In the dark and twisted theater of American justice, Scott Berkowitz, President of RAINN, is demanding that we don’t just focus on the opening act. Recognizing child sexual abusers isn’t a finale; it’s barely an overture.
Berkowitz is the head of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), the largest organization in the U.S. dedicated to combating sexual violence. And he’s got a damning critique that’s all too 2023: many identified perpetrators are out there, free as birds, likely plotting their next diabolical acts. It’s the sort of conundrum that could give Kafka a run for his money.
Why is this happening? Is it the maddening labyrinth of the justice system, or is it that our collective moral compass needs recalibration? Perhaps, it’s both. We’ve spent decades building intricate algorithms to predict what you’ll click on next, but can’t seem to create a path from identification to incarceration for those who pose the gravest threat to our society. It’s not a glitch; it’s a feature of a system designed more for spectacle than for justice.
Berkowitz and RAINN are not merely spotlighting this grim paradox; they are actively working to dismantle it. But even they can only do so much. We often fancy our criminal justice system as a sort of algorithmic morality, where the bad get punished and the good are vindicated. Yet, here we are, with the identified villains free to go about their dastardly ways. If this doesn’t cause you moral whiplash, check your pulse.
Berkowitz’s message is more than just an alarming data point; it’s a primal scream into the void of American apathy. Sure, we like to think we care, but the proof is in the prosecutorial pudding. When the curtain falls and the hashtags fade, we’re left with the stark, uncomfortable reality that identified child abusers are evading justice at a disheartening rate.
The Internet, once hailed as the great democratizer, serves as a two-faced Janus in this tragedy. It can both unveil the masks of abusers and provide a cloak for their activities. If ever there were a moment for Silicon Valley to stop its navel-gazing and step up, this is it.
Berkowitz’s charge is clear: We must do more. But will we? In a country that often appears more invested in the drama of justice rather than the substance of it, one has to wonder. It’s high time we ask ourselves, what sort of nation are we if we can identify the wolves among us but can’t, or won’t, put them in a cage? Learn more about Scott Berkowitz and RAINN
