The Paedo Files
‘IS it any wonder that parents are terrified into believing that every second adult is a paedophile preying on their children when they are served a constant media diet detailing every instance of abuse?
|
| A typical paedophile |
Mercifully, incidents such as the horrific murders of Sarah Payne in July 2000 and of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman two years later are very rare and there is no evidence to suggest that they are becoming more common.
But fear of crime has never had much to do with the actual incidence of crime, with people almost universally overestimating the likelihood of becoming a victim.
And one wonders whether the medias fascination with crime in general, and paedophilia in particular, is in part responsible.
The main culprits are, of course, the tabloids, which are guilty of irresponsible sensationalism and blatant scare-mongering, culminating in the News Of The Worlds aborted Name & Shame campaign.
However, tonight the BBC gets in on the act, with a new series called Police Protecting Children. No doubt, this is a responsible documentary, but one cant help but worry that it will only succeed in feeding the national hysteria.’
Posted: 23rd, March 2004 | In: Celebrities Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
