[The Deadly]

I hope the family of the child are investigated now. The police should look at if they put the child up to this or not.

[Nicola_Red]

She's not a child now, is she? But I'm sure the police will indeed investigate. False allegations are a terrible thing and so damaging to both the accused and to other genuine victims of rape and abuse. I'm not sure whether he'll ever have an acting career again - let's hope he made enough money on Corrie to live comfortably. Craig Charles recovered his career, but it took a long time. It does raise interesting questions about whether the names of accused people should be kept confidential - I'm not sure what I feel about that issue.

[Topher]

All sorts of assumptions are coming out here - I didn't realise so many of you were at the court case. Look - it's an awful thing for a person to go through, but actually him being found not guilty doesn't necessarily mean the girl has lied, for the reasons Yudster said ("All I'm saying is that the trial failed to prove he did, it didn't prove he didn't (because it didn't have to)."). If there is evidence the girl has lied, of course she SHOULD (and presumably WILL) be investigated and possibly charged for it, but she was not on trial. If it was her word against his (I don't know enough to know whether that was the case or not), then I would have thought that although there wasn't enough evidence for a conviction, there also is not enough evidence to accuse the girl of lying?

One thing that is wrong and should probably not be allowed to happen is the defence using the fact that she didn't scream as evidence that she wasn't raped.

several said the name of the alleged shouldn't be revealed until after the verdict ia given, thoughts?

No. When all's said and done, open justice comes before the individual. It's not an easy thing to answer and there are arguments for an against, but actually the accused of other crimes are also named. It's also the case that accused people being named in either the local or national press has given other people the courage to come forward and say that the same thing happened to them - people unknown to the other accuser(s), whose story backs the other one up and this is vital in building a case against actual rapists. The big problem in rape cases is encouraging people to report them... clearly, granting the accused anonymity is going to do NOTHING to change that and will probably do a lot to discourage people from coming forward.

When all's said and done, here are the statistics (click for a link to an article that discusses this in more detail):

[Nicola_Red]

All sorts of assumptions are coming out here - I didn't realise so many of you were at the court case.

Being there in person wouldn't give anyone the uncertain knowledge as to whether the girl lied or not. Seeing her testimony might sway one more in a particular direction, but nobody except her and LeVell know whether it was lies. I have sat in on a rape case in Crown Court - not as a juror I hasten to add - and it is very, very easy to be swayed by emotions when you're there in person. An outsider who wasn't there may in fact be more capable of assessing the facts objectively.

him being found not guilty doesn't necessarily mean the girl has lied, for the reasons Yudster said ("All I'm saying is that the trial failed to prove he did, it didn't prove he didn't (because it didn't have to).").

Very true, and I often wonder how it would change cases like this if we had the Scottish verdict of 'not proven' in English law.

One thing that is wrong and should probably not be allowed to happen is the defence using the fact that she didn't scream as evidence that she wasn't raped.

Again, agreed 100%. When someone is threatening you, keeping quiet is often the most sensible survival strategy. Especially when it's an older, physically larger person who holds more authority than you.

accused people being named in either the local or national press has given other people the courage to come forward and say that the same thing happened to them - people unknown to the other accuser(s), whose story backs the other one up and this is vital in building a case against actual rapists. The big problem in rape cases is encouraging people to report them... clearly, granting the accused anonymity is going to do NOTHING to change that and will probably do a lot to discourage people from coming forward.

Exactly. I know someone who was falsely accused of rape and whilst the accuser changed their story very quickly, it still had a serious effect. But they still don't support anonymity, for those reasons.

[Misfit]

I felt awful doing it, but I had to ask the man on the phone at dominoes to pass me onto someone else. he had a very strong accent and spoke very fast and I had idea what he was saying. I apologised a lot but I still felt awful.

[chrysostom]

Don't apologise. Communication skills are a key aspect of any customer facing role. If an employee can't fulfil their duties in any given role, then they shouldn't be in that role.

[The Deadly]

I felt awful doing it, but I had to ask the man on the phone at dominoes to pass me onto someone else. he had a very strong accent and spoke very fast and I had idea what he was saying. I apologised a lot but I still felt awful.

Order on the Internet. You can never be put in that situation.

[DevilsDuck]

Or just act British and accept that you will have a cucumber and turnip pizza... But on the plus side it won't have greenies or jizz on it... Unless that is what you wanted!

[Topher]

I have retweeted this on Twitter, but someone I follow has cerebral palsy. For those who don't know, cerebral palsy is incurable and does not improve. Basically, this person has been told by A QUALIFIED DOCTOR for ATOS, the people reviewing disability benefits, that she needs to be reviewed every six months and that he expects her to be in full time work in a short amount of time. She is being treated appallingly. She has put it in better words than I could on her blog - please read it, it is simply astounding that a qualified doctor could come to that conclusion.

[The Deadly]

What is considered full time work?
I am all for people with disabilites going to work and earning for themselves but I hate the idea of people like that being forced into a job they would find difficult or forced into working somewhere that might expose their limitations.

[Nicola_Red]

Full time is 37hrs+. My cousin was subjected to one of those independent reviews the Tories have brought in too - he has a mental age of around 8, his speech his almost unintelligible unless you know him, he has walking difficulties, and is cared for full time. My poor auntie was terrified they'd somehow declare him fit for work.

[The Deadly]

Filmed my episode of the Chase today. I absolutely cannot talk about it but it is in this topic for a reason. I then came home to find a nice speeding fine courtesy of a policeman who judging from where the offence occurred must have been hiding in a tree. Got done for going 35 in a 30 zone which I don't dispute but I just don't like their methods.

[Topher]

Sorry about the speeding fine Deadly. Did they give any indication of when your episode will be broadcast?

[The Deadly]

They said sometime early next year. If anyone has the chance to do a TV show or is considering applying then you must go for it, you'll have a great time whatever the outcome.

[Yudster]

Aw, so glad you enjoyed it! However your comment "whatever the outcome" surely gives a massive clue as to how you got on!

[The Deadly]

I'll look like an idiot when you see it but the questions were rock hard. That's all I'll say.

[The Deadly]

I had to make up a profession to due to my recent redundancy.

[Topher]

I wouldn't do it because I have no desire to see myself on the screen and I certainly wouldn't be able to watch it back. Well done for doing it though.

[dimtimjim]

This has made me sad:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/23466305





Brrrrrap, brrrrrrap, brrrrrrap, I'm at the post office!


EDIT: well done to Deadly gynaecologist.

[chrysostom]

Hilariously, Westwood just plugged his next show on Choice FM on twitter throughout his last show #WestwoodChoiceFM21stSept

[Topher]

This has made me sad:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/23466305

Timbo, that article is from July; he's long gone.

[Nicola_Red]

Well, his last show was on Saturday. But the announcement was ages ago, yeah.

[Topher]

Oh okay, I sit corrected.

[Nicola_Red]

I only know cos Moyles tweeted about it, and it occured to me (and lots of other people I imagine!) that it was the same date as the final Moyles show - Sep 14.

[Nicola_Red]

Cheap kitchens spam is back with a vengeance! Today Chris and I have deleted 25 separate threads between us. I'm just glad that you guys don't have to see them anymore.