Bloggers Specials this week

If you hadn't mentioned the crime on your blog Jently, it would have been very different. He was convicted of rape and you say that this was a wrongful conviction, despite the fact it's almost impossible to get convictions for rape. This implies that the victim (not "so-called" victim) was a liar.

Not sure what Mumsnet can do about this now as it's already gone out in their newsletter.

Also, I don't know what Mumsnet were thinking of with regards to you, surely they'd have realised that a blog like this would have a negative reaction from at least some people. I'm not sure it was fair of them to put you through that kind of controversy.

It's my blog

I would genuinely like to know how I'm "insulting to the victims of rape" as per the first post? That's certainly not my intention. I'm merely telling my story, of a family seperated by what I (and quite a lot of other people) believe to be a wrongful conviction. I totally appreciate that it must be a hideous experiences for the victims. But my blog isn't about the so called victim in this instance, it's about me and the children. It isn't really even about DP, he just features in it as I experience Prison life through him.

I'm really sorry it's upset all of you, never my intention. I was thrilled to be chosen as blog of the week but I'm going to report this, ask MN to offer their view on this thread and then ask them to pull the thread and their publicity of me.

By the way. If you don't like the look of it - you don't have to read it you know... I have had some very positive comments, and some very supportive people comment.

Yup. Exactly that Proles.

Yes, no-one is saying she shouldn't be allowed to write this stuff. It's the way MN has endorsed it by adding it to the bloggers' network and, not only that, made it blog of the week that's the problem imho.

I've found it now and read the last two posts and the first two.

I have a couple of strong opinions about it (please read both properly before jumping on me):

Firstly, the author absolutely should be free to write whatever she wants on the blog so long as it's legal. Nothing she's posted is illegal.

Secondly, Mumsnet has no place promoting the blog of a rape denier. Absolutely none. When rape convictions are so pathetically low in this country the fact this man has been tried and convicted is no trivial thing.

If the blog was just about the struggle of life with the family whilst one's husband is in prison fair enough but it's the repeated protestations of innocence of a convicted rapist that are just not appropriate.

MNHQ, will you have a look at this blog again please? Thank you

The reasoning behind this confused me too - it's not a terribly interesting blog just from the point of view of the quality of writing or the frequency of updates, so the only reason I can see for featuring it is the issue of a wife supporting a husband who has been convicted of rape. Which is a little disturbing to say the least.

A court has found him guilty, and the blog isn't a campaign about a supposed miscarriage of justice.

Thank you for starting this thread HandDived. I can't understand why MN would endorse this blog and I too am quite upset by it.

Thank you. I'll go in via the bloggers bit so it doesn't register via Google chrome either.

I have just had a quick glance and it makes me very, very uncomfortable - it's the assertion that there is no way that he is guilty but there is no discussion of why she is so convinced of that. What about the victim? Where is she in this? What is the basis on which bloggers are accepted to the MN Bloggers Network?

Isla - it's convicts wife dot com (I'm not making a link that is googlable)

Really?

What is the name of the blog? Just enough so I can find it, not so that it gets more promotion if possible please. I don't get the weekly email. Just the round-up.

I'm adding my concern about this. Is this some anti-woman drive that MNHQ is on? We already get told, so often, about women who "lie" about rape, by those trying to stir discord in certain areas. last thing we need is fuel for those individuals. last thing we need is a message going out to rape victim's that the men locked up for rape are more important than the victims. I'm curious as to mnhq's reasoning behind this.

I wanted to know about this too.

I don't know anything about this woman, and do not wish to make harsh judgments of her. I understand she truly believes her husband to be innocent. But this blog clearly receives and invites a lot of strong reaction, which is directed against this woman. IMO it diverts attention from the serious issue of rape, and from the person who, in this case, has been found guilty: her husband. I think promoting the blog trivializes the issue of rape and deflects attention from the survivors who need support, and from those who perpetrate this crime.

I was really upset by it.