As a police officer dealing with a person with a sexual disorder, one should try to maintain an objective aspect of perception. My feelings towards the defendant suffering from a sexual disorder tend to be completely neutral since prejudice would not only be offensive but would interfere with the conduct of the case. Obviously, in the context of a trial, especially when it comes to a serious criminal offense, society may be inclined to be too actively seeking to find the culprit and punish him. This is a normal property of human nature, thirsting not only for justice but also for retribution, which is even more relevant in the context of sexual crimes such as pedophilia. However, the result of such a premature and emotionally biased reaction may be the inability to adequately conduct a court case.
Therefore, the professional approach in this context would be to maintain complete impartiality. As an officer, I would be aware that emotions can provide an investigator with an additional desire to tip the scales in favor of retributive justice. My feelings when interviewing people at the scene of a crime would be coldly detached – the presumption of innocence and the desire for justice obliges one to behave rationally to the highest degree.
It was in order to avoid unfair and premature accusations that the concept of the presumption of innocence was developed. I can be compassionate toward the victim, which, however, should not affect my attitude toward the offender. The accused may not testify for or against oneself in court and not provide evidence – all these duties are stated. This aspect of judicial practice emphasizes the responsibility of the state to solve crime. If the evidence base is insufficient, the officer has no right to communicate with the alleged offender as if the crime was committed by this particular person.
Pedophilia is obviously perceived as the most potentially dangerous sexual deviation for society. Pedophilia is similar to other paraphilias in that many who experience this disorder have a range of other sexual deviances. The difference is that pedophiliac sex offenders are credited with an impulsiveness that makes them potentially uncontrollable (Savard et al., 2021). Those suffering from this disorder are automatically stigmatized by society as people capable of sexual crime. This is due to societal concerns about the potentially abused innocence of children – people tend to be very empathetic with this topic.
References
Savard, J., Hirvikovsky, T., Gorts Oberg, K., Dhejne, C., Rahm, C., & Jokinen, J. (2021). Impulsivity in compulsive social behavior disorder and pedophilic disorder. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 10(3), 839-847. Web.