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Sunday Roundup
Read more about: Government, Referenda, Youth
Two quick notes. First, a row about a senior English policeman’s remarks over what gets classified as paedophilia in cases involving statutory rape points to obstacles that may face any Irish legal reforms in this area. And on a slightly related note, Brian Lenihan has made clear that the government’s position is they they can get in the children’s rights referendum before the election, although that timetable is now leaving them very boxed in on the election date. By May, any memory of budgetary wizardry from Brian Cowen will be gone.
It is beyond ridicule that somebody who has sexual relations with a pubescent or post-pubescent human could be classified as a paedophile. The use of the term ebophile is more appropriate. You can hardly claim that it’s accurate to group somebody who abuses toddlers with somebody who had sex with a 15 year old.
Niall, I agree. I think there’s a whole series of potentially interacting legal messes that the government hasn’t properly thought through. For one thing, what’s the definition of “children” going to be in the referendum? And more narrowly, if as seems inevitable, Ireland gets a sex offenders registry, who exactly will be on it?
What about the Quinnsworth security guard in Limerick who sexually abused me (in his words he was searching me!) in the supermarkets security office in the middle of the day. I was 11, well Niall theres only 4 years in the difference do you want to use the term ebophile, P O’ Neill, how about you. Because I dont. He is a Paedophile who abused his position of power to sexually abuse me and I am left to deal with the consequences and don’t think that I was the only young person because I don’t think that, I was banned from the centre after that by the way.