NY Lawyer Writes Op-ed piece for the NY Times advocating for the rights of pedopjhiles

I was dumbfounded when I saw this op-ed by New Jersey lawyer Margo Kaplan in the New York Times yesterday.

"Pedophilia: A Disorder, not a Crime"

She talks about a website (which has all of 250 registered members) called "Virtuous Pedophiles" who have pedophiliac urges but don't act on them. She says these in the closet pedophiles "contemplate suicide." She says that if they reveal their urges, they won't get jobs. But oddly, she ignores the fact that anyone of these people can tell a therapist about their urges, and that the therapist has to keep it confidential. If the pedophile acts on his urge, then the therapist is obligated to go to the police.

The author's piece is riddled with errors and quite frankly, made me very angry.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/06/opinion/pedophilia-a-disorder-not-a-crime.html

Excerpt

"Part of this failure stems from the misconception that pedophilia is the same as child molestation. One can live with pedophilia and not act on it. Sites like Virtuous Pedophiles provide support for pedophiles who do not molest children and believe that sex with children is wrong. It is not that these individuals are “inactive” or “nonpracticing” pedophiles, but rather that pedophilia is a status and not an act. In fact, research shows, about half of all child molesters are not sexually attracted to their victims."

__

PS : Sorry about the typo in headline. Don't know how to fix.

Mercyneal said:

I was dumbfounded when I saw this op-ed by New Jersey lawyer Margo Kaplan in the New York Times yesterday.

"Pedophilia: A Disorder, not a Crime"

She talks about a website (which has all of 250 registered members) called "Virtuous Pedophiles" who have pedophiliac urges but don't act on them. She says these in the closet pedophiles "contemplate suicide." She says that if they reveal their urges, they won't get jobs. But oddly, she ignores the fact that anyone of these people can tell a therapist about their urges, and that the therapist has to keep it confidential. If the pedophile acts on his urge, then the therapist is obligated to go to the police.

The author's piece is riddled with errors and quite frankly, made me very angry.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/06/opinion/pedophilia-a-disorder-not-a-crime.html

Excerpt

"Part of this failure stems from the misconception that pedophilia is the same as child molestation. One can live with pedophilia and not act on it. Sites like Virtuous Pedophiles provide support for pedophiles who do not molest children and believe that sex with children is wrong. It is not that these individuals are “inactive” or “nonpracticing” pedophiles, but rather that pedophilia is a status and not an act. In fact, research shows, about half of all child molesters are not sexually attracted to their victims."

__

PS : Sorry about the typo in headline. Don't know how to fix.

Click to expand...

BBM Oh really? I sure would like to know much more about this "research".

Is that sort of the same way that many rapist aren't actually sexually attracted to their victims? Um... isn't rape more about power anyway? Same goes with pedophilia- in my estimation. These men are attracted to the fact that these children aren't their peers, are naive and easily manipulated and or controlled.

This thought process is bizarre (IMO), and just goes to show the ridiculous misinformation that many people have on the subject.

Murder is a compulsion for some- not based in anger, revenge or some other personal situation with the victim... how does that change anything?

Am I just understanding this argument completely wrong?

No, you get it. It seems like the author is implying that since half of pedophiles don't feel sexually attracted to kids that this makes it ok. But the definition of pedophilia is having a sexual attraction to children.