Next week the British Home Secretary will announce plans for a register of paedophiles as concern grows over the abuse of children in care. The move likely to lead to calls for a similar register here.
When the issue was raised recently in the Dail, by Mr John O'Donoghue, TD, he was told that the Garda already maintains records of all persons convicted criminal offences, including persons convicted of sexual offences. Information from this index can be supplied to prospective employers - but only with the written consent of the applicant. Surely a move should be considered to make it possible to dispense with the subject's consent in the case of people convicted of sexual offences against children, in the light of the tendency of paedophiles to obtain work in contact with children? But other matters need looking at too, including the attitudes of the courts and the question of whether communities should have some warning of the presence of known paedophiles in their midst.
Recently, a paedophile was jailed for three years for offences against four children over a long number of years. The man had previous convictions in Britain. Was this a satisfactory punishment for his heinous crimes? The mother of a seven year old boy abused by this man does not think so. She has seen her child become emotionally disturbed, throwing tantrums, unable to concentrate and worst of all blaming himself because his statement to the Garda helped put his abuser in jail. This mother urged the Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal the leniency of the sentence. The DPP wrote to her to say that it is unappealable, but his office has declined to say why.
Mr Ben Briscoe TD, who has taken up the mother's case, has called for changes to the 1993 Criminal Justice Act to give the DPP greater scope for appealing such sentences. If this is where the problem lies, then Mr Briscoe's call deserves consideration. Mr Briscoe has also suggested that a photograph of every paedophile convicted more than once should be in every Garda station. His constituency colleague, Ms Frances Fitzgerald, has gone even further. She says it is time to consider whether communities should be warned about convicted paedophiles who live among them. The positions adopted by Mr Briscoe and Ms Fitzgerald raise civil rights issues but these are not kneejerk politicians and both would be seen to have a healthy respect for civil rights.
In evaluating their positions we must bear in mind the persistent nature of paedophilia. That is not to say that the phenomenon of demonising a group of people and using that as a basis for disregarding their civil rights should be lightly introduced. The implications of such a move need careful debate although it seems fair to assume that the rights of children need more protecting than those of their abusers.
There is also the question of the courts. What is to be done to get sentencing which reflects the seriousness with which society views child abuse and paedophilia something which did not happen in the case referred to here? Clearly, training has a role to play. if this society is serious about protecting children it must consider these issues. Children bear the damage from paedophiles many for a lifetime.