Matthew Steeples examines the charges against Stuart Hall
In my youth I met a man named Stuart Hall MBE. Today, this self-appointed northern joker was charged with three counts of indecent assault on girls aged between 9 and 16.
Hall is a man described by The Independent as a “Northern hero with a penchant for hyperbole and hilarity.” In reality, he is just a bit of a fool. This television presenter’s attempts at humour were always cheap and tacky and whether he is guilty or innocent, he is a man who should be consigned to history.
Two stories to keep beside you
Paedophile Stuart Hall guilty
Stuart Hall admits 14 counts of indecent assault The former It’s A Knockout and BBC Five Live presenter (James) Stuart Hall OBE admitted to being a rapist and paedophile this morning.
OBE’d out
Stuart Hall stripped of his OBE As he faces further charges, convicted rapist and child abuser Stuart Hall has been stripped by the Queen of his OBE. Having had his sentence already doubled by the court of appeal, some might argue that this move was harsh but we wholeheartedly commend it.
This broadcaster portrays himself as a “national treasure” but in reality it is time he was just silenced. May the halls not be decked with Stuart this Christmas.
Readers have their say
13 comments
Oh no Matthew. I am disagreeing with you again !
How can anyone be arrested for something that happened almost 40 years ago when social interaction was not shrouded in fear as it is today ? It is such an indictment of today’s broken society. My husband was driving his van through a small village nearby (Llechryd) and he saw a small boy cycling fast and mounting the kerb and he took a bad turning and fell over his handlebars. My husband stopped to see if the little boy needed any help as he was crying and he helped him up and steadied the boy’s bike against a wall before driving off.It was only when he drove away that the thought came that he’d been very unwise.
What is happening now, is that we creating a huge climate of mistrust. A broken society shattering into pieces.
Unless something is done, no one will reach out to help anyone any more. How desperately, desperately sad.
People are innocent until proven guilty in a courtroom. Why don’t they name the person who has made this claim of abuse against Stuart Hall ? If the so-called victims are also named, perhaps it will put a stop to this ‘outing’ of so called abuse claims when society was far more liberal and far more happy that it is today.
Monima O’ Connor is suggesting that child abuse and rape is a acceptable norm and value in a Liberal Society. Child sexual abuse and rape are serious matters, and victims have a right to complain. Hope I misunderstood your post. Society have a moral obligation to protect its children. The children are our future.
‘McCarthyism’ has gripped the country again. What the hell is going on? It’s absolutely pathetic with anybody now jumping on ‘the perverted bus’ to get a free ride to notoriety! Let’s stop this nonsense of paranoia and self obsession as it is not doing this country’s foreign reputation an ounce of good. In fact this might be conjuring up a permanent veneer of slime and so preventing the nation to look back at anything without upsetting somebody, innocent or otherwise. Beware you could be next!
I must say it does bug me that I have to hear/read that someone has been arrested and charged for anything! I’d rather read/hear that they have been convicted by 12 of their peers otherwise they are found guilty by every daily mail reader as is now customary in the so newspapers make a few bucks more, every day until a trial.
Innocent until proven guilty. Don’t tell me about it until then!
Thanks E
Stuart Hall is a wonderful broadcaster. His wit, intelligence and use of the English language brighten up every Saturday afternoon, whether he’s summarising a football match or interviewing a player or manager. Speculation about his past should not fill the papers until he is proven guilty.
What really browns me off are newspapers writing that XYZ celebrity has been arrested/is being interviewed by the ‘Savile Police’. The taint this gives someone who may be innocent is disgusting. I look forward to the newspapers using innuendo being sued.
Police follow leads, they must go in the direction the leads take them. It is common sense. Where there’s smoke there’s a fire.
Where there’s smoke there’s a fire….You mean like that in the the Hell that was the Cleveland & Orkney Satanic Abuse debacles?
I hear what you say, however, the attempt to smear and discredit victims of sex crimes is not the ethical way forward. It won’t wash.
‘however, the attempt to smear and discredit victims of sex crimes is not the ethical way forward. It won’t wash.’
How did that pop up from what I asked? This is a waste of effort. Stick to one thing at a time. You might make more sense.
“DuckYou Sucker” Ho Hum is trying to discredit me. Oldest stunt in the book. Ho Hum is welcome to consentrate on the Cleveland and Orkney Satanic abuse debacles. Ho Hum is trying to be a smart ass. The Cleveland and Orkney Satanic abuse debacle has no relevance to subject matter under discussion either.
Apologies, misspelled concentrate.
The British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) Apology to Paedophile Jonathan King for writing him out of POP history. Sex Offender King forced the BBC into a humiliating apology after he was cut out of repeats of “TOP OF THE POPS”. King was convicted in 2001 of sexual assault on five teenage boys in the 1980’s. Simon Cowell posted 50000 Pounds of his bail.
Bang him up and throw away the key! Take away his OBE too!