| Flowers in Gods Garden
- Articles |
13/12/01 - LET'S STOP THIS HAPPENING
AGAIN
By HELEN EDWARDS,
CEO of Nacro, the crime reduction charity
The Mirror
BOY Whiting had already been in prison for the abduction
and assault of a child. So how could he be allowed out
to offend again? And what can we do to protect children
In the future? Here are some suggestions:
IMPROVE the supervision of sex offenders in the community
- including strict conditions on their movement and
where they live. If they refuse to comply, they could
be sent back to prison.
MAKE paedophiles' sentences revlewable - so they can
be kept in prison for as long as they are considered
dangerous.
DEVELOP better treatments of offenders. Contrary to
popular opinion, sex offenders can be reformed.
EDUCATE youngsters about sexual abuse. This does not
mean we have to go into graphic detail. But abusers
prey on innocence. Children must know that it is right
to resist advances from adults they feel uncomfortable
about.
GET adults and carers to learn to listen to children
and stop abuse before it starts. Most children are abused
by family, friends and acquaintances, not by strangers.
Some people argue that we should be told about paedophiles
living in our neighbourhoods. But this is not a solution,
even though "naming and shaming" is a popular
idea.
The problem is that offenders who are made visible in
one particular community can quickly become invisible
again. And if they go into hiding, no one knows where
they are - or what evil they are doing. |
| Contact : bernard.omahoney@bernardomahoney.com |
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