As a child I did not make the concious decision that I wanted to be abused - what I mean here is that a 13 year old does not have the same mental maturity as an adult. And I'm NOT saying that an adult that has suffered in this way too is to blame either. The adults in this case knew very well what they were doing. They planned and caried out this horrible torment, while I didn't even comprehend what a peadofile was. This happened in South Africa, and fortunately for me there is a network of state social care programs - although the therapists were all volunteers. Towards the end of last year I got involved in therapy work too, which was the next step in my own healing process. I'm glad to have been able to share my experiences with other victims. What really surprised me is just how many victims there are. Loads and loads. And in very very few cases is the abuse reported, especially where the abuse takes place within the family environment. To be honest I don't really care what happens to peadofiles. What concerns me is that they still have the potential to abuse again, no matter how much therapy they receive. Part of my therapy involved watching films made by well known artists - Micheal Cain, Barbara Streisand, etc - that highlight very graphically the extent that abuse has on children - the shame, the tear-filled days and nights, low self esteem, feeling dirty, unable to show love, unable to accept love, self harming, rejecting an adults authority. Should this sort of film be shown in schools? I think it is a must - because it will produce awareness in childern. I don't mean to frighten anyone, but to make us youngsters far more aware of the potential dangers out there. I also feel that all governments should have this sort of victim program in place - no exceptions. I know this is a little ambitious, but how else are we to protect the innocents amoung us?

I think I understood what you meant now, and I agree. The abuse is worse when it happens to people that are younger because there is less understanding of what is or has happened.

The idea of having these films to inform people does sound like a vy interesting idea, but to make any further comment I'd have to see them.

I am glad for you that there was this type of support net and that it has help you in some way.

Ok, so lets get back to the original question - should peadofiles suffer? Should there be a "name and shame" explosion in the press? I think so. Should these monsters be allowed to hide behind laws that protect their identities? I don't think so. I want to know if one of these vermin live near me not for my sake but for the sake of my 4 year old brother. I know that's biased, but hey my brother is not the only potential victim at risk. These so-called "do gooders" are against exposing these people arguing that they have a right to anonymity. What about the rights of adolescents NOT to be abused? Ok so there may be some retaliation against them by concerned members of the public. They get what they deserve in my opinion. They are not concerned in the slightest about the well being of their victims. What about tagging? Should these people be tagged when released from prison, so that their movements can be monitored at all times? Does anyone have any other suggestions?

I agree that there should be some way to make sure that people know about what these people have done, that way they can protect any other innocent people from being abused. I also think that this would be a better thing than the possible 'negative' affects that might happen (especially since the negative would not be done to an innocent person).

The 'negative' things that many people worry about happening are things such as vigilantism (not quite sure of the spelling here) but mainly that some concerned individuals would take the law into their own hands and murder the previously convicted pedophile. Although I personally do not think that capital punishment should be done, nor that it serves any real purpose, but in the long run, if the pedophile got another victim that would be a worse outcome than some do-gooder killingthem and receiving a prison sentence for it.

Thats my whole point - one more victim is one too many. The courts ban these people from places like theme parks, but there doesn't seem to much done about policing this. We are in a diffucult position really, because there will always be peadofiles out there just waiting for the right set of circumstances. If I had my way there would be automatic castration built into court sentencing, and bugger the consequences of that!!

Not only is one more victim too many, but one victim period is too many. Although castration does seem to have a certain appeal, it would really not be an effective treatment. The castration would not deter them from seeking out new victims, perhaps they would not abuse that one victim as often, but it would not deter the action. Better policing would have a better impact though, make sure to keep tabs on them and to watch them like hawks so that they do not find themselves in a situation where they could get a new victim.

waverider wrote:

QUOTE:
If I had my way there would be automatic castration built into court sentencing, and bugger the consequences of that!!

The words "cruel" and "unusual" come to mind. Let's be thankful that people like you don't have your way. Food for thought: in another time and place we all would be the sexual deviants. Where does one draw the line?

If you want to really take the moral high ground, why don't you try pity as opposed to barbarous, violent indignation? Shit, why not go one step further and have a go at reasoning out why a person might become a paedophile, and in turn a paedophile become a child molestor?

I think child molestors suffer something approaching their share in the moments of clarity that must sometimes come, when they open their eyes and see Caliban in the mirror. A humane humanity keeps forever alive the belief in the infinite possibility of rehabilitation and redemption.

I feel that torture etc would purely depend on the circumstances for example is someone was inapropriate with another person they may have a genuine reason or may feel that their actions were not inapropriate. There is no excuse for abuse or rape or any other sexual voilence but then there is not excuse for any other type of voilence such as domestic violence however there are sometimes reasons behind it for example if a person is mentally disabled they might not know the difference between concensual and non-concensual sex or if a person has be brought up be being abused all their life how would they know that what they had been taught to be right there whole life is actually wrong. Dispite this the current system in place would brand them a peadofile same as any other person. In they eyes of society they would be cast out and iscolated possibally even assaulted not because of who they are but because they didn't know they were doing wrong. I am not tring to make excuses for anyone and i also know that quite often peadofiles claim that they have done what they did because of something that happened to them and it is because of this the real victims are not believed or helped. As a result many people are assaulted etc and the law does nothing to protect them.
I am not defending the actions of peadofiles by any means and feel that they of course must be punished and stopped from doing anything further and for the peadofiles who do it for kicks should be made to feel how they make their victims feel so that they can understand their actions i just feel that torturing them will solve nothing because causing pain in some part of the body will not affect their mental state of mind some people even get off on the pain the victim may inflict. It may help victims in the short term but when they start to discover more about what and why it happened the majority would probably be appaulled that someone else would have to go through the pain they suffered no matter who that person is. Obviously the person has to be stopped from doing it again and i feel that the system is currently all for peadofiles because very few cases of child sexual abuse actually make it to the court room to begin with and even fewer of those end in a conviction purly because the person has to be treat as inocsent until proven guilty and the word of a child (even with circumstantial evidence) is not highly thought of. I should know i experienced some of the stuf first hand.

i hav had a bit of a run in with pedos and ye it is wrong, feel no remorse. everybody has their own choice to do as they wish and if those people choose to upset lives, then they must live with the consiquences. life should mean LIFE not until u get bored!

hmmm pedophilia

controversial topic

I can't help but feel the need to defend pedophiles. People can't help who they are attracted to, if one is attracted to under-age people they shouldnt be punished and ostracised. Personally I feel, as members of the GLBT community, we should show at least some sympathy towards them as we have been in their position, we too have been ostracised, shunned and even punished for the way we are.

Also, who is to say when a person is at a mature age to consent? Is it really fair to say that someone below a certain age is not able to determine their own actions? People must remember, when did u first want to experiment sexually? It happens at an early age, sometimes as young as ten, we start getting feelings and think about sexual acts.

However, in saying that, it is totally wrong for someone to abduct, abuse and molest children without consent. I do not support capital punishment nor corporal punishment, i feel a hefty time spent in prison is perfectly fair. If a conicted pedophile is release, i also feel the members of the community he goes to should be told of his prior convictions.

I, personally, do not have any attractions to minors. I am expecting to be criticised for my views.

Understand that i do not think pedophilia is a good thing, the thought of it is disgusting. However i dont think pedophiles should be as criticised as they are currently being. NOBODY can help who they are attracted to, what you can help is whether you act on these attractions or not. I dont think pedophiles should act on these attractions, but then again there are many people who dont think we should act on our attractions.

its a difficult topic.

as for the original poster and danie_girl, I feel sympathy for you, people who do that sort of thing should be punised.