Thoughtful reflection...

... We went to see 'The Woodsman' last night - which is a film about a paedophile trying to get back into everyday life. While it probably isn't the film to see if you have personal experience of this, it was a really interesting film.

I don't have personal experience of this but have worked in womens organisations, anti violence againest women initatives, and in vulnerable adult protection. So I've some interest in the issues and know a bit about it. It is a good film - but it felt a bit to me like it was trying to tell me things I already know - in the main that people who commit sexual assaults look like everyone else, and mostly act like everyone else. And that not everything else they do is evil.

I don't believe in evil. But that's another post.

The film left me with more questions than answers and certainly isn't a comfortable watch. There is a sense of redemption about the film and that's also quite hard to deal with. In the film the paedophile character is seen both recieving weekly therapy and also being 'named and shamed' on a website - and I wondered if that was realistic - and if maybe it might have been better to make it either or. Also, the police officer dealt with him in a very aggressive manner - I have empathy for how that might happen but is it the best way of making sure paedophiles don't reoffend?

I don't quite know what the answer is, but films like this certainly draw out the questions.