Editorial: How can we prevent such crime?

Charles Harter. Photo / Supplied

The jailing of music teacher Charles Harter for molesting nine young female pupils raises more questions than it answers.

It does mean he can't abuse children for a while, the safety net the prison system affords us.

But where Harter trod there had been many more before, and many more will follow.

But apart from jailing offenders so they can no longer offend, is anything being done to question why they do it, and stop them becoming offenders in the first place?

The focus is on what to do with these guys, which for this purpose means men who violate or molest children, once they've been caught. Common answers range from throwing away the key, to beheading. Spare any consideration of whether it could have been prevented.

Friends of Harter were stunned, and, like the victims themselves, will forever wonder why, and whether there was anything they could have done. Little chance, when they may - when it's not as close to home - have been among the masses dismissing potential explanations as excuses or other attempts by offenders to downplay culpability.

Was depression some sort of factor? Is it too simple for someone suffering depression to ignore it as a possibility, because they hadn't had any such paedophiliac temptation? Is it, then, too general to assume all victims become abusers, criminals, or suicidal, when many (hopefully most) make it through the tunnel?

Those who sit through the mire that the aftermath rotates in the courtroom are not in for any respite, for the numbers of offenders, offences, victims and the amount of time dealing with it is increasing.

Jail, humiliation and disgrace seem to be little deterrent, and remorse seems most reserved for the offender's selfish view of his own predicament, rather than any thought for the victim.

Why, oh why?