Right to know?
Have you had a moment, where you suddenly feel unsafe? A moment where you think "I don't feel comfortable at this moment?" I was watching tv this evening, and this wave of fear overcame me. When I stopped to think at what could be causing this sudden feeling, it hit me; last night's conversation with my other half.
Last night my partner comes home and tells me "guess who moved into our suburb?" I'm thinking and thinking, and I say "who?" She then says "you know that child molester Mr Baldy?" As soon as she said his name, fear overcame my whole body. I said "yeh??" And she then proceeded to tell me that he's moved right near a school. The school that her niece goes to.
As a little background history, Mr Baldy was recently released from prison. I think he spent the last 15 years or so in prison for a number of offenses that he pled guilty to. As to why they let him out, is beyond me. This man, nicknamed Mr Baldy because he shaved the heads off of the boys that he molested should still be in prison. I say this, because he was sent to prisonbefore this recent sentence. He got out of jail, and within months, he re-offended again. People have speculated he is high risk to re-offend again. What is it going to take, for the government to realize that he shouldn't be out in the real world.
Okay, so some people may disagree with me and think "he's spent his time in jail, give him some credit." I can't give him any credit, because he's a child molester. He's ruined so many lives, and he's not remorseful for his actions. The fact that he re-offended within months of getting out 15+ years ago, goes to show that he doesn't care who he hurts.
Aside from this man moving into our suburb, what gets to me, is the reasoning why he's moved. He was living in another suburb, near a school, nonetheless, but yet he felt "threatened." He probably felt this way because it was leaked out, where his whereabouts were. But c'mon, don't people have the right to know? Granted, people have a right to privacy, but don't people have the right to know if a convicted child molester is living next door to you and your children?
I know in the USA, registered sex offenders have to let their parole officers know where they are, and where they move to. It is the responsiblity of the police force, to let neighborhoods know if a registered sex offender is moving into a neighborhood. Why don't they have that here in Australia? Yeh yeh yeh, people are afraid of the backlash that may develop if someone's whereabouts are to become known. But I still believe that people have every right to know if someone deemed "dangerous" is living near potential victims. That goes with convicted rapists, they are sex offenders, they need to report of their whereabouts, and the neighborhoods are notified.
Not here in Australia, and it's a shame. I know that I shouldn't be feeling scared or worried. But just knowing that he is around, that puts an uneasy feeling on me. I can't understand what he is going through, but I don't want to. In my eyes, he's a monster who got away so easily. Seriously, what is it going to take for the govt. to realize he needs to stay in prison? Is it going to have to take more victims, for people to realize the severity of this man? We all know how hard sexual assault cases are hard to prove, and that isn't the hardest part. The hardest part is for all of the survivors who have been abused by this man, to spend the rest of their lives trying to overcome the psychological trauma that has been forever inflicted on them.
I believe that regardless of how strict his parole conditions may be, he will still re-offend. He's done it before, what makes people believe that 15 years in jail is going to "miracuously" make him not re-offend? I still honestly don't know how the govt. could give him the "ok" to leave prison, I really don't.
I feel safe in the fact that we don't have kids, but there are a lot of kids around, and there is still so much stigma still attached to being a survivor of abuse. Most of the time, the kids who do report it, are not believed. I hope for the sake of all the young individuals out there, that Mr. Baldy moves again. I wonder who gave the "okay." Doesn't the city members have some sort of say in this? Evidently not, b/c it's the first I've heard of it.
Why must we live in fear, especially fear that can be prevented?
-current mood-UNSAFE
Last night my partner comes home and tells me "guess who moved into our suburb?" I'm thinking and thinking, and I say "who?" She then says "you know that child molester Mr Baldy?" As soon as she said his name, fear overcame my whole body. I said "yeh??" And she then proceeded to tell me that he's moved right near a school. The school that her niece goes to.
As a little background history, Mr Baldy was recently released from prison. I think he spent the last 15 years or so in prison for a number of offenses that he pled guilty to. As to why they let him out, is beyond me. This man, nicknamed Mr Baldy because he shaved the heads off of the boys that he molested should still be in prison. I say this, because he was sent to prisonbefore this recent sentence. He got out of jail, and within months, he re-offended again. People have speculated he is high risk to re-offend again. What is it going to take, for the government to realize that he shouldn't be out in the real world.
Okay, so some people may disagree with me and think "he's spent his time in jail, give him some credit." I can't give him any credit, because he's a child molester. He's ruined so many lives, and he's not remorseful for his actions. The fact that he re-offended within months of getting out 15+ years ago, goes to show that he doesn't care who he hurts.
Aside from this man moving into our suburb, what gets to me, is the reasoning why he's moved. He was living in another suburb, near a school, nonetheless, but yet he felt "threatened." He probably felt this way because it was leaked out, where his whereabouts were. But c'mon, don't people have the right to know? Granted, people have a right to privacy, but don't people have the right to know if a convicted child molester is living next door to you and your children?
I know in the USA, registered sex offenders have to let their parole officers know where they are, and where they move to. It is the responsiblity of the police force, to let neighborhoods know if a registered sex offender is moving into a neighborhood. Why don't they have that here in Australia? Yeh yeh yeh, people are afraid of the backlash that may develop if someone's whereabouts are to become known. But I still believe that people have every right to know if someone deemed "dangerous" is living near potential victims. That goes with convicted rapists, they are sex offenders, they need to report of their whereabouts, and the neighborhoods are notified.
Not here in Australia, and it's a shame. I know that I shouldn't be feeling scared or worried. But just knowing that he is around, that puts an uneasy feeling on me. I can't understand what he is going through, but I don't want to. In my eyes, he's a monster who got away so easily. Seriously, what is it going to take for the govt. to realize he needs to stay in prison? Is it going to have to take more victims, for people to realize the severity of this man? We all know how hard sexual assault cases are hard to prove, and that isn't the hardest part. The hardest part is for all of the survivors who have been abused by this man, to spend the rest of their lives trying to overcome the psychological trauma that has been forever inflicted on them.
I believe that regardless of how strict his parole conditions may be, he will still re-offend. He's done it before, what makes people believe that 15 years in jail is going to "miracuously" make him not re-offend? I still honestly don't know how the govt. could give him the "ok" to leave prison, I really don't.
I feel safe in the fact that we don't have kids, but there are a lot of kids around, and there is still so much stigma still attached to being a survivor of abuse. Most of the time, the kids who do report it, are not believed. I hope for the sake of all the young individuals out there, that Mr. Baldy moves again. I wonder who gave the "okay." Doesn't the city members have some sort of say in this? Evidently not, b/c it's the first I've heard of it.
Why must we live in fear, especially fear that can be prevented?
-current mood-UNSAFE
posted by Gaylicious© at Thursday, August 18, 2005
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