What the film doesn't say is that we've done such a good job of making people scared of strangers (perhaps too good a job) that we've made people ignorant of the fact that most sex abuse is committed by someone known to the child. People in this country are more afraid of molestation than they are of any other crime. But they're not scared of the right people. Kids shouldn't talk to strangers, of course, but adults should be aware that the person they last expect to commit molestation may be the culprit.
Unfortunately, the hysteria in our society is at such a level that sanity — and statistical reality — may never be able to cut through the noise. It means that more people like James Stoll will sit in our prisons just because they might be a sex offender. But Witch Hunt should help us come to grips with our colossal fear of strangers, and the reality that such a fear enables an often unfair justice system.
So be sure to watch Witch Hunt on MSNBC — airing right after To Catch a Predator.
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