Daily Mail's Anne Atkins - porridge on the menu?

[fourwalls]

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2220693/I-havent-handed-paedophile-police--hes-friend-family-A-leading-agony-aunt-makes-explosive-confession.html

Wonder if she's done this story because she's already had the knock on the door?

How awful that she still hasn't reported the guy and is getting publicity for not doing it. Doesn't she proclaim to be a Christian?

googlenut most religions are mysogynistic and victim blaming when it comes to things like rape and abuse so i think this says more about Atkins than she wants it to.

Atkins and my DM would get along famously.

posted on one of the original threads that when i visited my parents 2 weeks ago that they were saying that the victims are only coming forward for money. Went to visit them today thinking that they would think differently now that so many victims have come forward but nope!
My DM is still saying that they are doing it for money.
Some comments made....

1. Why are they going on TV. Have they no shame. They should be ashamed of themselves.

1. Why did one victim refuse to go on This Morning. If she was telling the truth she would want to go on there and talk about it!!!!!

Both comments came from my DM and contradict each other. 3. Why didnt they come forward earlier? I had to for the umpteenth time explain to her that they did. And got ignored or laughed at or disbelieved. Then DF said he was fed up of hearing about it on the news because its getting "monotonous"

What about the people who suffred at this evil mans hands and who are still suffering.
When someone is burgled no one blames the victim. Why is there so much victim blaming when the crime is abuse or rape?

I've always disliked Anne Atkins and her smug 'Thought for the Day' slots on R4. Now I despise her even more. What a hypocritical, self-satisfied woman.

She should be prosecuted for withholding information.

Darkesteyes, comments from people I know that are questioning the victims, sicken me almost as much as the initial acts.

People having such attitudes are why its so hard to come forward!

The irony of that is always lost on victim blamers.

As for Anne Atkins, she is a disgrace and utterly shameless.

Totally agree Amber.
i have been having massive rows with my parents about this. I have a thread about it in Chat.
Atkins has admitted that she has been withholding information. If someone withheld information about a burglary or a mugging they would be in deep shit.
Why the bloody hell are sex abuse crimes and the knowledge of them not treated with equal importance.

You know what pisses me off. It's the fact that her response to the Jimmy Savile thing is to think, "Ooh, I didn't report that family friend who was a sex abuser. I wonder if could get a feature for the Daily Mail out of it." She might have redeemed herself slightly if the fee for the article was donated to the NSPCC or something.

These abuse crimes should be treated with MORE importance.
Society seems to care more about property based crimes. Makes me angry.
Victim blamers are also enablers IMO.

She is a Christian. Married to a vicar. Her Thoughts for the Day are vacuous nonsense, IMO

Exactly hackmum she should be picking up the phone and calling the police not swelling her own coffers by running to the Fail.
This JS case and the links to it have really shown up what sort of a society we live in. Makes me angry and fills me with despair.

And I cannot help wondering about the references she makes to "highly respected profession" and "affecting a community"

Not the first time there has been a link between religion and child abuse cover ups, and unfortunately probably wont be the last.

She's as stupid as she is vile. Let's hope she's arrested for this.

If she isnt Dame i fucking well would want to know why.

Despicable article.

I hope the police are going to be knocking on her door and demanding more information from her about this. Agree that she should be prosecuted for withholding information, especially as she claims to be certain that this man is guilty.

I've always loathed her - agree with MissM - she epitomises the word smug. One of her smuggest 'thought for the day' diatribes was defending smacking of children IIRC.

If this was "chris" I would believe him, But this seems to be a case of jumping on the band wagon.

Her justification seems to be that as the man abused hadn't gone to the police then she shouldn't. Or advise him that he should. Her self-justification has made me feel queasy all day. All that 'highly respected profession' stuff made me instantly think of the church too Jamie.

Some of the comments below the article are hilarious though - "Oo Anne, may I just say how lovely you look in that top and scarf combo" being the best. As if that justifies what she's saying.

Oh blimey Atkins on Thought for the Day. I can't abide her. In fact I don't often like Thought for the Day anyway no matter who does it, but she always makes it worse.

Her article is a lot more nuanced than the comments above. In the article she doesn't condone saying nothing, she doesn't defend the abuser, she spells out the dilemma of many people Christians or not who haven't reported abuse. Chris in the article could have gone to the police, but he confided in a friend. Why? Who knows?

Choose your target.

In the article, she says that she believes 'Chris' was telling the truth about being abused. She says that she knows other victims of 'Peter'.

BY not urging 'Chris' to contact the police, and by not going to the police with concerns herself, she is tacitly condoning saying nothing and tacitly excusing 'Peter's actions.

Did anyone see her on TM just now? old Denise looked ready to get her by the throat.

Also on TM at 10.30: Max Clifford admitted that he had heard JS stories in relation to people coming to see him about GG, but had not acted on them, because it would have had to have been the victims themselves who would need to go to the police.

Anne Atkins could have advised her friend to go to the police. She could have confided in someone else and ask them for advice. She could have supported her friend in going to the police. She chose to do nothing other than run to a national paper as soon as the issue comes on the agenda to wring her hands about saying nothing.

Yes, victims themselves have to go the police and ultimately press charges. However, confiding in a friend is an initial step to doing something about the situation. Anne Atkins didn't act on the trust that her friend was putting in her by confiding, imo.