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Jimmy Savile And Other Paedophiles


GarethRDR

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didn't Matthew Kelly get arrested a few years ago ...put through the ringer with the press only to be found innocent ..tv career more or less finished after it 

The first bit's right, I think, but the latter isn't.

He dumped doing light entertainment on telly but he's had a fair few acting roles (including one as a serial killer) - as well as a lot of success on the stage.

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So the logic behind naming the celebs is so that others can come forward without fear etc.

Can see the logic in that, can also see how it may be slightly unfair

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So the logic behind naming the celebs is so that others can come forward without fear etc.

Can see the logic in that, can also see how it may be slightly unfair

 

 

Does this only apply to rape and murder charges? I'm torn between it really. The victims rights are more important than the accused?

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CI, on 07 May 2013 - 10:27 PM, said:

So the logic behind naming the celebs is so that others can come forward without fear etc.

Can see the logic in that, can also see how it may be slightly unfair

Not sure its the only reason myself
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So the logic behind naming the celebs is so that others can come forward without fear etc.

Can see the logic in that, can also see how it may be slightly unfair

 

 

Does this only apply to rape and murder charges? I'm torn between it really. The victims rights are more important than the accused?

 

 

There's a similar logic in stating that allegations of sexual abuse in music schools are under investigation, or saying in a local paper that allegations about a particular school or workplace are being looked into.  It's not only applicable to celebs, though their case will be the most widely reported.

 

The aim is to reassure victims that if they come forward, it will be taken seriously, and that others are doing so.  It's necessary because there's such a long history of these things being covered up, as we all know, especially when they involve people in positions of power, and also because there's a certain shame about having been abused which often silences victims.  Even more so when the abuse is same-sex, perhaps.

 

People arrested for other crimes are named.  Perhaps there's a certain stigma about being named for a sex crime and then acquitted, which doesn't happen with an accusation of theft.  There's also an asymmetry, with victims being anonymous but alleged perpetrators not.  That can start to feel like believing the accuser in a way which is different from other crimes, where there is the usual standard of proof.  I don't think that's the intention, or that a lower standard of proof is accepted by courts, but it might give that impression.  The purpose of the legal process is to respect the rights of both parties and ensure that a fair process is followed.  Years ago, we got it badly wrong, allowing victims to be shamed and intimidated in court, and making others very unwilling to speak up.  That's a pretty bad outcome.

 

Should we name people accused at all?  Well yes, if it encourages victims to speak up.  Few people are reluctant to report burglaries or muggings, but many victims of sex crimes don't report them. 

 

Sometimes, people make false reports of having been a victim, either for revenge, or maybe because of a mental health issue.  The usual lack of evidence in such crimes cuts both ways.  I suppose the police approach of cross-referencing reports deals with that - how likely is it that one person would be the subject of several false reports?

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I think it's incredibly difficult to find the best outcome. There are arguments in all directions and each argument comes with its own difficulties (and sometimes these are not so obvious like the importance of open justice to an innocent accused, for example).

If one's ultimate worry about the meting out of justice is that the innocent are punished for a crime they didn't commit (the corollary being that the actual guilty party is thus unconvicted and unpunished) then I don't see why it should not apply equally to crimes of a sexual nature as to anything else.

 

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That's pretty funny even though I am a catholic.

That's quite an admission. So you're a zombie worshipping cannibal, whose morals are dictated by criminals? Or do you just use the word as a label?

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Jimmy was a Catholic too. He was good buddies with several of the high ranking members of the criminal cult of zombie worshipping cannibals.

 

(Have I got the tone about right Anthony?)

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That's pretty funny even though I am a catholic.

That's quite an admission. So you're a zombie worshipping cannibal, whose morals are dictated by criminals? Or do you just use the word as a label?

 

 

 

Would you show the same lack of respect to other religions?

Edited by PaulC
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That's pretty funny even though I am a catholic.

That's quite an admission. So you're a zombie worshipping cannibal, whose morals are dictated by criminals? Or do you just use the word as a label?

 

Classy. Is this really the thread to be directly patronising someone over their choice of religion?

Edited by Ingram85
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