Operation Yewtree - Ongoing

[sir.prize]

Almost every day we hear of another snippet in the Savile saga. Lots of people - primarily celebrities - being accused of alleged historical offences.

Why is it always someone who is well known?

Why does the law protect the identity of the 'victims'.

Will we ever find out the answers?

[hc4361]

Eve, I think it more than a culture of protecting celebrities.

Many girls and women had to 'put up and shut up' in the workplace when they were pestered and worse by their boss or colleagues; groped in a pub or club by a stranger; rubbed against in a crowded train. That was the culture back in the 60s and 70s and probably still occurs to some degree today.

[jno]

Octavius, ummmm will no doubt answer herself, but the answer may well be that you think you won't believed. The experience of those who did go to the police suggests you would be correct.

[ummmm]

My mum did go to the police.

It came out when I was about 10/11 when someone else accused him. Mum told us what he'd been accused of and just by the look on my face she knew it had happened to me. She phoned the police straight away. He knew it had came out when he walked into our pub and my mum punched him in the face. He left the country within a few days.

The polices attitude was 'oh well, he's not in England anymore'

[ummmm]

Oh...and had it not come out I wouldn't have said anything. It's extremely embarrassing...

But if I heard years later that someone had come forward I would have come forward just to back them up, if that makes sense.

[Octavius]

Ok Ummm, fair do's and thanks for answering. I just hate the thought that silence (or inaction by any victims or police) could lead to further trauma on other girls down the line, especially with two young daughters myself.

[ummmm]

Luckily he died not that long after leaving England.

[Kiki-frog]

It does indeed make sense, ummmmm. It's about feeling and understanding what someone else is going through and wanting to show support. And your mum rocks. x

[FredPuli43]

Two things 1) the law required corroboration. This archaic provision applied to sexual offences. If a woman was hit in the face, no corroboration of assault was needed; her word against another's was sufficient. If she was groped ,corroboration was required. It has since been abolished, though the attitude that it was desirable persisted for some time.

2) In a culture of 'accepted' groping, celebrities were doubly protected. They had fame, money and power. Savile allegedly bribed some officers once, but that was hardly necessary in most cases .

[ummmm]

She said if she'd known he'd leave she would have beat him up properly :-)

[mier]

First item on the BBC England headlines web page tonight:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-23724806

Just look at the local government role the guilty was employed to do.
Ye gods and little fishes.

The NSPCC do not sound impressed with the judge's decision and who could blame them?

It would seem that the 'celebrity' status of the guilty does play a vital role in the reporting of and sentencing for such crimes.

[sir.prize]

A judge gives the offender a suspended sentence, effectively probation. If the defendant does not break the law during that period, and fulfills the particular conditions of the probation, the judge usually throws out the sentence.

So he ends up with no criminal record.

Something ain't right.

[ummmm]

errrr are you sure about that?

[EDDIE51]

Newspapers are only interested in reporting well known people, very few people care about 'Mr average ' it does not sell papers. Local papers possibly but not the nationals. The large majority of those accused are ' unknowns' so no one bothers to report it.

[ummmm]

Considering a caution appears on an enhanced CRB check...

[sir.prize]

Here you are ummmm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspended_sentence

[EDDIE51]

Sir prize , a suspended sentence IS a criminal record it will appear for ever on an enhanced CRB. Even a caution, fine , community service order or conditional discharge is a criminal record .

[jackthehat]

Of course s/he has a criminal record.

[EDDIE51]

sir prize you misunderstand the link you posted. A suspended sentence is for say 2 years, after the 2 years the sentence can not be implemented ( the person put in jail) but the record of having been given a suspended sentence is on your record and will always be shown on an enhanced CRB, it does NOT mean what you think, that it is as if it had never been given after the set time.

[mier]

In the case I quoted I couldn't give a toss about his future employability etc. via CRB checks. I am more concerned with his past crime and the possibility of his future crime.