Very interesting post and I think for the most part I'd agree with you. Although I've no direct experience there have been a number of second hand experiences were I have known the people involved and have heard all of the facts.
When you read or hear about somebody that you don't personally know it is easy to think of them as a monster, especially when that is the line being trotted out by the media. When you know them and try and understand what has taken place they are more often pathetic than evil.
None of the perpetrators were long term abusers, most had offended only once. They had more in common with the person who gets drunk and then runs down a pedestrian. The drink-driver won't be hounded out of the neighbourhood or have his house burned down even though the consequences of his act may have been just as severe as those of the chid molester.
A couple of the cases involve false accusations with consequently devastating results to the accused. One accuser was too young to really know the consequences, or even what the accusation actually meant. The other was using it as a way to try and escape an immediate problem without sparing much thought to the longer term.
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Date: 2006-11-02 10:50 pm (UTC)When you read or hear about somebody that you don't personally know it is easy to think of them as a monster, especially when that is the line being trotted out by the media. When you know them and try and understand what has taken place they are more often pathetic than evil.
None of the perpetrators were long term abusers, most had offended only once. They had more in common with the person who gets drunk and then runs down a pedestrian. The drink-driver won't be hounded out of the neighbourhood or have his house burned down even though the consequences of his act may have been just as severe as those of the chid molester.
A couple of the cases involve false accusations with consequently devastating results to the accused. One accuser was too young to really know the consequences, or even what the accusation actually meant. The other was using it as a way to try and escape an immediate problem without sparing much thought to the longer term.