WHAT'S
A SOCIETY TO DO?
What do we do when we, as a
Society, are confronted with a case like this?
http://tinyurl.com/8a6xm
What does "justice being served"
mean in a case like this?
My initial response is:
From the story, as it was
presented in the news, it is clear that these people knew full well that
according to Israeli law that what they had done is considered a sexual crime
against a minor. Whether or not they themselves considered it a perversion and
a violation of the child's Human rights cannot be determined from the story. It
is clear, however, that they knew that this is their society's view. They did,
after all, use the behavior to incriminate one another in the course of their
marital disputes.
My inclination is not to
punish, per se, but to correct, which is what I think all effective punishment
should be. Chances are the parents are victims of sexual predators in their
childhood. The parents are very sick and, as in the case with all extreme
illnesses, extreme methods of cure may be called for.
If we mete out harsh
measures unwisely we become a depraved and brutal society. Punishment cannot be
carried out in order to release our feelings of outrage. It has to be a
corrective measure that helps the persons who veered off societal norms. It
would be ironic indeed if, in being unwisely brutal toward sexual predators, we
become perverted morally as a society.
And who will carry out the
harsh punishment? In ancient
I would call for them
serving a term in a closed psychiatric facility and having to take part in
one-on-one, family and group therapy. Thereafter, when they show marked improvement,
they may be released on the proviso that they agree to having
their libidos chemically reduced to the point where they are incapable of
repeating these acts. This agreement on their part, in writing,
should be made a condition of their release. I say this because there is an
unusually high rate of recidivism amongst sexual offenders. A troubling case is
a Canadian one: A man, who was a serial rapist from the age of twelve, has been
in jail for decades. He is a model prisoner and is due for early release. Yet,
he is still more sexually excited by rape scenes than by scenes involving
consensual sex. The families of his victims are livid about, and terrified of,
his impending early release and are doing everything they can to petition the
Canadian justice system to reconsider the decision. Certainly, it cannot be inferred
or predicted that he will be a model member of society-at-large, or even a
minimally functioning one, from the fact that he is a model prisoner. How he
responds to sex scenes, is, IMO, far more indicative of future behavior when he
is set free. When asked if he thinks that he will return to raping he answered
honestly, saying that he doesn't know. He recommends setting him free to
determine the matter.
I know that the chemicals
that reduce the libido cause side-effects. I can see no way out of the moral
quandary. It seems to be that we have to "violate" the human and
societal rights of sexual offenders in order to protect society. It is
preferable, IMO, that paedophiles be made into
semi-zombies than that innocent children be made sexually maladapted and the
sexual predators of tomorrow. It is better, IMO, that convicted rapists be made
sterile than that they be able to rape again. Moreover, as rape is a crime of
violence, not a sexual act per se, it is desirable, methinks, that
convicted rapists be so drugged as not to be able to harm another being in any
way as a condition of their release from closed institutions. I'd like to throw
this one out for discussion.
This is a tough case and
it's been put on our plate. This is not a theoretical discussion. This is a
real case pending in the District Court of Tel Aviv.
Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan,
[email protected]