True story:
I know of two different local cases (in years past) where law enforcement officers ( one a prison guard and the other a police officer) were themselves investigated for suspected? of child sexual abuse/incest.
At the point where possible 'help' might have been provided, the investigating officers instead chose to pile on the guilt and shame.They simply went to the suspects homes and 'interviewed' each one, purposely shaming/ laying on the guilt and laying out all the frightening consequences of trial by media/ betrayal of police department & fellow officers/ society,also.painting lurid pictures about prison rape and what other inmates would do to an officer in prison. And making a point of how each man was bring shame upon fellow officers and police forces nationally.

Having successfully pushed each 'suspect' to the brink, instead of providing actual support, in each case, the investigator 'confined 'the suspect' (who by now was clearly distraught and suicidal) to house arrest (a supposed kindness.) then left each 'suspect' isolated, alone to plan their own successful suicide.

Thus left to 'stew' each 'suspect' did the expected thing... one hung himself in the bathroom and was found by the 8 year old victim, the other took off and shot himself.His body was found by a hiker in the spring but his family spent the winter in excruciating pain.

Maybe i am cynical but I think many suicides are carefully orchestrated ( some on purpose) by investigators who use accepted tactics to bully, shame and break their suspects, thus pushing many of the 'suspects' to the brink.

In these two cases the suspects happened to be law enforcement officers. But in many cases I believe investigators are themselves so biased against sex offenders that they think 'suspects' should 'be a man' and kill themselves, just save the system time and trouble. In such circumstances why would biased officers even want to get help for sex offenders they themselves by their methods have pushed toward suicide?

Police often express societal bias (for example bias against Blacks and Muslims/ bias against LGBTQ leads to pro-filing, suicide and disproportionately punitive outcome, even outright shootings.) The same goes for officer/ investigator bias toward sex offender 'suspects' and is often expressed toward their families by the victim advocates and social services.

I don't have the empirical data to back my suspicions up, (this is obviously anecdotal) but I would bet if you tallied 'suspect /sex offender suicides by precinct and then to investigating officer's you wouldn't find suicides happen just 'across the board but would find they are tied to bias expressed in interrogation tactics and solitary confinement/ isolation, you might find clusters linked to particular/attitudes of local police forces/ investigators. Just as with racial profiling, officers need training to help them recognize and change ingrained bias. Personal-Bias training would be a necessary precursor before such officers would back off or even see the importance of seeking to provide "help or support" to sex offenders or their families. (And, Thank you for persevering with my lengthy post!) .JanetM

I don't know the times nor the amount of days I myself get them ideas and all because I am a registrant over 1 picture. I feel my life is over in so many ways, all I have now is just being survival. Life for me dont exist just because I exist. Every time I am coming up on my time to register I get worse and worse. How long I endure I dont rightfully know. Its a daily fight just to keep going. Anyways I know how the people feel that are in my situation. At least when I did not realize the pictures I possessed that any of them was illegal but somehow they came up with one they felt was illegal. Anyway I have to live with it and so badly just want to either give up or move somewhere I would have a second chance. I wont even possess any level of nude pictures anymore because I dont want to take a chance someone else feels they are illegals. Well good luck on any help you can give anyone in particular. Its bad, if the USA dont want me anymore why not just let me go somewhere I could start over again. I fought for this country, and as far as I am concerned I would do it again tomorrow but these laws have gotten out of hand, Everyone deserves at least 1 extra chance to right his or her wrongs. Some people actually does learn a lesson I agree not all does but for the ones that does there should be an end in sight for the punishment they receive for 1 time.

I dont know if the UK allows people at least a second chance at righting their wrongs but here in the great USA we dont do that. Once Guilty or shall I say once accused you are guilty and then you are forever guilty. My last statement here is my opinion not everyone agrees but from what I have seen here is once accused you are already guilty.

The article below should help
http://tinyurl.com/ztndalh

Sobering reminders below
http://on-suicides-deaths.blogspot.com/

And finally, contact Jill Levinson who can probably help you. Or Richard Tewksbury, though his research is directly on point with suicide, he does study how registrants adjust and the negative effects of the registry (collateral consequences).

Here you go. 526 suicides reported when people have just been accused. And I think this is the tip of the iceberg.

http://on-suicides-deaths.blogspot.com/search/label/Suicide%2Fs%20US%20-%20of%20SOs%20Accused

I hope you get through to them Gary. When my husband was arrested (however he was guilty and admited it) he was kept for 24 hours on "suicide watch" after those 24 hours passed that was it. He was feeling suicidal, phoned the gp who said they couldn't help him as he had a pending trial that he should phone the Samaritans. I tried to get him help straight from the mental health unit, again it was a case of nope phone the Samaritans. There was nothing, even after his release from prison he is seen as the lowest of the low, not by the public but by social work and offenders management. There is no support but even less for me. My dr is reluctant to change my meds as social work can and will use it against me. I am left with nothing. We have Stop it Now which is great but its not face to face.

After arrest, release from custody you are isolated with few friends and family left to support you. Usually you will get rehoused and most of the time its not even somewhere you know. I cant remember how many times I've had to calm my husband down or him me as we are struggling. Sometimes I can see why people feel there is no other way out.

Wow , what a post. I didn't expect a cop to ever care about the trauma inflicted on sex offenders, even those who have only been accused or their families. Your post is shocking and I have to wonder how it is that someone who is in law enforcement, who's job, by its nature alone, Is to control others and dictate what is right and what is wrong.
What makes you different? Why do you care? I am not a sex offender but my brother is. I could tell you my story and it might even bring a tear to your eye, but it's long , drawn out and by no means is over or will have a happy ending. In the end , my brothers labeling as a sex offender will end with both mine and my fathers life ending. He died from cancer and I'm on my way out. The day before he was arrested was the last time I saw a blue sky, last time I hoped for a better tomorrow and the last time I had an urge to go on. That was in October of 2008. In Serptember of 2009 I gave birth to my first and only child. By then I was so far into my dark hole of depression over the destruction of our ENTIRE family, it was hard for me to even form a bond with my child. My days are numbered, but I want to say, maybe it's just me but I question why any cop would give a rats ass about any of our woes .

What do you mean by duty of care? And the dissertation is for what? Little confused here. Why do you want to support suspects and their families? Just curious. We are more than willing to help.

I can't speak for everyone or anyone else here.. But I myself have never witnessed the slightest hint of mercy from law enforcement . They actually take joy in the pain of any criminal, especially the ones they get bragging rights at apprehending

Well, thank you so much for the responses already. Maybe I need to clarify what I am doing and why I chose this topic for my dissertation. I was responsible for mentoring new Officers in my organisation, and in an effort to widen the work they were doing, I got in touch with other Officers who had recently undertaken cases of child sexual exploitation. I chatted to them and they effectively said- 'Don't bother!' They said that once one arrests a suspect, it is down to the Officer to provide a duty of care (that is, a responsibility to ensure the welfare of the suspect. Keeping in contact with suspect and ensuring they were not at a risk of suicide or self- harm). Initially my view was that if a suspect decides to take their life that is them using their own free will. And I will admit, I thought that that was one less child molester on the Earth.
When I was asked to consider things in my Organisation that needed improvement (the dissertation topic), I again thought that it was not the responsibility of the Officers to ensure a suspects welfare. But... As I researched the subject, I found that the incidence of suicide was so extraordinarily high that, given the innocence until proven guilty stance in law, there has to be a responsibility for SOMEONE to take up the
role.
I interviewed a few Officers had suspects commit suicide. I interviewed Social Services and it seemed that it hadn't even entered into their heads that as well as ensuring the safety and welfare of children (NO.1 priority of course) there was also a need to ensure the welfare of the suspect.

The main points I want to highlight are these-

1) The mind of someone who faces child abuse charges is under immense pressure, because as we know, the stigma is such that it is more than enough to provide the motivation to take one's life. That stigma is almost impossible to shake and it is that accusation that immediately results in loss of family, job, friends and reputation. Therefore the suspect needs help.

2) The family who have just lost their parent- There is shame in the fact that the father (it's primarily males) has been arrested for such an abhorrent offence. Imagine explaining to your sister, or best friend or work colleague what your partner has been arrested for. Or a child having to go through questioning at school etc. It's tough!! Not to mention the financial hardship that results n the arrest.

Officers are not trained enough to deal with ongoing welfare issues like these. I want to inform my employer that there needs to be a robust and transparent process in place for care; from healthcare & Social Services professionals.

OK I have written a lot, but I wanted to clarify the aim of what I am doing. I want to be perfectly clear. I do arrest people, I do take them to trial and I do like it when a suspect who has committed a crime gets what they deserve, whether that is custody, or restraint orders etc. So do I sympathise with people breaking into houses, or committing offences against the person? Absolutely not. But I DO think that when a person, one day has a family, etc and the next day is thrown out of a Police station with nowhere to go, and no one to talk to, then there is a need for support.

Hope that helps.

Oh, and thank you for the links. They're really helpful

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/innocent-graham-smith-commits-suicide-2786231
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/oct/25/vigilante-paedophile-hunters-online-police
https://jonathanturley.org/2009/08/29/accused-pedophile-commits-suicide-minutes-before-jury-delivers-not-guilty-verdict/

I don't know what its like in the UK but I have never heard of any "compassion" for suspects here in the USA. In fact I've only seen (and felt..) nothing but LE increasing pressure upon suspects in the hopes of getting more information. In my case I was treated like the scum of the earth that the media reports about. LE wants nothing but another feather for their cap, even after a suspect's suicide.

If LE really cared about us "suspects" or families of "suspects" they would be campaigning for the elimination of the public shaming.called the registry, the waste of LE's time and resources and a road map for vigilantes to follow.....

As this is a public forum it's very easy for "Trolls" to phish here. Seeing that you have not joined this group and very recently signed up for Daily Strength makes me skeptical of your intent....

Hi Freetobreath,

I can't really speak for the US, as I am in the UK. What do I think of information being available to the general public? I think it's a mistake. I think you are simply asking for groups of people to gather up the pitchforks and torches and take the law into their own hands, Do I think there should be a register for sex offenders? Yes I do, but I can't speak to the US register. I have seen some articles of students streaking at a University and being put on a Sex Offenders register in the US- ridiculous!!! Plus the student committed suicide as a result
Do I have compassion for offenders who commit sexual offences? No I don't. Should they face the full force of the law once convicted? Yes absolutely. My concern is the period before conviction for a child abuse offence. An individual's state of mind during the period where they have lost their family, job and friends cannot be good. Hence the high suicide rates. But not only is the arrest very impactful on the person, it affects the family. And it's not just the arrest, it's worse if the arrest is for child abuse. How does a family cope? What is in place in the community to support the family? In the UK... nothing.

As for comments on trolls and phishing- I'm not a troll and I'm not phishing. If people choose to inform me of their experiences that's a help, if they don't feel the need to that's fine. It's an anonymous forum for people who feel they may need help. If some work I do helps that is amazing. It is a little bit of a new approach that I am suggesting but it has merit.

There- I can't say more than that I'm afraid.

(I thought I had joined this group?)

Gary,

There are a lot of vulnerable folks here who have been attacked before and thus we are very watchful. We know all too well what pain and sorrow we feel and are here to help. Very often friendships are formed. I wish this was a private vetted board but that would take time, effort and money...(money that mostly goes to legal fees and loved ones care.)

I hope your intentions are honorable and wish you success and that in some way would spread over this madness.

In the mean time we hold our own close to our hearts sharing each others pain. I hope you understand.

-Free

FYI... Your profile states you just joined Daily Strength just yesterday and states "GaryBUK hasn’t joined any support groups yet."

In other words, Gary, you just want to make sure sex offenders face the full force of the law BEFORE trial. It sounds like that is the stage you are most concerned about an offender taking their own life. The collateral damages afterwards? Well, that may be another story. It sounds like since you support public registries which only further shames and creates a state of mind more likely to commit suicide once released from custody, you are more of the typical law enforcement officer than I originally thought.

If you don't have compassion as you freely admit, then why do you care whether they commit suicide? Sounds like a bit of a contradiction to me.