Crime Archives - Our Thoughts

New Media Picks Up Delara Darabi Story

Jeff Milner — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:22:56 +0000

The mainstream media ignored Delara Darabi. New media didn’t..

Rethinking the age of consent

Kim Siever — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:43:25 +0000

William Saleton, over at Slate, proposes changing sex consent laws.

First comes the age at which your brain wants sex and your body signals to others that you’re ready for it. Then comes the age of cognitive competence. Then comes the age of emotional competence. Each of these thresholds should affect our expectations, and the expectations should apply to the older party in a relationship as well as to the younger one. The older you get, the higher the standard to which you should be held responsible.

Can sex laws ever follow a formula that sticks to these milestones? Isn’t just easier to call the age of consent 14, and leave it at that?

What to do about the Balcony Rapist

Kim Siever — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 04:35:50 +0000

If you live in Canada, you’ve likely heard of the Balcony Rapist — now, if not 20 years ago. If you haven’t heard of Paul Callow, the gist of it is that he was convicted of and incarcerated for the rape of 5 women in Toronto. He was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison, a term which ended just recently.

He’s in the news again, but this time because no one wants him living in their city. He first moved to Surrey, BC, and shortly moved to New Westminster. Not surprisingly, New West residents are upset and anxious that he’s living in their city.

While I, too, would probably be anxious if he moved to Lethbridge, I have to wonder what else can be done. He served his time. Certainly, he has to live somewhere. But if no one wants him to live in their city, where can he go? He can’t go back to prison.