I understand the public outrage over the crime and clamoring of frightened parents and, justifiably angry victims for registries, BUT can they go too far? Is the problem in their implementation or a larger one of trying juveniles as adults to demonstrate a state, county or prosecutor's "toughness on crime."
This is the case of a 16 yr old who had consensual sex w/ a girl he thought was his age. They met in a teen club, but as it turned out, she was only 13. According to the article, there is no dispute that the intercourse was consensual. The boy is now a registered sex offender for life. Kicked out of various high schools, harassed by strangers that peruse the sex offender registries, and is generally screwed for the rest of his life.
This seems so wrong and wasteful to me. Almost preordaining that this child will grow up to be a criminal or suicidal, forced down that path by the social stigma that follows him wherever he goes. A true modern day "Scarlet Letter."
On a broader note, I realize there are those offenders who are just f-ed mentally, chemically or otherwise, who've served their sentence and are out and dangerous, but what about those lesser offenders that are trying to straighten out their lives. Are these registries pushing offenders back to their deviant lifestyle by making them, the offenders, outcasts, and in doing so, actually harming the very communities they are designed to protect?
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This is the case of a 16 yr old who had consensual sex w/ a girl he thought was his age. They met in a teen club, but as it turned out, she was only 13. According to the article, there is no dispute that the intercourse was consensual. The boy is now a registered sex offender for life. Kicked out of various high schools, harassed by strangers that peruse the sex offender registries, and is generally screwed for the rest of his life.
This seems so wrong and wasteful to me. Almost preordaining that this child will grow up to be a criminal or suicidal, forced down that path by the social stigma that follows him wherever he goes. A true modern day "Scarlet Letter."
On a broader note, I realize there are those offenders who are just f-ed mentally, chemically or otherwise, who've served their sentence and are out and dangerous, but what about those lesser offenders that are trying to straighten out their lives. Are these registries pushing offenders back to their deviant lifestyle by making them, the offenders, outcasts, and in doing so, actually harming the very communities they are designed to protect?
Now California is debating implementing a similar law about lifetime sex offender registries which would include child "offenders" as young as 14. I understand parents and people generally have strong feelings on the issue. What about prosecuting young children and the general trend of prosecuting children when they act up or out at school? Is this going too far? I don't have the answers. I'm not a parent myself, but find the whole thing grisly and shocking. Thoughts?
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Bugger me, I'd love to hear the "but will someone please think of the children" demographic try and back that one up.
