Media Release
30 November 2011
When a powerful former public figure walks free after having sex with a 12 year old girl, there is something terribly wrong with our criminal justice system, according to the Australian Christian Lobby.
“The legal system’s ability to rationalise away even the most heinous abuse of a young girl to blame factors other than the perpetrator shows a disturbing departure from the essentials of civil society and child protection,” the ACL’s Tasmanian Director Mark Brown said today.
“For the protection of girls and children there must be severe consequences for men who abuse them.
“The excuse ‘the medication made me do it’ represents an unacceptable watering down of a meaningful deterrent.”
Mr Brown was referring to yesterday’s decision in the Supreme Court in Hobart to free former MLC Terry Martin, who even escaped having his name recorded on a sex offender register.
“The sexualisation of our culture has caused us to lose a proportional sense of outrage and perspective on the necessary morality for the functioning of a civil society,” Mr Brown said.
“Further normalising the purchasing of women by men through legalising brothels should also be a wake-up call and should be strongly resisted by our State Government,” Mr Brown said.
“Yesterday’s decision should cause all Tasmanians to take stock of the consequences of the failure of moral leadership in our State.”
ENDS
This decision speaks volumes about the morality of the judiciary. Would any regular person come to the same decision that the judge has?
What a great precedent to set.
How low can we go?
Isn’t a twelve year old girl either in the last year of primary school or first year of high school? How can a man be under the impression that a girl in primary school, or a girl just starting out high school is eighteen?
“For the protection of girls and children there must be severe consequences for men who abuse them.
So women who abuse children dont matter? And boys who get abused, they dont matter either? Please stop contributing to the misconception that it is only men who abuse. There are alot of children and spouses out there who have been physically, emotionally, sexually and/or physchologically abused by a woman. You should have said
“For the protection of children there must be severe consequences for people who abuse them.
For many many years of my teen and adult life, I was ashamed to be a man because I constantly heard the message, men abuse women and children. It was only later that I realised alot of abuse committed by women is unreported, tolerated, or of such a subtle or devious manner that it is hard to clearly identify.
Men, dont allow yourself to be a victim of guilt by association. You cannot be held responsible for what other men do. And dont be fooled into thinking females do not abuse- many do. See the following article by Dr Jennifer Wilson
Feminism’s last taboo http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/45230.html
Otherwise good work ACL
This is a disgrace, what can we do? I know of a Victorian man who had sex with a 14yo girl he is custody awaiting sentencing. Why is this man not in jail awaiting the same?????????? And to not even go on the sex offender register, APPALLING!!!
It doesn’t matter whether it is a male or female offender- it is morally and legally indefenceible. It makes one want to believe what is said about many involved in the law and their sexual preferences. The abuse of the child is bad enough- what has happened to the mother? Politician, parent and judge should all be condemned and punished for the abuse of this child.