The question we have to ask ourselves is whether justice is being done? The answer I would come up with is no!
There are so many areas of concern.
Roy was accused by an anonymous woman of sexual offenses that occurred when she was as young as twelve. She is now in her fifties, remains anonymous and has precipitated a catastrophe for Roy. It has taken forty years for this to come out.
a. It seems to me that this is something that could happen to anyone – particularly those in the public eye. Anyone could maliciously report a fictitious incident and all hell would break loose.
b. The period of forty years needs examining. Is it time to institute a statute of limitations on certain crimes?
c. Anonymity is a big issue. It must have been hard for the woman but she remains anonymous. For Roy it has been worse than any nightmare imaginable. His life has been wrecked. It has bankrupt him with no hope of redress. It has robbed him of income, reputation, recognition and an award winning end to his career. It has destroyed his health. The police put it out in order to attract in other ‘victims’ but in so doing they bring down a furore on the person charged. Isn’t the human factor the most important? Shouldn’t they both have anonymity or neither of them?
d. The fact that it did not bring forward a series of other ‘victims’ suggests, as we who know him already are aware of, that Roy is not a paedophile. Why was it pursued?
e. The two and a half year wait to come to trial is worse than a jail sentence. Heaven knows what it does to people incarcerated on remand for years? Surely things need to happen faster than this? You cannot put innocent people under this duress for so long. It is not justice.
f. Why, time after time, do we find the Crown Prosecution not throwing these cases out? Surely they need a higher level of evidence before putting someone through this type of ordeal? They need to scrutinise the evidence more thoroughly.
g. I, like many others who have gone through jury service, have lost my faith in juries. It seems to have become a lottery. Repeatedly I hear of stupid jurors who do not listen, do not understand, inflict their prejudice one way or another or have vested interests. Is it not time for us to look at a better system? Perhaps a professional jury, properly trained to assess and judge?
h. The whole process is steeped in nineteenth century trappings. It takes far too long, is inefficient and unprofessional. It needs bringing into the 21st century.
I do not believe Roy has, will or could receive justice. I am not sure about his accuser at all. If she is a victim, which I personally do not believe, then the system has let her down too.
There are no winners in this apart from the solicitors, barristers and judges. They get paid handsomely.
Justice is not what courts are about. They are about the law and procedure. We need justice.