Quebec prof uses statistics to map areas likely to contain child abusers

[link to www.montrealgazette.com]

Quebec prof uses statistics to map areas likely to contain child abusers


MONTREAL — In a step toward crime prediction that might seem ripped from a science fiction film — think Minority Report — a Quebec professor has created maps that indicate specific areas likely to harbour child abusers.

But unlike that Hollywood blockbuster, where human prophets predict impending crimes, Jean Carriere, a geography professor at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal, uses public statistics on a wide range of social factors — including poverty levels, reported cases of child abuse, language ability, addiction rates and even insect infestations in dwellings and local pollution.