News

By Terry Vanderheyden

LONDON, May 10, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – An adviser to the UK’s Church of England on child protection has caused anger by suggesting that convicted pedophiles should be given counselling but not jail time.

National child protection adviser to the Church’s Archbishop’s Council, Janet Hind, claimed that counselling in a community setting rather than in jail was a more effective way to rehabilitate sex offenders.

Hind argued that “One shouldn’t necessarily think that because somebody hasn’t gone to prison that isn’t the safe option, because obviously offenders come out of prison and, if they haven’t had proper treatment, they’re not going to be as safe as if they have had a good treatment programme under continuing supervision, with an eye kept on exactly what they’re doing and what their thoughts are,” according to a report in The Observer.

The Church of England back-pedalled after the fact. “It is up to the court to decide the appropriate sentence necessary for the proper protection of children,” a release stated. “That might be a custodial sentence, but the court might sentence a convicted child abuser to supervision in the community with appropriate treatment.”

See Observer coverage:
https://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1769392,00.html

Contact the Archbishop’s Council:
https://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/archbishopscouncil/index.htmlÂ

Contact Janet Hind:
[email protected]