Sick of social media kangaroo court

[Minerva38]

Not here to discuss specifics of BBC presenters case or get on my high horse about the morality of it. Bottom line is no crime is deemed to have been committed and so far allegations have come vía the gutter rag that is The Sun and endless speculation on social media.

Before the police had even looked into things, the Sun and social media were already rife with speculation and it seems this is now the modern Court where we judge and condemn anyone famous who might have had something happen in their private lives. It's a sick feeding frenzy and everyone has to have an opinion.

Now the family are forced to identify the man and news and social channels are feasting on this endlessly.

Caroline Flacks death clearly hasn't taught us anything and I won't be surprised if this or other cases go that way too.

And it wasn't that long ago that the Sun was publishing topless pictures of 16 year old girls, so it seems unfathomable how they are now the moral arbiters.

Totally agree! Some of the stuff I've read online from foam flecked posters has been horrific.

Hear flipping hear.

The Sun is literally worthy of being bog roll - that's it.

Personally I'm sick to death of predatory and abusive men targeting girls and young women.

No criminal offence has been committed. We've only heard one side and that's been via The Sun

YANBU. I hope Huw gets well soon and is able to enjoy life in a way that suits him and his family.
He's made some terrible errors of judgement. He shouldn't be ashamed of being gay, or having severe mental health problems.
And... I know the two don't go hand in hand before anybody twists my words 🙄

I just hope that this doesn't end in another tragedy.

Okay. Everyone is.

It’s the only way some people can feel smug and superior. And it’s the same people who, when the accusations and calls for virtual hanging cause serious harm or death, are the ones trotting out asinine #BeKind tropes.

Agree.

I seriously hope they suffer financially for what they've done.

For a start the story wasn't even from the alleged victim (we now know a crime hasn't been committed) but from a grown man's mother (selling I assume) sharing the story with tabloids.

Maybe she should have started looking at why her ds was a drug addict and dealer in OF and reported to police if she thought her underage child was abused 3 years ago.

That doesn't mean we can say HE isn't guilty if any inappropriate behaviour but rather he's been hung drawn and quartets before a decision about criminality was even met - let alone been tried.

I mean gossip - and complaining about gossip - has been a huge part of human history since the beginning of time. It's normal although obviously people should be kinder, they don't have to be.

I'm also not sure how much of a good look it is to be bleating "no crime has been committed, we've only heard one side!!!" when you must know full well most sexual harassment/crimes of a sexual nature rarely if ever get passed onto the CPS to go to trial...So we'll see, anyway. That's why people are discussing it.

Grown man's - that was a very awful typo and apologies

I agree with you entirely.

It's appalling how the media and public drool over how peoples lives implodes. And it's only gotten worse.

The Royals, Caroline Flack, that woman who fell in the river. It's all bloody dreadful.

If what’s claimed happened has happened then what he did with the first person was illegal, at least to start with, as to the rest not illegal but morally not correct and I would suggest more people may come forward with proof he did the same to them.

Like others before him he’s been caught out and being in the public eye he must be aware than if he is caught it’s going to be published.

Yes social media has been despicable through this situation but unless people vote with their feet, nothing’s going to change. There were also several speculative threads of mumsnet and I can’t see people leaving here because of it.

If people only did things that they would be happy to be common knowledge, then the world would be a very different place.

Bad deeds hide in the dark. Like this sleazy affair.

Legal or not, it's not very nice is it? Would you let a man who'd done this come to your family BBQ? Would you be crying "But it was legal!" or would you ask them to stay away? Legality and morality are different things.

YANBU

Current situation opens a big can of worms about reporting on the private lives of high profile individuals. If no crime has been commited and the individuals involved are consenting adults then I don't see how it is 'in the public interest'

Will all BBC employees now be expected to declare if they've ever watched porn, participated in cyber sex or had an age-gap relationship?

In a similar vein, I'm in a few local neighbourhood Facebook groups and I find it really uncomfortable when people post photos of a random person, saying "beware this man, he followed me when I got off the bus" or "this man was looking suspicious outside my house."
It feels like the modern equivalent of putting people in the stocks.
It's particularly bad when it's clearly someone with mental health issues

I’m tired of people invoking Caroline Flack as the reason we should let shitty celebrities get away with doing shitty things.

It’s interesting to see how a lot on MN are saying it’s wrong to be speculated against ( which I agree with), how the behaviour isn’t illegal, (so acceptable to do this ?) he’s being hung drawn and quartered etc

however the same rules don’t apply on MN to politicians who seem to be fair game

Double standards or what

100%

Everyone starts with #BeKind but then a week later conveniently forgets this while they claim they’re acting in the public interest by spouting wild theories about stuff that frankly they know nothing about. It’s so ridiculous and damaging but it’s like they love the drama so much that they can’t control themselves.

If you are referring to Samantha Fox it was 40 years ago -1983. I would say was a long time ago.

Huw Edwards ...... Another media man using his status and wealth to deceive his family and chase youth.

Times change.. society progresses.

We know no spectacle so ridiculous as the British public in one of its periodical fits of morality.

Thomas Babington Macaulay

👏🏼👏🏼