Garry Glitter to be released 19 August

[Khor tose]

I have to agree with Homi, that pedophilia is a mental illness, and I agree with Bob that these people should be locked up. I am somewhat surprised that neither Bob nor Homi has mentioned the fact that we do both in many states in the USA, We sentence the offender and then move him to a mental institution until such a time as the man can prove he has learned to overcome his compulsion to molest children. This means that the man can be in the hospital far longer then his jail sentence calls for. There are dozens of approaches being tried, and so far they have met with some success. It is all about compassion, both for the twisted souls who commit this horrible crime, and for the children yet untouched. For the most part it seems to work. Bob, if it is now the law to treat Pedophilia as a mental illness, then I must agree with Homi that, "I hope they nail the bastard again and give him another 10 or 20 years" is probably not an appropriate response. We cannot have it both ways, well not logically.

[Bob]

For purposes of criminal liability for one's actions, most western societies have established standards to determine when one asserting a mental illness can escape, partially or fully, responsibility for his/her acts. In the states, we've essentially adopted a hybrid of the old McNaughton rule which, in short, provides that you are relieved of some/all responsibility depending on the degree to which you can tell right from wrong and have the ability to control your impulses. We "normal" (allegedly) people can't understand why somebody violently rapes another person, has sex with a 8 year old, or even robs a bank......but tossing the concept that "they must be mentally ill" at it because one doesn't understand it or because the act isn't "normal" is an awful lazy way of thinking. Western law just doesn't work that way. If you're going to label something a mental illness (which presumably means you're going to assign less responsibility in the process), you first need to define what it is and how you're going to determine if somebody is in that condition.

Gary Glitter, as I understood it, never asserted he had a mental illness or defect nor have I read anything (admittedly, there wasn't much "guts" of the case printed) that would lead me to believe he didn't have an ability to control his impulses.
My initial comments were simply that I was astonished that he only got 3 years for molesting two kids (and I repeat again that he would have received 4-10 times that sentence if it occurred in England, the States, and most of Europe - and, of course, he would have been executed in some places).

For the last 20 years or so, it's become popular (a better word might be "fashionable") to claim that one isn't responsible for one's acts because one was raised by bad parents, watched too many violent video games, etc. In my eyes, almost all of that is pure bullshit and simply a way of not taking responsibility for one's acts. I have no reason to believe that Glitter wasn't responsible for his acts (and haven't heard him claim otherwise).

Western societies have never accepted "pedophilia" (sexual attraction to kiddies - although there's some research that indicates it isn't all about sex just as in cases of adult rape) as a mental illness that allows the person to escape liability for his/her criminal acts. You can personally disagree with that idea but a lot of societies have struggled with the concept for hundreds of years and none of them agree with you.

Skipping all the theoretics, I also may disagree, Khor tose, with your comment that the treatment of pedophilia has met with some degree of success. Based on what I've read, the so-called success rate is abysmally low and, rather pointedly, almost identical with the "success" rate of no treatment at all. Pedophiles are notorious repeat offenders and, for that reason alone, they ought to be kept away from all children for the rest of their lives.

I'm quite sympathetic with the truly mentally ill (having represented many hundreds of people who my state was attempting to involuntarily commit for psychiatric treatment). I have no reason to have any sympathy for Glitter.

[homintern]

Bob, if it is now the law to treat Pedophilia as a mental illness, then I must agree with Homi that, "I hope they nail the bastard again and give him another 10 or 20 years" is probably not an appropriate response. We cannot have it both ways, well not logically.

The pearls are genuine; sadly the swine are imitation

[Khor tose]

I answered a different question on another board, but my answer also applies here.

http://pattayapassion.19.forumer.com/vi ... highlight=

[Aunty]

They should take him to Piccadilly Circus, strip the bastard naked and then mercilessly whip him until he bleeds. All in full public view! Then and only then will he have paid his debt to society for inflicting such God awful music and stage persona upon us!

[Chao Na]

Gary Glitter just called to say that he would sue Elephantspike if this libelous thread was not removed immediately. (waiting...)

[Brad the Impala]

They should take him to Piccadilly Circus, strip the bastard naked and then mercilessly whip him until he bleeds. All in full public view! Then and only then will he have paid his debt to society for inflicting such God awful music and stage persona upon us!

Whatever turns you on dear.