We Won't Forget You, Megan
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On July 29, 1994, 7-year-old Megan Kanka walked across the street to say hi to her neighbor. He was cleaning his boat. He offered the little girl a chance to meet his puppy. Megan was never seen alive again.
Megan Kanka was raped and murdered by 33-year-old Jesse Timmendequas, a previously convicted sex offender. Better yet, he lived with two other sex offenders as well.
No, Megan Kanka's parents did not move into a shady and risqué part of town. They lived in the quaint town of Hamilton, New Jersey, "America's Favorite Hometown." Having your child play outside was not considered unsafe.
After this tragedy occurred, Megan's parents began the Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation with the belief and hope that "Every parent should have the right to know if a dangerous sexual predator moves into their neighborhood."
This also led to the now national, "Megan's Law." Under this law, citizens are able to view a list of registered sex offenders in their neighborhoods. Let me take a moment to point out the word, "registered."
Megan's Law, as amazing as I think it is, covers only those registered. To be registered, one must be convicted of a crime. Do you know how many sexual abusers go without conviction? I'm not even talking about cases that go to trial and are released for whichever of the hundreds of possible reasons it could be. I'm referring to the cases where the innocent child (shouldn't even have to write innocent - EVERY child is innocent) hears things like, "This is our little secret." and "If you tell anyone, something might happen." or "I know you like this. What would they think of you?"
(I'm absolutely sickened already.)
With further investigation, I find more shocking facts. If an offender moves and does not report to the county sheriff, there is no way of knowing the criminal moved from one location to the next. Also, every state has variations of the law. Some have different definitions of offender and some allow offenders to live near schools (ahem, CA is one of them). By the way, did I mention yet that all 50 states rely on the offender to voluntarily register themselves?! (Did your jaw just drop?)
Wikipedia says, "Approximately 15 percent to 25 percent of women and 5 percent to 15 percent of men were sexually abused when they were children. Most sexual abuse offenders are acquainted with their victims; approximately 30 percent are relatives of the child, most often brothers, fathers, uncles or cousins; around 60 percent are other acquaintances such as friends of the family, babysitters, or neighbors; strangers are the offenders in approximately 10 percent of child sexual abuse cases. Most child sexual abuse is committed by men; studies show that women commit 14 percent to 40 percent of offenses reported against boys and 6 percent of offenses reported against girls. Most offenders who abuse pre-pubescent children are pedophiles, however, a small percentage do not meet the diagnostic criteria for pedophilia."
I signed up for family protection and put in my zip code. Fifty-nine registered sex offenders live in/near my neighborhood. Fifty-nine!! How many have moved into my area? How many have moved out? How many are new but not willingly registering themselves? How many are there but with keen and wicked manipulation not known of?
Isn't it time we invest ourselves in progressing Megan's Law? Isn't it time we bring sex offenders into the light? The safety of the children is at stake. Talk to the children you know. The old rule, "Don't talk to strangers." is still good. But, what if the boogeyman lives down the hall?
Irini Connerton is a graduate student in Annenberg's broadcast journalism program. Before this amazing adventure began, she was an elementary school teacher for six years. Family and children's issues are close to her heart. Irini's dream is to be an anchor on the morning news, laughing and informing you with a hot cup of coffee in front of her.
