This is a follow up post and article about the Liskey case from the last post:
KS - Nationwide, female teachers who sexually abuse boys get probation more frequently while male teachers go to prison, says Topeka police Detective Heather Stultz-Lindsay.
Why the difference?
People view boys as the "pursuer, boys are the aggressor" and not as the victim, said Stultz-Lindsay, who investigated the Jennifer Dawn Liskey case. "That's not true. The woman can be the sexual aggressor."
"In society, we look at boys and pat them on the back and say, 'Good scoring with a woman,' " said Stultz-Lindsay.
Put another way, people minimize boys as victims of sexual assault when the perpetrator is an older woman, said Susan Voorhees, a doctor of clinical psychology whose patients include child victims. People smirk when word gets out an underage boy had sex with an older woman.
"Everyone has their fantasies," Voorhees said, as in, " 'It would have been nice to have had some older woman teach me the ways of the world.' "
Often the perpetrator is a member of the family or someone trusted by the family, and for the child, the abuser "may be one of the kindest people in their lives." In the Liskey case, there was a double whammy because she was a paraprofessional in the victim's gifted education program at Robinson Middle School and the best friend of the boy's mother, Voorhees said.
"It's not the face of evil," the psychologist said of abusers. "It's the actions of evil."
It is to bad the judge did not see it that way.
In sentencing Liskey to probation, Shawnee County District Court Judge Jan Leuenberger said there was no evidence the victim suffered in the relationship. The judge also said the youth is "dealing with the situation fine," and concerns by his parents that he might "crash" in the next four to six years are "speculative."
"Sexual abuse has lifelong implications for the mental health of both victims and their families," Voorhees said in a letter dated Sept. 14 to Chief Judge Nancy Parrish to express her "grave concern" about the Liskey sentencing. - Read the entire article here
The Judge really needs to be taken to task for comments like that. As the study I posted previously on here called Long Term Effects of Sexual Abuse by a Female showed that the Judge is dead wrong and Ms. Voorhees is correct.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Probation sends a bad message
I wanted to comment on a recent article about a 39 year old woman who sexually assaulted a 13 year old boy and was given probation:
Probation sends bad message
Placing Jennifer Dawn Liskey on probation for crimes tied to an illegal sexual affair with a boy who was 13 when it started sent a poor message to adolescent victims of sex abuse, says a Topeka psychologist specializing in treating children.
"The message is, 'Don't tell,' " said Susan Voorhees, a doctor of clinical psychology who has treated sex abuse victims for almost 30 years. "The message is, 'You can get away with this.' "
Earlier this month, Shawnee County District Judge Jan Leuenberger placed Liskey, 39, on intensive supervised probation for three years after she pleaded no contest Jan. 23 to two counts of aggravated indecent liberties and one count of aggravated criminal sodomy. As part of the probation, she is to undergo therapy.
In placing Liskey on probation, the judge said she had an emotional disorder, lacked maturity to end the relationship, dressed and acted like an adolescent, lacked control over the victim, and couldn't say "no" to him. Evaluations of Liskey found she has issues centering on personality disorder dependent/immature and with schizoid features, the judge said.
"When (children) hear judges say you get probation (and) when they see the judges don't punish the perpetrators, it gives a very bad message for kids," Voorhees said. "It really concerns me."
Boys who are victims and their families will ask what is the point of pursuing a case against a sexual offender? Voorhees said.
Voorhees contends Liskey should have gone to prison based on Kansas sentencing guidelines. As part of a plea agreement between Liskey and the Shawnee County District Attorney's Office, she could have faced three concurrent prison terms of 55 to 61 months.
"I am very concerned about the impact of the Liskey sentencing on not only her victim but the other victims out in our community who will be reluctant to come forward, will be reluctant to admit they have participated, and may be reluctant to admit it has hurt them," Voorhees wrote in a letter to Chief Judge Nancy Parrish complaining about the sentence.
I agree with her. Many offenders have various mental health issues but that does not keep them out of prison and I seriously doubt that if this was a 39 year old "immature" male who was abusing a 13 year old girl that he would have been given probation.
Incarceration wasn't the answer for Liskey, psychologist William Albott said. Albott is one of two psychologists who testified on behalf of Liskey, urging Leuenberger to place her on probation rather than imprisoning her.
"I don't know what purpose would be served by sending her to prison," Albott said. "I can't think of anything positive to come out of her going to prison other than to satisfy a need on the part of society to punish."
Liskey's sentence is "equitable," Albott said. "She's being punished, but she's not being punished unduly."
He also thinks Liskey's punishment is fair to the victim. - Read the entire article here
A hired gun. I would like Mr. Liskey to tell me how he thinks the sentence is fair to the victim? The victim sure did not seem to think it is fair when he said:
"It sends the wrong message to teachers and to people everywhere," he said. Instead of probation, Liskey should have received three years in prison to force her to go through a treatment program for sexual offenders, he said.
"She has a way of making excuses for anything and everything," he said. Since he was 13, the youth said he has had emotional problems and hasn't genuinely felt anything other than emotional complacency.
"Today I was very upset," he said. "This was the angriest I've been in years." With the Liskey probation sentence, "I'm just kind of left hanging."
His parents also are angry.
"You can steal the innocence of a 13-year-old child," his mother said. "There is no punishment" in Wednesday's sentence. Liskey and the mother, who knew nothing of the sexual relationship, were best friends.
"How does a 13-year-old boy coerce a 34-year-old woman into kissing and groping?" the youth's father said.
When the mother earlier told the judge the impact the offenses had had on her family, she said Liskey often would go into a "poor Jennifer" mode indicating she was being victimized.
"Once again, it was 'poor Jennifer,' and the judge fell for it," the father said of the sentencing.
"This was totally a case of blaming the victim," the father said, referring to the judge's reference to Liskey as being emotionally immature and the victim being intellectually gifted, wanting her back when she tried to end the affair and becoming a "participant in the conduct." - Read the entire article here
Probation sends bad message
Placing Jennifer Dawn Liskey on probation for crimes tied to an illegal sexual affair with a boy who was 13 when it started sent a poor message to adolescent victims of sex abuse, says a Topeka psychologist specializing in treating children.
"The message is, 'Don't tell,' " said Susan Voorhees, a doctor of clinical psychology who has treated sex abuse victims for almost 30 years. "The message is, 'You can get away with this.' "
Earlier this month, Shawnee County District Judge Jan Leuenberger placed Liskey, 39, on intensive supervised probation for three years after she pleaded no contest Jan. 23 to two counts of aggravated indecent liberties and one count of aggravated criminal sodomy. As part of the probation, she is to undergo therapy.
In placing Liskey on probation, the judge said she had an emotional disorder, lacked maturity to end the relationship, dressed and acted like an adolescent, lacked control over the victim, and couldn't say "no" to him. Evaluations of Liskey found she has issues centering on personality disorder dependent/immature and with schizoid features, the judge said.
"When (children) hear judges say you get probation (and) when they see the judges don't punish the perpetrators, it gives a very bad message for kids," Voorhees said. "It really concerns me."
Boys who are victims and their families will ask what is the point of pursuing a case against a sexual offender? Voorhees said.
Voorhees contends Liskey should have gone to prison based on Kansas sentencing guidelines. As part of a plea agreement between Liskey and the Shawnee County District Attorney's Office, she could have faced three concurrent prison terms of 55 to 61 months.
"I am very concerned about the impact of the Liskey sentencing on not only her victim but the other victims out in our community who will be reluctant to come forward, will be reluctant to admit they have participated, and may be reluctant to admit it has hurt them," Voorhees wrote in a letter to Chief Judge Nancy Parrish complaining about the sentence.
I agree with her. Many offenders have various mental health issues but that does not keep them out of prison and I seriously doubt that if this was a 39 year old "immature" male who was abusing a 13 year old girl that he would have been given probation.
Incarceration wasn't the answer for Liskey, psychologist William Albott said. Albott is one of two psychologists who testified on behalf of Liskey, urging Leuenberger to place her on probation rather than imprisoning her.
"I don't know what purpose would be served by sending her to prison," Albott said. "I can't think of anything positive to come out of her going to prison other than to satisfy a need on the part of society to punish."
Liskey's sentence is "equitable," Albott said. "She's being punished, but she's not being punished unduly."
He also thinks Liskey's punishment is fair to the victim. - Read the entire article here
A hired gun. I would like Mr. Liskey to tell me how he thinks the sentence is fair to the victim? The victim sure did not seem to think it is fair when he said:
"It sends the wrong message to teachers and to people everywhere," he said. Instead of probation, Liskey should have received three years in prison to force her to go through a treatment program for sexual offenders, he said.
"She has a way of making excuses for anything and everything," he said. Since he was 13, the youth said he has had emotional problems and hasn't genuinely felt anything other than emotional complacency.
"Today I was very upset," he said. "This was the angriest I've been in years." With the Liskey probation sentence, "I'm just kind of left hanging."
His parents also are angry.
"You can steal the innocence of a 13-year-old child," his mother said. "There is no punishment" in Wednesday's sentence. Liskey and the mother, who knew nothing of the sexual relationship, were best friends.
"How does a 13-year-old boy coerce a 34-year-old woman into kissing and groping?" the youth's father said.
When the mother earlier told the judge the impact the offenses had had on her family, she said Liskey often would go into a "poor Jennifer" mode indicating she was being victimized.
"Once again, it was 'poor Jennifer,' and the judge fell for it," the father said of the sentencing.
"This was totally a case of blaming the victim," the father said, referring to the judge's reference to Liskey as being emotionally immature and the victim being intellectually gifted, wanting her back when she tried to end the affair and becoming a "participant in the conduct." - Read the entire article here
Friday, October 23, 2009
Elderly Female Pastor and Pedophile
This awful case shows that even age is no guarantee that children will be safe. The comment made by the defense attorney arguing for leniency because she did not fit the typical profile struck me as odd. This was a horrible case where children went from one abusive environment to another nightmare. The girls ranged in age between 4 and 11.
CA - The pastor of a church in a Riverside County strip mall was sentenced to life in state prison Friday for abusing her five adopted daughters, who were beaten daily, fed spoiled food and hidden in a garage. Jessica Banks' adopted daughters say they still have nightmares that if their former foster mother ever gets out of jail, she will keep her promise to kill them.
On Friday, a Superior Court judge sentenced Banks to two consecutive life sentences, making it likely that the 65-year-old woman will die in prison for the years of abuse she inflicted on the five sisters.
Banks, who was convicted in July of 13 counts of child abuse and two of sexual penetration by force and fear, vehemently denied the girls' claims. She sat stoically in a blue jail uniform as Judge Richard Hanscom read the sentences.
"I've been in this business a long time, and I've never seen anything quite like this," the judge said. "It just defies belief, but it happened."
Banks became the girls' foster parent in 2000 after they were abused by their biological family, court records show. She legally adopted the girls in 2004.
Banks kicked them and beat them daily with cords, sticks, high-heeled shoes and belts, court records state. The girls ate spoiled food and were forced to clean the house. They had bedrooms with bunk beds, but were not allowed to use them, Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Elan Zekster said.
In court Friday, Zekster argued for consecutive life sentences. He recounted how two of the girls were sexually abused as punishment while the others were forced to watch. Zekster said Banks' sentence should be an example for anyone else who commits child abuse.
Banks' attorney, James Curtis, said two life terms would be the equivalent of a death sentence for Banks. He argued for leniency, saying she does not fit the profile of a typical sexual predator.
"There's no doubt this is a sad situation," Hanscom said. "These girls now suffer from severe problems and they had problems when they were entrusted to Ms. Banks. It's so difficult to see how anybody can treat children this way." - Read the entire article here
In another article on this was this statement from her attorney:
Despite testimony from the girls and physical evidence, "she still does not acknowledge that she did anything to these kids," Curtis said. "This is a defendant who's not seeing the same reality as everybody else."
Or maybe Dr. Susan Strickland is right when she said:
And they [female sex offenders] are less likely than men to acknowledge guilt or to feel sorry or guilty, Strickland said.
CA - The pastor of a church in a Riverside County strip mall was sentenced to life in state prison Friday for abusing her five adopted daughters, who were beaten daily, fed spoiled food and hidden in a garage. Jessica Banks' adopted daughters say they still have nightmares that if their former foster mother ever gets out of jail, she will keep her promise to kill them.
On Friday, a Superior Court judge sentenced Banks to two consecutive life sentences, making it likely that the 65-year-old woman will die in prison for the years of abuse she inflicted on the five sisters.
Banks, who was convicted in July of 13 counts of child abuse and two of sexual penetration by force and fear, vehemently denied the girls' claims. She sat stoically in a blue jail uniform as Judge Richard Hanscom read the sentences.
"I've been in this business a long time, and I've never seen anything quite like this," the judge said. "It just defies belief, but it happened."
Banks became the girls' foster parent in 2000 after they were abused by their biological family, court records show. She legally adopted the girls in 2004.
Banks kicked them and beat them daily with cords, sticks, high-heeled shoes and belts, court records state. The girls ate spoiled food and were forced to clean the house. They had bedrooms with bunk beds, but were not allowed to use them, Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Elan Zekster said.
In court Friday, Zekster argued for consecutive life sentences. He recounted how two of the girls were sexually abused as punishment while the others were forced to watch. Zekster said Banks' sentence should be an example for anyone else who commits child abuse.
Banks' attorney, James Curtis, said two life terms would be the equivalent of a death sentence for Banks. He argued for leniency, saying she does not fit the profile of a typical sexual predator.
"There's no doubt this is a sad situation," Hanscom said. "These girls now suffer from severe problems and they had problems when they were entrusted to Ms. Banks. It's so difficult to see how anybody can treat children this way." - Read the entire article here
In another article on this was this statement from her attorney:
Despite testimony from the girls and physical evidence, "she still does not acknowledge that she did anything to these kids," Curtis said. "This is a defendant who's not seeing the same reality as everybody else."
Or maybe Dr. Susan Strickland is right when she said:
And they [female sex offenders] are less likely than men to acknowledge guilt or to feel sorry or guilty, Strickland said.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Female Pedophile Babysitter - Yes they do exist
Another example that anyone can be a pedophile regardless of their gender. Also notice how the article calls it "intercourse" rather than rape or sexual assault.
GOSHEN — A judge Tuesday morning sentenced a 21-year-old Port Jervis woman to eight years in prison for having intercourse with a 10-year-old boy she was babysitting.
Brandy Decker pleaded guilty May 5 in Orange County Court to a felony charge of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a minor.
Port Jervis city police said an investigation revealed that Decker engaged in multiple sexual acts with the boy, including intercourse, over a period of several months between late 2007 and the middle of 2008.
“Brandy, your monstrous behavior has set into motion a cycle of pain that will be with our family for the rest of our lives,” the boy's grandmother told Decker as she delivered a victim impact statement on behalf of the boy's family. - Read the entire article here
GOSHEN — A judge Tuesday morning sentenced a 21-year-old Port Jervis woman to eight years in prison for having intercourse with a 10-year-old boy she was babysitting.
Brandy Decker pleaded guilty May 5 in Orange County Court to a felony charge of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a minor.
Port Jervis city police said an investigation revealed that Decker engaged in multiple sexual acts with the boy, including intercourse, over a period of several months between late 2007 and the middle of 2008.
“Brandy, your monstrous behavior has set into motion a cycle of pain that will be with our family for the rest of our lives,” the boy's grandmother told Decker as she delivered a victim impact statement on behalf of the boy's family. - Read the entire article here
Friday, October 16, 2009
Mother abuses 10 year old son
In the case featured below I have to wonder at the light sentence. 90 days that can be served on weekends?
Canada - The single mother had previously pleaded guilty to three assaults that occurred over a prolonged period in the life of her 10-year-old son.
She was continually touching him in the wrong places according to his testimony during a preliminary hearing that resulted in her guilty pleas.
She wanted him to come into bed with her when she was nude.
It happened a lot in a five-year period, he had said.
During an attempt to get him inside the house she had threatened to kill his cat.
“No child should live under those circumstances,” said Justice Deborah Austin.
In addition to the 90 days that can be served on weekends, two years of probation was imposed. - Read the entire article here
Canada - The single mother had previously pleaded guilty to three assaults that occurred over a prolonged period in the life of her 10-year-old son.
She was continually touching him in the wrong places according to his testimony during a preliminary hearing that resulted in her guilty pleas.
She wanted him to come into bed with her when she was nude.
It happened a lot in a five-year period, he had said.
During an attempt to get him inside the house she had threatened to kill his cat.
“No child should live under those circumstances,” said Justice Deborah Austin.
In addition to the 90 days that can be served on weekends, two years of probation was imposed. - Read the entire article here
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Most Prolific Teenage Serial Killer is - A girl?
Could the most prolific teenage serial killer be a girl? Maybe but if her claims are true she would certainly be among the most prolific teenage serial killers:
BRAZIL - An investigation is underway to try to verify if the confession of a Brazilian teenager where she claims to have murdered thirty men to death are true. She has provided detailed accounts of 11 of them.
She said she had murdered the men over a period of three years always using the same knife.
Apparently she wanted to confess before turning 18 so she is tried as a minor.
The girl claims she targeted men in Sao Paulo for reasons that varied from “money, revenge and to bring justice.”
She was able to describe eleven of the 30 murders in detail.
If it turns out to be true, she would immediately become the world’s most prolific teenage serial killer. - Read the entire article here
BRAZIL - An investigation is underway to try to verify if the confession of a Brazilian teenager where she claims to have murdered thirty men to death are true. She has provided detailed accounts of 11 of them.
She said she had murdered the men over a period of three years always using the same knife.
Apparently she wanted to confess before turning 18 so she is tried as a minor.
The girl claims she targeted men in Sao Paulo for reasons that varied from “money, revenge and to bring justice.”
She was able to describe eleven of the 30 murders in detail.
If it turns out to be true, she would immediately become the world’s most prolific teenage serial killer. - Read the entire article here
Friday, October 9, 2009
Another female child porn case
More and more women are being caught doing this kind of thing and here is another awful case:
An Ayrshire woman caught with hundreds of images of children being raped and abused has been jailed for a year at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.
Emma Griffin, 24, whose hoard reached the worst levels of child pornography, was told by a sheriff her crime "provokes the disgust of the community".
Several video clips were at level five, which includes babies and children being sexually tortured.
Griffin admitted downloading 464 indecent images of children being sexually abused at her home in Kilmarnock. Her lawyer told the court that his client had been the victim of sexual abuse by her maternal grandfather.
Background reports, which were described as "far from positive", described Griffin as a "potential predator" - Read the entire article here (video also)
This is a crime that deserves much harsher punishment for anyone doing it.
An Ayrshire woman caught with hundreds of images of children being raped and abused has been jailed for a year at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.
Emma Griffin, 24, whose hoard reached the worst levels of child pornography, was told by a sheriff her crime "provokes the disgust of the community".
Several video clips were at level five, which includes babies and children being sexually tortured.
Griffin admitted downloading 464 indecent images of children being sexually abused at her home in Kilmarnock. Her lawyer told the court that his client had been the victim of sexual abuse by her maternal grandfather.
Background reports, which were described as "far from positive", described Griffin as a "potential predator" - Read the entire article here (video also)
This is a crime that deserves much harsher punishment for anyone doing it.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Blame the victim
Here is another article in which the attorney blames the victim. Regardless of the genders involved this kind of thing really irks me when I see it done:
TX - A 39-year-old former Orangefield Junior High teacher and coach is behind bars for ten years.
Jennifer Burton finalized her plea deal with prosecutors this afternoon when she pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault and one charge of improper relationship with a student.
While the now convicted sex offender, 39-year-old Jennifer Burton, had no comment for KFDM just after she entered her guilty plea in an orange county courtroom, her defense attorney had just the opposite.
Attorney Larry Hunter said, "She had a very stellar lifestyle, she was an asset to the community, very good person, but unfortunately, fell into this situation with a victim who was not only a participant, an active participant, but was actually an instigator for the sexual contact."
That last paragraph sounds just like so many offenders. Ooops she just fell into this situation and being almost 40 did not know any better or how to set proper boundaries with a 14 year old girl. This also sounds like the excuses made in many of the clergy sexual abuse cases.
Hunter said, "She's not 100% responsible for what happened, she's serving a 100% of the sentence and that's where I think we as a society have somewhat failed."
She is 100% responsible for what happened. At least the prosecutor gets it.
"She is a 100% criminally responsible, it is inappropriate and improper to imply a child victim should be prosecuted or even help responsible for this act," said Orange County Assistant District Attorney Cory Kneeland.
Kneeland says Burton is a child molester, plain and simple, and she's hurt more than the victim.
He said, "She violated the trust, not only of a family relationship, she was a mother figure to this child, she violated the trust of all mothers everywhere in taking care of a child and she violated the trust of all teachers everywhere." - Read the entire article here
TX - A 39-year-old former Orangefield Junior High teacher and coach is behind bars for ten years.
Jennifer Burton finalized her plea deal with prosecutors this afternoon when she pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault and one charge of improper relationship with a student.
While the now convicted sex offender, 39-year-old Jennifer Burton, had no comment for KFDM just after she entered her guilty plea in an orange county courtroom, her defense attorney had just the opposite.
Attorney Larry Hunter said, "She had a very stellar lifestyle, she was an asset to the community, very good person, but unfortunately, fell into this situation with a victim who was not only a participant, an active participant, but was actually an instigator for the sexual contact."
That last paragraph sounds just like so many offenders. Ooops she just fell into this situation and being almost 40 did not know any better or how to set proper boundaries with a 14 year old girl. This also sounds like the excuses made in many of the clergy sexual abuse cases.
Hunter said, "She's not 100% responsible for what happened, she's serving a 100% of the sentence and that's where I think we as a society have somewhat failed."
She is 100% responsible for what happened. At least the prosecutor gets it.
"She is a 100% criminally responsible, it is inappropriate and improper to imply a child victim should be prosecuted or even help responsible for this act," said Orange County Assistant District Attorney Cory Kneeland.
Kneeland says Burton is a child molester, plain and simple, and she's hurt more than the victim.
He said, "She violated the trust, not only of a family relationship, she was a mother figure to this child, she violated the trust of all mothers everywhere in taking care of a child and she violated the trust of all teachers everywhere." - Read the entire article here
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Child sex abuse by women is significantly more widespread than previously realised
I wanted to post parts of this article as it seems that slowly people are starting to catch on:
UK - Child sex abuse by women is significantly more widespread than previously realised, with experts estimating that there could be up to 64,000 female offenders in Britain.
Researchers from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF), a child protection charity that deals with British female sex offenders, said its studies confirmed that a "fair proportion" of child abusers were women. Donald Findlater, director of research and development, said results indicated that up to 20% of a conservative estimate of 320,000 suspected UK paedophiles were women.
The release of the figures comes days after a Plymouth nursery school worker, Vanessa George – together with Angela Allen from Nottingham and Colin Blanchard from Rochdale – pleaded guilty to sexually abusing young children.
Findlater said: "There was some suggestion it was only blokes that sexually abused children. Over time those arguments have fallen aside and people have had to wake up to the fact that actually, sadly, there is a fair proportion of women abusing as well."
The calculations put the number of female child-sex offenders in the UK at between 48,000 and 64,000, a figure Findlater describes as "highly possible". He said: "The problem is far bigger than conviction rates and, if you look at survivor studies, you end up with a very different story about the scale of the problem of female sexual abuse."
Detectives at Scotland Yard's paedophile unit, meanwhile, disclosed that they had detected an "increased prevalence" of female offenders. Metropolitan police sources said that quantifying the number of paedophiles in the UK was problematic, but there were likely to be hundreds of thousands.
Steve Lowe, director of Phoenix Forensic Consultants, which treats and assesses child sex abusers, said the true number of female paedophiles has remained hidden for too long.
"As a society, we find women sex offenders difficult to acknowledge. But those of us who work with paedophiles have seen evidence that women are capable of terrible crimes against children – just as bad as men." He said some female abusers remained hidden because they appeared before the family courts, where their cases were not publicised because of reporting restrictions. - Read the entire article here
UK - Child sex abuse by women is significantly more widespread than previously realised, with experts estimating that there could be up to 64,000 female offenders in Britain.
Researchers from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF), a child protection charity that deals with British female sex offenders, said its studies confirmed that a "fair proportion" of child abusers were women. Donald Findlater, director of research and development, said results indicated that up to 20% of a conservative estimate of 320,000 suspected UK paedophiles were women.
The release of the figures comes days after a Plymouth nursery school worker, Vanessa George – together with Angela Allen from Nottingham and Colin Blanchard from Rochdale – pleaded guilty to sexually abusing young children.
Findlater said: "There was some suggestion it was only blokes that sexually abused children. Over time those arguments have fallen aside and people have had to wake up to the fact that actually, sadly, there is a fair proportion of women abusing as well."
The calculations put the number of female child-sex offenders in the UK at between 48,000 and 64,000, a figure Findlater describes as "highly possible". He said: "The problem is far bigger than conviction rates and, if you look at survivor studies, you end up with a very different story about the scale of the problem of female sexual abuse."
Detectives at Scotland Yard's paedophile unit, meanwhile, disclosed that they had detected an "increased prevalence" of female offenders. Metropolitan police sources said that quantifying the number of paedophiles in the UK was problematic, but there were likely to be hundreds of thousands.
Steve Lowe, director of Phoenix Forensic Consultants, which treats and assesses child sex abusers, said the true number of female paedophiles has remained hidden for too long.
"As a society, we find women sex offenders difficult to acknowledge. But those of us who work with paedophiles have seen evidence that women are capable of terrible crimes against children – just as bad as men." He said some female abusers remained hidden because they appeared before the family courts, where their cases were not publicised because of reporting restrictions. - Read the entire article here
Friday, October 2, 2009
Double Standard
The article below and others like it give me hope that slowly more and more people and professionals are starting to catch on to the double standard often involved with female offenders. For example:
REDWOOD CITY — A 31-year-old San Bruno woman who lured a 14-year-old boy into her minivan and had sex with him will avoid state prison time, an official said Monday, but still faces up to a year in county jail as part of a deal with prosecutors.
Nina Valeska Herrera, 31, pleaded no contest to unlawful sexual intercourse and will have to register as a sex offender, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. She was facing up to four years in prison, he said, adding that the woman is due back in court in November for sentencing.
Prosecutors say Herrera, who has an 11-year-old daughter, went cruising for teenage boys at a San Bruno movie theater in March 2008 and picked up the victim along with some of his friends. She gave the boys alcohol and cigarettes before finally having sex with the victim in her vehicle.
"The cougar joke comes up," said Wagstaffe. "But if you had a 31-year-old man messing with a 14-year-old girl we would be talking about a state prison sentence. Our society has a double standard." - Read the entire article here
REDWOOD CITY — A 31-year-old San Bruno woman who lured a 14-year-old boy into her minivan and had sex with him will avoid state prison time, an official said Monday, but still faces up to a year in county jail as part of a deal with prosecutors.
Nina Valeska Herrera, 31, pleaded no contest to unlawful sexual intercourse and will have to register as a sex offender, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. She was facing up to four years in prison, he said, adding that the woman is due back in court in November for sentencing.
Prosecutors say Herrera, who has an 11-year-old daughter, went cruising for teenage boys at a San Bruno movie theater in March 2008 and picked up the victim along with some of his friends. She gave the boys alcohol and cigarettes before finally having sex with the victim in her vehicle.
"The cougar joke comes up," said Wagstaffe. "But if you had a 31-year-old man messing with a 14-year-old girl we would be talking about a state prison sentence. Our society has a double standard." - Read the entire article here
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