Sex Pervert Goes Free

sharonlarkin

So the animal that plied a 12 year old with drink and then had sex with her has just been released. What a shocking world we live in when the government pass laws that are practically given men carte blanche to have sex with KIDS.. We had an age limit for a reason but now that seems to be gone. There are 7 other of these perverts putting in appeals on the same grounds. And they too will probably get off. I just wanted to know what people think of this new law. It certainly doesn't protect kids.

ODS

sharonlarkin wrote:

So the animal that plied a 12 year old with drink and then had sex with her has just been released. What a shocking world we live in when the government pass laws that are practically given men carte blanche to have sex with KIDS.. We had an age limit for a reason but now that seems to be gone. There are 7 other of these perverts putting in appeals on the same grounds. And they too will probably get off. I just wanted to know what people think of this new law. It certainly doesn't protect kids.

With respect, this is already being discussed in AH - http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054939185 Now there is no justice in Ireland, and the legal specifics will probably be discussed in the Law forum.

However it probably is worth having a thread on the matter here - provided its focuses on how the media handle the issue, as that should be interesting.

For example in the summer of 2000 The News of the World had a 'name and shame' campaign, following the child murder and abduction case of Sarah Payne.

Subsequently in the mob fury that was unleashed, attacks took place, but authorities lost track of registered perverts as they went on the run in fear for their lives! Apart from that, in other mob attacks a number of people were seriously injured in cases of mistaken identity:eek: :eek: :eek:

wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/849098.stm
A mob has attacked the home of a man after mistaking him for one of the paedophiles "named and shamed" by a Sunday newspaper.
Iain Armstrong, 49, of Bradford, Greater Manchester, was confronted by residents who thought he was a child abuser named by The News of the World following of the murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne.

wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/864693.stm
A man has been mistakenly accused of being a paedophile after a sex offender with the same name was identified in the News of the World newspaper.
Michael Horgan, 55, has been given police protection after letters branding him a child abuser were sent to 500 houses close to his home in south London.

Btw Did anybody else notice that Newstalk seemed to be the first to carry the story? They were running it at around 2.15, wheras it was another 1/2 hour before it was up on RTE and Breaking News.ie websites.

ODS

sharonlarkin wrote:

What a shocking world we live in when the government pass laws that are practically given men carte blanche to have sex with KIDS... I just wanted to know what people think of this new law. It certainly doesn't protect kids.

Btw there was no new law passed by govt -- the old law was found unconstiutional by courts.

flogen

@ ODS, I'm sure we'll see the tabloids (if they haven't already) identify the man, and then do their best to find out where he's living.
Actually I'd be surprised if they didn't do that.

ODS

flogen wrote:

@ ODS, I'm sure we'll see the tabloids (if they haven't already) identify the man, and then do their best to find out where he's living.
Actually I'd be surprised if they didn't do that.

Youre spot on, unfortunately.
Like that case a few weeks ago of the Mountjoy inmate who was exposed in the irish tabs, after he "admitted" to being the child killer of Jamie Bolger, some 12 years ago. Except he wasnt either of the killers.
It had been a front page story. :rolleyes:
A story addressing the damage done to his reputation was subsequently carried in the Kilkenny People - http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/, as the man was from there.

FlutterinBantam

While I totally abhor the circumstances surrounding this case,I do feel the media are whipping the public up into an irrational state of fear.

There was guy on Liveline today saying he wouldn't let his kids out to play.

The tabloid headlines were as usual..over the top....

Ok critisise the Govt ...McDowell... etc..... but don't hint at paedophiles stalking the streets in every town in Ireland.

Little bit of rationality here please

flogen

FlutterinBantam wrote:

While I totally abhor the circumstances surrounding this case,I do feel the media are whipping the public up into an irrational state of fear.

There was guy on Liveline today saying he wouldn't let his kids out to play.

The tabloid headlines were as usual..over the top....

Ok critisise the Govt ...McDowell... etc..... but don't hint at paedophiles stalking the streets in every town in Ireland.

Little bit of rationality here please

I agree; the only change now is that if it can be shown that the person consented there is no crime, and that there is no age at which the person cannot personally consent (as there was before); so basically there is no minimum age of consent AFAIK.
Of course, the real problem are the people trying to get out under the dead law, and while their acts, if committed today, would still be covered by law they cannot be tried again

ODS

Might it possible to try these pervs for straight-forward rape, as opposed to the old crime of abusing a minor? Ie keep them in on the basis that theyre being charged for rape, and so avoid double-jepardy?

monument

(Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. Do not read the following or any of my posts as legal advice of any kind)

The thinking is something like this – although it’s a different law that the person would be tried on, double-jeopardy stops anyone from been charged twice for the same offence (or act – as in the word’s normal and not law use) [rather then just stopping them from been convicted under one or another law twice, it stops them from been convicted for any offence under any law twice]. The fact that the law was deemed invalid doesn’t change the fact the person was tried once already for the same thing… because of the way this has happened it might be a bit of grey area, but it doesn’t looking like it.

On the other hand, the government appeal of the ‘Mr A’ case looks just as doubtfully unless the judge does something radical. As it stands, even thought he pleaded guilty to the act he was let go, this is a point of contention the government and for many people (including myself, even though I know the following…), but not in the eyes of the law. The government also looks like these people as a grouping would be a future danger if release (even if some are to be release soon anyway), the law of course says that you cant lock some one up indefinitely for a future crime. The governments defence looks somewhat hazy here.

Back to the media…

Two things struck me today mainly with radio coverage (RTE news, Liveline, Today FM news, and the Last Word). One is that little distinction was made between the case of a 14 year old and a 17 year old, and that of younger girls with are and were pretty much old men, the only mention I remember from today was the legal expert on Today FM stating there is a difference.

The second - Liveline has, for the last two days (more so today), being covering the build-up of what’s apparently going to be a large gathering of people out side Leinster House tomorrow at 1pm… with all of the coverage devoted to this topic you’d think this apparent event would be newsworthy, but to the best of my knowledge this hasn’t got coverage on the other ‘radio coverage’ I’ve listed above… could this be because of legal reasons due to there’s nobody responsible for such an event, or is it that (with no disrespect to this topic) if you listened to Liveline often enough you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s going to be a mass rebellion?

flogen

monument wrote:

Liveline has, for the last two days (more so today), being covering the build-up of what’s apparently going to be a large gathering of people out side Leinster House tomorrow at 1pm… with all of the coverage devoted to this topic you’d think this apparent event would be newsworthy, but to the best of my knowledge this hasn’t got coverage on the other ‘radio coverage’ I’ve listed above… could this be because of legal reasons due to there’s nobody responsible for such an event, or is it that (with no disrespect to this topic) if you listened to Liveline often enough you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s going to be a mass rebellion?

The only mention of this protest I've seen was the briefest of nods in its direction from breakingnews.ie:
http://breakingnews.ie/2006/06/01/story261494.html

Parents outraged that other sex offenders could be released via the same loophole are also holding a major protest outside Leinster House as politicians debate the Criminal Law Sexual Offences Bill 2006 inside.

As you can see it's not even the heart of the article, just an aside.
I'm sure we'll see it in the TV news tomorrow though

Twinkle-star15

All I have to say is thank god he was re-arrested.