Thank you for your email.
Strangely enough I do not think we disagree all that much.
I totally accept – and have written – that abuse is a huge problem and that its extent has been underestimated.
I am sure that one reason for this was a failure to understand its nature. Therefore explaining and articulating what child abuse is and what a users do is vital. As my mother is a concentration camp survivor I understand the importance to victims of being heard and believed.
Our one area of disagreement concerns whether defending the rule of law, and the presumption of innocence, makes one the “peado’s friend”. I would argue that all victims and defendants need this presumption and it can’t be simply ignored.
I am confident that historical accounts of Jimmy Savile and Cyril Smith will reveal their true nature and I expect the truth to be damning. But it must be possible to argue for the process of law without being accused essentially of being an accessory to abuse.
With very best wishes
Daniel (Finkelstein)
TheTimes
Come on, there is a HUGE difference between:
1. a physically stronger and a physically weaker person
2. an adult perpetrator and a child victim
3. legal innocence and sexual innocence
4. a defender of ‘biased guilt’ and ‘biased innocence’
I.e. let the potential paedo defend his innocence and help victims formulate their allegations! For they are NOT equals before the law in post-abuse adulthood.
Yes I was pretty pissed off with this response too.
The paper is absolutely right. Presumption of innocence is the cornerstone of civilized society.
Yes, but Mr Finkelstein has a tendency not to regard the needs of the victims in his press articles regarding abuse.
It seems there are more voices to ‘name and shame’ in public than to defend victims. It beats me that perpetrators deserve the presumption of ‘innocence’ more than victims deserve COMPENSATION as a starting point!
And tellingly .. there never seems to be an apology from the authorities, does there? Especially those with a duty of care for the children.
That’s what I find so soo appalling: they prefer to cover up and cover up that admit to mistakes and apologise.
But then the ‘mistakes’ are by design and are policy, aren’t they!?…
Because the “victims” at the time have not yet been proven to be victims. That’s the way the legal system works.
Yes, it’s a male system, made my non-feeling men – for women and children with feelings as victims…
Men have to learn to connect their heads to their hearts as they grow older.
Women the opposite: their hearts to their minds!
You’ve done that BRILLIANTLY, Scarlet!!!
Presumption of innocence extends to anyone, both male of female. Perhaps you would rather we had the Islamic system where people can be stoned to death based on accusation?