Cliff Richard

If someone admits that they made up an accusation then it’s clearly a false accusation but because an accusation can’t be proved doesn’t mean it’s false. Just as if a rape trial ends in a not guilty verdict it doesn’t mean that the accuser was lying. Some people who make genuinely false accusations have been prosecuted and imprisoned and that’s quite right but if you are going to name accusers it could only be when it was established they had made a false accusation either because they had confessed or there was other degfinitive proof. In the CR case we don’t know very much at all do we except the police decided there was not a case to answer. This does not mean it was or it wasn’t a false accusation - we just don’t know.

Maryeliza quite so.
Too many women do not bring cases because they fear being humiliated a second time in court. False accusers are trouble twice: once for the person they falsely accuse but also for all the women who lose genuine cases as people then think they are liars.

I am not sure it is any longer humiliating to go to court for anything. As I said upthread, at the time the law decided that those who complained of sexual offences should remain anonymous there was a stigma attached to it but that is no longer the case. Look at all the celebs who have come out proudly to make claims against Harvey W. It is almost a badge of honour to make such a claim now. Some people use such claims as revenge against an ex-partner who is then branded for life as an abuser even if the case is dropped.

Imo either both accuser and accused should be anonymous or both should be named. The argument that the accused should be named so that others who have been abused works both ways. If the accuser is named then others they have accused can come forward and say so. I have heard of serial accusers. I think it is very unusual for an accuser to be punished but if someone can give me a link to a site showing that many have I will read it. Once before someone said it was common but when I looked it was only one person.

nonnie I think you do not really believe that sexual assault/ power sex exists.
Whilst there are people who make false allegations (& who have been prosecuted) far more are too ashamed or afraid to bring cases. We are not all the same and what you or I might do in a compromising situation may feel impossible for someone else.

Poor Cliff, what a slight on his fautless career.It looks as though it has aged him and it obviously caused major stress for him.

Nonnie what utter rubbish - no stigma attached to getting raped? Really? Nobody saying 'she's a slag' 'she asked for it; 'look at what she was wearing' 'she'd had too much to drink' 'she probably likes a bit of rough' 'she didn't mean no really'. So you'd be happy for any raped 18 year old dgd of yours to be named in court and stand idly by whilst she was completely destroyed on MSM and social media? It is far more than one person that has been punished for a false accusation. Also there has to be evidence that it really was a false allegation and that is not necessarily clear cut enough in many cases for the person to be prosecuted. As PEGS ays, the balance is still way in any rapists favour and there are thousands and thousands of men walking around free who have committed rape and not had to face justice

For the avoidance of doubt, I think SY police and the BBC behaved appallingly. It was fortunate that CR could afford to sue and he'll be getting his legal fees (about £4m) paid by both organisations I'm sure. And quite frankly, I don't think we've got any right to pass judgement on what he does with any damages he's awarded. It's his money, due because of the terrible behaviour of others and he can do with it what he wants

Why should he not receive the money because he is wealthy ? I dislike this envy of wealth

I feel so sorry for him- he looks so much older. Gloria Hunniford has been such a good friend to him.

I am not envious of his wealth & of course he does not have to do anything he does not want to.
He sought to make a financial recompense for defamation of character/ embarrassment etc. He is a high profile born again Christian. It would be a positive demonstration of his faith & example to others if he donated the money to a charity of his choice..or made a statement to that effect. He may of course have done so.

PECS what gives you the right to decide what I believe and what I don't believe. How dare you? I have not labelled you as not having any sympathy for people who are falsely accused.

Of course such things happen but I believe we should all be treated fairly and there is nothing fair about people being allowed to remain anonymous when they have made false accusations. Do you not think the falsely accused should have any rights.

There is something wrong with a person who will make wrong assumptions about another person

Mary54 firstly I would never be so rude as to tell another poster that their opinion was "utter rubbish", we are all entitled to our opinions without being nasty.

I think your views are very outdated, I don't know anyone who would make such assumptions these days. I think you may believe that people are less intelligent than they are. People nowadays would never think that someone had 'asked for it', well certainly no one of my acquaintance.

Do you really think it is OK for people to blacken the character of someone and get off scot free? I don't.

PECS I think it extremely unlikely that CR will tell anyone what he has done with the money, that is not his way. He gives quietly without expecting any recognition, he is a true Christian.

Someone suggested he took the case to court for money, I really don't believe that, he doesn't need it. He simply wanted to clear his name.

Nonnie I can assure you that rape survivors who go to court, are dragged through the mud by the perpetrator's lawyers . Every aspect of their character and past behaviour is brought up, and used to paint them as having "asked for it". Your suggestion that this never happens, is naive to say the least. You may not know anyone who would say that, but lawyers routinely do it in the public forum of the court room. No wonder most rape victims never go to court - the character assassination is not something that any of us would want.

A demonstration of his faith ? Why should anyone make a public demonstration of their faith ? Rubbish , Christ criticised the Pharisees for this

stella where did I say it didn't happen in court? I didn't say that, please read what I said not what you think I said!

Everything you say also applies to the accused, his/her character is taken apart, reported in the press and bandied about all over the place. They don't even get police cooperation as was shown not long ago with that poor lad in Croydon who spent 2 years under suspicion and his life was ruined. If the police had produced the phone records as soon as they had them the poor chap would have been exonerated straight away. Are you saying that is fair? Do you think what happened to CR is fair? I don't.

Agree with you Annie it is to his credit that he doesn't talk about the good he does. He does it because he can not because he wants people to know. Of course he is not alone, Rod Stewart does the same and he is a totally different sort of person. Every time someone pays royalties for Maggie May (I think I have the right song) the money goes to UNICEF but he doesn't talk about it either.

George Michael was praised on this forum when it was disclosed, after his death, what charitable works he did, now Cliff Richard is expected to make a public announcement. I hope he doesn’t, he will be criticised for not giving to a charity some think should be benefitting .

Totally agree with you Annie. I don't boast about my charitable giving and don't admire anyone who does.

I often wonder why someone is honoured when it appears that all they have done is be successful in their career but it could well be that it is because they have been 'doing good by stealth'.

Interesting that those who have chosen to 'interpret' my views instead of reading what I actually said have not come back to comment let alone apologise!

Seems he has committed two crimes, wealthy and a Christian

Annie there are people who simply cannot cope with someone who appears to be a good person, also those who hate anyone who has made a success of their lives through their own hard work. I have seen no evidence that CR has benefited from others, just that he deserves all he has achieved. BTW, I'm not even a fan, I can take or leave him.

I think the problem with him taking the money is that it will come from us, the licence payers, who were not responsible for what happened to him.

I think he could have been satisfied with having his name cleared.

I agree Nonnie , I too am not a fan but what happened to this man was brutal

There has been no call from licence payers complaining of the treatment of this man , now there is outcry because of money.

Well going by this thread a lot of licence payers didn't agree with his treatment, if you can call that an "outcry".

Those are some of the people that are paying his compensation.