Kurri Kurri has been working itself in a lather of outrage and bellicosity this week at obviously false reports that the pedophile Dennis Ferguson had moved to town, and it has not been a good look. Rumour and alarm ripped through the Coalfields town, each rumour outdoing the previous version, and soon enough the word was that the schools were going into lockdown, sightings of the highly distinctive Ferguson were sworn and vouched, and planning began for a weekend rally to give vent to the hatred. All the while senior police and community leaders were giving clear and emphatic denials - Ferguson had not stepped beyond the border of his Sydney suburb, police said. A Facebook site became the focal point of the outrage, and it is not a pretty site.

What we have seen in Kurri in these past few days illustrates the impossibility of making public the register of child-sex offenders. There is an advantage for children in making the whereabouts of pedophiles public, but the downside, as we saw in Kurri, is too great.

What we have seen in Kurri this week is shameless bullying, and the fact that it was dressed as outrage made it no less so. Dennis Ferguson has become the official NSW victim, and so many people in Kurri saw an opportunity to bolster their own righteousness by joining the stone-throwing mob. Making it the more attractive is the fact that Ferguson, a man who is made harmless by his frailty and distinctive appearance, is helpless, intellectually damaged and isolated. Helplessness, intellectual disability and isolation appeals to bullies.

There are known pedophiles and people who've committed crimes against children in Kurri but they live in relative peace. Could it be that they are not so helpless and isolated?

Can you see any courage in Kurri's heroes of the week? Or are they just bullies picking an easy mark?