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Freed sex offender may be homeless until New Year By Tom Shiel As efforts continued yesterday (Tuesday) to try and find and alternative home for a convicted paedophile whose dwelling at Kiltimagh was gutted in an arson attack at the weekend, the local Bishop spoke out on problems involved in merging sex offenders back into society. The Bishop of Achonry, Dr Thomas Flynn commented: "I can understand the fear and frustration of people at the prospect of a convicted paedophile coming to live in their own area. It is seen as a threat and a danger but one with which we may have to live". However, Dr. Flynn continued: "An emotional and violent reaction may simply drive the perpetrators underground". Echoing concerns earlier by Fine Gael spokesman, Deputy Jim Higgins about the large numbers of released paedophiles which will be coming back into society in future years, Bishop Flynn said he was not convinced that the response of society to paedophilia to date has been the most helpful. He asked: "If paedophilia is some kind of addiction would it not be better to impose a treatment course on those convicted rather than a term in prison where only a tiny minority get treatment. And this treatment could be ongoing for many years and it would have to be monitored". Dr. Flynn said to get a solution like this would call for a big change in peoples' attitudes but unless the problem was looked at in a reasoned way nothing would change and the more than 200 convicted people in prison would emerge back into society and fears and frustrations would increase all the more. Meanwhile, Gardai are continuing their investigations into the blaze which gutted 67 year old Michael Shaughnessy's per-fab home in the early hours of Saturday morning. He has been admitted to Swinford District Hospital because there is nowhere else for him to stay and is likely to remain there until after Christmas.
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