Jimmy Savile

Many of the powerful men who are not paedophiles have covered up for other powerful men who are.

You are quite right, nightowl -not all powerful men are paedophiles. However, I feel angry with those who knew about the abuse and did nothing about it, just as I felt angry about the failure of the catholic church to protect the vulnerable.

Stephen Messham has been treated terribly by the care system and now by the state. Let's not add to the injustice by assuming everyone who is named must be guilty. Yes many paedophiles are powerful men but not all powerful men are paedophiles.

A man in his seventies has been arrested in Cambridgeshire this morning by the Operation Yewtree police.

Perhaps he read the suggestions on various sites that the security services had 'dealt with' certain people who had complained about abuse, or were investigating it. I think some spy thrillers are not as far fetched as we once thought.

I feel for Stephen Messham. He has been bounced from pillar to post by the press, lawyers and police and, as a fragile person because he has been violently abused, exploited and threatened, is now being vilified. It's not him that should be hounded. Once again, closing ranks will throw up some more casualties. The press have put words in his mouth, lawyers too, and the police have not reliably investigated these claims - how could they be expectd to when they are part of the problem?

A case of of mistaken identity eh!

Maybe but how will we ever know.

If I was a poor, disadvantaged individual I might hesitate to take on the full might of powerful establishment figures. At least one of the victims has said he was threatened (as a child) with retribution if he told anybody about the abuse.

I think back to Jeffery Archer when he was cleared of consorting with a prostitute and won substantial damages against a certain publication.

And then later the truth of the matter came out.

I don't feel ashamed - just suspicious. Ranks have closed to protect their own.

I agree he should have resigned because he seemed frozen and made no attempt to manage the problem when the issue first broke. Patten does not seem to have stepped up and supported him at this time. The man was new in the role and needed the Chair to give him some support and guidance.

Unfortunately ,the "Man at the top" often only knows what he is kept informed of by other people! ( Who may themselves have something to hide!)

No "Boss" can be knowledgeable about everything without help!

Oh yes, that's certainly the case with Entwistle, when. He seemed utterly bewildered by the fact that he was expected to know about what goes on within the BBC.

More like he doesn't need this hot potato. Only just come into the job and been handed a can of worms. They really need to get ther act together at the Beeb.

j05 I agree and that's the kind of thing I was thinking of when I posted yesterday about my fear that someone would get hurt. I still fear that it will go even further than a damaged reputation and someone will die. I really think we need a clear statement from David Cameron setting out once and for all the scope of the investigations that will take place and then they need to just get on with it. What a nightmare it is turning out to be.

I think a dreadful injustice has been done to a man's reputation. There was obviously nothing to suggest he had anything to do any paedophilia. Both of his accusers have admitted it was a case of mistaken identity. Twitter has a lot to answer for. And us stupid idiots who follow it.

I feel ashamed.

Cowards! I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Entwistle's resigned. How many more will just duck out....

Indeed. The trouble is that a quick trawl of the Internet takes you to all sorts of sites where almost every member of the cabinet, both now and in previous years, is named. It's really horrible and there is no redress against these allegations.

Clearly, there must be an enquiry, but as, purportedly, many high ranking police chiefs are also named, I wonder if the most suitable persons would be those who undertook the Hillsborough enquiry. That one finally seemed to have got to the truth.

An interesting point when about whether Social Services will be carrying out risk assessments as you described.
Every dedicated and conscientious worker would want to do the right thing, but back up through the chain of command are potentially people who play golf with/attend the same masonic lodge as/went to the same school as.........it's insidious.
I was told to back off twice during my career. Not for situations as serious as those currently under discussion, but you get my drift.
That's why it is so important that 'ordinary' people make a fuss and take a stand. Too many evil people have been sleeping too soundly for too long. For years they have been smugly complacent about their connections and influence and feel that they are above the law.
I don't care how much the lawyers and PR advisors are making out of this if it means the clients they work for start looking over their shoulders and wondering whether their cloak of invisibility is wearing a bit thin.

It is all truly grim. Hardly readable. I have no confidence that the truth will out.

I supect that the alleged paedophile politicians are sitting with their lawyers and Max Clifford, preparing injunctions and libel suits, and the media are all behind closed doors, checking and re-checking their evidence sources, scared to death of being wrong-footed again. We'll be having Human Rights lawyers jumping on board next. Will Social Services be assessing risk to children living with, or in unsupervised contact with, those who have been identified? That's what happens when such allegations are made against 'ordinary' alleged sex offenders. I hope they will be allowed to carry out ther safeguarding duties without being threatened or made to back off.

Listening to the DG of the BBC, Entwhistle (?) being grilled by John Humphreys was toe-curling. Apparently, this Editor in Chief knew nothing, heard no evil, and saw no evil. He had no idea anything was wrong as he was at a meeting and did not see any newspaper reports. It was all done my those idiots on Newsnight, who should have made sure the right photo was shown.
They really do think we are all stupid, don't they?

It happens all over - the farmer who discovered the wrecked car with Princess Grace in it first said she was in the back seat, but soon changed his statement to say she was in the driving seat. Hm......

Give us a clue Ana I have no idea.

I'm also wondering why a certain more high-profile name hasn't made any sort of response yet....

This is like a maze of red herrings and I am definitely losing my way.I'm beginning to realise that this is 'their' intention-it's very worrying.I too wondered why Lord McA didn't voice his concerns from the beginning.

Agreed, when. The whole thing stinks, as Ella said.