If anything, the media has been quite restrained about Dennis Ferguson and Carbrook.
I attended the public meeting and it was not drummed up by the media. There were hurriedly photocopied pamphletts distributed, text messages, phone calls, conversations etc that resulted in a reported 1000 attendees.
I attended the meeting at Carbrook at which the Police Minister, Judy Spence failed to show any leadership.
I defy any of you, who have children, and within spitting distance of Ferguson, not to feel some apprehension.
Put yourself in the shoes of Ferguson's neighbour, who can see the house where this sick man lives, whose two daughters are now prisoners. Would you just duck up the road for the groceries?
Put yourself in the shoes of the young bloke who dangled a rope. He's well-known around here as a bit of a scallywag. But his young brothers get off the school bus within metres of Ferguson's front gate.
And personally, put yourself in my shoes, whose wife has been doing her daily walk past Ferguson's back gate. Would you tell her that she's being irrational and hysterical, when she now won't even walk out our front gate? Irrational, emotional? Probably. But a normal, average reaction? For sure.
Yes, there were extreme reactions, but the huge surge of anger was palpable; it was unanimous; it allowed for no calm pathetic ministrations from our wonderfully ineffective leaders. The community did not 'mince words'. They were not hysterical nor ignorant, they were very, very, very angry. The facts were clear. A known, convicted pedophile, was allowed to walk free from jail, was placed in our community, where our children live, learn and play… who was supposed to be monitored in the past who still found ways to play out his fantasies and who can not be rehabilitated.
The Carbrook community believes it has been badly let down by both the political and the justice system. I think that you might underestimate the intelligence of Australians. Your correspondents' banging on about the media supposedly inciting the lynch-mob mentality seriously misreads the Australian sense of justice and freedom.

I have great sympathy for neighbours who fear for the safety of their children when known serial sex offenders move into the area.

However, there are also some human rights issues and rehabilitation issues which must be kept in balance. Not to mention the danger of violent vigilante action.

Has any thought been given to the use of modern technologies that allow for constant surveillance and monitoring of people's authorised or unauthorised movements?

These include: Radio Frequency Identification (RFIDs) e.g. Chip implants, wireless bracelets or anklets, and other technologies such as GPS tracking.
(See for example: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,68372,00.html)

Australian laws on surveillance and monitoring of serial sex offenders can be found at:
http://www.caslon.com.au/offendersnote2.htm

Some of the issues are discussed at:
http://www.caslon.com.au/offendersnote.htm

Edmund, your post took on the appeasers and apologists in a reasonable, intelligent manner. Let's see them argue with that.

As you have to live beside this monster, I'm sure that you are much better informed than the posters who have been making accusations of mobs and vigilantes.

Spikey, you mention human rights. When someone becomes a beast, surely that is a rejection of human rights and humanity. What human rights did Ferguson allow his victims?
There is one modern technology (as used in Scandinavia) called 'chemical castration'. Let him volunteer for that.

Here is an observation: the current situation was in created by the hysteria that surrounds Ferguson.

If Ferguson had been treated like any other criminal he would be behind bars now - probably for good. But we can't do that because our justice system requires everyone be given a fair trail (thankfully), and we can't give him one because of the hysteria and resulting media attention.

Its like a sore that we keep picking at and making it worse. If a child was picking a wound like this its mother would step in and stop it one way or another. But we adults don't seem to have the self discipline to do that.

One of the many concerns I have with this whole issue is some of the messages that are being implanted into the developing minds of the children whose parents become involved in this ugly vigilante mob mentality.

1) Don't waste your time trying to separate your hatred for the crime from your hatred for the perpetrator. It's not important.

2) Some people are monsters and you just have to kill them.

3) Never let a person move on and learn from their mistakes. Rub their nose in the mess they've made for as long as they live.

4) People who've committed monstrous crimes will always be monsters.

5) Be extremely wary of all old men with long hair and glasses.

6) It's okay to jump up and down and make a lot of ugly threatening noise when you don't get your own way.

7) It's okay to take the law into your own hands.

8) Fair and compassionate treatment is a waste of time. It doesn't change people.

9) It's okay to give in to irrational fear and let it rule your life.

We may all agree with some of these statements to some extent in regards to Ferguson. But when you look at them objectively and realize that many young children are likely to be exposed to these messages on a fairly routine basis in their home environments, it creates some rather disturbing questions about the attitudes these kids will take on as they grow up.

Arjay

"I have to disagree with Graham on this one. Once imprinted, paedophiles tend to be recidivst offenders."

At least Greg Barnes offered some evidence to support his assertion.

Runner

"Inwardly they refuse to be cleansed which can only come when man humbles Himself before Christ our Saviour."

Normally I scroll through your bilious rants but this time the word humble must have caught my eye. All I can ask is when is your humbling going to occur, Runner? The post by Mercurius which RObert linked us to says it all. I'd suggest you print it out and stick it on your computer.

Austin Powerless,

You ask: "When someone becomes a beast, surely that is a rejection of human rights and humanity. What human rights did Ferguson allow his victims?"

Yes to your first proposition. The answer is "None" for the second.

But are you arguing that we too should become beasts? That we too will eliminate human rights? That we should abandon civilised ways of solving serious social problems and let the anger and the mob rule?

Just like the good old days when...?

I suggest you calm down and read Brownyn's post. Good food for thought there. Then look at all the options rather than the simplistic single solution you offer in rage.