This is Graham Linehan’s accompanying message circulating on email, i.e. already in the public domain, which explains his point of view further. (I hope it’s ok to quote it all? If not, feel free to report.) I’m not going to bold it all because it’s quite long and too much bold does my nut in:
……………………………………….
“Here’s where we are: for years, I’ve been reporting a group of men to the police. They’ve harassed dozens of people, committed fraud, and in some cases been convicted of serious crimes including sexual assault on a minor. When I report the harassment and death threats they send my way, nothing happens. When others report them, nothing happens.
“But here’s what does happen: the police investigate us for talking about them.
The grotesque nature of this collaboration would be fascinating from a distance. Unfortunately, I’m not at a distance, and it’s been going on for years.
“So I’ve decided to do something that feels wonderfully ridiculous and also completely necessary: hire a proper private detective. Someone who actually investigates things. Novel concept, I know.
“I’m delighted to say that our piece on Melody Dawson has resulted in members of his family getting in touch. And that’s what we can do without a private detective. Think what will happen if we get professionals on the case.
“Picture it: a licensed investigator with a proper case file, following leads from Sussex to Capetown, gathering evidence the authorities keep pretending doesn’t exist. We’ll compile everything, present it to independent observers and every major outlet we can find.
“What Your Money Gets
- A licensed investigator who actually does the job
- Document searches, surveillance, evidence gathering
- Properly documented findings that can be used legally or journalistically
- The satisfaction of watching bad people get very nervous
“I know you’re sick of the Cancel Tax. I’m sick of it too. But this one’s different. This one might produce results that are deeply satisfying no matter where you are in the fight. This is detective work. And when it’s done, we’ll have something the authorities can’t ignore—even if they’d very much like to.
The goal looks high because this isn’t some bloke following someone to Tesco. This is a proper investigation spanning multiple jurisdictions. We’re not just after a few bad actors. We want to get all of them.
“We need experienced professionals, proper equipment, and sometimes even the ability to work across borders. Anything less won’t be enough.”