Surprised at the lack of comment over the suspended sentence for the admitted rapist of the 14 yr old girl.

I was suggesting they be rehabilitated whilst locked up. Car thieves whom ACCIDENTLY kill people through irresponsible behavior aren’t at risk of roaming the streets and snatching up children.
Drink-drivers and speeders kill Australians every year too, you know.

I will make the same comment on two different threads to make my point.

DMD – In relation to pedophiles you are saying they cannot be rehabilitated and they need to be locked up for the good of society, yet car thieves who kill people are well worth the rehabilitation effort. Which way do you want to play the rehab game?

Is it possible that even RiotACT punters have given up commenting on the utter uselessness of the ACT Courts?

Okay finished school, so now I can address your post Diana. That’s a good point. You seem to have a bag of them.

My question is, can estrogen/testosterone levels be treated?

The reason the ACT courts come up with these sort of astoundingly inadequate sentences is because they’re a pack of sick mysonginistic bastards. Even the females – though you’ll note there isn’t a woman in coo-ee of the Supreme Court bench.

The sexual impropriety (and that’s putting much of it mildly) that regularly has a blind eye turned towards it by government officials and courts in this town is becoming increasingly disturbing.

Why won’t you let me double-post?

Okay, maybe they aren’t born gay. But would it be estrogen and testosterone that’s making pedo’s abuse children?

i think you just need to look at how androgynous children are? Possibly a common link there then.

Okay, now I’m going to double-post.

Right now, considering how much is publicly known about pedophilia, it is in the best interest to prevent these people from having contact with children. Prison is a sure way. Pedo’s are seperated from the general prison population, so they have less problems that would affect their functioning outside of prison than most prisoners do.

Outside of prison, they are registered as sex offenders where almost every aspect of their lives are monitored. Although this system has alot of holes (way too many, really), it’s a good start.

Attempts to tackle the problem psychologically shouldn’t be thrown out the window, though.

thats where you are wrong DMD – I don’t believe that most people are born gay – I believe some are and probably some are a combination. That is logical.

For example a child may go through some disruption in their life and attach to the wrong parent at whatever stage and that has permanent impacts for the rest of their life. It is very basic freud. My knowledge isn’t that in-depth but there are some very basic logical conclusions that you come to. it is way to easy to say all poofs are born and all pedderarses are environmental. the world aint black and white.

Sorry to double-post if I am, but I gotta be quick, gotta go back to school.

Diane, you made an interesting point. I might be completely wrong about this. But then again, I think we’re all making uneducated guesses. But hey, when was Riot-Act ever a forum of experts? Might as well learn off each others. That’s what debates are for, right?

But I’m wondering how any testosterone/estrongen imbalance could trigger an adult to want to sleep with a child? That kind of imbalance would only affect the selection of gender of partners wouldn’t it?

Wouldn’t it be something wrong with the natural sense of breeding ages (as well as the need for similar maturity of mind among partners) in the case of a pedo? Would that be a different part of the brain that’s doing that? I don’t know, someone’s going to have to enlighten me. But not impassive, who seems to anti-progressive as well as stupid.

Hey Dead, we do seem to be arguing at cross purposes here, and as much as I do like a good argument I will have to agree that threat is real, regardless of why and that we need to manage it –

That was my initial point really.. that the courts let these people go, or hand out soft sentences and should we, as a community, be content with that approach to this problem..

What does the community gain from treating the problem as a crime and punishing the perpetrators with a set amount of gaol time, and releasing them?? Very little, I would suggest.

No, Impassive, I think you have it all wrong. I don’t think you’re a psychological ‘expert’ at all. If you have any qualifications or experience in psychology, you obviously haven’t studied that area too heavily…or you’re in the wrong profession.

If it’s a ‘reason’ (and no-one said excuse, dimwit! No-one is justifying this behaviour, we all seem to want it stopped.) – would that somehow indicate a difference from homosexuality – which by most accounts, seems to be born with the person.

Someone’s going to have to start backing the facts here. I may be wrong. You’re the expert, Impassive.

If you are talking from a sociological point view they are exactly the same. They are deviant behaviours. I suspect if you look at it from a biological veiw point the deviance probably occurs in the same or similar part of the brain. i have even met and read about a lot of homosexuals who have undergone some form of abuse or disruption as a child as well – not necessarily physical (that is not to say that I believe all homosexuals are that way resultant of their environment – definately other factors such as those estrongen/testosterone imbalances are big influences as well).

So from those view points they are very similar. And i as said the main difference is the outcome.

I don’t believe that there will never be some kind of cure for it and I am all for eugenics for the bettement of controlled evolution of our species.. but that (and in particular this slant on the topic) opens a whole can of worms that will unleash doom.

There may well be a causal link with having been abused –

that sounds like a reason, not an excuse..

and doesn’t make them any less of a threat.. but will no doubt be taken into account when one of our soft judiciary sentence these sick souls.

Are you willing to send them overseas to visit this sick shit on foreign children?

I think tackling the problem here and now would be a better solution. Notice I said they should be locked up, not free.

And if pedophilia is exactly the same as homosexuality – does that mean homosexual had too much contact with members of the same sex too often or something?

There has to be a difference. The sheer amount of pedo’s that were abused as children cannot be a coincidence.

Exactly Diane, and any treatment for it would be as hopelessly unsuccessful – so Deadman, are you willing to gamble the wellbeing of the kids on the off chance that one of these people will be rehabilitated?

its just another form of deviant behaviour (as in homosexuality deviates from the norm). Now the difference between being pedderarse and gay is that homosexuals aren’t hurting anyone and are completely consenting (in most cases). Whereas a pedderarse is praying on people that are easy targets, more often than not there is no consent and when there is consent there is probably some form of manipulation that lead to it. So I would say yes in the same category, possibly even root cause can be similar. But that is all rendered irrelevant because the outcomes are different.

And, sorry to double post, if isn’t some kind of mental disorder…why is it the case that so many child abusers are victims themselves from when they were younger?

It shouldn’t be acceptable anywhere….

And I think it’s a little different to homosexuality. It’s a perversion and a deviance. Homosexuality isn’t.

In the days when homosexuality was considered a crime and a disease, they tried a whole lot of treatments to ‘cure’ the ‘sufferers’ and it didn’t work.

Paedophilia is in the same category, and paedophiles will tell you that they love children and that there is nothing wrong with what they do.. and is some societies they would be agreed with.. and I would suggest that they move to those places where what they do is acceptable, because it isn’t here.

Quit your job.

There’s no never in science.

Yep

How do you know that, Impassive? A psychological expert are you?

nyssa,

Haven’t you heard of the show Jerry Springer. Australia is getting more and more like America thanks to Little Johnny (except their prision sentences!). Sadly I think you can expect more of this behavior to happen and more lenient fines.

There is no treatment or cure for paedophilia.. so is it appropriate to consider the concept of ‘punishment’ and then release? Surely we need to be protected from these dangerous people.

The sicko that killed the little girl and got out recently after 15 years said that he’d “done his time” and should be left alone – to attack someone else’s kiddy..

Knock them on the head or lock them up for good – there is no rehabilitation for this perversion.

Now, are we living in the Middle Ages were it’s ok for a 31yo male to have a 14yo ‘bride’?

Hell no.

The 14yo may well have ‘consented’ but as a minor it’s a moot point. His arse should have been locked up.

I’m surprised he got a suspended sentence and community service.

I guess the courts thought it was appropriate that he can do community service so that he can scout his next 14 year old!

Although I’m usually in favor on less jail, more rehab, in this case, I don’t think this man should be walking the streets.

Pedos commit sick crimes, one’s that damage children (and their families) for the rest of their lives. There’s no way in the world you can justify subjecting children to this kind of risk.

That being said, however, pedophilia is considered in many scientific and psychological circles to be an actual disorder (obviously, something has to be majorly wrong). Perhaps steps should be taken to treat this WHILE THE OFFENDER IS LOCKED UP.

But in no way should that offender be free before such treatment is taken. When it is developed (if it is? Perhaps someone, not lazy me, has researched this?)

with you serendipity…

I think that the “traditional” situation of lenient or non existent sentences for serious offenders fronting the ACT courts has become such a common (but sad) occurence that our population has come to think this is the norm. People just shrug their shoulders and accept it. That doesnt make it right. The criminal scumbags know that if they are going to be caught for a crime that the ACT is the place to do it. Its a joke. I wonder if that judge has a 14 year old daughter. It must be frustrating for the cops who put the scumbag before the court to see things like this happen. This civil libitarian attitude that infiltrated our Canberra society (government/judiciary etc) has a lot to answer for I think. Whatever happened to the priciple of “do the crime, do the time”. Does anyone else share these views? Maybe its me who is wrong???

I’m trying to think of ANY situation where the sentence for a 31 yr to be having sex with and assaulting a 14 yr old should be so lenient..

No, can’t imagine one.. What circumstance could there possibly be that would excuse such a sentence?

People are more severely punished for having pictures of 31 yr olds having sex with 14 yr olds.. and we have become a society of apologists who mistake reasons for behavior for excuses..

this case is a little perverted. This guy is the perfect candidate for my pyschological testing lab/jail. Lock them in a lab, run tests pyshcological tests on them, learn how there minds act, learn new rehabilitation/preventation techniques they give back to society. creates more jobs for pyshcologists. I know it makes me sound like some nazi-esque nut job.. but I think there is merit in it, especially if it is done in manner that could be considered baseline humane.

I find it bizarre that:

1. a 31yo would want a relationship with 14yo school kid – wtf is wrong with this guy ??
2. a 14yo would want a 31yo as a boyfriend.

and how the hell does a 14 end up living with a 31 boyfriend ??

this is just plain sad and scary…

While I can see cases where judges are clearly on crack and need to be retired for the good of humanity, I’m not sure you can get a complete and reliable understanding of every case just from a newspaper report and a bit of gut instinct. You’re welcome to comment on the issues as you understand them, but the fact that the judge has actually heard all the evidence and weighed it up in light of his experience (however slanted that might be) has to count for something.

Consider, for example, that I can make some assumption about you, dear reader. Perhaps you had a girlfriend once and you broke up. From that, I can guess that you cheated on her with an entire team of cheerleaders, leaving used condoms in her teapot on the day she had planned to invite the vicar over for tea. What a bastard! It’s you who should be locked up, you two-timing rat!

And so on.

I’m not saying Justice Grey isn’t a raving knee-jerk reactionary loonie with the brains of a goat… but I’m not saying he is either. I’m agnostic: I don’t know whether he’s wrong or right, and I don’t believe you do either.