Heard in shul this morning:
Jail sentences do not make sense, and efforts to explain them are futile. Incarceration does not rehabilitate, and no one possesses the knowledge to establish a time limit for punishment. The criminal does not contemplate the consequences of crime, and the fact that others received still penalties do not serve as a deterrent. The only reason to incarcerate is to protect society from criminals. Now, do we know anything about how long it takes for a guarantee that a crime will not be repeated? Nothing. Result is that sentencing is a tool to tell the public certain messages, and that is the only rational explanation for 103.
We would be wiser to hear the message, instead of the useless discussion about whether someone with chassidic garb is handled fairly in court. The reality is that our community is irresponsible, and damagingly so, in referring anyone to an untrained “therapist”, and cross-gender to boot. This guy here wantonly trashed hilchos yichud. He was warned many times, and did not care for fundamental halacha. I cannot determine the appropriate punishment, but he is a guilty man, and was long before any reports were made. The community did a gross disservice in how it handled the entire affair, and needs to revisit its approach to child safety.