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Owzabout That Then? The Jimmy Savile Revelations & Aftermath

genex17 said:
I was watching a YouTube documentary on the Jimmy Savile scandal. Somewhere in the comments, someone added, "it's "pedophile", not "paedophile". After he got roundly flamed for being ignorant of the UK spelling since it happened there, all I could think is "I'm sure Britons wished the other spelling was correct, just this once".
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In Australia it's pronounced Pedo, but spelt paedo.

I will keep this short - It gives me the edgars to watch and to hear the Americanisation of the Australian language. it might seem pedantic and petty of me but I say stridently, enough!

My preference for UK english on my computer is a personal choice, yet spellcheck constantly questions my spelling which drives me up the booie.

Rant. Over.
 
Coastaljames said:
The very same "moral authority" that puts pics of celeb's teenage daughters on their website with headlines like - "Sweet Sixteen- Isn't She Looking Grown Up?"- nudge, nudge, wink, wink...

Vile sleaze.
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They referred to Heidi Klum's eight year old daughter as a "leggy beauty"!

6a011570c131b2970c017d409355a6970c-400wi
 
Hey all. Thanks for your good wishes regarding my previous post. I wanted to explain my rationale for wrting anonymously.

First, there isn't much point in going to the police here, as I have no criminal case. The statute of limitations has long run out. The only option would be a civil case, which would not be worth pursuing.

Second, to be frank, I don't have much trust in the police here for good reasons. My experience later in life as a rape victim is a dark blot on my psyche that I have no desire to revisit. My PTSD related to these incidents is still very active. I don't think I could mentally handle it. And that was a violent stranger rape situation, I don't even want to think about what would be made of this one.

Third, the teacher was originally from that other country and has now gone back there, so I don't know what sort of international law applies here.

Fourth, it really was so long ago that I have hope the man saw the error of his ways and reformed. But if there have been other reports or even suspicions about him today, my letter might add some weight to them.

I've been thinking carefully about what to write and where to send it. I'm hoping to reach someone who would be duty bound to check into it and not just throw it away. I'm also going to talk to my old friend M. and see if she's also willing to write. Perhaps two letters will matter more than mine alone.

I do want to help if there is something currently going on, but it would be destructive to my mental health to bring more trauma into my life, especially at this point. The cops here work off anonymous tips all the time. If the person who reads my letter is doing their job, it should be considered properly, even if it is anonymous.
 
MungomanII said:
In Australia it's pronounced Pedo, but spelt paedo.

I will keep this short - It gives me the edgars to watch and to hear the Americanisation of the Australian language. it might seem pedantic and petty of me but I say stridently, enough!

My preference for UK english on my computer is a personal choice, yet spellcheck constantly questions my spelling which drives me up the booie.

Rant. Over.
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I enjoy this forum and its related topics, and I understand and respect others spelling and grammar conventions. We all go by what our country's respective conventions are. I don't get to decide what they are, so what I bring here is pure observation, not any attempt at correcting or debating others over something that I have no say.

Your spellcheck is not the result of any policy other than a software company that does not want to provide an Australian localized dictionary. In any case you can right-click on any word and choose "add to dictionary" so that it accepts it next time. I guess it's the forum spellcheck you are referring to, but any decent spellcheck will allow user input. "Sometimes you gotta train 'em". :cool:

Gene
 
Ulalume said:
Hey all. Thanks for your good wishes regarding my previous post. I wanted to explain my rationale for wrting anonymously.

First, there isn't much point in going to the police here, as I have no criminal case. The statute of limitations has long run out. The only option would be a civil case, which would not be worth pursuing.

Second, to be frank, I don't have much trust in the police here for good reasons. My experience later in life as a rape victim is a dark blot on my psyche that I have no desire to revisit. My PTSD related to these incidents is still very active. I don't think I could mentally handle it. And that was a violent stranger rape situation, I don't even want to think about what would be made of this one.

Third, the teacher was originally from that other country and has now gone back there, so I don't know what sort of international law applies here.

Fourth, it really was so long ago that I have hope the man saw the error of his ways and reformed. But if there have been other reports or even suspicions about him today, my letter might add some weight to them.

I've been thinking carefully about what to write and where to send it. I'm hoping to reach someone who would be duty bound to check into it and not just throw it away. I'm also going to talk to my old friend M. and see if she's also willing to write. Perhaps two letters will matter more than mine alone.

I do want to help if there is something currently going on, but it would be destructive to my mental health to bring more trauma into my life, especially at this point. The cops here work off anonymous tips all the time. If the person who reads my letter is doing their job, it should be considered properly, even if it is anonymous.
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I understand your reluctance to get too involved now Ulalume, I think I'd feel exactly the same way in your situation and would flat out need to protect my own head at the same time as trying to help others. Good luck with your endeavours on this, I'm glad you can still be a fighter on your own terms :cool: X
 
Ulalume said:
Hey all. Thanks for your good wishes regarding my previous post. I wanted to explain my rationale for wrting anonymously.

First, there isn't much point in going to the police here, as I have no criminal case. The statute of limitations has long run out. The only option would be a civil case, which would not be worth pursuing.

Second, to be frank, I don't have much trust in the police here for good reasons. My experience later in life as a rape victim is a dark blot on my psyche that I have no desire to revisit. My PTSD related to these incidents is still very active. I don't think I could mentally handle it. And that was a violent stranger rape situation, I don't even want to think about what would be made of this one.

Third, the teacher was originally from that other country and has now gone back there, so I don't know what sort of international law applies here.

Fourth, it really was so long ago that I have hope the man saw the error of his ways and reformed. But if there have been other reports or even suspicions about him today, my letter might add some weight to them.

I've been thinking carefully about what to write and where to send it. I'm hoping to reach someone who would be duty bound to check into it and not just throw it away. I'm also going to talk to my old friend M. and see if she's also willing to write. Perhaps two letters will matter more than mine alone.

I do want to help if there is something currently going on, but it would be destructive to my mental health to bring more trauma into my life, especially at this point. The cops here work off anonymous tips all the time. If the person who reads my letter is doing their job, it should be considered properly, even if it is anonymous.
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Ulalume - sorry I missed the fact that you are not in the UK (where there is no statute of limitations) and the perpetrator lived in another country. Things work totally differently in the UK - it is absolutely understandable that you do not want to get involved further.
 
escargot1 said:
Serious face on now -

The current 'football abuse scandal' makes me wonder if it's being taken more seriously because the alleged victims were boys. Y'know, where teenage girls might be groomed and abused by older men, they have often been dismissed as gold diggers or slags or even young but already hardened prostitutes. Their abusers have mainly got away with it.

On the other hand, hearing of young boys and teenage lads being treated in this way is seen as unnatural and so immediately accepted as wrong...
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If we're being optimistic, we could hope that this football story is some sort of tipping point, where finally there is enough will to get something done. Can we hope that from now on, all kids - boys and girls - can be treated seriously when they complain about abuse?
 
Peripart said:
If we're being optimistic, we could hope that this football story is some sort of tipping point, where finally there is enough will to get something done. Can we hope that from now on, all kids - boys and girls - can be treated seriously when they complain about abuse?
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In my view sadly a totally forlorn hope as long as authorities escape prosecution for cover ups.
 
genex17 said:
I enjoy this forum and its related topics, and I understand and respect others spelling and grammar conventions. We all go by what our country's respective conventions are. I don't get to decide what they are, so what I bring here is pure observation, not any attempt at correcting or debating others over something that I have no say.

Your spellcheck is not the result of any policy other than a software company that does not want to provide an Australian localized dictionary. In any case you can right-click on any word and choose "add to dictionary" so that it accepts it next time. I guess it's the forum spellcheck you are referring to, but any decent spellcheck will allow user input. "Sometimes you gotta train 'em". :cool:

Gene
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G'day Gene, message received.

I've been right clicking for ever it seems on words with 'our' that it wants me to spell 'or', and other words that are simplified from the original Greek, French and Latin spelling to the single vowel spelling that the majority of programmes use and it's gotten tedious.

It wasn't meant to be taken personally - it just gives me the Edgar Britts.
 
MungomanII said:
G'day Gene, message received.

I've been right clicking for ever it seems on words with 'our' that it wants me to spell 'or', and other words that are simplified from the original Greek, French and Latin spelling to the single vowel spelling that the majority of programmes use and it's gotten tedious.

It wasn't meant to be taken personally - it just gives me the Edgar Britts.
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No offense taken, just wanted to see if I could offer anything. I had a feeling it was going to take a while, but once you get there, you should not be bothered about it anymore.

Gene
 
Swifty said:
This ^ ... and the false accusers who also escape prosecution ..
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Anyone who covers up an allegation should be charged as an accessory after the fact should it prove to be true. If false, then perverting the course of justice. Be nice if it happened that way.

I'm baffled as to why any decent person would ignore or cover up allegations of child abuse in their organisation. So baffled in fact, I'm inclined to take an uncharitable view about those that do so.
 
I had a teacher in school who was violent towards me and I was not in primary yet anyway she shout and hit me in front in of the class. My Parents keept me out of school and my school try to put me into care and my parents got the police involved but the school did nothing about her it must be why I don't trust people in authority and I guess she did not like me but that's no excuse.
 
Coal: To preserve the authority and good image of their organisation.
 
Megadeth1977 said:
I had a teacher in school who was violent towards me and I was not in primary yet anyway she shout and hit me in front in of the class. My Parents keept me out of school and my school try to put me into care and my parents got the police involved but the school did nothing about her it must be why I don't trust people in authority and I guess she did not like me but that's no excuse.
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I had a teacher once (Mr Robinson) who lifted me up and threw me into a group of chattering kids before dragging me into his office .. I was probably doing something wrong knowing me back then but again, that's no excuse ... lucky for him I didn't tell my Dad, he would have calmly walked into the building and leather'd that teacher if I had, absolutely no doubt in my mind ..
 
Coal said:
True, but at the expense of potential victims of abuse.

I understand this motivation, I don't empathise with it. I despise it also.
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Nobody thinks it's anything but despicable, including, no doubt, even those who perpetrated it. They knew it was wrong. Also, it backfires spectacularly once the truth comes out, as we're seeing.
 
Little side note: Did anyone else watch National Treasure on channel 4?
 
Megadeth1977 said:
I had a teacher in school who was violent towards me and I was not in primary yet anyway she shout and hit me in front in of the class. My Parents keept me out of school and my school try to put me into care and my parents got the police involved but the school did nothing about her it must be why I don't trust people in authority and I guess she did not like me but that's no excuse.
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Ever thought of tracking her down today?
 
Swifty said:
It's fear. Fear of what will happen if you 'tell', fear of people avoiding you or accusing you of being a liar ..
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And fear of the potentially ruinous behaviour that an employer is likely to have towards a person who exposes that.

Not saying that makes it right, but there's known cases where whistleblowers have become unemployable and even taken their own lives after years of failing to get another job... no-one wants to end up like that. :(
 
OneWingedBird said:
And fear of the potentially ruinous behaviour that an employer is likely to have towards a person who exposes that.

Not saying that makes it right, but there's known cases where whistleblowers have become unemployable and even taken their own lives after years of failing to get another job... no-one wants to end up like that. :(
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There's one bloke in Cromer who blew the whistle on some hotel scams about 20 years ago .. he won but was blacklisted from working within the industry soon after. The happy ending to the story is that he's now a self employed business man running his own 'eatery' and doing very well out of it. I told him he's a legend in our town for doing that and he grinned. :cool: .. I'd prefer not to give any more hints about him.
 
cherrybomb said:
Little side note: Did anyone else watch National Treasure on channel 4?
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Yes, I did.
I thought it was quite good. It showed the "she-was-asking-for-it-I'm-just-a-red-blooded-man" way of thinking that's been discussed here. An attitude that, although very prevalent then, still exists today. It showed peoples selective blindness to wrong behaviour and their often convoluted reasoning for it. It also showed the powerful affects of psychological abuse and, rather cleverly, showed how we as observers want to know the prurient details "did they have sex and how pervy was it?"
 
OneWingedBird said:
And fear of the potentially ruinous behaviour that an employer is likely to have towards a person who exposes that.

Not saying that makes it right, but there's known cases where whistleblowers have become unemployable and even taken their own lives after years of failing to get another job... no-one wants to end up like that. :(
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Only a very small minority of people have the wider sense of responsibly to their fellow man to even flag any wrong-doing and in practice, many are ignored as they are regarded as attention seekers or those with an selfish agenda of their own.

This is because managers and those in senior positions are almost without exception, political/feudal managers, not meritorious ones, so they cannot conceive of (or comprehend) any issue which isn't just an attempt to advance the whistle-blower's selfish agenda.

The idea that someone might be actually raising a real ethical issue is a mystery to the self-absorbed egoist that most managers are. 'They' don't see a problem with ethics, so why should anyone else? 'They' after all are just the same as everyone else but better as they're more senior...

Worse, whistle-blowers must have support to succeed (three together seems to be a good number) and keep going, isolated whistle blowers always struggle. It's why open lines, complete anonymity and dedicated support staff are required in any organisation with a serious will to keep things on the level.

The sad truth is that about 90% of everyone will either do nothing or go along with it (most folk don't have a moral compass, it's more of a 'moral weathercock'), and worse, will then turn on anyone who stands up for the ethical thing to do.

And the further up the greasy pole one goes, the less likely you will see any ethical behaviour or resistance to unethical behaviour.


(not an ill-informed rant btw, every one of these points is taken from many and various psychology papers)
 
OneWingedBird said:
Well I could not have put it better myself Coal, and you've crystalised a few ideas there that I've seen firsthand but not quite finished processing yet.

I can't bring myself to 'like' that but have a metaphorical gold star.
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Look up:

PERRUCCI et al (1980) Whistle-Blowing Professionals Resistance to Organizational Authority

This is an oldy but goody and the behaviors spelled out here are classic (to the point of caricature) and haven't changed at all since.
 
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