Unwise Daniel Morcombe's Ambassador Role

Let me begin this blog by explaining that I was a witness in and a target of one of the most insidious child murderers in Australia. So, what I am going to write I offer from the point of view of experience with perverts and with an investigation of child murder. Additionally, at 15 years a pervert tried to get me into a car that did not have any door handles expect on the driver's door, and at 12 years walking with a friend up the stairs of a grandstand at the local show a father with his three children with him walked up the steps behind me and digitally assaulted me.  Please note I also hold postgraduate studies and undergraduate studies in education; and other areas. I offer this information to demonstrate that I have some basic knowledge of what I am about to blog.  Additionally, I also worked extensively in mainstream media at a senior level.

The Morcombe family needs prayers and love; and will do so for the rest or their lives.  This cannot be denied. However, it is psychologically unhealthy and inappropriate to continue this focus on 'Daniel'; both for the family, their friends, for the media and for the children and youths who have access to the constant reports and never ending focus on Daniel and his parents. Children been children, teens been teens this creates an undue morbid curiosity and imaging’s in young impressionable minds.  This is not the answer to teaching children or youths about personal safety.

Anna Bligh has seen the opportunity for some 'good' publicity.  This 'project' has not been thought through; the name Daniel needs to be removed from any association with money spent by the government or corporations from the good work that the Morcombes hope to eventually do. The Morcombe's need to step back and allow people trained and experienced in 'teaching' children and youths this type of content to take up the focus and to do so without focusing on Daniel.  There are many other children and teens who died at the hands of perverts in this country; these children deserve to be remembered, but the Queensland Government's Anna Bligh is only interested in supporting one case, one murder, one child. 

The impact of constantly hearing about Daniel and the Morcombes on parents who have lost children and were not, and are not offered, the same opportunity to repeatedly focus on their child in the media must be beyond what many of these people can bear. Every mention of Daniel will strike another knife into their hearts; particularly if their child is missing or the killer was never jailed.  Their grief is still as real as the Morcombe's; they just do not have the support to become media spokespeople. 

When the Morcombes speak to children and teens about what happened to their son their emotional focus will be wholly on what they have experienced - which is natural and must not be criticised in any way.  Teens and children are very perceptive and it is this 'emotional' aspect that the kids will find interesting.  They have already heard the story of what happened to Daniel time and time again from the media and more than likely from parents.  I know when I was a child every crime reported; and not nearly as often as this, it was discussed in the family and points made as to how not to get into that situation. 

What happened to Daniel is only one set of circumstances.  It is, sadly, not the only set of circumstances that children are unsafe in.  I was targeted by a murderous pervert in full view of my teachers on a number of occasions - I was aged between 51/2 and 10 years, and he did it repeatedly. The pervert even told a vendor at the school that I 'wanted him'; I was about 7 1/2 years old.  The pervert murderer was employed at the school for many years. 

Making child safety in the State of Queensland all about Daniel Morcombe is not appropriate for the Morcombe's to do, or for Anna Bligh to support.  Daniel was a 13 year old going on a bus trip to a nearby shopping centre.  He was doing what most 13 year old boys can be expected to do at that age.  What happened to him; the reasons and how he was caught in a web of perversion is vastly different from the toddler who was sexually assaulted and then thrown on the roof of a building, the Mackay Sisters murders, the disappearance of the girl on the bike in the canfields in North Queensland and sadly many others.  Telling children and youth just one story does not help.  I know from my personal experience with perverts that there are a host of other 'considerations' that the Morcombe's cannot teach and that focusing on Daniel will not teach. Considerations that unless you have experienced these people you are not aware exist.

The curriculum under development at the moment must NOT focus on Daniel and must take a host of considerations into account that frankly neither Police, Children’s Commissioner, practicing teachers and others on the intended committee have any knowledge of; unless they have experience.  The ‘emotion’ and publicity attached to the Morcombe’s is such that I do not think the people called to form this panel will be able to ignore and speak freely enough to focus on the task of creating a suitable curriculum.

Let Daniel Morcombe finally rest in peace.  Grieve for him in private; end the constant publicity and understandably grief felt response to want to keep his name 'alive'.  Cease the focus on one child and one murder.  There are many more similar stories than Daniels.

Blessings to the Morcombe’s and all the other parents who have lost children and teens in this way.