would act as a deterant. The sad fact is that the only real solution is to protect our children by not puting them in a position where paedophiles can get at them. They are predators who seek out small children who are on their own and vulnerable. I am sick and tired of reading in the papers that parents today are too over protective of their children. I have three young children and live near a beach where paedophiles are known to prowl. Last summer one was caught taking pictures of toddlers playing in the sand. I think there should be a web site dedicated to publishing pictures of known paedophiles and where they live. If this leads to some people taking the law into their own hands then so be it. One possible solution to stop them going underground would be to surgically implant a tracking device. As far as human right go, they have none. Once someone is found to be a paedophile and has destroyed the life of a human being their human rights should be removed; there should be no concern for their wellbeing only concern for the rest of society and their children.

[Raskolnikov]

I will not respond to the ill-though out insults from Russ et al.(see 12:06 comment). A wise man once said one should never argue with an idiot as people will remember the argument but not who the idiot is.
I will, however respond to AP as there are some interesting points made.
1. Yes, Raskolnikov was from Dostoyevsky's novel. It's not that I'm an advocate of murder though! (btw he also wrote 'The Idiot' too. Insert your own joke.)
2. It is not correct to link the concept of people power with taking the law into ones own hands. Again, it begs the questio as to who decides what is right and who deem themselves to be fit to carry out this summary justice. The story about the Australian outback raises concerns as to how they knew he was guilty. I often here comments to the effect that 'we knew he was guilty but could not prove it'. This is purely subjective.
3. you seem to be suggesting some sort of anarchy. Quis custodes custodet?

There are also a couple of points from people abused in the past. I cannot say anything about this being in the fortunate position of not being abused. Any comment may seem patronising but it is important that any judicial system is not victim led. If someone burgles my house my first thought may well be one of revenge and retribution. The law needs to take a step back and judge and dispense with a cool head.

I would be interested to hear from professionals working with these offenders. Do they consider that they can be effectively rehabilitated?
As regards the NIMBY argument: who knows whether there are such offenders in the neighbourhood?

[russ]

sorry dave squire wrong person its that Raskolnikov person who wants to love an coudle them i still think tuffer laws should be passed and their human rights should be taken away. if you consider this a illness put them in a mental institute sorry again squire!!

[JustJames]

As a society we have to move forward and the theory that capital punishment (the ultimate deterrent) doesn't deter, may well be intellectually correct. However, change from the intelligentsia and the Politicians seems so slow, especially when it involves 'the masses' so I have a suggestion. We should continue to look for more enlightened ways of dealing with the problems and threats posed by paedophiles as befits the world of the 21st century, but just to speed things up and give them an incentive why not put all the convicted paedophiles in the same area as those those intellectuals and politicians live. At least nobody could accuse them of being NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard)

[SHAUN]

All of them shud rot! Its a joke we shud have execution in the uk! HAVE THE SMAE LAWS AS THE US.! People lik this dun deserve a life. Becoz the taken away other peoples!!! ITS SICK ABSOULUTELY SICK!

[Ali]

I was sexually abused by an old man who lived accross the road from me on several occassions when I was around 7 years old. Eventually, I told my parents and the police. My parents were destroyed, but supportive - the police did sweet FA as I was too young to testify and there wasn't enough evidence, despite the fact that my very close friend had also been abused by this man. In the 70's it seemed to be brushed under the carpet. Luckily, I am a strong person today and am not suicidal. Can you imagine how I felt walking past his house daily, or him driving past me? terrified. Back then, I knew it was wrong, but until you reach a certain age, you don't understand how wrong it is - and that is when the odeal seems so immense and disgusting. I do remember, and now understand exactly what was done to me and it makes me sick to think that my children don't have protection from it because our government are so weak. Prisons are like a holiday camp, sentences are a joke, the public are not safe and could be unknowingly living next door to the person that is going to make their childs life a living hell and quite possibly kill them. Oh, well give them a cell with a telly, money, drugs, a short sentence and then let them out to air their sick frustrations again. Reoffenders! Once is enough isn't it. Lock them up for good, keep our children safe from these sick animals. Childrens' innocence and lives are at stake. We don't all have police guarding our front doors/ children - what would the government do if each of their children were forced to have sex with old men, or were killed or repeatedly assulted? Choices? balls to that, what choice did I get? I wasn't asked if I fancied being sexually assulted over a period of months, or if I minded being tied up, if I had a problem with oral sex or being touched. So why are these bastards being given privilidges and choices. Do the crime, expect the consequences.

[S]

I'd like to ask John Reid what he would do to a person who had raped and murdered HIS child? Would he say ok you can have ya balls chopped if ya like but ya don't have to? I might lock you up for a few months then let you out if ya like? USE YA HEAD! LOCK EM UP FOREVER, STRING EM UP, HANG EM WHATEVER. But keep them away from our kids. It ain't about money it's about a child's right to have a life and live safely. Think about what it must be like for those who have suffered at the hands of these animals. Serious, when you lying in your bed tonight think about how you would feel if it was YOUR child.

[Trevor Gray]

PAEDO-GEDDON! ASYLUM SEEKERS! BLAIR AND HIS CRONIES! BACK OFF BRUSSELS! BLOODY OLYMPIC LOGO! MADDIE!

Capital letters make my opinion more valid obviously.

[jill]

i think they should be treated like the animals they are and put to sleep so they cannot ever even think about a child again in an unhuman manner ,when they get locked up it should be forever so our children can be free to live their lives without any fear

[loulou]

its not just men that are pervs there are women to how are you to cut the biys off the women?i say put they in a prison for just pervs and leavethem there to rot.god for bid if this ever happened to a member of my family i would want to string them up and let the children rip the pieces out of them see how they like it reversed on them you sick perves dont deserve to live on this earth..

[julie lewis]

i just want to say people who are so sick and disgusting to do what they do to children should have exactly the same as what they did to they victim done to themselves to feel just what it was like for the person going through such terrifying ordeals, and feel it for them selves, or just let the parent's of the poor children alone with the sick poeple who just do these things, and let the parent's free to terrorise them as they did to theire children, i hate people who abuse children, children are defenceless and need protecting not harming and the goverment certainly are not protecting our children as far as om concerned...

[J Brodie]

what about the RIGHTS of the abused and murdered children???? That was taken from them by these evil monsters,Sarah and others like her did not have a "CHOICE" chemical castration should not be a choice it should be compulsory! They lost their rights when they took away the child`s innocence and life!!!

[jodie]

all peados shud be hung not put in bloody prison where theyll be let out after a matter or months so they can rape and kill agen its a pathetic strategy! R.I.P SARAH MAY THE PAIN BROUGHT TO YOUR PARENTS BE OVER..X

[mike]

I know just put them on the naughty chair thats how this country seems to be fighting crime these days, it;s a joke

[mike]

Just cut everything off and then kill the pervs

[John]

Why should I pay my taxes to keep these people pampered and protected in prison ? Everyone has choices, do right or do wrong, these sicko's choose to do wrong and hurt children. I say don't send them to prison. Let them stay at home and tell everyone who they are, that way the child molester will be a prisoner in his own home terrified of leaving the house. That way may help them to choose to do right than do wrong or risk getting a good kicking from angry parents.

[Samantha]

When will England ever stop talking about Paedophilia! it makes the news so let's print it the press say! most individuals don't even know what the word "Paedophile" means - lover of children incidentally! the government are just warming up to bring in the new Prime minister with idiotic measures to impress the masses copying America (has anyone seen the film "V for Vendetta" learn from it!!
Samantha

[MARK]

I am not a victim but a survivor of abuse and not a day goes by when i don't think of revenge.I was robbed of my childhood and suffered from depression all through my adult life and i wish the death penalty should be the only sentence a paedophile should get as they know exactly what they are doing,it's not an illness it's sick and degrading,and as much as you try and bury all the feelings and the pain but they appear in your persona in later life some even contemplate or succeed in suicide or self harm A LIFE FOR A LIFE because that's what paedophiles take from you!!!!!

[Stephanie 19]

the thought of a peodophile makes me sick and disgusted. im only 19 and i know the justice in this country lets us down, the second im qualified im leaving the U.K to a place were I can protect my children. PEDOPHILES SHOULD BE PUT IN THE ELECTRIC CHAIR OR BURNED TO DEATH. that may stop them doing such disgracful things and ruining lives - send them all to HELL!!!

[AP]

Where vigilante law has historically existed it has certainly made mistakes, however statistically it has made no more mistakes than 'legitimate' law (San Francisco in the 1890s is one example). Peoples' Courts have tended to be draconian, especially with such crimes. If law is 'Of the people, by the people, for the people', then the people should have the right to decide. I used to be liberal and believe in cures and therapy, but then I lived in the Aussie bush and some good friends of mine in the nearest town drove a paedophile out into the desert and left him to die. Had I known I'd probably have helped them, the police didn't have enough evidence to convict him and one of the girls had topped herself. Then I had a daughter of my own. Now I know only one thing for sure, with a bullet through the brain they never offend again. I'm afraid I'd remove the protection and let the lads in the prison yard deal with them. I don't care whether they can be rehabilitated or not, they abdicate their human rights when they treat children in such a barbaric manner. Wasn't 'Raskolnikov' the murderer in 'Crime and Punishment' who killed to see what it was like? An apt name if so. Anyway, the argument about 'valid' is fatuous where law is concerned (and where belief systems are concerned for that matter), as is the distinction over sane/insane, for that too is merely a legal definition based on medical knowledge, or lack of it. For far too long the emphasis has been on protecting the perpetrator rather than the victim, people have had enough of this. Whilst care has to be taken to protect the innocent, the people are right. And I'm sorry if I'm 'not the brightest in the pack' and can't possibly compare to the regurgitated 'wisdom' of the liberal chattering-class elite. No, there isn't a paedophile lurking on every street corner and the press have hyped this issue up, but the people most certainly do have the right to be 'judge, jury, and executioner' if needs be. But that's not what frightens the law makers and the police, if the people ever realise this right, they'll also realise that they have no need for law makers and the role of the police would be dramatically changed for ever.

Whilst I totally opposed the invasion of Iraq, I have a similar attitude to terrorists, but qualify this by the knowledge that it was the Maze prisoners that dragged the IRA to the negotiating table, even if releasing some of them left a bad taste in my mouth. But since one cannot negotiate with God .....................

[ann]

i have 5 grandchildren.if one hair on thier heads weretouched by a perv, itwould be me in jail cos i'd knife him!!

[dave squire]

HUMAN RIGHTS tell that to the parents of kids that have molested/killed by these animals.You are right i am not the brightest star but i know right from wrong and i also know the goverment need to stop protecting these SICKOS.
Chemical castration which is voluntry why even bother,you tell me where there is a place in this day and age for scum like this and they all can come and live next to you IDIOTS that want to give counselling and a let them out to re-offend.
every law abiding tax paying person who lives in this country is entitled to there opinion you may not agree but no need for insults

put them in a room full of mothers.

[Jeff]

Do you know what, Raskolnikov you are exactly the sort of person that I cant stand. Drawing on the fact that someone used the word "sicko" and then using that to belittle what they meant. Anyone who rapes a child is a so far removed from our normal range of thought that it makes us feel sick to think of it. Then this reaction is our most comfortable way of describing that person "SICKO". I find it worrying that in the future a defence team could pin point a lack of a certain chemical in the brain as to the reason why someone murdered or why a child got raped.. These people are secretive, manipulative, devious and depraved They are not mentally ill they are those who pander to an unnatural instinct and show little remorse for their crimes. Maybe the thought of the Death sentence would halt their sickening actions. Infact I am sure it would.

[Mauricio Gomez]

Whilst I agree with the punishement for people who molest children, I strongly disagree with these parents of the children who have disappeared or got kill who go aroun grabbing the limelight and globetrotting with the excuse of "looking for answers" on their charity money

Mauri

[TRACY]

HI WELL I DON'T THINK DAVE IS AN IDIOT, IT'S ABOUT TIME, THAT ARE CHILDREN THE NEXT GENERATION, SHOULD BE PROTECTED, AGAINST ALL THESE PERVS, PAEDOPHILES WHAT EVER YOU WANT TO CALL THEM

[Jeff]

OOOHHHH and while I think about it...........All this talk of vigilante groups going round (presumably carrying pitch forks and torches) Can I ask when was the last time you heard of this happening? Then to describe them as "not the brightest stars in the sky" who the hell are you LIBRE to cast your cotton wool wrapped suburban opinion over a vast majority of our countries population! If it wasnt for THE NOT VERY BRIGHT PEOPLE in this country we wouldnt of won two world wars.....Incedently leaving the Intellectuals to guide us to the next catastrophy. I cant stand this semi clever commenting on groups of people. Presumably they are all those who live on housing estates LIBRE..... The next point is all this talk of driving the actions of these people UNDERGROUND ! What the hell does that mean? they are already operating underground arent they?? or is this another stalling tactic on behalf of the intellectual decision makers to allow them more time to deliberate and dig deeper in the barrel of understanding of the humans rights!!!!! Ask yourself one question and really think about what I am saying WHY DOES IT REALLY TAKE SO MUCH TIME TO GET THE LAWS CHANGED??????

[ANDY]

all i want to say is they should all be shot, thats the only justice they deserve. why pay tax to keep them alive.

[Kaitlyn]

You do realise the reason we'll probably never be given rightful access to who paedophiles are in our area is because of the violent people out there wanting to serve out punishment themselves, right? Mob mentality causes more problems than it does solutions.

[Raskolnikov]

(Not so) Tenderfoot: please read my 2 posts and tell me where it specifically states that we should be 'soft' on such people. Define 'soft' : not ritually flogging the culprit? Not burning at the stake? Give me a clue. It didn't take long for the accusations of human rights etc to come out. I confidentally prdict the use of 'Political correctness gone mad' soon.

It is not enough to claim that a view is of the majority. Either an opinion is valid or not. The majority used to worship the sun, believe that the earth was at the centre of the universe and think that it was a smashing wheeze to invade Iraq!
I reiterate my point that these people are not hanging around every corner or outside every school. The media have dreamt this up. Hence, many parents wrap their children in cotton wool. The greatest threat comes from within. therefore, this compromise by reid allows parents involved in new relationships to check. Not foolproof (see CRB) but a step forward.
There is a potent argument that many cannot be rehabilitated and therefore permanent incarceration could be the only solution in order to protect.However, this is not proven.
Finally, for those who believe the perpretators of such heinous acts to be 'sickos': if this is the case then they need to be treated as ill rather than as criminal. Maybe you cannot understand the subtle legal distinction, but you cannot have it both ways.

[Jeff]

Do you know what, I was going to write a long winded piece on human rights etc.. How I believe the law and human rights are so tangled up in intellectual debate and then I realised that these intellectuals account for an enth of a percent of the population yet pass.....................Sorry I cant even be bothered to finish what i was writing because until these people of intellectual arguement are removed from decision making on these issues. The peadophile will always get away with it. Human rights stare us in the face yet they continue to defend and protect the guilty. Lets have a referendum which poses the question WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE WHO RAPE CHILDREN SENTENCED TO DEATH? I would love to see the outcome of that vote? Still at least weve banned smoking Ehhhhh.

[libra]

Any discussion about paedophiles will always bring out the vigilantes in our society. Unfortunately they tend not to be the brightest stars in the sky, and they form a mob and dispense their own brand of summary justice without being too concerned with the facts. There is always the extreme danger that they will pick on someone completely innocent. They should ask themselves how they would feel if they were the ones on the receiving end of a severe beating from a baying mob because a paedophile (or a paediatrician, or maybe even a pedestrian)happens to live in the same street, and the mob in their fury had the wrong address. I do not defend the paedophiles, only the innocent people who become the victims.

[Tenderfoot]

As long as there are plonkers like Raskolnikov who are to soft on punishment there will be no end to this. I think he is a member of the human rights brigade. We have tried it their way for years and it just dosen't seem to work does it. Russ I think shares the same opinion as the majority. Something positive has to be done to send a clear message to these sickos it will not be tollerated

[Raskolnikov]

Firstly, note that the writer's name appears underneath the comment. Secondly,it is not a question of sticking up for them, as you say. I am appalled by their actions too. I have children too. However, in order for an enlightened society to function, it cannot be allowed to be run by emotion alone. That is why we no longer have the death penalty.
I do not pretend to have all the answers, i just look for reasoned debate. The actual post by Mr squires is hardly a rational solution. it may make people happy but again I come back to the original point: who gives you the right to be a self-appointed judge, jury and executioner?
accept that it is possible to be against vigilante action AND not be pro-paedophilia.

[russ]

in response to dave squire. IDIOT this is english one mistake but anyway,this is not a knee jerk reaction the country has been soft on them sick twisted for long enough its time for some action they deserve no human rights for they abuse the inocent and the poeple who physicaly can not defend them selves stop sticking upi for them

[dave squire]

paint them bright pink and make them walk the streets and let the british public deal with the sickos

[Raskolnikov]

Was the comment by Russ supposed to be in English? Whenever there is a high profile case we see knee-jerk reactions. Some elements of the tabloid press would have us believe that there is a dangerous paedophile on every corner waiting to pounce. The fact is that most incidents involve a family member or close friend. This is why the proposal to enable a new partner's details to be checked is a good idea.
the campaign for a Megan/Sarah's Law is misguided. It will drive them underground. as we saw with the News of the world naming of purported offenders, it can lead to vigilnte justice. remember the attack on the home of a Paediatrician? That is why Russ's comments concern me. what gives him the right to be jury and executioner?

they should all be made aware to everyone who they meet wot sick disgusting human beings they are, if was down to me would all suffer a slow n painful death they make me sick 2!!

[russ]

I think its a joke lock them up or if our silly little lwas wont work they should be ridiculed and made to tell everyone they come in to contact with. Come try been a pedo with a grown man they would mould you a new face they make me sick