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Name and shame debate in Peterborough

The Peterborough Evening Telegraph has devoted a double-page spreadto the debate over the naming and shaming of paedophiles.

After the News of the World’s vow that it will reveal the identities of all Britain’s 110,000 child sex offenders, Evening Telegraph editor Kevin Booth and Matt Tapp, Cambridgeshirepolice’s director of corporate information, went head to head in two 500-wordarticles.

The newspaper also opened up a special telephone hotline where readers were able tovote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the question of whether newspapers are right to namepaedophiles.

Ironically, the Evening Telegraph and Cambridgeshire police had been drawninto the argument almost a fortnight before the News of the World storyafter the newspaper published a front page article about a local paedophile.

In a leader defending the decision at the time, Mr Booth wrote: “What if heoffends again and we have covered up his presence? What price our publicservice then?”

Today’s head-to-head included a statement from Mr Tapp that “the management ofsex offenders is a difficult and complex one. It is made no easier by theheat-of-the-moment decisions by newspapers to play judge and jury.”

Mr Booth’s 500-word article said: “In the end, it comes down to a stark choice- the rehabilitation and safety of the offender versus the safety of yourchildren. In my eyes, there is no contest.”

Kevin Booth’s article – click here

Matt Tapp’s article – click here

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