To be absolutely sick of excuses being made for men's disgusting sexual behaviour? Trigfer warning. Hugh Edwards sentencing.

I suspect there is a horribly high degree of truth in that observation.

Abusers are protected. They're protected by the system. And they're protected by silence.

The silence happens because when a child or a woman is abused, the default assumption is that we must be liars. Because NAMALT. Because this powerful, respected male couldn't possibly be guilty of such an act. Because, for whatever reason, it's more comfortable to believe that women and children lie than that male abuse of these physically weaker demographics is endemic.

But endemic, it is. It's happened to me in the workplace only a few years ago. Harrassed, unwanted touching, and later stalked by an older male employee. I reported this, because NO man is ever going to put me through this shit again.

He was eventually removed from his post but not before I was the one made to suffer. The witness reports broke me. Colleagues sided with their eccentric, avuncular colleague and attempted an assassination of my character, aided and abetted by a union rep who strayed well beyond his remit.

When the grievance panel concluded in my favour, did it transpire that I was no liar and he had a track record a mile long behind him, which had conveniently been rugswept by past management?

Of course it did.

The voters don't get what they want though. Every election people vote for less immigration but get more.

The whole system is a sham.

Child abuse isn't treated seriously enough because all the elites are at it.

@DancingLions activation is always the first consideration and a fine should only be given for the most trivial breach.

Well, it’s a good job I didn’t tag you then isn’t it? It’s also a shame that posters can’t see the number of ‘Thanks’ acknowledgments that others give to posts. Perhaps you might assess the response to my comments a little differently if you could.

I agree.

There was a case recently of a man who was given a two year suspended sentence for raping a 12 year old. He breached the conditions of the sentence by leaving the country to go on holiday without informing the police. He has been given a suspended sentence for breaching the terms of his suspended sentence for rape.

We all understand the stated intentions of the law but to describe a suspended sentence as a custodial sentence when the offender is not in custody is just mind fuckery.

Some of you have made some worthy points so it's a pity you feel the need to undermine yourself in this passive-aggressive manner.

I wouldn't have appreciated being tagged, had I been one of the three posters mentioned.

Whilst in theory a Suspended Sentence comes with the "threat" of activation, it very rarely happens unless there is reoffending (even then not always).

If someone breaches a Suspended Sentence (or Community Order) a first breach usually is punished with a nominal fine.
A second breach could attract a Curfew or Unpaid Work.
It's generally only the third breach that would result in a Suspended Sentence being activated (or a Community Order being revoked/resentenced).

So it is a little misleading to imply he has a custodial sentence hanging over his head. It would take a lot for it to be activated. Plus, by the time it was, the custody time would be reduced in line with how far through the sentence he is.

I don't think I've scolded or berated anyone. On the other hand I've been told I'm finding excuses for paedophiles. I've pointed out what the sentencing guidelines are. The prisons are full. It's simply not realistic to incarcerate every offender who commits CSA. As it happens I think he should be on the register for life, not seven years. And if those who do get sent to prison are not safeguarded it puts prison staff and the prison population at risk. I'm not commenting on your last sentence.

I don't think I've scolded or berated anyone. On the other hand I've been told I'm finding excuses for paedophiles. I've pointed out what the sentencing guidelines are. The prisons are full. It's simply not realistic to incarcerate every offender who commits CSA. As it happens I think he should be on the register for life, not seven years. And if those who do get sent to prison are not safeguarded it puts prison staff and the prison population at risk. I'm not commenting on your last sentence.

Right, we know, all of us, in this country that raping a child is wrong, yes? The reason we know nonces know it's wrong is because they hide it. Yet, men still (and I am going to use blunt words instead of simple fluffy language) push their erect penis' into small children and keep doing so until they orgasm. That happens to those children repeatedly. Their pictures are then spread far and wide amongst similar cretins for them to wank over. When they get bored of just wanking over them they move onto the next stage and we know what that is don't we? They only stop when they are caught. So, tell me, how do you rehabilitate that? Why does that man warrant decency? And, when those people are receiving very low sentences where is the justice for the victim?

@ilovesooty You think there is no purpose in sending a child abuser to prison? And you don't understand why people would like you to justify that stance, which, by the way, is not just simple statement of the legal position?!

I also note you are not a mother so perhaps this colours your view.

👍 ok

The legal nuances are a fact, and why we are where we are. That’s the whole essence of this thread.

You're brave.

Interesting to see how well he will be defended on here

@YellowphantGrey why are you so determined that I want to control the narrative? It’s a discussion board. There IS no narrative. For the umpteenth time, not one person has defended any criminal. Why don’t you get that?

Who do you think you are, telling us, the 'uncivilised' victims, how we would shape justice if we were left to it without the likes of you to guide us? Just because I disagree with your institutionalised script full of hot air and pipe dreams doesn't mean I'm all for hacking off paedophiles limbs (just their dicks) and launching myself into action for vigilante justice.
Does it not occur to you that I too might happen to believe in due process?
What I don't buy is what you're selling: Rehabilitation. This doesn't work for sex offenders. It may work for other criminals. Not for sex offenders. Sex offenders are pathological liars and deceivers. It's not in them to be 'redeemed' or 'rehabilitated'. This is as retrograde an approach as 'conversion therapy'.

I don't think your views are civilised at all. I think your views are unrealistic and your idea of justice is out of proportion and skewed by the brainwashing rhetoric of your profession (which I imagine is within the justice system). Worse, your views of justice are biased towards the criminal and the victim's lived experience seems to have little influence on your thoughts and opinions.

You seem unable to accept and understand why so many of us on this thread are not in lockstep with your very much conditioned thinking.

But as I said before, in reality it is NOT custodial - he is NOT in prison. The legal nuances you are concerned with seem a little too subtle given the anger and upset felt on the thread. What actual punishment is Edwards getting for his appalling crimes? He has gone home to put his feet up. Where is the actual justice for his victims?

I find it fascinating how you attempt to control the narrative in the language you use and how if someone doesn't agree with you, you describe it as "bluntly tackled"

On a post where people are angry, and you come along and tell everyone how they are wrong and then essentially go on to defend and excuse the criminal and you wonder why people aren't agreeing with you?

As I said, the OP and other posters were rightly angry over what they see as a huge injustice, what good does berating them do? Why can't they feel that way?

@Cantalever it IS a custodial sentence, but the immediate element is suspended. The alternative is a Community Order that has no custody time attached to it whatsoever.

@YellowphantGrey hang on, you are equally guilty of the same ‘monitoring’ you accuse others of. Anyone disagreeing with you gets immediately and bluntly tackled. As far as you and some of the other posters seem to be concerned, anyone who takes a contrary view or offers a different insight is wrong at best and a paedophile apologist at worst.

@ilovesooty there are certain posters who go from thread to thread and don’t like it if anyone might offer a different aspect to a thread or oppose their opinions, I’ve literally seen them say “WHY ISNT EVERYONE AGREEING WITH ME, your all just shouting into an echo chamber”, constructive opinions are welcome.

Because you tried your best, all the way through, to stop others being angry about what's happened.

People are allowed to be angry, they don't need people like yourself popping and scolding them for wanting a harsher sentence for a paedophile

It's a thread on a forum, people can be angry or disappointed or upset and I don't know why you tried so much to stop that?

My first thought was the dirty bastard needs his bollocks chopping off. I know that won't happen and I know that can't happen but having someone like you then harp on about how we need to consider his rights and a lecture about how he needs the best care to get him back into society etc I don't really want to consider him, I'm more bothered about the real victims of the crime rather than him

It happens all the time on male criminal threads, but never on female criminal threads.

If it was a discussion about sentencing or the justice system then that's the place to tell people and tell them why they are wrong but not on a thread where people are upset and angry at the injustice of it all.

I don't agree with having the death penalty.

Apart from anything else, innocent people have been convicted. Even with DNA etc there can still be mistakes made.

I understand though why people would want it for paedophiles (the man I know who was a victim of CSA wants that, and I understand why he feels that way. Many years later it still affects his life badly).

However although I don't support the death penalty, CSA is a crime that absolutely needs prison or secure hospital.