by nelly136 45 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
Lock 'em up forever, or if you won't do that, please give them drugs that wipe out their sex drive.
That's Jackie Perfetto Bennett's recommendation for sex offenders. She doesn't think they can be rehabilitated - not really, really changed - and she believes that, next to murderers, they're some of the most vicious criminals in the world.
And her son is one.
Wow, you won't let your child own a smurf, but you'll let this guy sit in the same row as your children in the Kingdom Hall. That's about rigght!
I read this and felt sick to my stomach. IF this guy ever were to be allowed into a KH I was attending my butt would be out the door. Why open the congregation up to potential problems. There are KH conference hooks ups for the shut ins etc. IF he truly wants to find God then he can do that calling in. IMO he lost his right when he molested and was sent to prision. His own mother thinks he needs to be locked up.
Update on the court case:
High court weighs sex offenders’ rights
Man wants to attend church where children are present
By Annmarie Timmins ?Concord Monitor
Published: Thursday, June 24, 2010
CONCORD — The state Supreme Court took up a case Wednesday that could determine how and where sex offenders worship after they’re released from prison.
The justices’ questions were many, but they boiled down to how to balance an offender’s fundamental right to practice religion with the state’s duty to protect the public.
At the center of the case is 36-year-old Jonathan Perfetto of Manchester, who served about seven years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing 61 items of child pornography.
Since shortly after his 2008 release, when he briefly lived in a Concord parking garage, Perfetto has wanted to worship with a Manchester congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But he says he can’t, because his supervised release prohibits him from having contact with anyone under 17.
If he has such contact or reoffends or uses the internet, he could go back to prison to serve up to 28 years of his remaining suspended sentence.
Perfetto, initially representing himself, thought he had a solution a year ago when he asked the Hillsborough County Superior Court to let him attend church meetings under the close watch of a church elder. Perfetto said he hoped a chaperone would satisfy concerns of prosecutors.
The Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office objected, saying the church is a family-oriented congregation that requires members to attend frequent meetings.
“The likelihood that (Perfetto) will be supervised every minute, of every meeting, every week is not high,” wrote Assistant County Attorney Maureen O’Neil.
Four days later, Judge Larry Smukler denied Perfetto’s request without a hearing.
Perfetto’s appeal went before the state Supreme Court Wednesday, with legal representation by Barbara Keshen, staff attorney for the N.H. Civil Liberties Union.
Keshen didn’t disagree that Perfetto’s activities could be restricted while he’s on supervised release. The problem, she said, is that Smukler decided the matter without hearing from Perfetto or delving into the facts of his particular situation.
That sort of analysis is required, Keshen said, when the state wants to restrict a fundamental right that is protected in the U.S. and state constitutions.
“Here there probably can be limitations on Mr. Perfetto’s right to worship, but they have to be narrowly tailored,” she said.
She added, “The court needed a lot more facts than it had when it decided this case. What is his risk to offend now? What is the ratio of children to adults in the congregation? Are (children) always supervised in the sanctuary?”
Justice Carol Ann Conboy noted the state’s arguments that Perfetto could worship at home or through a Bible study with other elders from the church. “I’m struggling, frankly, with your contention that this is a restriction on his right to practice his religion,” Conboy said.
Chief Justice John Broderick asked how Keshen would handle a client who wasn’t allowed to use the internet but claimed he could under his right to free speech. Would a chaperone satisfy the state’s concerns and protect the public’s safety?
Keshen said she couldn’t say without more specifics about such a case.
“I would support the balancing (of interests) that would be involved,” she said.
Conboy asked, “Is it reasonable that someone convicted of (61 counts) of child pornography be prohibited from unsupervised contact with kids?”
Yes, Keshen said, “but then the question is how do you craft something that balances his fundamental rights to worship and public safety?”
The justices were equally curious about the state’s position.
Conboy and Justice James Duggan wanted to know why Smukler didn’t learn the details of Perfetto’s situation before denying his request to attend church with a chaperone.
Chief Justice John Broderick asked what should be done if children attend every service at the church. How, Broderick asked, can the state balance Perfetto’s right to worship and the public’s right to safety?
Nick Cort, who handled the appeal for the state Attorney General’s Office, said the test is reasonableness. Cort said the state is not obligated to set the least restrictive conditions possible when it comes to fundamental rights.
“There is a reasonable relationship between these restrictions and the goals of the corrections system,” he said.
You watch. Religion will win over public safety.
If he wants to practice his religion and attend worship services - send him to BETHEL. No kids there.
I lose all understanding when it comes to these sickos....gosh!
Let them take this guy to the Kingdom Hall and keep the kids away. Tell the parents to take their kids to the park on Sunday and stay at home and do their homework on Thursday evening.
Last night I was watching the O'Reilly show on Fox,
O'Reilly and Megyn Kelly were going at it about this
She was dead set against this guy getting to go.
They never told what church it was and then a bit exasperated with O'Reilly,
Megan Kelly
brought out that Jehovahs Witnesses have two to three meetings a week.
Although not much more was said after that, I was glad to see that the
religion was finally mentioned.
purps
I saw that, Purps, and I was hoping that it would at least be said that the Witnesses themselves have a history with child sex offenders and are totally without any type of program to deal with this issue, or with members who become offenders.
What also was not clear was whether the guy was a witness before - when the offences went on. Nor what the local witnesses have to say about it...
I said on another thread that the Witnesses have provisions for electronic remote meeting attendance for old people or such - why not ask for that if this is all on the up and up?
If that is the case, was he converted in prison?
I am curious from some other cases of converted JW's while in prison,
purps
