O/T Sexual allegations. A change in the law needed?

[Gritt23]

But what is Michael Le Vell (Corrie's Kevin Webster) was doing workshops with kids - you would want to know as a parent if there was any risk. How bad would it be if he did something he shouldn't every day until he was in court. As a parent you want someone to intervene - admittedly that is not the job of the press - but no one is saying he is guilty, just been questioned.

And in a nutshell, you have the defence put forward by the media up and down the country, but it leaves innocent people hugely vulnerable to vexatious claims.

 

[Nottseagull]

Also If you were NOT married and your child was born before 1st DEC 2003 you do not have parental responsibility for your child which mean legally you are not the parent even if you were on the birth cert.

Yet you are required to support it financially, right?

 

[Manx Shearwater]

You're all advocating that the celeb (or Joe Public for that matter) shouldn't be named up front and therefore pilloried in the press before charges have even been brought. But none of you have given any thought to the damage this would do to Max Clifford's massive bank account. The poor soul.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

Yet you are required to support it financially, right?

Yep - and I have lost count of the number of blokes I have met who were supporting children who were not theirs biologically and only found out through a DNA test - one of whom was a copper who for 5-6 years fought in court (and won) the right for contact with a child who he thought was his only to be told having won that it wasn't his. He laughed thinking it was just another way of stopping contact to find out it was true. He was further astounded to find that he could not claim back the 5-6 years CSA he had paid and that it would be difficult (but not necessarily impossible) to halt the trust set up by his grandmother that the child would be entitled to when it reached 21!

For me my view you should not not have to support a child you are not allowed contact with, for whatever reason including abuse - it would in the main stop the financial theft of people even if it doesn't stop the emotional theft from them. It would also encourage resident parents to give contact and non res parents to want more contact.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Anonymous until proven guilty should be the bloody law.

Absolutely agree. Women (as the majority that make these particular claims) can be as vindictive as they please and enjoy anonymity. And there are plenty of vindictive women out there! But just for the sake of fairness, surely it should be anonymity on both sides until the case is settled?

 

[Durlston]

Oh dear. What's Sally going to say? Probably kick him out of the house yet again. He probably had the raving horn after watching Sian and Sophie lick each other out in a Corrie scene.

 

[Nottseagull]

Didn't this happen to the actor who played Len Fairclough 20-odd years ago? I think he was accused of fingering a young girl in a Burnley swimming pool, but was completely innocent (unlike the girl who accused him).

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Peter Adamson who played the character of Len Fairclough in Coronation Street was found not guilty of child sexual abuse in 1983 but the general public only found out about it after he had been cleared and the news splashed all over the front pages of the Sunday nationals. Allegations shouldn't be printed until the accused has been found guilty in a court of law.

 

[birthofanorange]

Peter Adamson who played the character of Len Fairclough in Coronation Street was found guilty of child sexual abuse in 1983..

I thought he was found 'not guilty'....?

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Didn't this happen to the actor who played Len Fairclough 20-odd years ago? I think he was accused of fingering a young girl in a Burnley swimming pool, but was completely innocent (unlike the girl who accused him).

? Personally I think he may have been too pissed at the time of the incident to give a valid excuse and that was held against him.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I thought he was found 'not guilty'....?

sorry , he was cleared of the charges and I have edited my post to reflect that. The Daily Mail reported that 2 girls were involved which could be why it went to court.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

The Daily Mail reported that 2 girls were involved which could be why it went to court.

In a swimming pool if I remember correctly. Was sacked from Corrie and died not long after.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

In a swimming pool if I remember correctly. Was sacked from Corrie and died not long after.

It was his wife who died not long afterwards , he ended up a penniless alcoholic and died after a short illness aged 72.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

But he was still sacked despite being cleared in the courts... which is why all parties should have anonymity. Even after the event those that are raped and their assailant is found guilty still have the right not to be identified to the general public. Surely if someone is acquitted they should have that right too?

 

[GT49er]

But he was still sacked despite being cleared in the courts... which is why all parties should have anonymity. Even after the event those that are raped and their assailant is found guilty still have the right not to be identified to the general public. Surely if someone is acquitted they should have that right too?

Absolutely - no question about that. Trouble is, in this country we don't have a justice system, we have a justice gravy train, where all the judges, lawyers and barriters are all-out to protect the sanctity of the system and maximise their income.

 

[Nottseagull]

An even worse scenario, which has actually happened, is where an schoolgirl with a crush on her teacher made up allegations after he rejected her advances. Of course, he was suspended and named in the local and national press. When the girl admitted she had made up the allegations, neither the victim nor the press were allowed to name her because of her age. I may be wrong but I think that gagging order is in perpetuity.

 

[bhaexpress]

I thought he was found 'not guilty'....?

He was but as they say, you can't unring a bell.It has been long held that men accused of sexual abuse should remain anonymous until convicted so God only knows why this hasn't happened. Whilst some men (and women) are convicted more than a few have had their reputations and thus their lives ruined despite being found not guilty.

 

[NMH]

Some times it also leads to further victims/accusers coming forward who had previously been too scared

And it also sometimes allows a real perpetrator (when the accused is innocent) to remain at large, commit further crimes, slink further from the scrutiny of police and public, fade from the memory of any witnesses (who will often recreate a memory that includes the accused in it), and better prepare a story and alibi should the focus ever come around on them.

 

[fly high]

And it also sometimes allows a real perpetrator (when the accused is innocent) to remain at large, commit further crimes, slink further from the scrutiny of police and public, fade from the memory of any witnesses (who will often recreate a memory that includes the accused in it), and better prepare a story and alibi should the focus ever come around on them.

Remember what happened to Dave Jones, all sort of trash crawled out the woodwork, making false accusation in the hope they could get compensation money. Should never have been allowed to happen. Perhaps a way round it is those found to have made a malicious accusation should lose their right to anonymity, even if they are under 18 but not under 10.

 

[Lenny Rider]

I know it was nearly 30 years ago but I'm pretty sure Peter Adamson was named before he went on trial, the thing with Le Vell is now whatever happens he will always be tarnished by the initial allegations, regardless of whether he did or didnt do it. For the record given the information already released this has all the hallmarks of an attention seeking teenager making these shocking 'historic' allegations. Quite simply I cannot believe he would do something like this.