I have to mention this.
No way am I condoning anything he's done - all abuse is horrid, despicable and a crime and must be punished. However everyone in this case are victims, even you and me! We were all l
ied to by this Man, loved his programs and songs etc. if only we'd known.
Now this is my point, why has it taken 30odd years for this to come out?
This has to be taken in context of the world 30years ago, it was wrong now and was wrong then, but why did the
victims not come forward before now? If they had spoken out and he had been found out and punished 30 years ago how different things would be.
Now I'm not saying its not true but can these people be sure that they remember what he did and when? Yes I know they will say its Seared in my memory and is as real today as if it was yesterday. The mind can play tricks. Have you never dreamt something and then thought it was real or otherwise. My point is 2 fold, because of this surely we should put a time limit on bringing charges like this to trial - 30/20/10 years ? What do you think? Not to save the perpetrator but justice must be done. He has got away with it for 30 years. If he'd been stopped straight away think of the others who would have NOT been abused. Same with some other high profile cases. The problem here is US, society we still do not accept that these things happen - natural instinct is not to believe it. Who, Rolf Harris? - never! Yet the evidence is there.
We must bring it out and make a climate to allow the victims to report these things immediately. I don't mean next day, it does take time to understand what has happened. You go into shock, withdrawal, denial, fear etc. but there is a time when you can think about it and know it was a CRIME, wrong and needs reporting but they don't. WE MUST make this happen to stop it carrying on and there being more victims - we owe it to our children. STOP these monsters!!
2nd thing, sentence lenient? Well he was tried on crimes under the law at the time, 30 years ago. Things were different then. Society changes.
It used to be OK to slap your children - now its not.
It used to be OK to drink and drive - now its not.
It used be the done thing to smoke - now its not.
See how society changes. Attitudes to drink driving have changed now and I can't really see anyone "getting away" with it - we just don't condone it, we'd shop our brother/mother/son etc.
So we must change our attitudes to "abuse" and teach our children how to "tell" on these people who do nasty/wrong things to them that they don't like. We must be open and let them speak about it and then the Police must be prepared to listen to them and take the details and deal with it. I've heard of reports that someone reports it and then a young PC turns up at the door with notebook and wants all the details. Does a teenage girl want to tell ALL the sordid details to a young copper. Who will probably then go and blab about it to his mates later in the Pub? Yes I know the Police are stretched but so what. Don't we all agree these crimes are serious and need dealing with, the victims (and remember everyone around them feels a victim and guilty by proxy) - how did I let this happen (to my child) after all we as parents are supposed to protect them but we have to trust people - we try our best. Hence I say these things must be dealt with straight away not 30 years later. I know it will still happen people will have all sorts of reasons for not telling. We MUST try and change it though.
Please - to stop future victims.
However what are we to do about the filth available on the internet? These vile images Rolf got. Someone somewhere is making and posting the images. These too are abusers, as well as those who look. Everyone involved, even the ISPs who sit on there hands and say "we're not responsible we just provide internet", yes they have a responsibility, it can be done. Trace the perpetrators and tell the police.
We must STOP it.
