Protecting Children Job No. 1
Published in The Daily Courier
August 16, 2012 |
|
During the last few weeks, our community has been victimized by criminals engaged in cowardly indecent acts that prey on defenceless children.
The most recent incident involves a sexual predator exposing himself to a young girl at the Kelowna Family YM-YWCA. It seems that this criminal knew precisely where the surveillance cameras were located inside and outside the building and hid his face when in range.
This type of criminal activity should concern us all. It is our collective responsibility to protect children from harm and to create opportunities for them to flourish in their unique ways.
Keeping them safe and protecting their innocence should be one of our top priorities. While there are many perspectives about crime, criminals and the impact of punishment, the protection of children against sexual criminal acts should not be up for debate.
The federal government recognized the importance and urgency of this issue and, within the first 100 parliamentary sitting days of taking office last year, introduced and passed the Safe Streets and Communities Act.
This legislation, commonly referred to as the Conservatives' omnibus crime bill, is a combination of nine bills that failed to pass when the Tories held minority government status.
Within this sweeping crime-fighting legislation, there are amendments to the Criminal Code designed to protect children from sexual predators and to ensure that criminals are held accountable for their actions.
The clarity and determination of the government delivered, not only on its election promise, but crime legislation with sharper teeth to better align penalties to fit the crime.
Criminal offences against children cause irreparable harm to our most vulnerable members of society. This legislation puts the rights of victims before the rights of criminals.
Unfortunately, the sexual predator who has been lurking around the Y is still at large. But when he is caught, and if found guilty, this criminal will be subject to a minimum sentence of 90 days for exposure to a child. The courts no longer have the option of conditional sentences or house arrest as punishment.
These measures ensure the criminals do not return to our communities until they serve their sentences. The amendments ensure that penalties imposed for sexual offences against children are strong and better reflect the heinous nature of these crimes.
Minimum sentences for crimes such as exposure to children keeps these predators off our streets. There is, however, considerable debate about the efficacy of imposing minimum sentences, but the benefits outweigh the risks.
Minimum sentences:
While the act is unlikely to eliminate crimes like those at the Y, it is important that the justice system has the tools to remove these criminals from our communities.
As a father and a school trustee, I am continually aware of the safety and security of our children. We need the justice system to work effectively and to deal definitively with those endangering our society.
And that, for me, is The Bottom Line.
The most recent incident involves a sexual predator exposing himself to a young girl at the Kelowna Family YM-YWCA. It seems that this criminal knew precisely where the surveillance cameras were located inside and outside the building and hid his face when in range.
This type of criminal activity should concern us all. It is our collective responsibility to protect children from harm and to create opportunities for them to flourish in their unique ways.
Keeping them safe and protecting their innocence should be one of our top priorities. While there are many perspectives about crime, criminals and the impact of punishment, the protection of children against sexual criminal acts should not be up for debate.
The federal government recognized the importance and urgency of this issue and, within the first 100 parliamentary sitting days of taking office last year, introduced and passed the Safe Streets and Communities Act.
This legislation, commonly referred to as the Conservatives' omnibus crime bill, is a combination of nine bills that failed to pass when the Tories held minority government status.
Within this sweeping crime-fighting legislation, there are amendments to the Criminal Code designed to protect children from sexual predators and to ensure that criminals are held accountable for their actions.
The clarity and determination of the government delivered, not only on its election promise, but crime legislation with sharper teeth to better align penalties to fit the crime.
Criminal offences against children cause irreparable harm to our most vulnerable members of society. This legislation puts the rights of victims before the rights of criminals.
Unfortunately, the sexual predator who has been lurking around the Y is still at large. But when he is caught, and if found guilty, this criminal will be subject to a minimum sentence of 90 days for exposure to a child. The courts no longer have the option of conditional sentences or house arrest as punishment.
These measures ensure the criminals do not return to our communities until they serve their sentences. The amendments ensure that penalties imposed for sexual offences against children are strong and better reflect the heinous nature of these crimes.
Minimum sentences for crimes such as exposure to children keeps these predators off our streets. There is, however, considerable debate about the efficacy of imposing minimum sentences, but the benefits outweigh the risks.
Minimum sentences:
- prevent future crimes by removing criminals from society;
- serve an educational purpose by clearly communicating society's disapproval of a criminal's activities;
- reduce differences in sentence by providing guidance to judges to help ensure that criminal offences are treated equitably across the country; and
- address concerns that convicted criminals should be held accountable for their crimes through imprisonment.
While the act is unlikely to eliminate crimes like those at the Y, it is important that the justice system has the tools to remove these criminals from our communities.
As a father and a school trustee, I am continually aware of the safety and security of our children. We need the justice system to work effectively and to deal definitively with those endangering our society.
And that, for me, is The Bottom Line.