Should We Know if Someone is a Paedophille?

[Brendan]

Taken from my blog post, what do you think? http://sketchperception.com/2009/09/29/should-we-know-if-someone-is-a-paedophille/


With the arrest of Roman Polanski and it's inevitable consumption of the news, people have been pondering the question, should we be informed about paedophilles? Should there be some form of national list or database of sex offenders of this nature?

Facebook groups and 'pub-talk' suggest that we should indeed know about them and where they live.

Of course, the government does in-fact keep a long list of sex offenders, but to make it public would be a short sighted and careless move, maybe even barbaric. It'd be like throwing a wounded fish to a shark.

I do not condone sex offenders, so sit down, put the pitch forks away and let me explain.

Say you found out that a paedophille lives on your street and you got the address quite freely from the government. What are you going to do with that information? Chances are you're either going to abide the law, sit down, drink your coffee like a good model citizen and do nothing; in which case the information has done you no good. If anything, the information would have done you harm emotionally, you may even rip your eyes out of your head in frustration. Or option two, would be to go and commit a crime against this sick individual.

In the eyes of the law, committing a crime is bad, regardless of your reasons or whatever monster of a human being you did it to. "I killed him because he's a cunt" is never a good defence in court.

The government does not want people to go around committing crimes amongst themselves. Two wrongs undeniably do not make a right and the chances are that if someone is a known paedophille on some sort of list, they have already been punished by the judicial system.

You also have to take into account that not everyone who is found guilty in a court of law, is actually guilty. It's unfortunate, but some innocent people slip through the net and land into hot, scolding water. Even if you take away that argument, what is the person actually guilty of?

Paedophillia is a broad term, it simply implies the sexual attraction of children by adults. Any form of it is, of course, morally and legally wrong. But the public shouldn't be able to administer their own 'justice', there is an entire official system dedicated to doing that for us.

And even if it is morally okay to administer your own brand of justice, and you attack their house. The 'person' could have a family and friends who may or may not be aware of what has happened. The convicted 'person' may have moved on, started a fresh, made new friends and formed a new family, whatever you did to them, they would feel it too.

That said, this is a political matter, if the list ever became public then the police would certainly have a busy month.

[Martin]

It's a tough one. I want to say no, let the authorities deal with them, but if I had a child and there was a convicted paedophile in the same street I think I would want to know.

[Lagger]

i dont think you should know. as brendan said they will already have been punished by the law. plus (and this may seem like a weird standpoint) it must be really difficult being a paedophile. it isnt domething you choose, its a natural attraction, the same as people dont choose to be gay. its not something that can be "cured" or anything like that. and i must say that it would be extremely difficult not to commit a sexual offense if you were attracted to children, because any form of pornography is (rightfully) illegal as is any kind of sexual encounter. so i can imagine it being an easy life to adhere to the law.

[Martin]

it must be really difficult being a paedophile.

Diddums. I'm heterosexual, does that mean it's okay for me to go around assaulting women? I haven't had sex for ages, it's really hard for me.

I can just, just about accept the "it's a natural urge" argument, but that does not mean they have to act on it.

[Brendan]

it must be really difficult being a paedophile.

Diddums. I'm heterosexual, does that mean it's okay for me to go around assaulting women? I haven't had sex for ages, it's really hard for me.

I can just, just about accept the "it's a natural urge" argument, but that does not mean they have to act on it.

Exactly, if I have an illegal lust, I don't have to act on it. Feeling something and acting on that feeling are two different things.

[Lagger]

it must be really difficult being a paedophile.

Diddums. I'm heterosexual, does that mean it's okay for me to go around assaulting women?

no, but you can legally watch pornography of the sort of thing you enjoy for some relief

[Martin]

I'm sure they could use their imagination just fine.

[Lagger]

yes and im sure many do. but i'd imagine the temptation to watch child porn when it is most likely readily available would be pretty strong

[Martin]

Well they know it's illegal so they're aware of the consequences.

Plus it's not as if all paedophiles are ONLY interested in children.

[LittleRob]

I say nay here. A lot of convicted paedophiles are actually seeking help and trying to live a normal life. Doing the equivalent of shouting 'PAEDO!' from a rooftop at them is going to utterly destroy any chance they have of rehabilitation. As has been said, it's a mental disorder - we know it's wrong, they know it's wrong, but they can't help it, for the most part - we should be trying to help these people, not raising the torches and pitchforks.

Basically, it's the same reason we don't make everyone's criminal records available to the public - it leaves absolutely no chance to make anything even approaching a fresh start.

[Lagger]

it's a mental disorder

you make it sound curable. you may as well try and cure a gay person. its a sexual preference, not a disease

[Stephen]

To answer the question, I believe such a list should be kept private, releasing the information to the general public is going to be very dangerous.

Society has changed, we don't stone people for stealing anymore, to release such information would probably take us back a couple hundred of years.

It's a tough one. I want to say no, let the authorities deal with them, but if I had a child and there was a convicted paedophile in the same street I think I would want to know.

Why is it that paedophiles are often shown in a much much worse light than murderers or rapists? The girl I am dated asked me this question, we came to the conlusion that it may be because a large percentage of the adult population are parents or have younger family members, as a result when they hear about such crimes they think of such things happening to their own loved ones and in their own minds it is unthinkable.

I think as a parent it's your own responsibility to ensure your child's safety, say that the 'imaginary' paedophile you would want to know about is now a murderer with no convictions (for examples sake).

It would probably take the same amount of effort to kidnap a child for murder as it would be to kidnap a child for sex, you're never going to know about the murderer until the worst has happened so why should knowing a sex offender is nearby be any different? Parents need to accept they have a responsibility and kids should know not to speak to strangers.

Or option two, would be to go and commit a crime against this sick individual.

The 'sick' context here is determined by society rather than medically. I'd love to agree that paedophilia is a mental illness but it's not... it's a sexual attraction / preference brought on by nature and influences beyond the individuals control.

it's a mental disorder

you make it sound curable. you may as well try and cure a gay person. its a sexual preference, not a disease

I have to agree, my soon-to-be gf suffers from severe OCD in which her mind will put 'bad thoughts' into her head, these thoughts are sometimes related to illness - germs - religion for example sometimes she believes she may give someone cancer if she doesn't do something.

This is a mental illness, she has seen psychiatrists who have helped her be more in control of her illness by using science and logic, she is also studying psychology and mental illness and will become a Dr within a few years.

She is incapable of functioning normally within society, true she's controlling it much better, but she is unable to perform all mental functions without issues. A paedophile on the other hand can fit into society just fine, all their mental functions work perfectly (unless they have a separate illness), it is just society has branded a paedophiles sexual preference as a disturbing and taboo act (I agree).

My long-winded point of view.

[LittleRob]

it's a mental disorder

you make it sound curable. you may as well try and cure a gay person. its a sexual preference, not a disease

You're right, oops.

[Junas]

it must be really difficult being a paedophile.

Diddums. I'm heterosexual, does that mean it's okay for me to go around assaulting women? I haven't had sex for ages, it's really hard for me.

why do people think rape is about sex?

[Iceray0]

Taken from my blog post, what do you think? http://sketchperception.com/2009/09/29/should-we-know-if-someone-is-a-paedophille/


With the arrest of Roman Polanski and it's inevitable consumption of the news, people have been pondering the question, should we be informed about paedophilles? Should there be some form of national list or database of sex offenders of this nature?

we have a list of every criminal avaliable on the internet, pedos are included on the list and we are informed about them, we get a picture, crime commited, and most of the time an address

[Brendan]

Well, I can understand it, I'm just not entirely sure I can agree with it without evaluating the options.

[Martin]

life story

"Why is it that paedophiles are often shown in a much much worse light than murderers or rapists?"

I think because it is against children people see it as worse, because of the view that children are innocent and less capable of defending themselves. I'd actually put paedophiles and rapists on a par with each other, above murderers. They both leave emotional scars that can be more damaging than any physical pain.

"I think as a parent it's your own responsibility to ensure your child's safety"
"Parents need to accept they have a responsibility and kids should know not to speak to strangers."

Yes, but even the most vigilant parent cannot guarantee their children's safety all of the time. I'm not one of these people who would wrap their kids in cotton wool for fear of there being a paedo on every corner, but say if someone's kid was snatched walking home from school. I very, very much doubt you would have the brass neck to stand in front of the parents and say it was their fault for not ensuring their child was safe.

"it's a sexual attraction / preference brought on by nature and influences beyond the individuals control."

There is still a world of difference between being attracted to children, and acting on that attraction. And what people don't seem to have mentioned is that for every paedophile who might be trying to reform and change his life, there might be another one who reoffends. The childrens' safety should come first, not the feelings of a convicted paedophile. They committed a crime, they're not victims.

[Lagger]

They committed a crime, they're not victims.

and if they are back in society then they have been punished by the law for those crimes. you shouldnt then punish them further by releasing their information to an unruly mob (i.e. sun readers)

[Iceray0]

its not like the people will go murder them or something, it doesn't happen over here and we have that information made avaliable

[Martin]

its not like the people will go murder them or something

I'm pretty sure they would in some cases. There was a story over here of a paediatrician having his office smashed up or burnt down or something by an "angry mob" because they thought paediatrician = paedophile.

It's fair enough saying they've done their time but I personally think that the safety of children should vastly outweigh the rights of a paedophile in a civilised society. It's how you do that while avoiding the angry mob thing that's the tricky part.