Wednesday 12 December 2012

I Know Just The ’Help’ He Needs…

Speaking about the case involving Williams, Judge Michael Mettyear said: "There was a chilling moment when she (the victim) mentioned Deepcut and we know what's gone on there with people withholding information and suicides.
"I'm worried if there is something in the culture of the Army and people training in the Army to keep their mouths shut.
"I'm really concerned about five students declining to give statements. It looks as though it has been directed by someone.
"I don't want to blame them because what we have found in the case with this girl is someone in there actually telling them it might interfere with their careers, and it's hardly surprising. I'm worried about the wider implications with all the problems at Deepcut."
Oh. OK. So we won’t blame them for not wishing to report a crime (I mean, bullying and harassment is a crime now, right?).

Shall we at least blame the offender?
Deferring sentence for reports, Judge Metttyear ordered Williams to sign the sex offenders register for the attack on the girl. However, the judge said he was not expecting to send him to jail.
Judge Mettyear said Williams had "learnt a lot of lessons" but expressed concern over his attitude towards women.
The judge said: "I'm worried he has an attitude problem with women and maybe some sort of help is needed for him. These are not sexual offences for sexual gratification – this was bullying and the desire to get attention."
Oh, right. Poor lamb. I guess we can’t blame him either, really. He’s a ‘victim’ too.

I guess we’ll just have to blame… the Armed Services? Really?

5 comments:

Umbongo said...

According to the judge, "these are not sexual offences for sexual gratification". The offences were rather a consequence of "an attitude problem" and, no matter how distresssing to the victim, were merely "attention seeking".

So the latest - and apparently successful - plea in mitigation ("the judge said he was not expecting to send him to jail") is that the perp has "an attitude problem" which compelled him to commit a crime. This counter-intuitive and "we're all victims" (or, rather the Kioskian "we're all guilty") reasoning is given mileage by that distinguished jurist, ornament of the judicial bench and fool Judge Michael Mettyear.
I thought that the Peter Simple column in the Telegraph all those years ago was fiction. It wasn't: it was prediction.

MTG said...

Corruptus pessimus is the main causative agent in a plague affecting public services throughout Yorkshire, Julia. Many folk are confident that our new chief constable, Sir Charles Boardman, will reverse the decline.

Our cash-strapped Authority has secured a contract for 'Chips' Boardman in the sum of £25. A natural resistance to corruptus pessimus, together with a record for halving crime elsewhere, are conclusive paper credentials.

Robert the Biker said...

So, is this piece of crap still in the forces? Only it doesn't say!
Solution is to launch a complaint against the Minister and get your local MP to ask a question in the House.
Or, of course, to ask a few of the larger lads to fill him in for you.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, but since when did being 'poked. prodded and called embarrassing names in front of your friends' constitute sexual assault and require recording on the sexual offenders register? Or did I completely miss something in the report?

So we have a girl poked and shouted at and because she was embarrassed she reported it? Being a girl, this automatically becomes sexual does it? Wonder if the same done to a male would result in the same (my own experience as a male squaddie would alter that to kicked and screamed at - wonder if I should claim some compensation for 'hurt feelings' affecting me 20 years later?).

Welcome to the C20 army - the touchy feely service for the perpetually over sensitive.

I despair!

JuliaM said...

"I thought that the Peter Simple column in the Telegraph all those years ago was fiction. It wasn't: it was prediction."

Some theories like to hide in plain sight, clearly!

"So, is this piece of crap still in the forces? Only it doesn't say!"

I would hope not!

"...constitute sexual assault and require recording on the sexual offenders register? "

Since 'sexual assault' was redefined to be 'anything that makes someone uncomfortable'.

"Welcome to the C20 army - the touchy feely service for the perpetually over sensitive."

But oh so modern and progressive!