Paedophiles are to be housed in specialist hostels in the community, under plans unveiled by ministers on Thursday. Each hostel would house 25 high-risk offenders who had served a prison term and would involve an intensive period of treatment.
A National Probation Service report said such centres could cut the numbers of paedophiles being reconvicted within two years from 30% to 10%.
But a previous attempt to set up a sex offenders hostel in Surrey was shelved after strong protests were staged. Any new proposals are likely to create opposition from local residents.
What do you think of plans to house sex offenders in hostels within the community? Is this the best way to provide rehabilitation?
This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.
The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:
 | SUGGEST A DEBATE This topic was suggested by Al, UK:  Is anyone else confused by the government's decision to build secure units for paedophiles most likely to re-offend?  |
While I understand the rage inspired by crimes against children we should listen closely to what some people are saying: "if there are people being allowed back into the community believing that sex with children is OK, then why are they being allowed back in the first place?" and "If there is any chance these people will re-offend and if they are classed as a high risk they should not be allowed out in the community" So now we convict and imprison people for what they think? And once convicted we keep everyone who might commit a crime locked up to ensure that no one does? While I am concerned about public safety, stripping criminals' civil rights for life out of fear doesn't strike me as a civilized or effective response.
Justin Philbrook, United States
Whilst it may be true that such centres could cut reconvictions from 30 to 10%, or as other sources quote, re-offences by 50% that still leaves the 10%. What these centres would then do is have a large aggregation of offenders, 10% of whom (at least) would re-offend. This therefore means the local community would face an increased risk from the said sex offenders - an unacceptable situation for any community to be faced with.
Rob Stubbs, Hitchin, Herts
| They should be treated but the victims should also be given the same level of assistance |
I only wish that I, a person whose soul has been obliterated by of one of these people would have the same money and investment in my recovery. I have spent thousands of pounds over the last 10 years trying to undo the damage that he did. I feel they should be treated but the victims should also be given the same level of assistance and not just put on anti-depressants as many are.
Anon, Berkshire Most children are abused by people close to them - family friends or relatives. The chances of a child being attacked by a stranger paedophile is remote. Younger children should be supervised and older children given the information they need to protect themselves. If the offenders are in a hostel and their faces known they in fact pose less of a risk than people imagine. Children are more at risk from lunatic drivers, bullies and muggers than from the stranger with a bag of sweets. The sex offenders are not mentally ill - they have urges which are utterly unacceptable but with help, support and a little tolerance they can learn to gain control of their urges. That is where the hostels come in. Nothing can be guaranteed but the hostels seem to be the best available option especially if tagging is available. More problems are caused by fear and panic. Give the hostels a try at least.
Mike J, N. Wales
As a victim of child sex-abuse, I am appalled that any nation would perceive this as a safe and effective solution. What happens to these high-risk offenders once their "intensive period of treatment" ends? Surely they will never be cured - paedophilia is not a disease, but a desire. All that can be done is to train them to control their actions - and even that does not guarantee successful treatment. In the case of my offender, it certainly did not.
Anon, Chicago, USA
| Things are never going to improve until people are given enough information and stop shrinking away from even thinking about anything they don't like |
The main thing I notice from these comments is fear and ignorance. Things are never going to improve until people are given enough information and stop shrinking away from even thinking about anything they don't like. By the way, most sex offenders are already in the community. They're at home abusing their children and partners and very few are even arrested. Stop thinking it's not your problem: it's probably happening in your street.
Eve, Edinburgh, UK I believe that paedophiles must be rehabilitated but not by putting them in a hostel where the public are. The government will no doubt go ahead and create these half way houses with or without support, so in that case I believe they should also create a publicly available register of paedophiles in the area so that any responsible parent can ensure their child's safety.
Alfred, Bradford
There is nothing to be gained by trawling over how horrific these crimes are, that is wholly evident. I believe that people need to start to try and break the cycles of sex offenders by reaching out and stopping them from committing the crimes in the first place. Only then will this destructive pattern be broken.
Ann, UK
The Canadian justice system has tried this crazy idea, and they get out on day passes to offend again. Why must innocent victims be the subject of trial and error???
Colin Smith, Burlington, Canada
There are no more paedophiles now than there were 50 or a 100 years ago. Providing hostels like this to allow for monitoring and treatment makes children more safe, not less. When are people going to get over this ridiculous, irrational nimbyism and live in the real world where risks exist and we do what we can to mitigate them?
Katherine, London, UK
Special hostels seem a good idea but they must not be built near residential areas. There seems to be a lot of waste ground around that used to be industrial estates. Why not build them there? And preferably with a high barbed wire fence around it and security gates to keep them inside.
Heather, Manchester
| We need to break the cycle |
If victims of today are the possible perpetrators of the future then we must put more resources into helping today's victims. We need to break the cycle.
Louise, Windsor, England Definitely not. Why should these people be allowed to walk about freely while parents and other members of society are wondering if their children are safe? Why should society condone what these people are when the effects of what they do stays with their victims far longer than any prison sentences that are handed out.
Melanie, Inverness
The issue isn't "should paedophiles be put in clinics or kept forever in jail?" That's not going to happen. The issue is "should paedophiles be treated in clinic or released into the community untreated?" No right thinking person should approve of such people being released without reducing the chance of them re-offending. Like it or not EVERY community already has paedophiles in it. They're already in "your backyard". Personally I'd rather know were they are and have them under medical observation than have them roaming the neighbourhood unsupervised.
Peter, Nottingham, UK
As a mother of a young child it horrifies me that the government would even think about letting these people live among us. It would not be possible to know what they are getting up to 24hrs a day. Why should our communities pay for there crimes. Don't their victims suffer enough without the knowledge that they are living somewhere nearby. I really don't think the government has thought this through properly. Would Tony Blair allow these people near his family - I don't think so!! Then why should we!!
Lynn, Scotland
| These people will come out of jail at some point. Do we really want them going underground? |
I believe sex offenders can be re-educated. My best friend is a paedophile. I had to think long and hard about the friendship after his conviction. I wouldn't say he's never going to re-offend but I believe he won't. As for support, the only support he's had is that of his friends and someone from the probation service that asks him some very difficult questions every month. I think secure centres are a great idea. These people will come out of jail at some point. Do we really want them going underground?
Anon, Plymouth I heard it reported that with help the re-offending rate for paedophiles is reduced to 50%. I suppose it is unfortunate if you are one of the other 50%. Paedophiles do not deserve a second chance. Given the difficulties securing prosecutions these days, I would expect that when a prosecution is successful paedophiles should be removed from harms way permanently, otherwise the risk to innocent people is too great.
Ian, Bradford, UK
Once again, it's the perpetrators who get all the time and attention. I hope that an equivalent amount of money and effort will be spent on their victims, too.
Helen , Bristol
In all the hysteria created by this debate, can we please remember that every child abuser was once an abused child. If they do not get help, the cycle will continue. Yes, we need security in our communities, but some see this kind of issue as an excuse to abuse the abusers. Are they really any better?
Michael, York, UK
No Helen from Bristol, the victims don't get any government-paid help at all. My daughter reported to the police two weeks ago that she had been raped as a child by a man who we now know has interfered with other children, and is still waiting for the police to take her statement. This man still walks the streets today. She has also seen 3 doctors for help in this past two weeks only to be told, to go away and wait. All the support agencies tell us is there is a waiting list of anything from 3-18months for counselling. Also they are non-government funded. So she will have to pay for one to one counselling.
As for Michael from York: Not all abusers have been abused themselves. Even if they have, don't make excuses for them. Fund the helping of victims and keep the high-risk offenders away from the community.
A very angry mother, Essex, UK
The problem will be when one of them absconds and re-offends, which is bound to happen. With so many concentrated into one building I'm sure that vigilantes will attack the place with petrol bombed.
Phil, Wrexham, North Wales Sorry but "reducing the re-offending rate by 50%" is not good enough. It must be 100% and if that cannot be certain then this plan cannot win public support.
Terry, Epsom, Surrey, England
When paedophiles do what they do - they may as well take a life for they certainly destroy it - my sympathy is certainly not with them. After all a lot of murderers are mentally ill but we do not excuse them. My concerns are towards protecting children. If a centre is the best way to do so, then bring it on.
Anon, UK
Well, it may cut the percentage of re-offenders from 30% to 10%. But the percentage would be 0% if we just didn't let them out of prison! The 10% of paedophiles who will still re-offend will still ruin more children's lives.
Nicky, London
Is the idea to cure them or to ensure they can swap notes?
David Hazel, Fareham, UK
I understand that these offenders have to be rehabilitated, and that has to happen somewhere. My concern is that the authorities will be so concerned about public reaction that they will go ahead without informing local residents. We deserve to be made aware of the risks being imposed upon us, despite whatever reassurances we are given.
Dave, Bristol, UK
| This isn't a choice between jail or hostels |
It seems like those posting don't seem to realise that this isn't a choice between jail or hostels. It's a choice between hostels or offenders living a 'normal' life. The people we are talking about here are those who have finished their sentence therefore cannot be sent to jail. I'd rather send them to these hostels than no action whatsoever.
Laura, London, UK The key words are "high risk offenders" and "reconvicted". You don't put high risk anything back in the community! And reconvicted means "...of the few we actually caught within two years". It is about time this government realised that the populace are not as thick as they think, except when it comes to electing politicians!
David May, Glossop England
Not in my back garden, mate: the attitude this country has with everything which they do not understand and fear. These people in my opinion are no different from someone with a mental illness and need to be monitored, treated and looked after to protect children as well as themselves. They are not curable so they need placements to keep them in one place, well either that or move them near schools as the present system stands. So please, narrow-minded people, think again before condemning a scheme that might actually protect your child's life.
John Gearing, St.Helen, UK
Paedophilia is a mental illness and its perpetrators should be treated as such. However, whilst that treatment should be thorough and sympathetic, the consequences are such that there should never be any risks taken that these people get an opportunity to re-offend. Harsh as it may sound, they really should be locked up and the key thrown away.
John, York, UK
Yes, I would. But the Government needs to educate the short-sighted, tabloid editors not to print stories that incite hatred. Because it's those papers that the uneducated masses draw their limited knowledge from.
A. Keel, London, UK
The solution surely, is to locate the centres in areas where there are virtually no children in the local community. There are very many such communities around the country and it should not be beyond the wit of man to identify such areas.
Hugh Cowan, Bisley, Surrey Evidence would suggest that putting paedophiles in contact with each other would increase the likelihood of re-offending. Is it not better to isolate the offender and reprogram behaviour?
Anon, South West
I always wonder about the people who post messages here, thinking that they know exactly what they are talking about. Opinions like 'Paedophilia is not something people can be "cured" from' and 'carnal urge' are just rubbish. People working with such people seem to agree with this kind of scheme, and they really know what is best.
Craig Bartlett, Aberdeen, Scotland
| I think these sick individuals should go through this 'intensive treatment' in the safety of prison |
I'm sorry but if there are people being allowed back into the community believing that sex with children is OK, then why are they being allowed back in the first place? Forget 'hostels' I think these sick individuals should go through this 'intensive treatment' in the safety of prison. Safe from being harmed and doing harm!
Kiera, Twickenham I was sexually abused for three years as a child and received counselling after my ordeal. The man concerned, a family member (who had been abused as a child) got 6 months in prison for what he had done to me. He then came out of prison, abused me again and got another 18 month prison sentence. In my book he didn't get sent to prison for long enough after what he did to me but prison obviously didn't teach him anything either. If counselling had worked for him then perhaps he wouldn't have done it again.
Anon, UK
People could not believe the recent cruelty to children in Beslan, and yet we now propose to put our children in peril by choice! There is, and never will be any excuse for harming children, and any one who seeks to hurt them should never be allowed to live in our communities.
Paul, Manchester
These people should not be allowed out of prison.
Chris, Nottingham
| We are becoming hostages in our own home with the amount of convicts and evil doers on our streets |
What next special centres for the law abiding so that the poor criminals can get the most benefit by being free? We are becoming hostages in our own home with the amount of convicts and evil doers on our streets. Maybe the government should declassify crime altogether that way the prisons wont be over crowded and it wouldn't notice in all the knee jerk, poorly thought through reactions this government has. Who would want a know sex offender, paedophile living near them in the community? Like tags are going to protect victims when the criminals re-offend?
Phil C, Sheffield, UK As a male survivor of childhood sexual abuse I do support these hostels but with great reservations. But as usual it is the perpetrators that are getting the support. What about us survivors. It took me three years to access any support and only then that was through a local charity. Abuse damages for life do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
Kirk, Shrewsbury
I don't understand how anyone could possibly be against a scheme that cuts the rate of re-offending by two thirds. People seem to be under the misapprehension that there is a straight choice between this scheme and locking offenders up for life. Why does this subject make people stupid?
Rufus Mills, Bristol
| Paedophiles deserve the same rights and law as everyone else |
In any civilised society we must have punishment for crime, but equally we must have a criminal justice system that allows repentance and change and a society that expects this with forgiveness. Paedophiles deserve the same rights and law as everyone else. The trouble is that with the nature of any crime against children people are outraged and forget this. Of course there should be correctional centres for offenders otherwise there will be a 100% reconviction rate. We can all do our bit as parents to protect our children from paedophiles. We should be vigilant and not leave them to go where they want at any hour. We need also to educate them. These things are hard to do and will cause family conflicts but isn't this far better than the possible consequences?
Daz, Basingstoke, UK I support the idea of special hostels, assuming there is constant supervision, but not in residential areas. Surely it is possible to build them on industrial estates for example well away from schools, playgrounds etc.
John, UK
Its nice to know that only one in ten paedophiles will re-offend once these centres are open, it makes me feel really happy. If there is any chance these people will re-offend and if they are classed as a high risk they should not be allowed out in the community, one attack on a child is one to many. What planet do these do gooders actually live on, do they think one attack is ok as long as nine more don't happen. These paedophiles don't think there is anything wrong in what they do, just having that kind on mind set should mean they stay behind bars for the sake of all children.
Mark Butterworth, UK
| There is a greater public interest to be served in protecting the community and our children |
A sex offender cannot be rehabilitated as a carnal urge cannot be suppressed by "treatment". There is a greater public interest to be served in protecting the community and our children. Remote prisons and harsher sentences are the only answer.
Paul Richards, Plymouth Let's have the first hostel in the Downing Street community and let Tony Blair and his ministers live alongside these people! The Government might then appreciate why the rest of the country protest against these hostels and Paedophiles.
Barbara, Perth, Scotland
Sounds typical of this government. Dump the worst offenders that nobody else wants to be near into a community that doesn't want them and claim it won't have any effect. Can the government really not see why people don't want these centres near their homes, where their children play? I do agree with putting them in a special centre though, and that special centre is called a prison.
Jonny, England
I would definitely support it, if it was on a very small island in North Scotland. I'm fine with the special units they already have - prison!
Mark, Sussex, UK
| They predate on the section of society least able to defend itself. |
Do these people really have an active role in society? No. They predate on the section of society least able to defend itself. Keep them out of communities until a more failsafe way of preventing re-offending becomes available.
RK Hodgey, Norwich They should stay in prison and be treated there. This is a ridiculous plan that will receive a very hostile reaction from the general public. Paedophilia is not something people can be "cured" from and therefore, paedophiles should be kept away from society for as long as possible.
Ian, UK
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