would you report it?

[wouldliketoknow]

i guess this is the best section for the question.
what do you think we should do as mumsnetters when someone tells us about a crime?
perhaps is our legal obligation to inform the police, specially when children are at risk or someone can't defend themselves, or munsnet must be a safe heaven, where people can talk without being reported, you know, when they wouldn't tell anyone.
what do you think? what would you like if it was you telling us something awful happened to you?

EB xpost. It is different-people come on here anonymously and need that anonymity imo. the neighbour example is not anonymous.

My point is to make you think about the practicalities.

I don't like thinking about children being abused either but I've seen enough threads where assumptions have been made and accusations have been cast and then two pages later it's a very different picture.

I also would be really really horrified to think that Squish did not return for fear that she might have control taken away from her and she was left to flounder in a real abusive situation.

This policy would make you sleep better at night.

I'm not sure it would help as many women as currently get support and help now

So you can get all emotional and accuse me of being 'unpleasant' but my intention is sound

and again!!

This is what some people fail to understand and it's why people could do with not getting so involved on the net.

It's far easier to make a judgement call in real life than it is on the net where people can be anyone or say anything, it frightens me people don't understand that everything said online should be treated with caution.

Do you all seriously think the police or s s have the time or resources to investigate every potential crime discussed on forums based in this country on the off chance it's real, I thought people would have more common sense than that tbh.

covert?? convert even

agreed emmyloulou

I agree EB.

The Police don't investigate every potential crime discussed on forums.....no one is saying that. What they will investigate is when someone suspects serious harm is about to be done or is being done. The police are the first to be criticised when something is reported and they do nothing about it. They have no choice.

I don't disagree with your statement SaF but i disagree with your method iyswim

And with you saf.

How can anyone not want abuse of children or any kind to be stopped?

well that certainly isn't what i'm saying. good grief, i'm not going over it again, i obviously didn't make myself clear.

EL - You're demolishing straw men for no apparent reason, I haven't seen anyone say the things you're suggesting. I repeat, there have only been 2 or 3 occasions that this would be warranted (child abuse being discussed in ops i mean) in quite a few years. Therefore the police would have the time and it would be an important use of their time (even if it was a troll I think a visit from the police wouldn't exactly go amiss as I think they must be fairly disturbed to troll about chold abuse)

Right I'm going to bed, interesting discussion, will check back in morning.

Agree SAf.

ok, try this-what do you say to those women who will no longer seek help on a site like this because they are worried that their circumstances(and not just this particular topic) run the risk of being reported? where do you say those women should turn, what should they do?

That is my point, I think people are a little too close to the net in this thread and have slipped out of reality Imvho.

It's the net it's not real, you don't know who, why, what anything it could all be false.

Nearly every thread on here has some form of child abuse, be it seeing dv, sexual or emotional abuse. Who here is qualified to draw the line at what is reported that would be 90% of this forum gone.

The police would soon get pig sick of all the false alarms etc if they bothered in the first place whilst scaring those in need.

Some threads are hideous totally but who knows if it's true. I do think people need a reality check of the practicalities in this thread no one likes a lynch mob

When you comment on an internet forum you should know that it is not necessarily anonymous.

People comment in the hope that they can be assisted. If immediate harm is likely then steps can be taken to deal with this. A responsible forum will protect children not hide abusers.

i said not this particular topic. what about the other circumstances? ie where a woman feels she has nowhere else to turn/hasn't the confidence or self esteem to do something about it in rl(yet), and is posting on here for clarity in, say, a DV situation? fgs i'm hardly advocating that children shouldn't be protected.

The police don't get pig sick of it, it is their job and if there is immediate risk they will act.

the role of this forum is to harbour people who are allowing their children to be abused

Can you tell me which of the posters have said this?

How can anyone not want abuse of children or any kind to be stopped

Again which posters have said they want it to continue?

I think everyone wants the same thing - protection of children and women. We just disagree about the way it is best done.

I don't think trying to imply anyone disagreeing with your method is advocating abuse etc, is helpful

"people comment in the hope that they can be assisted". yes. they comment anonymously on the internet. that is very different to the neighbour example in real life say. people ARE looking for help and clarity and support, and a whole lot of other things. what i'm sure they're not looking for is someone to police their life for them and throw them into even more chaos. just to be clear i'm not just talking about potential child abuse situations, i'm talking about any "serious" situation on here...who am i to say what is serious and deems investigation?

I think the best way to prevent abuse if you think it is happening now is to deal with it.