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?

[Greythorne]

Thought for the Day is generally boring. But Anne Atkins' Thoughts for the Day are appalling. Banal, smug, superficial, middle England claptrap.

[stillsmarting]

She should have encouraged her friend to go to the Police, but if she reported it herself as a third party the Police probably wouldn't take much notice.
We have been through a situation ourselves where we were able to persuade DS to go to the Police in order to try to prevent the person doing the same to someone else. It was not a pleasant experience. Those who should have protected DS did not and without wanting to go into details I can say it was a truly horrible experience for our family. It required an amazing stregth of character, from DS and our family as a whole.
As for doing it for money, what good is money? It does not blot out what has happened, or make it easier to forgive those who failed our son, and then blamed us for making waves by reporting it.

[Darkesteyes]

I like that idea Anna x I get the feeling that Atkins is a bit of a narcissist as well.

[Anna1976]

the daughter in question had severe childhood-onset depression, probably not helped by stupid vacuous Mummy dearest self-aggrandizing in the press about her own insightful wondrous parenting skills, while f*ing up all the kids by constantly writing about their problems for the world to see. Egotistical blinkered old hag. I think she makes my blood boil because I do have quite a lot in common with her daughters. Darkest, how about we all go for coffee together

[Darkesteyes]

I reckon if i was to go for a coffee with Annes daughter we would find that we have a lot in common.

[Catkinsthecatinthehat]

This is a woman who has earned her media profile by constantly attacking gays, particularly Christian gays, and was rebuked by the PCC for wrongly claiming that homosexuals were likely kiddie fiddlers, yet now says she ignored child abuse as it was by a friend of the family?

I know it's cruel, but I did laugh years ago when she was promoting herself a perfect god-fearing nuclear family agony aunt, and her daughter ran away from home (later to be found safe) because life with her was so sodding miserable and oppressive.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

I wonder how 'chris' feels now that his story is out in the world.

[MissM]

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.

[boschy]

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.

[LonelyCloud]

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.

[inkyfingers]

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.

[BeatTheClock]

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.

[MissM]

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.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

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

[fiftyval]

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.

[LonelyCloud]

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.

[Darkesteyes]

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

[DameFannyGallopsAtaGhost]

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

[Darkesteyes]

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

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

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

[Darkesteyes]

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.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

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

[Darkesteyes]

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.

[hackmum]

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.

[Darkesteyes]

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.