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CASE 1
Abt 3 years ago a man came to my office. He was from a prominent denomination congregation in a rural area. He explained to me what he wanted, I told him I couldn't help as he didnt have a case. In law, I am not ruled by my conscience. He really didnt have a case. https://twitter.com/televisionjam/status/1379585723129593857
CASE 1
Abt 3 years ago a man came to my office. He was from a prominent denomination congregation in a rural area. He explained to me what he wanted, I told him I couldn't help as he didnt have a case. In law, I am not ruled by my conscience. He really didnt have a case. https://twitter.com/televisionjam/status/1379585723129593857
He said he wanted to bring a defamation claim against a congregation member. He was deported from the UK & wanted to date a girl from the church. Apparently she Googled him, found his crimes, told a couple of ppl and broke it off with him. He wanted to sue her for telling.
Told him if what she said was true, there was no case. As he sat there, I Googled him. He had committed some henious sexual crimes against children whilst being a children's pastor at a church. He was deported and having moved back, he was now....a children's pastor at the church
I asked him if he had told the elders. He said no. I asked him why, he said it was "behind him." I did not ask him if he had repeated the crimes here in his current capacity. I wasn't sure I would get an honest answer. I turned my monitor towards him.
Pointing to the screen, I said to him, for this reason you don't have a defamation case, because it's true. Also, you not telling the elders goes against what the judge recommended.
The sexual assaults were very bad and the children, very young. He left my office.
The sexual assaults were very bad and the children, very young. He left my office.
Sometimes I remember him. He's been on my mind with this sexual offenders' register discussion. It wasn't my place to contact the Church. He came for advice & got it. But I wondered at the time as easily as the potential gf checked, how could the Church not have?
CASE 2
About 11 years ago, another man had come to my office. He said his human rights were violated because he was deported and he had his wife and 3 or 4 children in the UK. He was early released for deportation
About 11 years ago, another man had come to my office. He said his human rights were violated because he was deported and he had his wife and 3 or 4 children in the UK. He was early released for deportation
I asked him to bring his criminal records. He brought a number of pages. I cant remember how many but it was definitely more than 20. He had been convicted for dozens of sexual assaults. Very unique ones at that. He would stalk the victims for weeks without their knowledge.
On a night, he'd gain entry to their home. He would wait till they fell asleep, wake them from their sleep, proceed to describe in intricate detail to them their movements over the last couple of weeks, all while masturbating in their sight. He'd then leave without touching them.
In the Court's report, the mental anguish & trauma the women suffered with the recounting facts & not knowing severely impacted the women, some moving away & in a state of paranoia. He returned to JA & was working with a community group. I don't know if it included women.
Those are 2 of the more graphic ones. There are others. Now to this debate. First, both of these cases were publicly available on the internet. Second, I come not from an emotive place, but from one of experience, & having worked in a previous jurisdiction with a SO Register.
Do I believe there should be SO Register in JA? Resoundingly, yes. Should it be accessible to all & sundry? Absolutely not. However, where there is reasonableness in the request whether for a person's sake, a community, or an organisation, there should be access with guidelines
The local police in the area the SO lives should be aware & where children involved he/she should always report any jobs/interactions with children. My view though, is that the bigger question is whether for example organisations will actually check. The internet is free.
No one checks. So calling for a SO Register in emotional passionate outrage is as useful as calling for all these laws in JA we don't enforce. A balance has to be struck, and working groups assembled. Lastly, it does not breach constitutionality if done within parameters.
So making it AVAILABLE to the public, based on circumstances, within guidelines, should be an option for sure.
