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Original poster

MPs committee strongly recommends anonymity for people accused of sex crimes

89 replies

PilchardPrincess · 20/03/2015 10:15

This is back again:
here bbc

I am wholly of the opinion that this will go through, and handily just in time for when the investigations into historical sex offences by powerful people including many politicians gets underway.

It's just pathetically transparent.

Below the line commenters are all red hot keen, with many advocating for anon until found guilty. A few people saying that this should apply for all crimes (which is a far more logical standpoint unless you believe that women and children are inveterate liars when it comes to reporting abuse) and I haven't spotted anyone saying it might cause problems, although only skimmed top rated.

I think for me, the concept of not being allowed to report until charged, if it applied for all crimes would probably be reasonable and not interfere too much, although you'd need to try it to find out.

The idea that it's needed for sex crimes only as that ruins lives more is just such a load of shit. A person being accused of torturing animals or murder or conning old people out of money doesn't exactly get off scott free in terms of reputation. The reasoning is actually that many people like to think that women and children lie about this all the time for reasons that are never fully explained, and the evil bastards must be stopped.

So if they do this and make it for sex crimes only they are reinforcing the idea that many / most of these reports are lies and that will set things back years. Which will help though because actually people in authority don't want this stuff reported, it costs time and money to investigate, it makes things difficult with their friends, it makes them look bad when it turns out they didn't do it properly (rochdale, jimmy saville etc etc so many examples) and so on. Far better that people who are assaulted just put up and shut up which is what happens most of the time anyway but might push it back even further.

It's basically a large number of (low importance) victims being chucked under the bus to protect a tiny handful of powerful men, plus ca change.

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ChopperGordino · 23/03/2015 10:14

here is some suggested text for writing to your MP

everydayvictimblaming.com/activism/please-email-your-mp-re-anonymity-for-suspects-in-rape-cases/

TheBlackRider · 23/03/2015 08:58

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TheBlackRider · 23/03/2015 08:49

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TheBlackRider · 23/03/2015 08:34

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TheBlackRider · 23/03/2015 08:33

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Original poster
PilchardPrincess · 23/03/2015 08:33

Thanks! I'm in the train so reception is patchy and so Google isn't helping me much!

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TheBlackRider · 23/03/2015 08:21

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Original poster
PilchardPrincess · 23/03/2015 08:20

Does anyone have a link to the recommendation that in cases with no evidence etc the complaint will be taken as having been false?

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slugseatlettuce · 23/03/2015 08:14

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GallicGarlic · 22/03/2015 23:15

The committee are apparently also recommending that, if a man is not charged or convicted, he should receive an acknowledgement that the accusation was false.

What the actual fucking fuck?

As with the anonymity question - Shouldn't this, then, be applied to all crimes?

So, if an MP's cleaner nicks all the valuables from his house, the cleaner's identity must remain absolutely secret. The MP will be guilty of a crime if he advises his friends, or even the cleaning agency, that he suspects this cleaner stole his stuff. The police will not be able to give a description of the cleaner to known fences and second-hand merchants.

Should the thieving cleaner, thanks to all this protection, get away with their life of crime, they'll be issued a formal notice that the MP's accusation was false.

Fine Hmm

TheBlackRider · 22/03/2015 22:18

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christinarossetti · 22/03/2015 22:14

One of the worst things about the actions of this committee is that it's so absolutely crystal clear that those involved know exactly what's on the cards for them and their old boys' clubs and are taking pre-emptive action to avoid due legal proceedings.

I've actually lost track of the institutions involved in abuse and cover ups - the police, the government, previous governments, the NHS, social services, the Catholic Church, the press, the BBC are the ones that spring to mind, but there are so many more.

ChopperGordino · 22/03/2015 22:07

Wow. Being accused of rape is literally worst thing they can imagine happening to a man isn't it? Worse even than being raped. I actually think they are doing their utmost to avoid acknowledging there are victims of rape - it's like they don't even exist, they are nothing.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 22/03/2015 21:20

Wow. That is beyond outrageous.

TheBlackRider · 22/03/2015 21:19

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scallopsrgreat · 22/03/2015 18:29

"What occurred to me was how much more valuable the lives and reputations of men are than those of women, in the sort of mainstream discourse that exists." YY. Really well put. Lots of rhetoric about all these men who've been falsely accused, but very little evidence of that. No thoughts to a woman who in all probability has been raped. They are disposable.

TheBlackRider · 22/03/2015 17:38

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TheBlackRider · 22/03/2015 17:35

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GallicGarlic · 22/03/2015 16:22

I don't understand why so many posters (apparently) can't see this, either, Buffy. The trauma suffered by a FEW men who've been maliciously accused is very similar to that suffered by the MANY victims of sex crimes.

Both types of victim have suffered a crime. So why devalue the suffering of many, to spare that of a few?

And it has to be either/or, because of the crimes we're discussing.

Love your current name, btw!

BuffyEpistemiwhatsit · 22/03/2015 15:55

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PuffinsAreFictitious · 22/03/2015 13:33

Actually, don't look at that thread. The usual rape apologists postulating that all women lie. bleah.

GallicGarlic · 22/03/2015 13:14

Come and tell me if IABU :) I've got to go out for a while! www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2337681-People-accused-of-sex-crimes-shouldnt-be-given-anonymity?msgid=53303350#53303350

WhatWouldFreddieDo · 22/03/2015 12:13

Have signed - it's mad that this is even on the cards at the exact same time that police are appealing for more witnesses to come forward re historic abuse.

ChopperGordino · 22/03/2015 11:53

Lol maybe there are some settings you can fiddle with on change.org?

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