nino_savatte
No pasaran!
Indeed, it does and I suspect more of this kind of thing.It's all got quite a "leaned-on" feel about it, hasn't it?
Indeed, it does and I suspect more of this kind of thing.It's all got quite a "leaned-on" feel about it, hasn't it?
I'm quite surprised at this if he's still protesting his innocence, but it's not at all unusual to parole someone at 50%, from what I gather.
I think the idea was that there would be a formal process to confirm whether or not this was to be a trial or a trial of the facts. Nobody will have been surprised by the outcome, but it's just one of those hoops that needs to be jumped through.Only just seen that.
But it's reported in that article that Lord Janner will be the subject of a 'trial of the facts' rather than a full trial.
But surely that's not new information?
The above articles's from 7 December this year, but as I recall, it was suggested a fair while longer ago that only a trial of the facts would be what happened. The article looks (to me) like it's no more than a confirmation of what was predicted ages ago. Or was that prediction just spin at the time from sources close to ... ?
Correct me if I'm wrong though please.
It's all got quite a "leaned-on" feel about it, hasn't it?
In his letter to the chief constable of Gloucester, dated 5 February 1993, Carey wrote: “I have been keeping an anxious eye on developments concerning my colleague Peter Ball, whilst being keenly conscious of the need to avoid any suggestion that I might be attempting to influence the police enquiries.”
Saying that he wished to offer a “few personal reflections”, the then archbishop of Canterbury wrote of Ball’s “wholehearted commitment to his Lord and the Christian Church”. The sexual abuse investigation came as “a terrible shock to me” and “seemed to me at first most improbable”. He added: “If he is guilty of unprofessional behaviour it is quite unrepresentative of his style.”
He acknowledged that “‘special pleading’ would be entirely inappropriate; at the same time ... I believe I am justified in drawing to your attention the excruciating pain and spiritual torment which these allegations have inevitably brought upon a man in his exposed position and with his sensibilities”.
A handwritten letter from Donald Coggan, the archbishop of Canterbury who consecrated Ball as a bishop in 1977, referred to his regard and respect for a “godly man, totally devoted to his church and to the people whom he has loved and served since his ordination”.
Renton, who was arts minister in John Major’s government until 10 months before writing to the DPP in support of Ball, said the bishop had “suffered terribly over the past six weeks” of police investigation.
Renton said he had never heard a “breath of any suggestion of impropriety” regarding Ball’s behaviour while bishop of Lewes in the MP’s constituency. He continued: “However, I know him well enough to be certain that no punishment will be greater for him than any knowledge that he has broken his own vows of chastity. This alone will make him suffer for the rest of his life. To add the further shame of criminal action seems far too great a punishment.”
Former high court judge Anthony Lloyd wrote that the bishop was “the most saintly man I have ever met” and that “if there is a latter day St Francis, then Peter Ball is him”.
He added: “And now he finds himself in this appalling situation ... He has obviously suffered far more already than any of us can imagine, and far more than a more ordinary human being would have suffered.”
None of the correspondents made any reference to the suffering of those who had made allegations against Ball.
Another tranche of Goddard's "lessons to be learnt".Lots of closing ranks shit.
The Conservative MP for Lewes, Tim Rathbone, wrote: "I find it literally inconceivable that he would ever become involved with anyone in the way the newspapers have described or insinuated."
James Woodhouse, the former headmaster of Lancing College in Sussex wrote that Ball was "acutely distressed" by some aspects of 20th-century culture, including "sexual permissiveness".
In his letter the warden of Radley College, Richard Morgan, said he had dismissed the allegations against Ball as "impossible" since the bishop had lived a life of "discipline".
I find myself completely uncomprehending at these expressions of support. Most of them seem to treat as irrelevant the question of whether he abused these people, and major on the idea that he's basically a Jolly Good Chap, as if that is really any kind of mitigation for the life-ruining stuff he was accused (and eventually convicted) of doing.A couple more in the BBC version of the story:
Letters of support for sex offender ex-bishop Peter Ball released - BBC News
I think it often does. And, in answer to your first question, I suspect that they could not see past what they knew of this man (and remember, abusers don't just groom victims - they groom everyone around them), and if they couldn't believe he was an abuser, then it was impossible that he could be one.Not sure whether they found the allegations incredible or whether they were urging other people to do so, or both.
Incredulity certainly played a large part in failure to act.
ETA: in general, I mean.
Apparently Vaz has deleted his Twitter and Facebook accounts tonight and a Sun front page tomorrow will feature a senior Labour politician.Oh this story is interesting
Greville Janner: Keith Vaz was among MPs who defended Labour peer against child sex abuse allegations
Apparently Vaz has deleted his Twitter and Facebook accounts tonight and a Sun front page tomorrow will feature a senior Labour politician.
Rushdie innit.Oh lordy lord, it's not the esteemed Bliar? Please put me out of my misery - I long to know who spoke those words.
At 22:26 his Twitter status changed to "FUCK YOU ALL! YOU WON'T PROVE ANYTHING"Apparently Vaz has deleted his Twitter and Facebook accounts tonight and a Sun front page tomorrow will feature a senior Labour politician.
At 22:26 his Twitter status changed to "FUCK YOU ALL! YOU WON'T PROVE ANYTHING"
Nothing today?edit: this is from July