Dave: thanks for the references re public attitudes to the death penalty. It is the earlier one (from 1995) that shows the higher level of public support (76 per cent, by the way, not 77) so at least attitudes are moving in the right direction.

The Mori Poll cited 77% actually. Yes, indeed public support is heading in the right direction. A consistent majority overall.

Here is some more evidence in support of that: Even in this fevered atmosphere of despair and disgust at child murder [ie in the wake of the Soham murders] only 56% told the Mail's pollsters they wanted capital punishment. Guardian 21 August 2002

That is certainly interesting, can i have the link please?

A YouGov poll in January 2003 also showed 56 per cent in favour. And if you were beguiled by Lord Stevens' call for the reinstatement of capital punishment, he based his case on its deterrent effect in the US. Yet more than three in five of US police chiefs believe it has no significant effect on homicide rates. What would impact on the rates of most crime - and I'm all in favour of achieving it - is the the certainty of detection.

Yougov poll, interesting again, any link? I actually do not subscribe to the US model. Their system is barbaric and inhumane and certainly not cost-effective.

The number of children in care is wholly irrelevant to your hysterical cry that we are living in a "mass epidemic of paedophilia". You should be providing evidence to show that paedophilia crimes have dramatically increased, or does your hysteria run to believing that this "epidemic" has been going on for generations? And when you say "child perverts do not contrary to opinion live in the dark alleys of British streets, but in fact hold seats of parliament, council chambers, high courts as judges/magistrates you perhaps need to remind yourself that child abuse occurs overwhelmingly within families.

Citing the statistic i cited of number of children in care is not answering the point. I mention that figure merely to comprehend the level of child abuse in general in the UK.

I said,
"Nearly 79,000 children are currently looked after by local authorities in the UK. Estimates now state that at least1 in 4 males and 1 in 3 females will have survived some form of sexual abuse before reaching the age of 18! In the UK, that accounts for over 20.83% of the population!That means in excess of 10,400,000 people in the UK are survivors of sexual abuse."

How does the figure of 10,400,00 estimated survivors of sexual abuse not figure as an epidemic?

Indeed, most occurances of child abuse do happen in the family. But to ignore the fact that peadophiles are infecting the whole British-System would be irresponsible. belguim in recent years had a similar problem, still do, where child-perverts were uncovered at the very height of the Belguim establishment. The issue of family child abuse as a social-sickness is a wholly other issue and a controversial one at that, which i won't go into.   

Just so you know where I'm coming from, I believe that killing and abusing people is wrong, and should be punished - hence no qualms about Sidney Cooke being jailed. (Not "Sydney" by the way.) I did however have serious qualms when, after his release in 1998 a police spokesperson announced that if Cooke did not co-operate with them they would make his whereabouts public knowledge. It is a sad day when our police abrogate their responsibilities to the lynch mob.

Sorry about the spelling error, i never made the effort to get his name right!!!!

Sydney Cooke who abducted over 20 children, raped them then killed them was 'not in control' of his actions?

I take it you are not suggesting that such a perversion is simply another form of sexuality are you?

Any chance of answering these earlier questions.