Despite his villainous behaviour, anyone feel a teeny bit sorry for Andrew?

[busymomtoone]

Before I get totally flamed, I despise his attitude, and the things he appears to have done - particularly the subsequent lying and apparent determination to shield/ hide misdemeanours. However, seeing the photo of his release today looking a broken man after such huge public downfall , plus thinking of him going back to an empty house on his birthday with no family support - even though I initially felt he deserves every indignity and consequence - there’s still a teeny part of me that just can’t help feeling just a little bit sorry for him. If it’s true that he was taken to a brothel at age 11 , whilst it would in no way excuse abusing others , it means he has also been a victim of abuse. Additionally it seems the Queen and his entourage have never ever said no to him in his whole life- so to reach his 7th decade before any consequences hit makes me question how resilient he will be able to be. Obviously main sympathies are always rightly with any victims , but even the most hardened and perpetual criminals often retain family support, he seems to have nobody. ( albeit if his own making ) or am I just being too soft?!

Don’t be so ridiculous.

I don’t feel sorry for him but it does bother me that so people only think he is rotten while conveniently ignoring that he was raised inside a bizarre and rotten institution. The whole things fucked up and regularly produces fucked up people. Raising kids with that level of press intrusion, social pressure and wacko privilege is tantamount to child abuse.

Sorry for him my ass

a pompous entitled thicko, privileged on the basis of the taxpayers keeping the likes of him in luxury

wise up. He needs to be treated the same as any other citizen who commits a crime, and I hope the legal defence is not paid for from public funds

To be honest, it doesn’t matter how old she was. If she was trafficked then it was sexual assault/rape.

You are having a laugh surely?

“apparent determination to shield/ hide misdemeanours”

I don’t consider having sex with trafficked young women or passing on governmental information a misdemeanour!

They are both abuses of power and he should face the consequences of his actions.

No.

Did he know she was trafficked?

I’m sure he did aye ……from afar, well protected from any real harm

fuck sake

I think Alison just tried injecting a smidgeon of humour but now getting her arse whipped

Absolutely not. He is a sex offender and a grifter with a massive amount of entitlement and arrogance. He and his cronies have destroyed other people’s lives without a second thought. I hope he goes to prison for the rest of his life. He probably won’t though, unfortunately.

I find this OP in such incredibly poor taste given that at least one of his alleged victims is actually DEAD.

Is that you, Fergie?

You think he thought she was willingly there to shag him because he was so irresistible?

Decorum? Is that really how we're describing his having sex with trafficked young women?

He's been free to enjoy plenty of other birthdays. His victims will not always have had that luxury while they process their trauma caused by his actions.

I do feel sorry for Beatrice and Eugenie

And these people walk among us…..

Served his country…. And?

I’ve no sympathy whatsoever.

That said, I do think it’s some people have completely lost their senses over it. Some of the posts on the other threads on this topic are unhinged or utterly clueless.

Of course not. I just wondered

Save your pity for the powerless and voiceless, victims of abuse. Andrew is an overly privileged, arrogant creature that we have all been paying for! Gosh, he must be so stressed this evening, hope he doesn’t have a heart attack. Hopefully see the back of him soon.

Flaming is deserved for such an appalling take on this

The things he and his cronies have done

Lots of people throwing words like “paedo” and “sex abuser” around. It’s worth remembering he hasn’t been convicted of, or even charged with, any sexual offence. Maybe he will be. But it’s important to be careful and precise with our language when discussing really serious things.

As PP have said, there’s clearly an element of the witch hunt here, not helped by the police tipping off photographers about when they plan to make an arrest (itself deeply unprofessional). Regardless of law or guilt, there’s a baying mob that wants blood and it’s deeply unedifying to watch.

Why are you a rape apologist is what you should be asking yourself

I'm speechless.

Nah I’ll call him a paedo and nonce all day long!

I feel strangely pissed off that only British people are being punished for the malevolent deeds of this American bastard. And I don’t even like any of them!
I think that's actually something to be proud of.

I do agree, though, that unless other investigations and convictions follow, it looks a lot like one of the seemingly relatively lesser wrongdoers will be the one experiencing the consequences.

For example, lots of posters in here have called Andrew a paedophile off the back of significantly less and weaker evidence than exists in relation to child abuse by the current US president (who has very visibly tried to cover the whole thing up and doesn't appear to have seen his populatity meaningfully impacted and doesn't tend to experience consequences).