Huw Edwards arrives at court this morning

It's an insult to people who have real mental health problems for people to use it as an excuse for disgusting behaviour.

Il watch Lucy Letbe on Monday night by the Telegraph with interest.

The other sico involved in this Alex Williams was found guilty of seven offences and given a suspended sentence.

JaneJudge

surely all abusers are mentally unwell? doesn't it go with the territory?

The short answer is No & No.

A principle of being ‘mentally unwell’ is that the condition may respond to treatment. Abuse is a behaviour by choice or compulsion.

Territory? Abusing beings ( I include animals at this point as this is often an early indicator) is a expression of an abnormal mind or personality, but that is not being mentally ill or unwell.

Possibly we use the word ‘sick’ when we may in the past have used words such as ‘evil’ or ‘depraved’.

He will have the best legal team money can buy. No doubt they will build a strong case citing mental health issues. Never mind the mental health issues of the children in the images he viewed.

Another example of how corrupt the BBC is. It just seems to be filled with weirdos. I feel very sad for his wife and family. I just wonder if he was a bit deluded and thought he was untouchable. Of course, when it all started to unravel he waved the Mental Health flag. Absolute scumbag. Those poor children who were groomed for use by paedos, of whom there seem to be more and more, hiding in plain sight, under the guise of fame and or "normal" family situations. I despair.

Callistemon213

🤬

That's my money!!
(Well a portion of my licence fee.)

I wonder how many people will refuse to pay their licence fee as a result of this and other scandals at the BBC?
Scandals? I should say crimininality.
Cover-ups.

I don't think refusing to pay the fee is sensible unless they don't plan to watch or listen to anything made by the BBC, which covers a lot of ground.

I agree that it's criminality though. And that anyone found guilty (or pleading guilty) should be punished, regardless of how 'big' they are.

A pension of £300k!! I suppose if he's paid into it it can't be taken away, and it is part of his salary. It doesn't seem fair though, as presumably he's been doing this for a lot longer than we know. The police can have their pension withdrawn if they are sacked for misconduct (I think - my understanding is based on years of watching detective series on TV, not actual knowledge, so I'm happy to be corrected), so I don't know why that doesn't apply across the board?

Aveline

He's still to keep his £300,000 pa pension. Hard to imagine a pension that size.

Pension entitlement seems a tricky issue.

Police officers who have been convicted of awful offences (thinking of Wayne Coussens in particular) still seem able to keep their pensions as they have contributed to them or something. Not sure of precise details.

I agree Huw Edwards’s pension seems huge.

Criminality.

Sorry, got a muzzy head cold.

🤬

That's my money!!
(Well a portion of my licence fee.)

I wonder how many people will refuse to pay their licence fee as a result of this and other scandals at the BBC?
Scandals? I should say crimininality.
Cover-ups.

Anniebach

Schofield did not break the law, the tabloids hounded him

I was talking about the way the case was handled though Anniebach. HR policies protected them both until the full picture emerged.

He's still to keep his £300,000 pa pension. Hard to imagine a pension that size.

Schofield did not break the law, the tabloids hounded him

Callistemon213

How independent can they be when it is their own staff involved?

I meant financially independent of advertisers and government.

I'm not sure I understand how they can be independent or otherwise when it comes to abusers. Unless you are implying that they were complicit? I very much doubt it, but as has been pointed out, there is employment law and also laws to protect the 'innocent' until proven guilty.

Look at the outcry on here when people tried to even discuss it - we were told that we were sensationalising, scandal-mongering, tabloid reading harridans, who would have enjoyed knitting at the guillotine. It was the same with Schofield. We are just chatting online. If the BBC had taken action at the time they would have been breaking the law, and think of the hoo haa that would have caused.

I agree that if the knew what was happening and covered it up (as with Savile) then the 'lessons learned' from Operation Yewtree need to be revisited, but I don't know that there is a suggestion of that? I also think that the Mental Health defence should be tightened. It's tricky, as obviously people shouldn't be hounded if they are innocent, but to basically threaten suicide as a way of deflecting from a serious offence shouldn't be an option.

I do too ‘NanKate*. I’m not sure how you ever get over such a betrayal by somebody you loved and thought you knew.

I don’t totally buy the BBC being at fault and should be closed down though, because I’ve worked in large organisations with HR policies that protect the employee through all eventualities. It’s not dissimilar to the Philip Schofield scenario in many ways, and ITV came under the same degree of scrutiny. The issue is that somebody is innocent until proven guilty.

I pity his poor ex-wife and especially his 5 children.

How independent can they be when it is their own staff involved?

Galaxy

I dont read the tabloids, I heard it on the news.

Yes, I don't read tabloids either, but I am well aware of the story.

I really value the fact that we have an independent source of news and comment (ie the BBC). I would hate to see it financed by adverts, as this massively curtails the sorts of things that can be reported on. Similarly, I wouldn't want to see it come under government supervision, or move to a subscription model.

Having said that, maybe there should be a ceiling on salaries, or confine presenter salaries to a fixed percentage of the licence fee to limit the amount that can be spent on them overall. There doesn't seem to be enough money to spend on the quality drama that the BBC used to be famous for, and maybe if less was spent on individual presenters that balance could be reset.

I dont read the tabloids, I heard it on the news.

Well, even the BBC has reported the news.

What we have learned about Edwards we have learned by reading the tabloids

It adds up to an ongoing concern about the BBC, Saville, Dr Who, Strictly, etc. Now it might just be that it's a large organisation that has existed for a long time, so like any organisation it will have unpleasant people and criminals within it. Or it could be a cultural problem within the organisation, both ideas are possibilities.

Iam64

I understand the frustration and anger that he continued to be paid and even got a pay increase. Legally in employment regs, this had to happen. What we’ve learned about Edwards since the story broke, confirms he’s self seeking, arrogant and very capable of going to law if the bbc hadn’t followed regulations.

The number of sex offenders who either aren’t charged or get a not guilty finding on a technicality is not small.

I agree it was in employment regs, I question the amounts a small number of people get paid.

Callistemon213

RosiesMaw2

It’s not enough for the BBC to bleat that “Lessons must be learnt”- they should lose their charter (or licence or whatever it is) and companies and independent broadcasters should tender for fixed term contracts.
A bit like when the railways were privatised.
Oh I know there would be total chaos but the BBC has become some sort of sacred cow about whom nothing may be said or done.
We have seen what stratospheric salaries they get from public money (for reading the news? Or discussing a football match. How hard is that?)
If they can do better than the competition they might get the contract but these should be fixed term and liable to cancellation of they do not meet the requisite standards.

👏👏👏

The BBC thinks it is untouchable.

This - I'm saying "this" because I emphatically agree with both comments, The BBC is indeed treated like a sacred cow. This latest debacle is a well trodden path with them. They treat some of their high profile people like demi gods paying them highly inflated salaries out of the public purse. They no longer operate in a world where people have a limited choice of a couple of other tv channels.