South Africa: Warning against making register for sex offenders public
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has warned against calls to make public the national register for sex offenders.
It is believed that making the register public would curb sexual offences against children, but according to the department, this would fuel mob justice against perpetrators.
Department spokesperson Steve Mahlangu said publicising the register could not be done without violating the right to privacy of an individual, as enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
“There are also dangers of the register being used unjustifiably to fuel acts of mob justice against perpetrators. This is among a number of issues that make publicising the register a contentious and complicated discussion,”
The registry was never meant to be a public document and making it public has not solved a single problem…only created problems.
You are 100% correct Capt.
Although the U.S does whatever they Damn please, they could take a page out of what South Africa is stating above. This is what I call common sense. Well actually, common sense would be not having a registry at all.
Meanwhile in Orlando, the police continue to act as teenagers online to make arrests…this time an arrest of a high profile target.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/pro-golfer-arrested-in-orlando-for-allegedly-trying-to-meet-with-decoy-posing-as-15-year-old-girl
Bob
I sent that in yesterday but as usual, they wouldn’t post it.
I spent a large amount of time reading the comments after the story. Of course there is the usual half them comments but there is also alot of people questioning the tactics of the police in these stings and many calling them illegal for entrapment among the fact there is no actual victim and the day and age where everyone lies on the internet and people can identify as who or whatever they want to be legally.
Robert
AND, the fact there is NO victim. Even if you were traveling to meet a minor, no Real minor ever existed in the sting. It is an adult “Pretending” to me a minor.
When I went through the police academy, the instructor discussed case law. One subject that stands out was how many Drug stings got tossed because the cops had flour or something similiar pretending to be cocaine. A good lawyer always got it thrown out as the product being sold was flour and no REAL drugs would have actually been purchased.
So tell me how a fake sex sting is any different?
I agree, but the biggest problem is 1, finding a lawyer that will actually do the job to protect the innocent. I know that statement can be applied to both sides. But I’m sure majority of the people in these stings are in tough situations one way or another. I know in mine I was in the Craig list personal intimate encounter for adults only while searching for older women and found a woman that was a single mom and nice although she was persistent and pressured me to talk more… and second is by taking it to trial with a jury is basically a death sentence since there is 99% no way we can get a fair trial especially with a crappy public defender in which most get. So the cards are stacked against us in almost every way. Yea your right about the pretending part. The officer pretended to be a single 34 year old mom and I pretended to be a single dad, although I am a dadish these days cause of this I wasn’t single even though my fiance at the time was extremely emotionally abusive. I hold a 1% chance of hope one day people will wake up and finally question what’s going on and maybe we can have whats left of our lives back.
Wow! The freest country in the world (so we claim) couldn’t careless about the Bill of Rights, but South Africans at least mention theirs.
The mind is boggled.
I’m not sure “we” is in your statement that USA is “The freest country in the world (so we claim)…”, but I’m not part of that “we”.
Wow a South African politician gets it and the supposedly most powerful nation in the world doesn’t
I’m wondering what the South African politician is hiding… well beside apartheid, a policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race.
LPH, you may be a little behind the power curve on your comment. Your concern was resolved several years ago.
A civil rights organization wants to “declare child pornography a priority crime and request double life sentences for offenders found guilty of the possession or production of child pornography.”
Yup… a CIVIL rights organization that wants to get “the national register for sex offenders made available to the public.
Somebody is misguided.
Holland says studies show within nine years, 50 percent of sex offenders will commit another offense.
“Now, that’s not necessarily a sex offense, but another offense,” he said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/ohio-sees-spike-in-number-of-sex-offenders-failing-to-keep-registration-current-with-sheriffs-e2-80-99-departments/ar-BB1guuU5?ocid=BingNewsSearch
Robert:
The biggest problem isn’t finding a lawyer to protect the innocent. The biggest problem is criminal defendants who want lawyers to work for “free”. Attorneys ask for a large retainer because most stop paying after the lawyer starts to work on a case. Defendants forget the retainer is only a down payment. If you make a down payment on a house, you don’t stop making payments and expect to continue to live there. Most defendants pay a retainer, don’t make any payments and expect continued representation. Attorneys that take $5,000 or $10,000 retainers wind up losing money on these cases. They must take in a minimum of about $150 per hour hour for their time just to pay the office rent and utilities, secretary, paralegal and officer manager. Most criminal defense attorneys charge about $400 per hour for their time but only collect about $250 per hour. If they work 200 hours on a case that they charged a $10,000 retainer and the defendant doesn’t pay any further they lose about $20,000.
As for “innocent” defendants, only about 5% are factually innocent. Invariably, 95% of all criminal defendants are guilty. Some just aren’t man enough to admit that they made a mistake and move on with their lives.
As for prosecutors winning 99% of cases, prosecutors only win 60% to 70% on the highest charges in state courts and about 80% in federal court.
There are innocent criminal defendants. Most seasoned attorneys have represented a few. But most defendants are guilty and the attorney is trying to get the best deal possible. Some “innocent” defendants choose to rail against the system rather than take responsibility for their actions.
These police stings are a form of entrapment and do little to reduce sex crimes. Many persons who take them to a jury wind up having the charges dismissed or win at trial. Some defendants lack the courage to take a case to trial, take the best plea and then complain that their attorney “sold them down the river”. At the end of the day it is irrelevant if these police stings are effective or illegal. Real men will take the best plea or take their chance at trial and if they lose, say “I made a mistake” and move on with their lives. Immature individuals will take a plea, refuse to take responsibility for their actions and cry for the rest of their lives. Regardless, it’s wrong for a 40 year-old man to try to hook up with a 15 year-old. This is a stupid mistake you make when you’re 18 or 19, not 40. If they make this mistake at 40, then they have serious issues to deal with. Most 18 or 19 year-olds will have forgotten this mistake by the time they are 40. Immature individuals will cry for the rest of their lives.
Meanwhile, the country of Uganda (their government at least) has lost its mind. Be careful not to make certain “sounds” around women. Oh, and women, be careful how you dress at the office;
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/stiff-penalties-for-sexual-offenders-as-uganda-moves-to-create-directory-3388452
The USA has truly created a monster. Who cares if you go into a gas station and point a gun in the face of the cashier and threaten their life unless they hand over the measly $50 in the register? JUST DON’T BE SEXUAL ABOUT IT!!! Omg! Sex!!?? Off with his head! Unreal.