When everyone about you are losing their heads, cling to Ms. Raccoon

I wonder if, in times to come, our successors will look back on this era of hysterical child abuse accusations and liken it to the era in which we burned helpless, cranky but innocent old ladies and called them witches?  Today it is impossible as an outsider to take on board the myriad details of all these child abuse accusations which are flying around like snowflakes in a storm - and producing much the same level of visibility!  I have tried, on an occasional basis anyway, to concentrate on the Duncroft Home for girls with emotional problems of which Ms. Raccoon writes with considerable passion but, and this is critical, a passion strictly bound by a legal and evidential framework.  She, at least, knows where-of she writes in regard to Duncroft Home because she was, for a time, a resident there.  The fact that she has helped to destroy some of the false accusations made against the late Jimmy Savile and has remained consistently doubtful about the others, not out of any feelings for Mr. Savile but simply because there did not appear to be any conclusive evidence, indicates considerable courage on her part given the tide of hysteria on the subject.

In a recent post which is definitely worth reading, along with its comments thread, she points out that the police in:

Operation Yewtree recorded 11 ‘accounts of crimes’ said to have been committed by Savile at Duncroft. 5 of which were reported to have happened in the years 1970 – 1973. [My emphasis]

However, a subsequent police investigation:

Operation Outreach has now conclusively decided that Savile didn’t set foot in Duncroft before the 21st January 1974. [My emphasis]

In my bewilderment I am forced to wonder whether the old-fashioned habit of asking a policeman the time is worth the effort given that any two policemen are likely to give you three different times!

 

Comments

[Uncle Mort]

I've visited Ms. Raccoon's blog on this subject and like you I find it impossible to absorb enough detail to take a view on it. However, if 5 of the 11 ‘accounts of crimes’ could not have happened then where does that leave us?

[David Duff]

Confused but exceedingly doubtful, Uncle Mort!

[Peter Whale]

Like you I have visited " Ms Racoon" for several years and have found her painfully honest and exceedingly erudite. I do not know the truth about Jimmy Saville but always felt uncomfortable looking at his narcisstic performance but I cannot understand how his alleged myriad of crimes would have gone unnoticed by the media when he was alive. "The good is oft intered with their bones", Where did I hear that?

[David Duff]

Peter, I have a very good friend who has spent his entire life in show business as an impresario. His favourite expression is, "I hate the talent!" Even so, you need something more than that to accuse individuals of sexual criminality. An excellent quote, by the way!