Jimmy Tarbuck And Yewtree

[hc4361]

He's been released without charge after being arrested for historic sex offences.

Was his initial arrest reported in the press?

[EcclesCake]

I recall him being arrested, not sure when it was though.

[Sipowicz]

Same here.

[sir.prize]

It was May last year

[hc4361]

A long time to have that hanging over your head.

[karlz]

Is there any male BBC presenter from that time that wasn't a kiddie fiddler?
Hushed up club or witch hunt...you decide.

[sir.prize]

hc - it certainly isn't pleasant to face that kind of allegation for almost a year. There's one celebrity who was arrested in November 2012 and still not been charged yet.

[hc4361]

Thanks, all, I remember now.

[mikey4444]

No doubt Tarbuck is relieved but this still leaves a nasty taste in the mouth.

We have debated this before on AB, but here is another celebrity, that relies on his good name to earn his living. But that good name is now tarnished because he has been identified before any trial has taken place, a trial that will not now go ahead.

I think its about time that names of those under suspicion should not be allowed to be published until a charge is brought forward.

There will be those that argue that unless names are published, witnesses will not come forward. But the names of rape victims are kept secret, from the beginning to the end and it doesn't seem to effect any investigations.

Mud will stick.

[hc4361]

I can't imagine the stress, sir.prize.

[ummmm]

Mikey - what will be achieved by naming a rape victim?

[Old_Geezer]

Yewtree / Gumtree. I really must try not to mix those two up. I thought Jimmy Tarbuck was for sale for a moment there.

[jno]

Mikey, if defendants' names weren't publicised Dave Lee Travis might well be behind bars. It was only because someone read in the paper that he'd been charged with molesting a woman at an event, and was able to turn up at court with his own film of the event showing DLT had been with his wife the whole time, that he got off.

[sir.prize]

One arrested and convicted.
Three arrested and acquitted.
Four arrested and charges dropped.

Becoming a farce - at a big price for those facing allegations.

[hc4361]

Is DLT still waiting for his second trial?

[mikey4444]

ummm...you misunderstand my point, which was my fault for not making myself clearer. It was perhaps a clumsy analogy.

Tarbuck was arrested for allegations of an alleged assault on a young boy

The excuse for why these celebrities are named, and then shamed by the media, is to encourage others to come forward and give evidence. But a persons reputation is often ruined for good, no matter what the outcome, when his name is bandied about in the press for months and months.

There are others, that I will not mention, that are being investigated and still haven't been charged, as sir.prize has hinted at. These are not investigations into minor crimes, but crimes that rightly, if proved to be true, that will elicit disgust in most peoples minds. I would suggest that we need some kind of law change that prevents people being named in connection with these type of things unless and until a charge is brought.

I realise that any change in the law would be tricky to formulate but this feeding frenzy in the media has got out of hand.

[mikey4444]

jno...a moot point I agree. But I would suggest that Tarbuck's reputation has been severely damaged over this affair.

[DTCwordfan]

I agree with mikey; this feeding frenzy should be stopped - it's almost akin to the ruthless pursuit of folk too, such as the Diana scrum.

There's quite a few more to run the gauntlet, Rolf Harris to name but one.....

[mikey4444]

As I understand it Rolf Harris has now been charged and is awaiting his trial. I have no problem with that, although his name was released before he was formally charged of course. Something clearly needs to be done.