Celebrity Witch Hunt

I'll get this out right away. I have no sympathy for people who predate on women and children, sexually or otherwise, and they should be prosecuted wherever possible.

But (you knew that was coming, didn't you)

I cannot agree with the current witch-hunt being propagated by the police and the CPS against middle grade celebs.

Leaving the Saville issue aside for the moment, lets consider a few of the more absurd points of these attempted prosecutions.

First, I'm sorry but I defy anybody to honestly be able to recall an event that happened 40 years ago with sufficient clarity to base a criminal prosecution on it.

Second, much of what is being held up as sexual harassment or assault is being measured against today's norms of acceptable behaviour. Regardless of the legal view, much of what is being classed as a crime in these cases was considered acceptable practise at the time the act was committed. In my mind, this violates natural justice.

Third, the argument 'well he was a famous celeb, nobody would listen to me' is utter rubbish. The police might not have, but the papers would have torn into any of the celebs currently being tried/charged with glee in a feeding frenzy of supposition and innuendo, with only the slightest hint of verification to the story.

These three considerations make the prosecutions of DLT and Bill Roach, and I suspect Freddie Star and Rolf Harris an utter mockery of the legal system.

Its even more of a mockery if you accept the significant probability that of them were intended to be followed up by civil cases for extensive compensation. And there surely has to be a strong, if not compelling argument to suggest that in the VAST majority of the cases brought against the men listed above, and even against Saville, the prospect of a payout is the driving force behind the accusations. Over a hundred people are today making representation in the High Court to strip the CHARITABLE TRUST of a man never found guilty of a crime except by the media.

I know my wording it that way will annoy some people, but it is a fact, and its absurd that these people may be able to get a payout on no more proof than it is more probable than not that Saville was a bad man. Given that it is not the man who is to be stripped, but the trust he set up to benefit others (regardless of motivation), I have to conclude this is wrong. I make no defence of Saville, and suspect that there is no smoke without fire, but raiding a charitable trust for personal gain is also questionable.

And yet the real tragedy in all this is those who had been truly assaulted. I am not talking about 'he stood too close to me' or 'he put his hand on my arm and left it there too long' (both Saville accusations). That's not assault. I'm referring to those who were genuinely hurt, and who need help and closure. Their needs, their truth, is being drowned out by the feeding frenzy of low-lives who see an opportunity to work the system and milk themselves some compo.

Sadly, while we continue to accept and promote the compensation culture exported by the USA, this sort of thing will keep happening, and justice will continue to be overshadowed by potential personal profit.