Cedars
No - I think you have misunderstood the report. It is about community notification of convicted child molestors. Megan's Law is not blanket notification like you get in California or I saw in florida last year. But releasing this list is community notification. Look at the primary conclusion:
Most states have very little evidence on the actual impact of community
notification on their jurisdiction. Most of the understood benefits of the laws
are based on assumptions about the nature of sexual offending and the
behaviour of parents and community members. Such assumptions are rarely
supported through research, but continue to legitimise the law for law
enforcement workers and members of the public.
And just to pull one of the sentences off the para you put up
Offenders who have
gone underground are a greater threat to children
as they cannot be monitored, nor made subject to
treatment and supervision.
As I said before most of the people on this list have (I think it can be assumed) not been convicted of molestation. The only supervision they may have is the congregation members who are aware of their past behaviour. So hounding them out of the congregation is going to do what exactly? Reduce the likelihood they offend?
You state that releasing this list will cause insurmountable damage to the umbrella organisation. Well, no one will know I suppose one way or the other until it is released. I'm not so sure why you think it will. The Catholic Church is not exactly on its knees last time I looked despite systematic cover up from the pope down and loads of convictions of priests and bishops. And that scandal has been going on for years and frequently makes the press. So I doubt this will make sod all difference to the R&F. As for changing policy, if anything changes there policy it will be the countless millions they are going to have to pay out to Conti et al. If that doesn't then I am afraid releasing 20,000 names will not make them change.
It was only last year I saw on the news a JW child molestor being convicted in court that was being supported by his congregation. So even if the policy changes there are some deep seated attitudes that will have to change first for any policy to work. Look at Blindnomores' experience. This had nothing to do with policy.
I would throw this back to you, not in an aggressive or patronising way but it is difficult in typing sometimes. Is your hatred for the WTBTS and their policy towards child molestors clouding your own judgement in this area? If it doesn't matter if there are some casualties in the cross fire would you be happy if anonymous merged the child molestor list with the elder list and bumped the names up to say, 80,000. I mean - some of those elders will be molestors that have not been caught and the rest just support the policy anyway so they are just as guilty right? And it will do serious damage to the organisation which is all that matters.
...OUTLAW