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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Judge is sad paedophile won't be able to keep his job as a midwife

139 replies

PurgatoryOfPotholes · 15/09/2021 01:47

A man was found to have hundreds of child abuse images, along with porn showing strangulation, and images showing sexual abuse of animals. He escaped a custodial sentence after his partner stood by him and wrote a letter to the judge defending him.

So far, not unusual.

But this bit is. Judge's comments:
'This is a real tragedy for so many people,' he said.

'You qualified as a midwife and will never be able to work in this role again.

It is a shame, not just for yourself but for the community as a whole as I understand there is a desperate shortage of midwives.'

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9989159/amp/Male-midwife-39-caught-stash-400-indecent-images-children.html

This judge thinks potential patients (women and newborn babies) are losing out on this man's services? The tragedy is that he was not caught sooner, and I feel very sorry for all women treated by him before now. If they had had an informed choice in the matter, they would not have wanted a man who masturbated to the torture of children, doing the new baby checks on their babies.

OP posts:
LemonPeonies · 15/09/2021 08:41

Women who choose to stand by "men" like this, are just as bad imo.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 15/09/2021 08:38

Actually, that's not the right word, sex offender.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 15/09/2021 08:37

I too thought the judge was adding another level of condemnation, this man has wasted the time, money and effort of the NHS, all of which could have been spent on someone who wasn't a fucking pedophile.

Tibtab · 15/09/2021 08:33

I also wonder about his quote saying that he had so many positive comments and women were comfortable around him. I went to a midwife appointment once, was expecting to have a sweep, and the midwife was a man.

I felt like I couldn’t say anything, I don’t think of myself as vulnerable but I didn’t want him to do the sweep. I asked if I could have a chaperone (this wasn’t offered) and my normal community midwife came in).

I think part of it was my conditioning that women don’t like to cause offence, even if it means that I have a man’s hand in my vagina that I was uncomfortable with.

IntermittentParps · 15/09/2021 08:31

@AliceMorrow

I also read it as: "you moron, everyone is losing out, including yourself, because you are despicable".
I tend to agree with this.

I do find the concept of judges' summing-up remarks a bit Hmm. All that care throughout the trial to be impartial, and then at the end they just sort of let rip with their opinions.

PaterPower · 15/09/2021 08:25

I read that out to my DP last night as I couldn’t believe he’d avoided being sent down.

I can only hope that there was more to the judge’s speech that just didn’t get reported, because if you take it purely on what was written then he’s in the wrong job.

FannyCann · 15/09/2021 08:14

Getting back to the wife - my memory on this is very vague and I know someone will be able to clarify - but isn't there some law/convention that women can't be forced to give evidence AGAINST their husbands as they can't be expected to be truthful as they will naturally want to support their husband or may be being coerced? I have vague and distant memories of a high profile wife excusing herself from giving evidence on these grounds.

In which case doesn't the reverse apply?

PurgatoryOfPotholes · 15/09/2021 08:06

@TheQueef

I read this and wondered about the wife. We all know people can be blind to partners faults but this seems a step further, would it not affect her job?
I agree. I do think this level of denial about her partner casts doubt on her current suitability to be in a clinical role.
OP posts:
themidnighttrain · 15/09/2021 08:04

I would agree it's a shame that the many years of training were wasted on him, and didn't go to another person, who could still be using that training now.

It's not a shame for this person to have lost his job. It's a shame that there is one less midwife.

PurgatoryOfPotholes · 15/09/2021 08:03

@Sophoclesthefox

Bleurgh.

Its SO competitive to get onto a midwifery course. If there is a broader shame than the children, women and animals who were abused to provide wank fodder for this arsehole, then it is that the midwifery profession was deprived of someone who could have taken his place on the course, and not turned out to be a nonce.

This.

I don't think this man should ever have been there and it was a waste of public funds to train him.

Looking at imagery of children and animals being raped and looking at hardcore porn of women being hurt indicates a core defect in character. I rather think that it was a factor in why he went into midwifery.

If he had not been so stupid enough as to get caught uploading images to a social media site, he'd still be in post and the NHS wouldn't be down a midwife.

But would you want a man such as that at your side providing support while you were having a painful labour? Or doing stitches on your genital area afterwards? A man who gets off on seeing women being hurt?

Even if he had had more self-control or more fear of the law and had never actually downloaded a single child abuse image, being so devoid of empathy that he wanted to see children and animals being raped made him unsuitable to work in any role where he would have contact with patients. I wouldn't want to take my cat for veterinary treatment from someone who wanted to watch videos of cats being hurt! Human welfare is just as important to me.

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Skyla2005 · 15/09/2021 08:02

If we had a political party in the uk that clamped down on these perverts for good and locking them up where they should be nearly every mother would vote for it

Cam77 · 15/09/2021 08:01

It seems British judges (among others) are supposed to /required to go off with some profound and highfalutin judgy statements on passing sentence. The whole custom seems pointless to me - just pass the sentence and keep your moralistic thoughts to yourself. But anyway, some of them end up talking bollocks. I wouldn’t read too much into it.

Quick99 · 15/09/2021 08:00

Completely agree @PegasusReturns.
Appaling all round.

Skyla2005 · 15/09/2021 07:59

It's shameful for him not the community. Should be in jail and throw away the key.

GinIronic · 15/09/2021 07:58

I will always be highly suspicious of any man that chooses to work with vulnerable woman and children. This individual has appeared to play the long game to gain access to his potential victims. I feel sorry for his blinkered wife and hope she comes to her senses soon. I also hope that he doesn’t have any children or has any plans to reproduce.

Jaysmith71 · 15/09/2021 07:57

He didn't just view, he MADE indecent images. I don't know if that means IT wizardry or actual abuse of a child to take the photos.

In law, you 'make' an image whenever you download a copy of it.

PegasusReturns · 15/09/2021 07:53

The bigger shock is that his partner stood by him - how could you even contemplate it?!

I do think the judges comments are off though, this one to:

There is a world out there in which women and girls are forced into performing extreme acts that are not only degrading but are painful and dangerous

Feels like it’s really underplaying the horror of being violently raped and abused.

TheQueef · 15/09/2021 07:44

I read this and wondered about the wife.
We all know people can be blind to partners faults but this seems a step further, would it not affect her job?

Ereshkigalangcleg · 15/09/2021 07:34

Making”, in the context of images of child sexual abuse means downloading or forwarding the images.

It says in the DM report that he was caught and traced when he posted some to a social media site.

3peassuit · 15/09/2021 07:27

The judge is sorry the NHS is down a qualified midwife because of this man’s crimes. The real shocker is the partner writing a letter of support. I would not want her near patients.

Booknooks · 15/09/2021 07:22

@Kanaloa

I wonder how his wife could sit down and write him a letter so glowing that it saved him from prison. I would want him in prison for as long as possible if I was her. I mean, she works with mothers and babies too, you’d think she more than anyone would have some sort of disgust about this.
Yes I thought it odd as she works in the neo natal unit by the sound of that article. To be married to him I wouldn't expect it to tarnish her career at all, but to actively go out of her way to write a letter to keep him out of prison, she should be fired too.
Kanaloa · 15/09/2021 07:18

I wonder how his wife could sit down and write him a letter so glowing that it saved him from prison. I would want him in prison for as long as possible if I was her. I mean, she works with mothers and babies too, you’d think she more than anyone would have some sort of disgust about this.

GCAcademic · 15/09/2021 07:17

He didn't just view, he MADE indecent images. I don't know if that means IT wizardry or actual abuse of a child to take the photos. Utterly appalling.

“Making”, in the context of images of child sexual abuse means downloading or forwarding the images. I think what you’re describing would be “producing” indecent images.

Booknooks · 15/09/2021 07:13

I read it as quite sympathetic too, we may be short of midwives, but good fucking riddance to this one. I hope the women that were entrusted into his care get the support they need.

WhyOhWhyOhWhyyyy · 15/09/2021 07:11

He’s obviously guilty of disgusting crimes, but I think you’re really twisting the judges comments there.

I take it to mean that he think it’s a waste that this man could have done some good in the world through his role instead of what he chose to do.