Would you attend a peaceful protest if a convicted paedophile moved into your street?

[thefourgp]

I’ve never attended anything similar before and I’m in two minds about going. He was convicted (I’ve read the newspaper articles which show his photo) and has been released after serving half his sentence. I don’t know if he owns the property but he’s moved in with his wife who stood by him. There’s a peaceful protest being arranged. Would you go?

I don’t think I’d attend, no. I can’t see what it would achieve.

But I can understand why people are horrified and I can absolutely understand why his neighbour with young grandchildren is frightened.

It’s al well and good saying ‘he’s served his time, he has to live somewhere’...but which one of us would want a man who raped a 5 yr old sitting in his garden just over the fence from our own kids?

I don’t understand how someone who would do such a thing could ever be let live freely in society again, but that’s another story...

No I wouldn't. I don't condone what he did. Wouldn't want to be part of a braying mob.

I wonder how some more excitable posters on this thread would react if their son/husband/ brother or so forth got convicted of a sexual offence? I am pretty confident of a change of tune in a large percentage of cases.

LOL @ 'police and probation will be on it'.

They will not pay the slightest attention unless neighbours raise a stink and keep on doing it.

@Nicknacky

PurpleFrames Why attend though? What are you personally gaining from it apart from the desire to be involved?

These protects are causing people to be injured (and not the target of the protest).

I'd probably feel empowered about showing my desire for change for my community. And getting the rage I feel at the rapist that ruined my childhood out too.

@mathanxiety that is patently untrue. You likely have no idea what goes on behind the scenes.

No what good would it do? They won't move him.

Nobody wants a paedophile living near them but unfortunately you probably have paedophile living near you
I actually do have a suspected one a few doors down.
It’s rumours so I just keep distance.
His next door neighbours either side are actively trying to get rid of him by making his life uncomfortable.

I don’t doubt for a second if he actually tries something or it’s proven at least one of the neighbours (big burly men with kids) will beat the absolute shit out of him.
My CCTV will be broken that day if police come knocking

@thefourgp

I’m not the one organising it and I don’t know if they own the property. He raped a five year old and the woman who lives next door to him regularly looks after her young grandchild and no longer feels comfortable having the grandchild in the garden.

I suggest the soon-to-be-neighbour contacts her local neighbourhood policing team for advice on how best to protect visiting children in this situation.

I agree with the general opinion of the replies though, ‘no’ to the protest. Convicted sex offenders have to live somewhere and whilst I agree, the crimes are abhorrent, it isn’t down to members of the public to mete out vigilante justice.

PurpleFrames All you would be achieving is disorder. It achieves nothing, and won’t help with what happened to you, unfortunately.

Would you feel “empowered” if someone was hurt as was a police officer at one bee recently?

No, it’s wrong to object that way.

[quote NotTheToothFairy22]@BananaPop2020 I completely disagree with everything you said. This 'person' has no right to live peacefully at all after raping a 5 year old. Neither does his wife who stood by him. That 5 year old is never going to be peaceful so if I could do anything to ensure he doesn't get peace then rest assured, I'd do it. Pitchfork and all.

I am just agog at paedo sympathizers saying they have a right to live peacefully.[/quote]
Nobody is sympathising with criminals at all. They are not supporting vigilante violence or worse - acts which are ALSO criminal acts. It's easy to be a keyboard warrior though. I suspect the truth is that in real life you would be at home knitting. At least I hope so - because if you really are of the belief that taking the law into your own hands is ever justified, you are as dangerous as him.

No

@NotTheToothFairy22 you need to improve your understanding of the law. Why do you insist that anyone who raises a point contrary to yours is a ‘paedo sympathethiser’? Its absolute rubbish.

@BananaPop2020 that's bold of you to assume those 'excitable' posters are posting from a place of complete ignorance. Pretty sure no change of tune has been had.

I guarantee many of you on this thread will live near, work with or know someone who has committed a child abuse offence. Not necessarily been charged or convicted, but the stats make it likely we all come into contact with one or more of them. At least this one the OP knows about. If he moves, he might come to your street next. If he moves area and changes his name before moving in (and doesn't tell anyone where he's going) no one at the new place would know.

@NotTheToothFairy22 it’s not bold, it’s realistic.

I would hate to live anywhere near a know paedophile but as others have pointed out i might do and just not know it. If he owns the house a protest will acheive absolutely nothing. If it was me i would make sure dps daughter never played out in the street without one of us present and would warn her not to speak to him. Theres not much you can do but you could be arrested for harassment which you need to be careful about.

I'm not sure if I would go to a protest, but I wouldn't be ok with it.

@PiperPiper20

No. But I'd dogshit his car door handles.

Why? What on earth is that going to achieve?

Sometimes, people on here sound utterly unhinged.

I would imagine that protesting or intimidating a man like that out of his home probably ends up putting children at more risk from him, as he might well disappear and change his name. People will pay themselves on the back about the good thing they did, safe in the knowledge that it's someone else's problem.

It's like those paedophile hunters who end up doing all sorts of things to trap paedophiles online and in putting their photos all over the internet they end up ensuring that they get off because they are able to argue that they won't get a fair trial.

Nobody wants a paedophile living near them but unfortunately you probably have paedophile living near you

Exactly. And some of the gobbiest will have peeeedos living in their house.

Too fucking right I would and I’d be making my feelings on the matter very well known!! I’d want then especially wary of me and my family, and be under no illusions that if he so much as glanced near my child there’d be murders. I’d want him GONE - I believe strongly in the severest punishment for any child abuse or rape. They’d all get the chair if it were down to me, end of.

Knitting yes, that's what I do in my spare time when I'm not sharpening my pitchfork.

I am quite content in the knowledge that no, I would absolutely not sit back and let a paedophile live peacefully in our street while our kids played outside. If that makes me dangerous then I can live with that. I'd rather be dangerous than turn a blind eye or worse, pass the time of day with someone who rapes children.

Why? What on earth is that going to achieve?
Why not?
No one wants him living there, he is a risk to society.

Sometimes, people on here sound utterly unhinged
What, like the man who raped a five year old
I don’t think a bit of a dog shit is really comparable?
Do you?!