Louis Theroux: A Place for Paedophiles, Sunday 9pm, BBC2

Posted by Stewart Turner

After all those years spent squirming in the spare rooms of Sir Jimmy Savile, Paul Daniels and the Hamiltons, the BBC evidently feels poor Louis Theroux deserved a bit of a break.

For the latest instalment in his gradual reinvention as a Proper Serious Journalist - less eyebrow arching, same interview technique - he was packed off for a week’s holiday on the sunny West Coast of America  to spend time with 800 or so of America’s most notorious sex offenders.

Coalinga, California is the site of a controversial mental hospital for paedophiles, where 800 offenders are locked up indefinitely despite already serving their prison sentences. Eager to quench the placard-waving, “cut off their balls with a rusty penknife”-bellowing public’s demand to keep these people off the streets, the authorities have exploited a legal loophole and reclassified ex-prisoners as mentally ill – in effect giving themselves carte blanche to incarcerate them indefinitely.

Some of the lead-up to the show was particularly knee jerk. Under the headline "Day I Met the Paedos in Paradise" The Sun described Coalinga as a place where “vile sex beasts have karaoke nights, put on plays, and on their birthday are thrown a party with cake, ice-cream and gifts”. Well, it’s all true, but that’s not exactly the full story.

In its entire history, only 13 inmates at Coalinga have been released back into the community. Part of the reason for this is that there’s not actually any evidence, despite Coalinga’s extensive series of "phallametric" tests, stints on the lie detector and daily group therapy, that paedophilia is actually something that can be “cured”. As a result, the hospital has become little more than a huge, expensive holding ground.

A significant minority of the inmates even refuse to cooperate with therapy, preferring instead to try to make their escape by means of a legal challenge. One inmate describes the whole process as “locking people up just in case they do anything”, and other scenes, such as the forced, half-hearted apology after a stand off between a therapist and a petulant Coalinga patient suggests the only thing these men are learning is how to play the game.

It was a brave documentary, unafraid to portray sex-offenders as the deeply flawed human beings rather than sub-human bogeymen as is often (perhaps rather conveniently) the case. One thing’s for sure – splashing out £137,000 a head each year from the public purse to keep them locked up on a course of ineffectual rehabilitation doesn’t seem to be the solution.

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Comments

[Shazbut]

In the documentary, you heard one of them say that they didn't fully realise that their victims were human beings. The public at large, including the writers of half of these comments, don't want to believe that paedophiles are. Many people hate them more than serial murderers, more than torturers. That's why it's not about their crimes of these men, as much as it's about the very deep and incredibly repressed fear we have of identifying with them. We know sexual drive is erratic and overpowering, we know that we can't be blamed for what we desire, and we know these men are human beings. Demonising them is like a way of attempting to gain control over yourself. I mean just look at these guys in the documentary, they look NORMAL. Most us of don't know anyone who is 300lb of muscle and has swastikas on their face, but these guys look like your next door neighbour.
It's perfectly compatible to be aware of the terrible nature of their crimes, to be utterly aware and sorrowful and empathetic and caring of the victims, and to treat the perpetrators with the same respect as anyone else.

The more you hate, the closer you are to being a monster yourself. Hate is understandable, but it is the answer to absolutely nothing.

[Lexx]

Unfortunately for the (in all fairness understandably) Closed-minded people here there are a small majority who ARE mentally ill, and who really do need help (before you question my experience or basis for my opinion- my father is one such person). And no I am not defending what they do, I know 90% of peadophiles really are just evil and twisted, and I would certainly never expect the victims to even begin to sympathise with even the sick ones- I'm just saying, there are exceptions to the rule, and a "castrate 'em and kill 'em" approach will do more harm than good.

[Melted Mind]

(It is not usually the case that those most vehemently opposed to things (e.g homophobes) are secretly that themselves). People hate these individuals because they have either had experienced being abused themselves and it has messed up their lives, or like many decent human beings hate this disgusting deviant behavior against innocent children.
I have no sympathy for these sick individuals. They don't give a damn what damage they cause to their victims and the ripple effect that it then causes to the family and future relationships.
They get help but what about the poor victims and their families living with the guilt, shame and blame???
Who helps them come to some sort of terms to the horror and theft of innocence. These individuals not only sexualize children before they are ready but give the child confusing ideas of what being a human is about. If I had my way they would be castrated and have a chip inserted into them so that they could be tracked all the time. Our society is so messed up we need a serious rethink of what is right and wrong.

[robert baillie]

all the children that cause vandalism and are given asbo's etc could be given to these people. it would serve their needs and remove a blight on society . surely its a win win situation

[jon]

My wife had an idea several years ago. You can Dye meat, rice all sorts of food stuffs without causing any harm to the human body. She states that they should be dyed so that that they are green or orange to look at. We simply tell our children to run away screaming when they see one. This will reinforce in these people that what they are doing is wrong. One thing to me has always been very clear they do not seem to be able to know that interfering with children is wrong. This type of reaction from children might make them think. It would certainly keep our children safe

[Tony]

Calling them animals is incorrect. Animals don't behave like "humans" OK a Lion will "kill" a gazelle for food, or it's own kind out of territory, a human will kill another human for almost anything: out of jealousy, over money, territory, greed and even debauched, excessive lust for a minor. Paedophiles aren't the only problem unfortunately, we're a civilization hell bent on distroying ourselves and the planet. Disagree? watch Al Gore's "An inconvenient truth".

[silent majority]

You say it's not a sickness then call them sick?! Make up your mind. They do not get only 2 yrs, its more like burglar gets 2 yrs paedo gets 5. And those in this institution have served jail time and then moved there instead of being released into the community. They are technically "free" but pose a potential threat, so are granted some luxuries as they are technically not incarcerated and have served there punishment in the eyes of the court. So The Sun has (as usual) blown things well out of proportion and demonstrated their wonderfully unbiased journalism that they are renowned for. And back to peado haters comments, isn't it usually the case that those most vehemently opposed to things (e.g homophobes) are secretly that themselves. I mean by such a strong reaction to something you're very unlikely to have experienced shows either disgust with yourself or pure ignorance to both sides of the argument. Are you not born being attracted to women or men?! So how can having an attraction to things you're not supposed to not come about the same way?! As wrong as it maybe you cannot think that they intentionally make themselves behave like that. And as for the whole killing them argument, that is just pathetic, something that cannot be a reality in a civilised society. I bet you are opposed to Sharia law, yet you'll advocate something that is far worse. Now that's the level headed thinking of a Sun or Daily Mail reader.

[peado hater]

It is only possible in countries of high political corectness to tolerate that kind of expenses on those animals, as we certainly cannot call them humans...some people say it is sickness....IT IS NOT!!!...how can a simple burglar be sentenced for 5 yrs imprisonment for stealing, lets say a luxury car and in the same time some peado will get 2 years for raping some 10yr old baby??? and then they gonna put him into ''recovery centre'', giving him gifts, giving him ps3, sky, and GOD knows what else....in my maybe a bit radical opinion they should be chemically castrated,or literally castrated....someone could say: what about human rights??? then i say : ''What humans???'' And what about the victims- vulnerable women and kids- where they treated as humans by their offenders??? I say kill'em all and save some money ...cant stand that my hard earned money are going to feed them sick animals...can u ??