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CPGB and child abuse

Zee-Zee | 24.01.2003 16:37

Just got this from a list im on...chilling really

Dear All,
Firstly apologies to any of you who would not want to get this email but as you will see it concerns a serious matter.
The Weekly Worker has again printed an article which trivialises the abuse of children in very offensive terms. I include the URL below so you can check for yourselves.
Although, thankfully, the CPGB are a tiny organisation they are part of the Socialist Alliance and are hence given legitimacy by other Left groups who, I am sure, would be just as outraged as I am by the CPGB's view of paedophilia.
I encourage all of you to look at the article and use the online comment box to show the CPGB that such views are no part of any tradition of fighting for human liberation.
Thanks
steve davies

http://www.cpgb.org.uk/worker/464/panic.html

Zee-Zee

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Thank you for pointing this article out

24.01.2003 19:09

I find it a calm, sane treatment of a difficult issue.

joshua

They dont condone paedaphilla at all!

24.01.2003 19:46

The Weekly Worker dont condone paedaphilla at all they just try to give their reasons for it.

Harlequin

I agree with article

24.01.2003 20:58

I don't particularly like the CPGB, which is simply a little brother of the SWP in the Socialist Alliance. However, I completely agree with the article and I don't think it condones child abuse - it's simply pointing out the reactionary, right-wing Christian response to child abuse, paedophilia and child pornography.

What I find astonishing is that no-one wants to know about why so many British men have paid for child porn - probably far more have accessed it than the 7,000-odd being currently investigated. The only reaction to this issue is the imposition of the death penalty against all offenders. What child abusers do is vile, what the CPGB seem to be saying is deal with the abuser, not just punish and ostracise him for his crimes. It's not good enough to call someone a pervert, burn down his house and chase him underground - that's the worst way of protecting our children from molesterers. We have to deal with the mentality of paedophiles.

Perhaps that way we can understand why this phenomenon exists. I don't think it's simply about the Internet. A Guardian article by a convicted paedophile pointed out that the Internet is simply a reflection of the psychology of society. Therefore, as a revolutionary, I think dealing with the issue of child abuse needs addressing in a serious manner, as we are all concerned with social change and the elimination of all abuse and exploitation.

Real child abuse

24.01.2003 21:01

Child abuse is a very serious matter but as far as I know, the CPGB have never condoned it.

I think we should get things in proportion. Thousands of children in Iraq are about to be bombed by Bush and Blair - if that's not child abuse I don't know what is.

Perhaps we should be concentrating on fighting against this war and getting as many people we know on the London demo on the 15 Feb rather than scouring a little-read left newspaper for dubious comments.

Mr Eyes

Real child sex abuse is rare.

25.01.2003 14:13

Child sex abuse in British law covers a wide range of crimes from rape and sexual assualt of children to consensual sex between people of two or three years age difference! If you discount consensual sex between people of a few years age difference ie someone 16 or 17 having consensual sex with someone who is 14 or 15. Then actual child abuse involving sexual violence is very rare!

Even if 7,000 people in the UK were viewing child porn that is a drop in the ocean considering there are 58 million people in the UK!