Oh no. Not Sir Cliff!

GailD · Aug 16, 2014

I'm quite surprised that no one opened this up for discussion:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...Richard-historic-sex-abuse-investigation.html

Spurious litigation for purpose of extorting some cash or is Sir Cliff hiding a secret?

Sir Cliff Richard yesterday furiously denied sexually assaulting a schoolboy at a Christian rally. His denial came as police raided his home over the allegation dating back almost three decades. The star said
The star said 'completely false claims had been circulating on the internet for months but he had chosen not to 'dignify' them with a response.
Detectives swooped on the singers £3.1million apartment in Berkshire, spending five hours searching for evidence after receiving a report that a teenager under the age of 16 was attacked in Sheffield at an even held by American evangelist Billy Graham in 1985.

I wonder what kind of evidence they hoped to find after all these years.

williemeikle · Aug 16, 2014

There have been rumors about CR swirling for years now - about involvement in the Elm Guest House affair that might yet see many more politicians and popstars in serious trouble. There's an ongoing police investigation - CR has a super injunction in place to stop the media talking about him in relation to that one.

Google Elm Guest House, or follow #elmguesthouse on Twitter for the historical background.

GailD · Aug 16, 2014

williemeikle said:
Google Elm Guest House, or follow #elmguesthouse on Twitter for the historical background.

If that appeared in our local papers, I sure missed it.

Alessandra Kelley · Aug 16, 2014

Those injunctions against reporters even mentioning a person's name in relation to investigations bother me. Didn't Rolf Harris have one of those?

Shakesbear · Aug 17, 2014

What bothers me is publishing accusations before they have been fully investigated. Rumours circulate all the time about celebrities. Some of the stuff I heard when working in the professional theatre were just plain malicious. The search of CR's place was s farce! TV cameras and a reporter already there when the police arrived. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28823699

alexaherself · Aug 17, 2014

GailD said:
I wonder what kind of evidence they hoped to find after all these years.

I imagine they're looking for what they call "similar fact evidence" from which they might want to try to judge whether further investigation of a (maybe uncorroborated) single allegation is warranted.

Shakesbear said:
What bothers me is publishing accusations before they have been fully investigated.

This always bothers me, too.

But they say that it's often in response to that that other victims come forward. In a way, I always instinctively want to be able to produce a counter-argument to that, but it isn't easy.

Alessandra Kelley · Aug 17, 2014

Rolf Harris' lawyers sent warning letters to UK news sources to keep them quiet about his investigation.

Apparently, as soon as his name was actually mentioned people started contacting the authorities with more stories of him molesting them.

And as publicity of the trial became widespread, lawyers said they were hearing from a new wave of victims.

Discretion is all well and good, but keeping investigations secret it makes it too easy to claim that there is no pattern of misconduct, as victims who do not hear of the investigation are not heard from.

This is a legal area where secrecy has not served victims well.

Oh no. Not Sir Cliff!

GailD

Still chasing plot bunnies.

williemeikle

The force is strong in this one.

GailD

Still chasing plot bunnies.

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian

Shakesbear

knows a hawk from a handsaw

alexaherself

Wordsmith and shoechick

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian