Oddballs

A difficult one Frank as you're between a rock and a hard place. If there is any truth in this allegation then action needs to be taken, but if it is just spiteful gossip then that is terrible for the accused. How well do you know the person making the allegations?

I don't know the person well who is making these allegations but I have known the so call odd ball for about 8 years.
Yes he does some odd things but I have never known him to harm anybody or commit any offence.

Frank

Anyone who knows a person is likely to be a danger to children and has something helpful to share should go to the police, not gossip to acquainances about it.

I thought at first that frank had some unmentionable male complaint

Galen

Galen

Galen Shy and Retiring?

Well done Frank for challenging the assumption. We need to do this every time a vague generalisation is made. Such things can cause hurt ...

Frank, as you are yourself a victim of people making false assumptions over your right to your Dad's house, I am pleased that you stood up for this vulnerable sounding individual.

GALEN, SHYSAL , CSL

mollie

More serious if people keep on making untrue allegations about people at some point they may break and may go and say damage or even kill a child and where as it would be him to blame I think the people who drove him to do it would be equally if not more at fault.

Frank

Untrue allegations can be hurtful and damaging but are hardly likely to provoke somone to 'live out the prophesy'. People who 'damage or even kill a child' have far greater motivation of evil intent which is seldom dependent on what others think or say about them.

I think Frank's last comment is an example of the slippery slope argument (which doesn't hold water logically, nor, I hope, legally) about which some of us are holding a discussion here (in the latest part of the thread).

Frank your logic on motivation to do harm to children is so off the wall, it defies all understanding.

I suspect Frank's image of harming children is more in the "losing their temper and hitting them" sphere than in the paedophilia sphere.

I wasn't thinking about paedophilia, Elegran, although it would apply there, too. I can't fathom how being accused of hurting a child would drive someone to do it, according to Frank.

Everyone has their own theories of personality and motivation. You hear it all the time e.g. "everyone is motivated by money". "Nobody likes change".
Some of these theories are supported by research and data, some are not and some are just plain wrong eg. the popular US gun lobby argument "having a gun in my house makes me safer"
In the realm of child abuse I believe that when has very up-to-date knowledge and experience.

I heard Rich Hall talkng about gun culture in the USA, saying that the twisted logic of having a gun in the house for your personal defence is dangerous because the criminals you want to fend off are only trying to break into your house to steal your gun!

Being an odd person is not a criminal offence.
Probably if these types of allegations are made about somebody they should be investigated by the police and if it is found the allegations have no grounds a report of findings should be issued by the police and it should be then an offence for that person to mention that subject again.
If it is then proved that person continues to make the allegations then they should be fined about £1,000.00 and if a second offence happens then the fine should be £20,000.00

Frank

I believe there is a crime of wasting police time Frank. Indeed being odd is not a crime and many of us may well be considered odd in certain contexts. One way I am odd is that I don't mind picking up worms and other creepy crawlies because I find them interesting and not repulsive. Even cockroaches and spiders, (within limits). I would probably have been accused of witchcraft in earlier centuries.

I was quite defensive of someone in my village that a few people had reservations about because they put themselves so much in the public eye [ran a local shop/active church members etc]. When they did flee the village and previous convictions became public knowledge I realised that those people were correct . And yes, they did behave in an odd way but were so open about it I didn't believe the talk. People I knew that worked in the social services etc were the first ones to become wary.

My late uncle loved small children. He was married but childless and loved small children for their innocence and unclouded views. When ever he was out and met parents out with under 5s he always loved to stop and talk to the children. He never touched them, and children like that are always with an adult anyway.

I tried to explain to him why people sometimes shied away when he chatted, but he found it difficult to understand that anyone would want to hurt a small child. He loved my children and they adored him and I never worried about leave him alone with them.

Nowadays anyone like my uncle would immediately be suspected of paedophiliac inclinations, the feeling that a man who behaved like that couldnt really have an entirely innocent pleasure in the company of small children. I find this very sad.

I agree with you, Flickety. It's lovely to see children chatting with elderly people and for people to assume there is something sinister going on is sad. The default position should always be that there is nothing other than genuine interest in each other, for the vast majority of our population.

My lovely uncle was wonderful with children too. He would have loved to have had some of his own, but he and my aunt married quite late and it was not to be. He used to perform conjuring tricks when we were little and I was always surprised when he pulled a penny out from behind my ear. My kids were convinced that he had one leg heavier than the other! And when he and my aunt were getting on a bit, neighbours' children used to come to the door and ask if he was coming out to play! Indeed there was a big kid in him. I don't think anyone would have had suspicions about him as he was sociable with everyone - treated all alike, a wonderful man and I still miss him.