Is it Greater Manchester Police?
Mrs Andrade’s family told how one of the key failings by the criminal justice system had been a warning by police that she should not seek counselling to cope with the trauma of going to court, a decision which they felt was particularly damaging because of her history of self-harm.
Last night Greater Manchester Police, which investigated the crimes committed against Mrs Andrade, sought to distance itself from the decision.Is it Surrey Police?
It blamed Surrey Police, the victim’s local force, for giving what her family described as “heavy advice” not to seek psychological help during the two years running up to the trial.
The Surrey force declined to comment.Is it the CPS?
The victim’s family, from Guildford, Surrey, said she had been reluctant to give evidence but had felt pressurised by the police. They also criticised the CPS for failing to support her properly in the run-up to the trial, and disclosed a catalogue of mistakes and omissions in the way the vulnerable witness had been treated by the criminal justice system.Is it the entire justice system?
Jo Wood, a trustee of Rape Crisis, said: “Frances Andrade could have had the support she needed and we feel absolute despair that she did not receive it. But she was just thrown to the wolves.
“She was just treated, it seems, as if she was a piece of evidence or a crime scene, and nothing else."Is it everybody except the feminist whackjobs that insist a woman must always be believed no matter what and that no case, no matter how flimsy or historic, must be left unpursued?
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said: “There must be an urgent investigation into the handling of this case from start to finish. Although the details are still emerging, it looks as though something went badly wrong.”So long as they don't look too closely at the part you and Harriet Harman and Vera Baird played to see this policy through all strands of the justice system, eh?
Prosecutions for historic abuses, especially sexual crimes involving adolescents, make me uneasy: no evidence except recollections and a jury swayed by whom they find most sympathetic, alleged victim or alleged perpetrator. In this case there is no trail of serial accusers, so that whatever happened would probably have been best left unaired and plods' and the CPS's time devoted to current and prolific abusers of vulnerable girls right now by that group which should not be named except in vague geographic terms. The unhappy Ms Andrade would not have had to remember an unhappy adolescence and still be alive.
ReplyDelete"The unhappy Ms Andrade would not have had to remember an unhappy adolescence and still be alive."
ReplyDeleteShe'd already made several suicide attempts, so who knows?
Quite.
ReplyDeleteChris Grayling stated the bleedin' obvious - that unless victims do give evidence in court, the alleged perps will get off with a caution - and got it in the neck from the caring Left. he was a 'thug' for so suggesting apparently.
Anyone who attempts to halt the screaming mob and discuss things rationally is now a 'thug'...
ReplyDeleteMike Brewer was my music teacher (at a different school) when I was a similar age to that at which these women had involvement with him. He was 'interested' in his female pupils at the time, and these feeling were reciprocated in many cases.
ReplyDeleteHe wasn't a paedophile, but possibly was an ephebophile, but the only difference between the relationships girls of that age were having with boys in the Sixth Form and those they may have had with him was a few years...we looked and acted older than we were, and many of the teachers were only just out of college themselves.
At least one of the teachers went on to marry a (former) pupil, living happily ever after, and we all 'suffered' from the break up of relationships as a matter of course. Many of us were inconsolable when they ended, but most of us survived, and went on to become successful in careers and relationships, in varying degrees. I too have suffered from depression, anxiety, alcohol dependence and relationship problems...I'm not sure I know anyone who hasn't had some problems at least.
The school crossing man at my Infant School exposed himself to me, and placed my hand on his penis (in the swimming pool) when I was 5 when I didn't know clearly what a willy was, much less an erect one, as his was. I lost my virginity aged 14 to a boy/man of 18 (willingly, with pre-planning and a condom) I was 'date-raped' when I was 22 by a work colleague (no, I wasn't a virgin; I just made a mental note to avoid such circumstances in the future; no, I didn't tell the police, or anyone, I just grumbled a bit because the sex wasn't much good), but I believe the problems I have had were despite these instances, not because of them....unless of course, someone now offered me money to tell my story......... Incidents in the cited article took place 20-30 years ago; the teachers involved should have the right to put the weaknesses of their youth behind them
Enough said?
(I also managed to be reasonably promiscuous by the standards of the mid-70s, so probably not quite as prolific 'young people' these days, but by using contraception and common-sense, as well as being a little selective in my choice of sexual partner, but did not become pregnant (or contract any STDs) until I became pregnant by choice at the age of 25. Another way in which things are different now I guess.)