Monday, May 3, 2004

Rapists more criminally versatile than Paedophiles

Parents to be given paedophile details? But rapists are more criminally versatile than Paedophiles!

So who let the dogs out? Police Minister John Watkins! That's who.

THE Un- Australian: "PARENTS could be provided with details of released paedophiles, including their addresses and photographs, under contentious measures announced yesterday. NSW will become the first state to alert select individuals in local communities when a paedophile moves into their area. "

Today Paedophiles TOMORROW You!

The view that paedophiles can't be rehabilitated is off the planet. To suggest there is a need to restrict their movement is rubbish! This is a grab for civil liberties in NSW and it offends everyone else who has no corporate interests and who is free to associate because soon it could be you who is restricted or someone you know.

Mr Brett Collins from Justice Action said these are absolutely impossible laws that prevent normal behaviour by people who have paid the penalty. "Such people couldn't take their kids to school etc."

"A law preventing loitering for a sinister purpose and allows normal life would be a lot better." He said.


The failure to rehabilitate these offenders in prison is because of the lack of programs and access to them. Programs are fragmented in prison because of the *good order, discipline and security of the jail policies* which bypass *common sense* from medical complaints to rehabilitation of the offenders kept there.

That policy gives the Commissioner of Corrective Services the wide discretionary powers that also disrupt prisoners programs, mostly because of the department's obligations, but sometimes because the prisoners are simply disliked. And who is disliked the most? Child molesters.

THE Un- Australian: "The move, unveiled by the Carr Government yesterday, has been slammed by civil rights groups, which say it will encourage vigilantism. Under protocols announced yesterday, police will be allowed to give the names, addresses, criminal histories and photographs of convicted paedophiles to parents, teachers and youth group leaders if they think children in their care might be at risk."

NSW Police Minister John Watkins dubbed it a "last resort" measure. "These are quite extraordinary powers, but they are needed to protect children in this state," Mr Watkins said. "The reality is paedophilia is a high-risk recidivist offence. Paedophiles have given up the right to move freely through our community, or move silently to anywhere they could pose a risk."


Crime facts INFO: Australian Institute of Criminology 13 April 2004

A report titled Recidivism of sexual assault offenders rates, risk factors and treatment efficacy provides an overview of Australian and international research on sexual, violence and general recidivism among sex offenders. Despite the assumption that sexual offenders are particularly prone to reoffend, reconviction rates for sex crimes are relatively low. Sexual offenders are similar to the general offender population in terms of their criminal histories and their sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics the report says.

"They are versatile offenders, with a large proportion having convictions for violent and 'other' offences, such as drugs or property crimes. At the same time, they may specialise in particular types of sexual offences within their general criminal careers. The risk of recidivism varies for different types of sex offenders, with rapists tending to be more criminally versatile than child molesters.

A retrospective study of 629 persons aged 16 years and over, who were apprehended by Victoria police on suspicion of sexual assault of adults pointed to a considerable degree of recidivistic activity between 1993 and 2001. A substantial number had been previously apprehended for violent (n=222) and 'other' offences (n=348). "

"The number of sexual offences per individual was lower than for the other crime categories."

The AIC report appears to makes the Bulldogs rapists more criminally versatile than child molesters and as dangerous and perhaps more likely to offend than child molesters yet no Bulldogs rapists haven't been named!

Questions for Police Minister Mr Watkins.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU COULD BE RAPED BY A BULLDOGS RUGBY LEAGUE PLAYER MR WATKINS? LOOK IT UP ON THE SEX OFFENDER REGISTER? OR ARE THE POLICE GOING TO GO TO THE GENERAL AREA AND WARN PEOPLE OF THE DANGER PERHAPS AT EVERY FOOTBALL MATCH?


THE Un- Australian: Before police can release a paedophile's details, they need to establish that there is a high risk the offender will commit further crimes, and that there is an identified threat to an individual or class of persons. Police also are required to assess the likelihood of vigilante attacks.

They are allowed to disclose only information relevant to the function of the recipient, so that teachers, for example, will receive only details in their role as educators. Alternatively, scoutmasters and parents of children in a scout group could be alerted to a released paedophile who had offended against scouts in the past. Head of the Australian Council for Civil Liberties, Terry O'Gorman, said the NSW law was likely to backfire.

What's happened overseas, where a variant of the law is in existence, is that so-called key people turn out to be many people, then vigilantism starts and a person is forced to move," he said. "This is the sort of mindless populism that brings the criminal law into disrepute." Mr Watkins was at pains to point out the legislation was different from the one known in the US as "Megan's Law". That allows full public disclosure of a paedophile's location but has been blamed for encouraging vigilante attacks.

NSW police have tracked the whereabouts of convicted paedophiles since July 2001. It is the only state to have a register that requires child sex offenders to report regularly to police, providing address, job details and vehicle registration. There are currently 1200 people on the list. Other states agreed to legislate in preparation for a national sex offenders register at the Australasia Police Ministers Council in July 2003. The national register was due to be operating by mid-2004 but Victoria is the only other state to have made any headway, with legislation to be introduced into parliament within the next five weeks.

Queensland is waiting for a consultation between Federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison and state representatives. A spokesman for Queensland Attorney-General Rod Welford said the state "didn't want to go down the road NSW is going.

Queensland currently detains sex offenders in prison when they complete their sentence if they are still considered dangerous. However, the law is being challenged in the High Court."


Bulldogs simply not the best!

SIMPLY NOT THE BEST AND DEFINITELY NOT BETTER THAN ANYONE, ANYONE I'VE MET.

Gang-rape, police, disparity and the law..

The young woman and her friend have told police they met the players in Coffs Harbour on the evening after the Bulldogs played a trial match there and went back to the team's hotel with them.

By Unpopular People 3 May 04

Related:

Therapy key for teen sex offenders
US: One girl allegedly was raped in the boys' bathroom at Folsom High School on a warm midday in March. Another told officials the same boy, a freshman at the school, had tried to rape her days earlier in a girls' bathroom. Two other girls told investigators the boy had committed lesser sex crimes against them at school within the previous week. If true, such a pattern of escalation is worrisome, according to experts who study and treat sex offenders.

Vic database to track sex offenders' movements
The Sex Offenders Registration Bill is due to be tabled in Parliament later this week. Sex offenders will have to tell police if they change their names, address or work and will not be allowed to work with children.

Bulldogs simply not the best!
SIMPLY NOT THE BEST AND DEFINITELY NOT BETTER THAN ANYONE, ANYONE I'VE MET.

Justice Brian Sully subscribes to jail retribution
"The high odds are that you will be found out, tracked down and sent to jail . . .then you will be as much at risk from others as your victim was at risk from you."

Gang-rape, police, disparity and the law..
The young woman and her friend have told police they met the players in Coffs Harbour on the evening after the Bulldogs played a trial match there and went back to the team's hotel with them.

Who let the dogs out? (woof, woof, woof, woof)
The Prime Minister has thrown his support behind the National Rugby League (NRL), saying the Bulldogs affair should not reflect on the game as a whole.

Today Paedophiles TOMORROW You!
To suggest there is a need to restrict their movement is rubbish! This is a grab for civil liberties in NSW and it offends everyone else who is free to associate because soon it could be you who is restricted or someone you know.

Juvenile Justice in America: Rehabilitation or Retribution?
What do you think should happen to juvenile criminals who commit serious crimes? Do you believe in the possibility of rehabilitation for these youthful offenders? Or do you believe in retribution or the punishment of these young criminals in the adult justice system?

Sex offenders: The Umbrella and the Violin [REGISTERED]
The Umbrella: John Watkins the NSW police minister has now convinced State and Territory Police Ministers to categorise label, packaged and bar code people, who have been convicted of Sex offences, as dogmatic.?

Sexual Abuse: Testimony
I'm Debbie Ingraham, and I'm an activist for Restorative Justice. I'm also a former litigant who filed an unsuccessful civil suit against a family member for incest, and a former victim advocate. I bring a 30 year personal perspective of "real life" experiences that come from living with the effects of sexual abuse.

WA Jail trade in 'sex for favours'
THE West Australian Government has ordered an inquiry into claims guards at Perth's main women's prison are trading favours for sex, and encouraging inmates to form lesbian relationships.

Plan to keep sex offenders from young after release
Child-sex offenders would be subject to court orders prohibiting them from visiting such places as parks when children are present under a re-elected Labor Government, said Carr.

NSW Prisons Inmate Development Committee speaks out
I am writing on behalf of the IDC Inmate Development Committee in area 3, MSPC at Long Bay. Area 3 is where, the Department is congregating minimum-security offenders within maximum-security walls whilst awaiting mandatory programs at Cubit (Sex Offenders Program).

DPP must decide on next step in Volkers case by end of week! Rock Spider V's the Justice System? Queensland's Attorney-General wants a report from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) by the end of the week on how it will respond to criticism about its handling of indecent dealing charges against swimming coach Scott Volkers.

Alleged Rock Spider speaks out about sexual assault accusations
Volkers was committed to stand trial last year after being charged with indecently dealing with three girls he had coached in the 1980s.

Alleged Rock Spider rules QLD DPP?
One of three women behind indecent dealing allegations against top swim coach Scott Volkers says the matter will continue to haunt her unless it goes to trial.