Cyril Smith

And before you start jingle, anno's comment is not a personal one

Oh FFS! I only started this bloody thread because Gransnet was getting so boring! I gave the original post all of thirty seconds thoughts. I don't stuffing care!

At least it's given all the heavily world weary ageing social workers a chance to air their knowledge. It's not all bad.

First of all they're 'milking' the situation; then they are 'bleating'. Just think about the connotations of those two words, jingl. How would you like them to be applied to you or to someone close to you?

I am now Great Gran.
But I can remember, many years ago, Cyril Smith being accused, by Private Eye, of abusing young boys in a care home.

I was pretty horrified at the time to think of this grossly huge man forcing himself on boys who were unable to defend themselves.

I waited for Cyril Smith to sue Private Eye for slander - but nothing happened.

The years passed, but the story stayed in my mind.

If I, and probably many other ordinary members of the public, were aware of the allegations against him -why did his political parties, (both of them) not undertake an in depth investigation into his behaviour towards these boys?

I cannot help but feel that they failed, not only those young boys - but the public at large. If a man has got away, scot-free, with deviant behaviour towards children throughout his life - he certainly does not deserve a knighthood, or an unblemished reputation after death.

I'm not the only one, am I ? who is speechless and discusted by OPs comments.
All I can say is, you are fortunate that you have never spoken to anyone that this has happened to. These children/ young men never grow up. The poor, sad young man I met many years ago was stuck in that horrendous childhood.
I could cry for him now.

jingle...

It saddens me to see anyone lashing out at the people who have experienced child sexual abuse. Their own families and friends might think they are repeating their story too many times for comfort, but if they need to they don't need belittling or dismissing. I hope Cyril Smith's victims find some peace after all this time. I can't begin to imagine what their nightmares must be like. I do know that quite a few had alcohol and drug problems resulting from his cruelty to them, along with chronic anxiety and depression.

Many people DO "get over" and overcome the effects of childhood abuse, as demonstrated by a lot of people on here, but they do not talk down the importance of those effects on them, or the difficulties they have had in their emotional/mental health because of them.

I will qualify that. They should not be making little of the effects on other people!

"Just"

I can assure you, jinglebellsfrocks, that is is not just a case of "getting over" childhood abuse. It can affect your whole life and colour any relationships you may have. I find your remarks offensive to say the least. I very rarely post on here now bust just had to in this case.

jinglbellsfrocks swearing is totally unnecessary. You don't seem to have either empathy or sympathy for any of the victims of Cyril Smith. Well I hope that sometime you might have a rethink, and imagine what they went through.

Nobody is 'bleating', jingl. And it is as important to the victim to resolve historic abuse allegations as it is to resolve something that happened yesterday.

The abuse (physical or sexual) of children in "Care" or in boarding schools has been going on for some time, and many cases already dealt with.
I recently found out that several children in a Home near where I lived as a child had been abused, the case came up about 10 years ago. But some victims are still coming forward.
So it's a massive problem. the courts could be overwhelmed, but as someone else said hopefully a deterrent for other predators.
No excuse for Cyril Smith, but it's the well known names that make the headlines whereas many others are just as corrupt.

And I havern't a fucking clue what "sine qua non" means. You are obviously much more intelligent than I am. Congratulations.

Not relevant to the thread Soutra.

I didn't realise that "posting in a reasonable and pleasant way " was the sine qua non. I'll bear it in mind when posting on/ reading other threads, including those with expletives not deleted or where a lack of sensitivity characterises responses.

It's quite simple Iam64. I lose sympathy with grown men bleating about dreadful things that happened to them in their childhood. I want to say, get over it.

They aren't all dead. Allegations against Cyril Smith weren't confined to Lancashire and Greater Manchester police forces. He was found with child pornography in his car many years later, that investigation was also closed down, not by the investigating officers.

The young men who are now grown are not "suddenly deciding they have been permanently harmed by something that happened years ago". The reality is, they have been permanently harmed by their experiences at the hands of CS. To speak of these men in this derogatory way, and go on to say you have utmost sympathy for children abused in this way is confusing Jing. You seem to be implying that you sympathise with the children who were abused, but not with the adult men those children have become.

Not only are they not dead, but some are still in office. I first heard about CS's behaviour when I visited Rochdale with colleagues and was told about the allegations made by offenders who had been in care. All complaints reported, and in the 90s frustrations were being aired that CS appeared to be immune to attempts to prosecute him. That was less than 20 years ago. Those offenders will only be in their forties now and the officials concerned could still be in office for a few more years.

No, they are not all dead, jingl.

Here is exactly my thoughts, and then I will (try to) say no more.

Cyril Smith was obviously a sleazy, nasty, cruel man.

I have utmost sympathy for children who are abused in this way.

I think a cover-up should be investigated, although I would imagine that the people who covered it up in the sixties and seventies might be dead by now.

'Bye.

No jendurham. It doesn't "offend my sensibilities". Maybe I just have less sympathy than you for grown men who are now deciding they have been permanently harmed by something that happened to them many years ago.

You are obviously very tender hearted, and I, obviously, am not.

Investigate a cover up quietly?

I think they should unearth the lot, and they certainly should bring people to account who covered it all up. Only a thorough and in depth investigation, out in the open and reported in the media, will be enough to help the victims come to terms with both what CS did, and how they were treated after reporting it.

It might even frighten off current paedophiles, and stop further cover-ups.

Offends your sensibilities, does it, Jingle?
Anyone who has been a victim does not go on television or in the papers lightly.