Why Sarah's law should be binned

Why Sarah's law should be binned

This is frightening.

Police may also choose to disclose that the subject is merely "showing worrying behaviour", or was arrested or acquitted of a crime.

A leaflet produced about the scheme states: "Even if a subject doesn't have a record for child sex offences it doesn't mean that he or she is not potentially a risk".

I don't want sharia law, I don't want Sarah's law, I just want English law! I am sorry that Sarah Payne was sexually abused and murdered by convicted sex offender, Roy Whiting, in 2000. However, none of all this crap will bring her back to life. All it will do is cause a lot of grief to a lot of innocent people, and break up relationships.

It is one thing to alert people to a paedophile. However, what does "showing worrying behaviour" mean? Recently, a Park Warden asked me if I had seen a "strange man taking photographs". I had seen the man taking photographs, neither he nor what he was doing appeared strange to me. Nevertheless, would this constitute as "showing worrying behaviour"? And, what about 'the man who only takes his dog for a walk in the local park as an excuse', as was suggested about me in the comments section of the Hull Daily Mail, would this constitute "showing worrying behaviour"?

Then there was the time Liana asked me to accompany her to Endeavour High School to pick up Edita, the 14 year old daughter of her friend Lasma, to take her to the dentist's, and the school reported me to the police and Social Services, even though Lasma had provided us with a note authorising this. When they checked with my probation officer, he said I had no convictions for any sexual offences and he did not consider me as a risk in relation to children. Notwithstanding this, the police and Social Services informed me that I was not to be in Edita's company alone and also informed Lasma of this and it caused her to worry about me. This must have been showing worrying behaviour, allowing Latvians to befriend me and my extending friendship to foreigners in a strange land.

Recently, a Tory MP was arrested after his children accused him of assault. He was released on police bail and later no charges were preferred. Tory blogs proclaimed his innocence. Now, the fact that he was arrested at all will be disclosed.

Stephan Kisko was acquitted of a crime. Unfortunately, he is now dead. But, if he was alive, it would be disclosed that he was acquitted. In some people's minds, it's no smoke without fire, and an acquittal is the same as guilt. Today, this is the case with Sarah's law. A leaflet produced about the scheme states: "Even if a subject doesn't have a record for child sex offences it doesn't mean that he or she is not potentially a risk". In other words, you're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't.