Paedophiles and marinas

[fireball]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

I'll relate a story from about twenty five years ago. I was with my family on a Dorset beach one summer's day. I became aware of a commotion in the sea in front of me, an older and younger man were grappling with each other, the younger man was shouting abuse at the older one whilst trying to wrench a video camera off the older man. As it looked like it was bullying of some kind and would go to an all out fight I decided to intervene. When I asked what the problem was the younger man said that the other chap had been filming his daughter getting changed. I told him he couldn't beat the guy up to which he said he was a Police Officer. I told him he should know he couldn't do what he was doing. I suppose a natural reaction for the father but it goes to show that even Police do what they shouldn't when it comes to paedophiles..

How many of us would've reacted differently if it was our daughters being filmed?

The law treats them in a much more civilised manner - but is that really appropriate? It doesn't seem to have much effect does it...

 

[greggron]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

As adults, we should be observant for the safety of all children whatever the threat. That holds for this case too as it is possible/probable that there are other paedophiles in the marina whose presence is not known because they have not been caught. They are at least as dangerous as the one that is known about. Any action other than that should be down to the authorities.

 

[Resolution]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

After reading some of the posts on this thread I am amazed that so many of my generation made it to adulthood and on to live normal lives. I never realised the extreme dangers we were surrounded by!
Whatever happened to the simple parental advice "Be wary of talking to strangers and run away if they offer you sweets"?

 

[westernman]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

After reading some of the posts on this thread I am amazed that so many of my generation made it to adulthood and on to live normal lives. I never realised the extreme dangers we were surrounded by!
Whatever happened to the simple parental advice "Be wary of talking to strangers and run away if they offer you sweets"?

+1

 

[jerrytug]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

After reading some of the posts on this thread I am amazed that so many of my generation made it to adulthood and on to live normal lives. I never realised the extreme dangers we were surrounded by!
Whatever happened to the simple parental advice "Be wary of talking to strangers and run away if they offer you sweets"?

Totally, we all walked to school by ourselves from the age of 5 onwards, (1960's), I just don't believe that the percentage of predatory paedos has suddenly shot up, so it's mainly paranoia stirred up by the media. This is detrimental to children who are taught to trust nobody, and ferried 1/4 mile to school in Range Rovers.

 

[fireball]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

After reading some of the posts on this thread I am amazed that so many of my generation made it to adulthood and on to live normal lives. I never realised the extreme dangers we were surrounded by!
Whatever happened to the simple parental advice "Be wary of talking to strangers and run away if they offer you sweets"?

I think you're being a little too nieve in how these things occur.

 

[pmagowan]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

How many of us would've reacted differently if it was our daughters being filmed?

The law treats them in a much more civilised manner - but is that really appropriate? It doesn't seem to have much effect does it...

Yes, it is appropriate. We know what societies are like that do not have these laws and they are less safe. The law is not just there to protect us from the paedophiles it is also there to protect us from ourselves.

 

[Resolution]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

I think you're being a little too naive in how these things occur.

Hey Fireball, I've been called quite a few things in my time but "naive", that's a first for me!
Look, we know that the world has some people and some bad people, and a lot who are a bit good and a bit bad. Most of us hide a skeleton or two to be honest. I just think we are currently paying too much attention to the bad minority, to the detriment of the balance of our enjoyment of life. Much more so than when I was a kid and potentially vulnerable in this regard.
Reading Jerrytug's comment about the media coverage being to blame, I agree but only partly. The other big differences fifty years ago were a) that the welfare state was in its infancy and the number of people employed as advisers or carers in this sector was far less than now; and b) the compensation culture was yet to travel across the Atlantic, so there were no ambulance-chasing lawyers. We now have a lot of people whose employment depends on there being a problem to solve, and for whom the bigger the problem the more valuable the employment. Please be clear that I am not denying that there is a problem with sexual predators; I am querying how big the problem really is and whether our society is tackling it in the right way.
OK that's enough moral garbage for a sailing forum. Can we go back to talking about boats?

 

[GrahamM376]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

Totally, we all walked to school by ourselves from the age of 5 onwards, (1960's), I just don't believe that the percentage of predatory paedos has suddenly shot up, so it's mainly paranoia stirred up by the media. This is detrimental to children who are taught to trust nobody, and ferried 1/4 mile to school in Range Rovers.

You may well be right. When I was primary school age (can't remember exactly when) there used to be a "merchant banker" in the local park. We just kept letting his bike tyres down and threw stones at him, he soon got the message.

 

[Triassic]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

I just don't believe that the percentage of predatory paedos has suddenly shot up, so it's mainly paranoia stirred up by the media. ......

You do need to bear in mind that social media and the advances in information technology generally have had a massive impact on how news travels so we get to hear about these things much more easily than before. Considering the nature of the original offence mentioned at the beginning of this thread I'm sure everyone can also see how easy it is now to produce and distribute this type of material without leaving such an easily traced paper chain behind, although ironically it has made it easier to find, hence the increase in the number of detections.

 

[Poignard]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

You may well be right. When I was primary school age (can't remember exactly when) there used to be a "merchant banker" in the local park. We just kept letting his bike tyres down and threw stones at him, he soon got the message.

At my secondary school one of the teachers was a child molester. He left suddenly during term time, presumably to 'help the police with their enquiries'.

 

[Dave-Shafa]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

I am shocked, yes shocked by the amount of paedophile sympathisers on here. Leaving him to live his 'happy' life is something the abused kids will never be able to do. He should be reminded of his crime for the rest of his pathetic, hopefully short life.

You need to take a long look in the mirror and possibly seek help. I have two young kids and hoping none of you are on my pontoon.

On behalf of the assembled I demand a retraction and apology.

Most pedios are fathers.

 

[savageseadog]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

 

[Resolution]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

Shock horror!





















He's not wearing a lifejacket!

 

[bdh198]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

Shock horror!





















He's not wearing a lifejacket!

Good, give him a push!

 

[Strolls]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

Whatever happened to the simple parental advice "Be wary of talking to strangers and run away if they offer you sweets"?

Hey Fireball, I've been called quite a few things in my time but "naive", that's a first for me!

I can't speak for Fireball's intent, but it seemed odd to me that you talked about child sex abuse in terms of "stay away from strangers".

The majority of child sex abuse is perpetrated by people known to the child - male relatives, family friends and so on.

An Australian study puts the number as high as 90%, with only 10% of child sexual abuse perpetrated by strangers: http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current series/tandi/421-440/tandi429.html

 

[Resolution]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

I can't speak for Fireball's intent, but it seemed odd to me that you talked about child sex abuse in terms of "stay away from strangers".

The majority of child sex abuse is perpetrated by people known to the child - male relatives, family friends and so on.

An Australian study puts the number as high as 90%, with only 10% of child sexual abuse perpetrated by strangers: http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current series/tandi/421-440/tandi429.html

Notwithstanding the validity of your Australian study, the OP specifically introduced a non-family situation and what to do about it. Hence my suggestion. OK?

 

[Uricanejack]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

The world I lived through in the 60s and 70s was no safer or more dangerous than the world today. Awareness of the dangers is greater. Expecting a child to understand those dangers is ridiculous, expecting a child to stay away from strangers because they have been told to may work.
Hoping they might report something untoward may work.

Perhaps the world was a better place when we all trusted people or maybe be we just thought it was.

In any event the law exists to protect us all, even if the Law is an ass at times.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

I haven't seen a single post on here that could be seen as coming from a "Paedophile sympathiser".

I don't see anyone on here who comes over as a "pedophile sympathiser"

I sympathise with paedophiles. Paedophilia is a sexual orientation and, like other sexual orientations, it is unchangeable. It is a curse for those who have it and paedophiles who seek help in order to make sure that they never, ever act on their desires deserve support and understanding.

It is important to realise that there is a huge difference between paedophilia and child abuse; not all paedophiles abuse children and not all those who abuse children are paedophiles.

I have no sympathy whatsoever for child abusers.

 

[fireball]

Re: Moderators, attention please.

Hey Fireball, I've been called quite a few things in my time but "naive", that's a first for me!

You're attempting to resolve the problem by telling the potential victims to stay away from strangers ...

So are they allowed to make friends?

With todays online world there's many ways to make friends - and it's quite common for a child to be groomed online - thinking they're talking to someone their own age - sometimes it's just to send images, othertimes they arrange a meeting etc etc ...

So Stay Away from strangers isn't really all that helpful. In fact, staying away from strangers is probably less safe than saying hello - cos at least you can see them!