Boris

I like someone who speaks it like it is (or how they see it) or with a sense of humour so Boris has rarely got me hot under the collar but this outpouring is, at best, crass, at worst, completely offensive to all those who have suffered "malarky" at the hands of sex pests and abusers. It didn't feel like a bit of malarky to me and I still have problems which stay with me over 40 years later. It is a disgusting use of language.
I have always enjoyed Boris on comedy shows like HIGNFY but have never thought he belonged in politics. I think his presence has just shown how awful our political system has become when you have Boris and the politician who is still voting whilst tagged.

And yes, I'd rather 100 victimes of a historic crime were denied 'closure' than one person got knifed tomorrow

I don't think it for us to be making those kind of judgements.
Actually its very insulting to those people who suffered abuse. I have watched the odd thing where people have talked about what they went through and it is literally sickening.

If the country was properly run, there would be absolutely no need for this either/or mentality.

Yes Boris belongs in comedy but there again politics is a comedy.

Annie the family were suffering anyway. Not following up historic cases because the perpetrator is dead just leaves the miasma hanging over them and their family.

Agree maryeliza54

I thought we learned quite a lot from the investigation into Jimmy Saville even though he was already dead. I think that we learned that just because a person is rich and famous they are not therefore decent and honourable, even if they are supported by the BBC and politicians.

That just because someone is working for charity they should not be allowed unsupervised access to vulnerable people.

It would be a sad world if we were suspicious of everybody though.

This isn’t about Boris and his education

EXACTLY, Annie!

Within two posts left wingers slammed Boris and his public school background. The minute I read the OP I thought the very mention of his name would inflame left-wingers. I was right.

It's almost a Pavlovian response.

Bash Boris when you see his name, forget the OP or question posed.

I believe all those who have been sexually abused (or abused in any other way) deserve justice, no matter how long ago the incident(s) took place.

The victims of such crimes need to be able to see that even if the perpetrators are dead, the organisations for which they worked are being scrutinised.

I am glad investigation into historical abuse is something we are aware of. If there can be no conclusion, if no one is brought to justice because they have died, as have their victims, there is little point in spending millions investigating.

I believe my parents may have been abused in institutions back in the 1920s, but the buildings and people who inhabited them are no more. Record keeping was not rigourous either. Following it up would be pretty pointless and very expensive.

As for the present day, I think it makes it harder for would-be abusers to get away with their crimes if speaking up is the order of the day. Many perpetrators will have died taking their vile actions to the grave with them, but we have to hope those living now with a propensity to abuse may think twice before acting, given this is a high-profile issue.

If only some right wingers had at least a modicum of humour. The remarks about his education by me were never meant to be taken seriously. They were of course a reference to the fact that public boys' schools have always had a reputation for condoning and sometimes actually encouraging what might be termed abuse. The idea being that it was character building. "Fagging" would still have been in place when Boris was at school, so perhaps he thinks abuse is acceptable. Maybe we should be considering him as a victim?

I have long been a fan of Boris, I like the flourish of colour and eccentricity he brings to an otherwise rather grey institution. However if he has indeed used such terminology about such a serious and sad issue I will never defend him again.

Child abuse is the most heinous crime and most often victims feel fear and shame and it takes a long time for some to be able to come forward, hence the great age of the perpetrator or even after the death of the perpetrator and each one needs to be heard and investigated.
However I do feel that names of alleged perpetrators should not be made public until proof of guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt.

You may be right trisher if so we should be less eager to condemn him ?

Pear there’s no ‘if’ about it. He did on national radio and it’s easily available online

I so despise the man that I don’t even want to re-read his comments about child sexual assault investigations...
his lack of empathy is staggering...
I cannot bear him ...
And don’t get me started on brexit...

I think he has been completely disrespectful to people who have suffered terrible abuse. Just because it was a long time ago it doesn't mean that these crimes shouldn't be investigated. We owe it to the victims. I think it does help them to know that their suffering is being taken seriously even after many years. It's ridiculous to say the money on the investigations should be spent on knife crime of course we need spend money on both.

Alleged victims in some cases

Not necessaarily just alleged victims Annie he was condemning all historic abuse investigations and therefore the real cases as well as unfounded ones.
Of course he could have been the one in charge at his school and the one forcing someone else to fag for him. (maybe that's why he doesn't want historic investigations.)

trisher ‘in some cases’ this means not all cases ,

He condemned ALL historic abuse investigations Annie he didn't distinguish between cases.

Have you some personal experience in this area Annie? I cannot understand this at all. The odd, unwell person may fabricate things but mostly and sadly it is true that people have suffered. Therefore they have a right to be heard and their experiences validated. Surely?

these historical cases should be investigated particularly in light of the revelation that David Steele allegedly knew more than he let on

Cyril Smith was alive when the police investigated the allegations against him.

trisher read POGS post, some alledged cases listed there

Although, think Boris is crass and vulgar, I am going to say something in his favour, because even he has some redeeming features.

At one point he was MP for Henley and I was a volunteer Home Advisor for Age Concern (as was). I was trying to get someone's house insulated and draft proofed under some government scheme, that, as ever was badly run and incompetent. After three months of ringing them and hanging on for hours, emailing them, and getting only a standard acknowledgement , I finally asked the client if I could contact her MP (Boris). She agreed and I did, and within days the company was in touch and within three weeks the insulation was in. Even if he didn't do it himself directly, he had an extremeely efficient constituency office, who knew people would jump to, if his name was mentioend.

Of course he could have been the one in charge at his school and the one forcing someone else to fag for him. (maybe that's why he doesn't want historic investigations.)

Do you understand the 'fagging' system trisher?
It may possibly and occasionally have meant sexual favours but generally did not.
I am not saying that this was right, btw.

I relied on WIKI Jalima1108- but please note I did say "Could have"
Under school rules, fagging might entail harsh discipline and corporal punishment when those were standard practices. Fagging was sometimes associated with sexual abuse by those older boys.
The practice of personal fagging faded away during the 1970s and 1980s,
Boris is 53 so would have been there in the 70s before the practice disappeared.

Flashman

My Mum went out with the most lovely man who was kind, considerate and if he hadn't been the most boring man on the planet, he would have been perfect, I thought. He had the most lovely manners, had been to Public School, worked quite high up in the bank and was generous in spirit. You can imagine my shock when I asked him to sign a petition about domestic abuse (which I had actually suffered in my previous marriage) whereupon he smiled nervously, declined and said, "I'm sorry, I would but I don't believe it happens or the women wouldn't stay." I was speechless. He just had no idea and he rapidly fell in my estimation.
One thing I did think though, was that some of the stories I heard about the antics in and out of the fagging system was just how abusive it was but that he didn't seem to recognise it even when it was happening to him. It just makes me wonder how many of the people in power who boarded in Public School really have any concept about what constitutes abuse. To have their eyes opened would mean that they perhaps had been abused and it would diminish their sense of self.