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[Symphonia]

The US is the only country in the world with a public sex offender registry. And it's not working in protecting children. You can still have a criminal record that could prevent you from getting jobs that involve contact with children (teacher, etc.) without having a public sex offender registry.

It needn’t be a public register. But, over here in the UK at least, employers can ring the police/public protection service to find out if a potential employee has a criminal record or see if they’re on the sex offenders register. By law, criminals or former prisoners have to state they have a criminal record or unspent conviction.

 

[waveuponwave]

Regardless of the number of crimes committed - that’s not what we’re discussing here - the fact is Iceland (or most of Europe for that matter) not having a sex registry is alarming. They’re pretty much allowing rapists and child molesters to intergrate themselves back in the community with no actual repercussions. It’s barbaric and twisted.

That's why preventive detention is a thing in many countries. Here in Germany, if a criminal is considered a danger to public safety he can be sentenced to additional "Sicherungsverwahrung". Means he will stay in jail even after his regular sentence has ended, and every two years a court determines if he can be released or if he is still a danger to society.

It's not perfect, there's of course issues with extending a sentence again and again. In fact the law hat to be adjusted after the constitutional court ruled the previous law as unconstitutional.

But if it's clear that a person is still dangerous, he shouldn't be released. What's the point in releasing somebody, but making rehabilitation pretty much impossible because his name is included on a list of offenders?

 

[Famassu]

Regardless of the number of crimes committed - that's not what we're discussing here - the fact is Iceland (or most of Europe for that matter) not having a sex registry is alarming. They're pretty much allowing rapists and child molesters to intergrate themselves back in the community with no actual repercussions. It's barbaric and twisted.

Of course we have some kind of registry of crimes done and there is some level of control for not letting pedophile sex offenders work in professions that involve children. At least in Finland. For example, when I was working as a teacher, I needed to go to the police station to get proof that I have not gotten any sentences for doing shit to kids and give that to the places I worked at.

 

[MUnited83]

It needn’t be a public register. But, over here in the UK at least, employers can ring the police/public protection service to find out if a potential employee has a criminal record or see if they’re on the sex offenders register. By law, criminals or former prisoners have to state they have a criminal record or unspent conviction.

Unless the place you work at is ridiculously negligent, they will ask for your criminal record before hiring you.

 

[Famassu]

Welcome to the nordics/iceland. Model nations in just about everything if you just ignore the fact that rape is barely a crime here.

Nordic countries are far from perfect when it comes to handling rape, but let's not act as if the same issue doesn't exist anywhere else or is even far worse. See: US and how colleges/universities & the society at large handle rape cases there (it's not all that long since we last heard about some US judge be all "but think about the rapist, sentencing him would make his future hard"), sentencing of rape EVERYWHERE is too light (I'm not sure if there is a single country on Earth where rapists don't get handled too lightly), there are countries where the women raped can face prison or the worse consequence than the rapist if they report being raped etc.

This is something that every country in the world needs to improve on.

 

[storafötter]

Five and a half year jail term for 12 years of rape... How the fuck is that any kind of justice?

I get that other countries do prison differently but goddamn this is some shit right there.

One thing you guys dont get is that these things are based on the year the laws is in effect. It is likely that today the punishment for rape is a lot harsher than before. Lets say these rapes were done before the year 2000, when a "new" law came into affect. That would affect the max sentencing that was possible. They dont just add extra abstract years or numbers based on how many times it happens. That is different compared to maybe American system where you get arbitrary high numbers added together.

Besides, most countries in the world do not offer any strict punishment for rape, but in the Nordic countries it is getting stricter. I can say that for Norway.

Also the rehabilitation remarks are a bit silly. Even if Nordic countries do have a rehabilitation ideal, rapists and family abusers do get longer sentences despite that fact. It is not only about rehabilitation as there are cases where the perpetrator isnt fit for rehabilitation, but has to do his punishment.

 

[Audioboxer]

Shitty sentences are bound to happen every now and again in every justice system. Unless someone can prove that this is the common punishment for this kind of crime in Iceland, using it as example of why the whole justice system is broken is disengenious.

Also interesting to see Americans throwing a fit over it when on their country certain states still allow people to marry and rape children legally because of fucking religion.

Just to be clear I'm making an emotional argument more than an attempt to say the justice system in Iceland is broken. As I said, it's just hard to stomach 5.5 years for abuse that went on that long.

Ian Watkins was put away for 35 years. I do understand however his sentence was based on a number of victims.

 

[Frankfurter]

Regardless of the number of crimes committed - that’s not what we’re discussing here - the fact is Iceland (or most of Europe for that matter) not having a sex registry is alarming. They’re pretty much allowing rapists and child molesters to intergrate themselves back in the community with no actual repercussions. It’s barbaric and twisted.

This sounds like most of the developed world uses public sex registry, but that's not true. America is the exception, not Europe.
Note that afaik most European countries of course do have criminal records!

 

[Strax]

Regardless of the number of crimes committed - that’s not what we’re discussing here - the fact is Iceland (or most of Europe for that matter) not having a sex registry is alarming. They’re pretty much allowing rapists and child molesters to intergrate themselves back in the community with no actual repercussions. It’s barbaric and twisted.

But when you are out of jail, what should the repercussions be and for how long? I agree under 6 years is really really low but surely convicted rapists should be able to get somekind of job after they are out?

 

[Wickerbasket]

But when you are out of jail, what should the repercussions be and for how long? I agree under 6 years is really really low but surely convicted rapists should be able to get somekind of job after they are out?

I think people should have the right to decide whether they want to hire a convicted rapist.

If you don't want to worry about your job prospects, then maybe don't rape people.

 

[Strax]

I think people should have the right to decide whether they want to hire a convicted rapist.

If you don't want to worry about your job prospects, then maybe don't rape people.

Is better if that rapist lives by getting unemployment and other benefits from the goverment for the rest of his/her life?

 

[Symphonia]

Is better if that rapist lives by getting unemployment and other benefits from the goverment for the rest of his/her life?

Is it better that a child rapist gets to work around and with children? In a perfect world, the cunt would rot in prison.