ABOUT BLOODY TIME! - (sex offenders lie tests)

I've been involved in discussions about this for about a year now, and have actually seen a test in action, whilst sitting in with a colleague as an observer.
Her "client" had volunteered to take part in the test, to demonstrate to her that he was telling the truth when he said he was no longer offending.

The thing is with this type of offender, they are so practised in the art of deception and manipulation, that eventually thay become very arrogant about their prowess in this area, and actually end up convincing themselves that they can fool everyone with ease.

He was fitted up with the lie detector, and was asked a series of questions that required just a simple "yes" or "no" response.
By the fourth or fifth question, he started to lose it, as he'd noticed his response was causing the machine to react.
Two or three questions later, and he refused to take any further part in the test. He was within his rights to do this, as the use of a lie detector, at this moment in time, is not written into any legislation as a requirement of a Court order.

Afterwards, my colleague told me that the "reaction" questions were specifically aimed at his personal offending history, and had been the main topic of her conversations with him over the previous several probation interviews. She felt that he was hiding something from her, but let him think that she was happy with his version of the truth.

Personally, I feel very uncomfortable having a law imposed which forces someone to be hooked up to a machine, but in the case of this type of offender, I make an exception.

We have been briefed recently about a sex offender in the Midlands who is currently serving life for the abduction and murder of a child, back in the late 90's.
There were also two other children who went missing in the immediate vicinty at that time, and they have never been found. He apparently denies any involvement to this day, and it is reported that he adopts a sneering attitude when questioned, and almost seems to relish the power and fame it brings to him, having the press constantly writing stories in the papers, and knowing that there are two sets of parents out there, just waiting for news.
He was a caretaker at a Sports ground up there at the time, and a new "witness" has now come forward, after seeing a very recent article marking the tenth anniversary of their disappearance, to say that he saw this caretaker digging a large trench around that time, near a football field, at 4 o clock in the morning!
The police, at this very moment, have diggers ripping up the whole area.

Now, if this law had been in force at the time (and the technology available) he could have been asked key questions, such as:

"Did you abduct (name) on or around (date) ?"

"Did you kill (name) ?"

Etc., etc.....

Chances are that a machine would have been able to determine whether he was, or was not lying. This would have possibly saved many wasted police hours, and allowed the parents to at least have had some rapid "closure", rather than fretting for twenty years. I can't even begin to imagine what they have been going through.

In precisely twenty minutes, I shall be conducting a cell interview with such an offender.

I wish I had the power to hook him up to a lie detector. I really do.

Sorry for venting, but this just jumped out at me when I logged onto the BBC Website. I had to moan at someone.


BBC Link....