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protecting children and young people-- from their parents By Diogenes | November 03, 2009

The London Daily Mail tells us that parents in Watford Council are outraged, because they've been told they can't accompany their children to the local playground until they pass a criminal-background check. This remarkable security policy was adopted to protect children from pedophiles.

Outrageous, you say? Yes, it is. But let's keep things in perspective. The Watford Council is now fully in line with the Dallas Charter, which requires fingerprinting and background checks for parents who volunteer to teach their children's CCD classes. 

The US bishops are-- as they frequently remind us-- on the cutting edge of efforts to protect children. We'll all feel safer when the dangerous people are kept behind fences. 

 

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• Posted by: Gaby - Nov. 04, 2009 2:54 PM ET USA

  I can understand the sign in the SF park - SF is full of gays, druggies, winos, etc. They weren't requiring police background clearance. The Dallas charter assumes that keeping known, convicted sex offenders away from kids will solve the problem. But we know for a fact that bishops put KNOWN sex offenders in contact with kids. Does the Dallas charter allow them to keep doing so? Does the absence of a criminal record get them off the hook?!?

• Posted by: Judas - Nov. 03, 2009 7:23 PM ET USA

  Several years ago, my wife and 4 yr. old son went to San Fran for a meeting. We tried to take him to a city park but were stopped by the sign:"No adults unless accompanied by a child". It's already happening here!

• Posted by: Gil125 - Nov. 03, 2009 2:37 PM ET USA

  ...Just as the Dallas Charter requires fingerprinting and background checks of all parish personnel, including janitors and secretaries, because we all know how many janitors and secretaries abused little boys.

• Posted by: sparch - Nov. 03, 2009 1:40 PM ET USA

  I was going to say that I have to do nothing less when coaching my son's basketball team in the Catholic Youth Organization. Welcome to our "not so brave new world".