being complicit (sex abuse) warning

[peacocktail]

I am going to put this out even though it may be unpopular. (I have changed my name for this).
This is nothing to do with politics and the current news, just a close experience.
If some people knew that a young teenager was being used for sex in the 70s and kept quiet, surely they are complicit in the crime.
Also if the same people lied to protect offender I believe that if a guilty plea is found there should be severe consequences for those who just stood by and lied to the court.
Maye if this was the case a lot of children could be saved from abuse

Sorry, I know I said 70s but obviously the time is unimportant.

Bill Wyman? When he started 'dating' the 13 year old Mandy Smith, it was in all the newspapers regularly.

The whole country knew and stood by.

I don't think it's a good idea to prosecute witnesses if the person they are supporting is convicted. There are already rules around perjury and serious cases can be prosecuted but it shouldn't be obligatory.

If we go down that route then before long we will be prosecuting women who claim they were raped if the defendant is acquitted (he's found not guilty therefore the claim must be false).

I personally don't like the "silence is violence" argument either, because everybody will be guilty of something, even if it's working for a company that treats its staff unethically or having multiple children knowing that this is the biggest cause of climate change.

I know, how sad is that, I wonder what would have happened if he had not been rich and famous. You are right of course.

Morning Starling. while on some points I agree with you the post is about child sex abuse. If you knew a child was being beaten I doubt that you could keep quiet.

If someone lies in court that's perjury and is very serious. Although someone knowing about abuse and keeping quiet is slightly different in that the person may be too frightened to speak out

Goergeskitchen. That is a good point, we never know what is going on in someone's life.

I can see why children would be afraid to speak but surely as an adult there is a duty to act.
Even an anonymous phone call is better than nothing, A child being abused is in a cruel game with no rules and no way to win.

My experiences unfortunately people find it easy to turn away,

@peacocktail

I am going to put this out even though it may be unpopular. (I have changed my name for this). This is nothing to do with politics and the current news, just a close experience. If some people knew that a young teenager was being used for sex in the 70s and kept quiet, surely they are complicit in the crime. Also if the same people lied to protect offender I believe that if a guilty plea is found there should be severe consequences for those who just stood by and lied to the court. Maye if this was the case a lot of children could be saved from abuse

No, for many reasons.

How long do you reasonably give someone to report? One hour? A week? A month? Where and why do you draw the line?

What if they're under pressure or being intimidated not to report?

How will you decide who really "knew"? Where is the line between "knowing" and mere suspicion? (And remember, it is not up to individual members of the public to decide if a crime has been committed - that's for the police and the courts).

What will you do when crucial witnesses will inevitably deny all knowledge in order to avoid getting into trouble and cases fall through as a result?

No-one is responsible for the crimes of others. There is already an offense (perjury) and a punishment for lying in court.

Thank you all for the replies. I can see that it is a complex situation and we all have our own opinions which I respect. Some of you have highlighted things that I had not even considered.
But just being able to talk about this subject openly is a good thing compared to a few years ago.
Thank you