On Gary Glitter And Paedos
GARY Glitter. Let’s have a paedo amnesty. Hand in your paedo pics and videos and tell the cops where you got them. No action taken against you. How about it?
Carol Sarler writes in the Times:
With impeccably spun timing, while Gary Glitter hunkered down at Bangkok airport to avoid police interrogation at Heathrow, Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, took to the airwaves yesterday to announce new initiatives to prevent paedophiles from travelling as “sex tourists”. Snatch their passports, she cried. Ground them for five years. Nail their filthy feet to the floor.
Yeah, keep sexual deviants at home in the UK. Much better…
Her plans, no doubt, resonated with public opinion. In announcing them, however, she reinforced a largely unacknowledged muddle at the heart of all debate on the subject of paedophilia: is it an illness, or is it a crime?
Both. Would anyone want to be paedophile?
At the moment, galvanised by the desire to be as punitive as possible, we mix and match. When it suits us to invoke the idea of uncontrollable urges, we do exactly that - look how readily the tabloid press appends “sick!” to any mention of child abuse. On the other hand, when it suits us to argue for the throwing away of keys, as befits any rotten but otherwise common criminal, we do that instead. The truth is, it’s time to choose.
But there will be no choice. Peadophilia is a crime.
If we accept that paedophilia is an illness - and there are reasoned voices who say that it is - then, by definition, we accept it as being beyond the control of its sufferer in exactly the way that we accept schizophrenia. Therefore, we should respond as such: if a man, for reasons not remotely his fault, is posing a risk to others, he should be subject to sectioning under the Mental Health Act, with all the appropriate regret, sympathy and kindness that accompanies such a move. Given the grip of the current bogeyman frenzy, it is hard to see that one playing in Peoria; nevertheless, it would be the only humane response.
If we accept that it is a crime, however, then it is something which the perpetrator can control. He may choose to offend or not, and if he chooses what is unacceptable, again we should respond as such. We catch the bastard, try him, lock him up by way of penalty and then - this is the crucial bit - once he has served his sentence we restore his liberty. In full.
And that is the crux. Do the crime. Serve your time. And then..?
This has been the fundamental principle of justice, at least within crime and punishment, that has stood us in reasonable stead since Magna Carta. Now, just because one particular category of behaviour is exciting public consciousness - pressing, as it does, all the right buttons such as “sex” and “children” - is collective gut revulsion really enough to challenge copper-bottomed, tried, tested and trusted legal tradition?
There is so lityle meaningful debate on peadophilia, least of all in the tabloid press. What is the best way forward..
August 21st, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Last year Jim Gamble, of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), said some offenders who viewed child porn could be given a police caution.
He suggested that treatment in the community is a practical way of dealing with the huge scale of the problem.
He was savaged by the tabloids, and having been savaged, he adjusted his language.
But his point remains, as do the points made by people who have researched the drivers of moral panic legislation.
It appears not to do anything to protect kids, though it does an excellent job of ratcheting up levels of fear in the general public.
Useful for politicians wanting to distract public attention, though…
August 21st, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Just shoot the bugger - all snipers please assemble on the roof tops of Heathrow airport tomorrow morning. I am not a violent person, but in this case I will make an exception!
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:39 am
Sympathise with a paedo (thereby letting him blame everyone but himself for the damage he’s inflicted) or leave him with his passport and let him rape small children abroad?
I’m not sure that silly arguments like that are any better than moral panic.
August 22nd, 2008 at 2:02 am
Now Karen , we have to face facts - this is not speculation, the sod has been in jail for the offence against children, and has now been released and sent back to his country of origin. He would, of course have preferred not to get back in the UK to face the music (other countries are apparently more lenient) BUT return he must, but that does not mean that he should be welcomed. Given half a chance, I would wipe that sickly smirk from his disgusting face in one foul swipe, but unfortunately and probably because of his status as a has-been pop star, nobody will have the opportunity to get even close to doing what every sane minded person would want to do to such an abosolutely obnoxious individual. I really hope he rots in hell
August 22nd, 2008 at 2:32 am
Why can’t convicted pedophiles be chemically fixed. Better than shooting them I suppose. These crims can’t be controlled so what other way is there. They are very clever and usually extremely careful not to be caught and can come from all walks of life! I just hope someone takes a pot-shot at him. His children disown him too.
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:45 am
Please remember during this debate that homosexuality was once considered a crime.
Anal sex between a man and a woman is still considered a crime.
When we first become aware of our sexuality, we discover that we do not choose to fancy men, women, children, animals or park-benches - it just happens.
Some people fancy others of the same sex or both sexes.
Amongst consenting adults this is fine.
In some countries it’s illegal to be openly sadistic or masochistic.
There are probably as many sexual persuasions as there people.
Some men and women will only enjoy good sex with very old, wrinkly, piss-smelling absent-minded people.
Is that wrong??? As long as it is by mutual consent of the people taking part?
Some people are attracted to animals. The animal has to be protected because it does not have a choice. An animal cannot think for itself.
What we must do is remind ourselves that paedophiles want to have sex with babies, children or teenagers who do not have the right to choose or refuse the sex acts - whether they involve being bathed, caresses, petting or penetration.
We cannot stop the paedophile thinking in this way. We could use drug that takes the sex-drive away. The Human Rights Brigade would not condone this without the consent of the patient.
Because of the dangers and harm that a paedophile is able to cause - Government agencies must look into keeping paedophiles on a tight rein - and if this means hosting a paedophile community - so be it.
The responses are not triggered if the paedophile does not see children in the flesh or in magazines etc.
Even clothing catalogues can cause this response - children are everywhere! Therefore the only solution is isolation of this type of individual. Isolation with others of their type. With counsellors and nurses who understand this sexuality - not some dick-head prison officers who would turn a blind eye to certain materials being brought onto the premises - like people who work in drug-rehab units! They know who they are!
But then the paedophile being a human being has an enormous imagination ……………… We cannot lock that way from them!
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:24 am
these people should just be killed..if they do something like that then it is not safe to have them on our planet with our children around..once a person touches a child in such a way it should be as though they have just given up any human rights they had and should be given the death penalty effective immediatley..
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:31 am
In Spain the age of consent is 13 and in many other European countries it is 14.
I have no axe to grind on this at all but, thinking aloud, what is legal in Spain would be illegal in UK and have to treated as a peado and on the sex offenders register.
Okay… I now expect a flaming.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:54 am
Well to say that its a medical illness is just an excuse, seen as they are so clever and sneaky and they prey on children its criminal and no excuse. they should be….let me think erm castrated yeah by law
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:52 pm
The Original Stan Says:
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:24 am
these people should just be killed..if they do something like that then it is not safe to have them on our planet with our children around..once a person touches a child in such a way it should be as though they have just given up any human rights they had and should be given the death penalty effective immediatley..
……………………………………………………………
Think about this …… People with paedophile tendencies probably live within a few hundred yards of where you live.
There are thousands of paedophiles that never get caught and many have yet to be born.
How many young and elderly heterosexual couples with or without their own children take holidays at resorts where there are hundreds of children - but they never touch! So they don’t get caught and prosecuted.
Many old men walk their dogs in parks and have a penchant for children. But they don’t touch and they don’t get caught.
Almost every parent bathes their own children. A lot of these people have these tendencies - but they don’t go too far and they don’t get caught.
And it’s not just men who are paedophiles - there are many many women who also have paedophile tendencies.
This is one of the last taboos in society along with homosexuality and bestiality. We need to understand that there is nothing that can be done apart from drugging them.
Castration will not take away the urge - it only sublimates the actions - not the thoughts. Castrated men will only carry on and use other implements causing more injuries mental and physical.
Mr B - Well said! And of course we must not forget the revered by millions and milions Prophet Mohammed who took a nine-year old bride - and societies and cultures that to this very day masturbate their children to sleep when teething or unsettled!
Where somebody has been caught committing acts with a minor and in many many cases with tiny babies - not even toddlers - we have to able to lock these people into areas where they are monitored 24 hours a day.
There are very few people who can control their paedophile tendencies and because of the threat of prison they are driven underground to porn-sites.
However many paedophiles just take pictures of their own grand-children or flick through clothing catalogues.
It is something that cannot be suppressed, it is a perfectly natural urge to these people. We cannot condemn them to death it’s uncontrollable.
A Government strategy is needed for the people who have been convicted - and counselling services for the people who are scared to death of seeking help - and places where ordinary concerned members of the public can go to in total confidence to alleviate their concerns about family members, neighbours etc without thinking the police and social services are going to go diving in and destroying the lives of innocent people.
Just as there are over-sexed perverse heterosexuals and over-sexed promiscuous homo-sexuals - there are UNDER-sexed and perverse promiscuous paedophiles who are themselves scared to death of the consequences that their actions are going to have on their victims and themselves - but are going to go ahead anyway - because they have not chosen the way they are.
And the more people who talk like you and incite fear and hatred - the more difficult it is for these people to offer themselves up for help.
So use your energy in getting your local council, local MP and local schools to start discussing it so that something can be done about it.
Bigots should be shot up against the walls!
Having people openly condone the death-sentence about something so serious and dangerous as this is inciting murder in the uneducated and unwashed areas of society.
If you feel so strongly - get some facts and figures together and try belting it out in Parliament so that at least you know there’s a frame in structure.
Because of people like you - taboos stay taboo!
You will find that paedophile minds are extraordinarily cunning and clever - very very clever with terrifying intelligence!
These people aren’t just dross living on the dole in a tower-block flat - in fact they ususally end up living seemingly boring lives to throw people off the scent - and are in frighteningly high-up jobs!
So good luck in getting a committee formed! Coz even Jacqui Smith hasn’t got a fucking cat-in-hell’s chance.
It will be forever a taboo! Thanks!
September 1st, 2008 at 11:10 pm
What a great story!