abuse VERYAN DALE / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
murder of three boys as part of a VIP paedophile ring, which led to the very costly Operation Midland investigation. After that collapsed, a judge-led inquiry strongly criticised the Metropolitan Police. The judge said the Met had been wrong to continue to believe “Nick” after his evidence should have been recognised as false, to have said initially that his allegations were “credible and true” and not to have closed the case sooner. This damaged serious evaluation of allegations by the media and police, and recreated an unhelpful cynicism in parts of the press. Some newspapers seem to zig-zag between uncritical belief in the complainant then in the accused. There sometimes seems to be little attempt to establish the truth. In a new climate of scepticism, complainants are dismissed as fantasists or compensation seekers. In truth, as with rape, making a complaint of sexual abuse is traumatic and not done lightly. It is because of the publicity associated with cases such as
that of Jimmy Savile that we understand the scale of abuse. This has encouraged so many victims to come forward. In a statement relating to the collapse of the “Nick” allegations, the Met correctly said: “Anyone familiar with the history of child abuse and rape investigations will recall that for many years, the first instinct of investigators appeared to be to disbelieve those making the allegations, which had a negative impact on people’s confidence to report to the police or other authorities. This undoubtedly led to crimes going unreported and uninvestigated, and we do not want to return to that situation.”
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As journalists, we are faced by real practical difficulties in knowing who to believe where allegations are historic
Journalists, like the police, need strategies for sifting through claims and counterclaims. Some allegations will be false, but some are very credible. I suggest that journalists take a similar approach to good police work – look for corroboration and ask for background information. That might include describing places where events took place, details of the people alleged to be involved or who may have been witnesses. I recently asked what an alleged perpetrator smelt like, what clothes they wore and how they spoke, as well as details of places and events. Libel is another serious consideration. Greville Janner might
have been investigated by the media more thoroughly had the fear of a libel action not been a deterrent. It was even suggested to me in a radio interview that legal action could be taken to protect the reputation of a person who has died under the European Convention on Human Rights. While it is difficult to see such an action as being successful, it is a device family members might use to protect a deceased person’s reputation. Perhaps, more importantly, wilful and false naming of the dead as possible abusers without any evidence damages the credibility of all abuse allegations. As journalists, we must be willing to believe while remaining sceptical, and cautious about publishing. We owe it to genuine victims to report credible, evidence-backed allegations. But we also owe it to them not to irresponsibly publish malicious calumnies.
Abuse of Trust is £15 from Canbury Press
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