Bill Roache - what next?

marelli it does.

I have never been sexually assaulted, but I was in an abusive relationship in my teens. Sometimes it felt as if it was safer and easier to just let it happen rather than fight it, and the thought of actually telling anyone about it was impossible. I would have found this degrading - as if I was being assaulted because I wasn't worthy of not being.
There will be many children and women (and men, no doubt) who have suffered this type of treatment, to a greater or lesser degree, but it's the lack of worth that one feels when it happens again and again that decides the way a victim's life can go.
I would imagine that's what might happen in any form of abuse.

Didn't he do a lot more than that? According to her letter, he groomed her and then assaulted her seriously several times.
For me, any man who has ever used his greater strength, power or wealth to have sexual contact of any kind, with any woman, of whatever age, against her wishes, deserves everything he gets.
If the girl is underage, it doesn't matter that she was willing - it is the responsibility of the adult to observe the law.
Everybody who makes excuses for these predatory men is complicit in the harm done to the victims.

overthehill I have counselled the victims of this sort of assault, who were referred to get help because they were terrified and believed they would be raped. Some had been abused by others before that sort of incident, so not only did they re-live previous assaults and rapes but were traumatised by not being able to stop the perpetrator again.

Those of us who have dealt with someone trying it on as you describe your own experience will have a different level of resilience to such incidents.

Well done Yasmin Alibhai Brown, and the Police, you dont always get to see the positive side of journalism and policing.

Re Stuart Hall

Article in todays paper from a 16 year old victim.

Firstly let me say rape of under age children (which he is guilty of) is abhorrent and he needs punishing.

However this girl says he put his hand up her skirt in the back of a car and has had depression and suicide attempts since over this.

Come on, as young girl, I, as I am sure many of you here, had chancers trying to put their hand up your skirt but I never this blight my life.

Still, got her name in the papers and I expect she wants compensation. Never mentioned it previously funnily enough although it happened about 40 years ago.

Yes, I was impressed with the credit she gave to the Police. Good for her, and them.

And nice too, that Yasmin Alibhai Brown paid tribute to the Lancashire Police for their 'exemplary professionalism and commitment'.

Thanks for the link, ga.

Good piece of journalism and responsible action taken by Yasmin Alibhai Brown there, ga. Isn't it refreshing to see that side of the media, after all the speculation and hype that we get so fed up of?

Petallus remembering myself and my friends when we were 14 and 15 there was a reason why we were known as Jailbait. We all survived unscathed but it was much more by luck than judgement.What we would have been like if we'd had access to celebrities I dread to think!

Can't imagine where William Roache found all his hundreds of women. The only time I met him I found him a comple nonentity and not even particularly goodlooking.

Stuart Hall: interesting to read a little of the 'back story' here.
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/how-i-exposed-stuart-halls-abuse-yasmin-alibhaibrown-on-the-anonymous-letter-that-kickstarted-the-sex-assault-investigation-8601517.html

I agree granjura.

Stuart Hall now - the mind boggles. Whistle blowers were definitely needed - those who knew and did nothing are almost as guilty imho.

Child abuse is child abuse , however long ago it happened .

Leaves the child damaged for ever.

I am glad Stuart Hall has been brought to justice. These offences may be historic for the offender, but for the victims they are not. I don't see that it makes any difference how old the offender is, or how long ago the offences were committed.

Just had a rummage around the internet to see what's being put out there about abuse allegations, something I've never done before, and now I feel like I want to wash my mind after reading some of the horrible stuff I've seen.

Yes just read this on Sky News when how disgusting. This is what makes me wonder who else will be "outed" in the near future.

Pre-sentence, not re-sentence.

....and now we learn that last month Stuart Hall admitted indecently assaulting children as young as nine, and a rape has been left to lie on file. He has 'apologised' in court. Presumably he will be sentenced in a few weeks after re-sentence reports are prepared.

Young women were having babies adopted well before the sixties. Maybe not so many abortions in earlier times because not so easily available.

But surely I can't be the only Gransnetter who wasn't unaware of what was going on and wasn't an innocent 'child' at the age of 15?

There are rumours all over the Internet and even Cliff has been dragged in. All those 'fuddy-duddy' people who grumbled in the 60s about it being like Sodom and Gomorrah must be feeling vindicated now. The liberation of the 60s does seem to have thrown up some awful consequences. I loved the 60s but do remember some girls who came unstuck and had abortions and babies sent for adoption. I now realise there was so much more going on that I was completely unaware of.

I wait with interest to see how long it will be before Mick Jagger (well, any member of the Rolling Stones) Paul McCartney and what's left of the Beatles, and well, just about any pop star from that era up to the present, is dragged up for underage rape charges dating back from 40+ years ago. Not too sure about Cliff Richard though

I have my suspicions who else might be on that list too.

Yes Joan they seem to be dropping like flies at the minute and I wonder how many are just waiting for that knock in the door? Had a discussion about this with my sister las night and we agreed to disagree on the fact that rape is rape and it doesn't matter how long ago it was is it happened. Obviously the CPS feel that there is enough evidence against him (Bill Roache) to charge him with two counts of rape.