Here’s another scenario- the sleazy uncle who has been molesting girls in the family for years finally gets caught and sentenced. Now all the other girls at school knows it’s Susie’s uncle that just got caught- and the teasing and bullying now escalates because of how ‘gross’ Susie’s family is, how he probably touched Susie, etc.- how is that helping the victim?

We are nowhere near enlightened enough as a society to respond with sensitivity to the victim, let alone the perpetrator’s family or friends. So yes, I believe in a register, but I have serious misgivings about whether it should be made public in an easily accessible fashion. And as far as sex offenders…it rarely happens stranger to stranger. It’s almost always people you know or people in your family. Child molesters rarely lurk in the bushes waiting for a hapless kid to come strolling past. In cases of adult-on-adult, I agree completely with the register. In cases of child molestation, I think we need to ensure that the victims and the families are protected- and I’m not sure that’s best done right now with a register. And to take the shame out of being victimized.