to think we should be really freaked out,by all the arrests for sexual abuse of children????

[Isiolo]

Firstly, I am not a 'paedophile on every corner' type of person. But I am wondering if actually, I should be??

Its a bit old news now, but more and more high profile celebs are being arrested for paedophilia in the 60s and 70s.

SO many people got away with it...for so long...Isnt this a sign that it is very widespread? and that it is pretty institutionalised??

Are celebreties more likely to be paedophiles than the rest of the population????

There doesnt seem to be much freaking out or outrage going on...I feel like there should be more

[Lottapianos]

It's seriously sickening stuff OP. Hopefully some good will come of it - those women who have lived with this for decades will get their stories heard and will see justice done. Rape apologists will have to stick this Stuart Hall story in their pipes and have a good old smoke on it.

Remember that most abuse of women and children still takes place within the home. However it certainly seems that there were many many famous and powerful men who thought they could just help themselves to whatever they fancied without any consequences. Lots of people did 'turn a blind eye' but some people did try to speak up and were ignored/ridiculed for it. It's horrendous.

[thebody]

The 70s was a very different era thank god. It was considered quite normal to punch a bottom and make sexist/racist comments in the work place and in general.

People are now being called to account for their vile behaviour and paedophilia

Can you imagine a nurse now saying to a child as the one at stoke mandoville said re jimmy saville' pretend you are asleep!' Disgusting..

I do t think celebs are more likely to be paedophiles but people in authority and power are more frightening and children are less able to speak out.

I think the police are doing a fantastic job in pursuing these men and long may it continue.

We all still need to listen to children don't we and act if we need to.

[worldgonecrazy]

If roughly 1% of people are paedophiles, then it makes sense that 1 in 100 famous people will be paedophiles. Some paedophiles get into positions that give them access to young children, whether that be through becoming a personality, or by becoming a teacher or scout leader. It's not really that shocking.

[LittleDirewolfBitJoffrey]

It's just horrible, but I for one hope that this underscores the message that MN adopted for the campaign "We Believe You." I hope this gives more people, adults and children, the courage and strength to come forward when things like this happen knowing that they will be treated respectfully and believed. I think we still have a long way to go.

[ArthurCucumber]

I was thinking that as well .

I understand that the 70s was a different era, and I understand that in those days there was more chance of getting away with a certain type of behaviour towards women.

But in many of the cases that are now coming to light, it isn't women that were being abused, it was children. I have been used to thinking of paedophilia as a rare thing, an aberration. But now I wonder just how much more there would be/was of it, if it was something men could get away with.

[Isiolo]

yeah, im a 70s child. I know sexism was more rife and acceptable...but PAEDOPHILIA???? Its a different thing entirely IMO.

That has never been acceptable

Yes, I agree, they are doing a fantastic job. I hope they get them all

[sydlexic]

It comes as no surprise. I do believe there are peodophiles on every corner. I don't understand why some people refuse to accept this threat exists.

[EldritchCleavage]

I'm not freaked out by all the arrests. I used to freak out before, when I knew all this kind of thing happened but it was routinely denied/minimised/ignored.

What is happening now is more reassuring than scary, particularly for those of us who are survivors of rape and abuse.

[Isiolo]

Although, that said...most of my friends growing up, had some experience with a 'dirty old man'

[meddie]

I dont think the celebrities are paedophiles though as most cases dont involve pre pubescent children (except JS) the majority of these cases are teenage girls that predatory males have abused using their statuses at the time.
I doubt whether any of these women would have had much help from the police in the 70's, as the attitude would probably have been that they threw themselves at these stars, rather than the stars took advantage of impressionable and vulnerable young women. its only been with a shift in the way society views this behaviour that we are now seeing these cases taken seriously.

[Tee2072]

Exactly, meddie, it isn't paedophilia. The girls are too old. It's rape and sexual abuse, for sure, but not paedophilia.

[MissyMooandherBeaverofSteel]

If you think about it though these are a spate of arrests now for abuse over a 40 odd year period of time. If they had been arrested at the times they actually did it then it wouldn't seem like so many.

Also we hear about every celebrity who gets arrested whereas for 'normal' people we only really hear about the ones local to ourseves.

[scaevola]

Back then, there was a perfectly legal organisation called PIE (Paedophile Information Exchange) and Liberty (including then staffers such as Harriet Harman) supported the abolition of the age of consent.

It was a different world, and one we can now see all too clearly as harmful.

[scaevola]

"Exactly, meddie, it isn't paedophilia. The girls are too old. It's rape and sexual abuse, for sure, but not paedophilia."

It's a mixture. One of the charges Stuart Hall pleaded guilty to today involved a 9 year old.

[Isiolo]

world i didnt know it was 1%, wow

[meddie]

Child of the 70's too Isiolo I remember the local 'dirty old men' and we all knew who they were, we were told by our parents to avoid going near their properties or to talk to them (we didn't know why though, because they didn't talk about stuff like that, )

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

The celebrities are highly visible and therefore make an impact both on the public consciousness and that of their victims. Someone else from 20,30 or 40 years ago struggling with having been abused might have moved on from the event, literally as well as metaphorically, and been able to consign their attacker to history. Someone abused by a public figure that appears regularly on TV or whatever will not have been able to do that... it'll be an open sore

My Mum (76) tells me that the paedophiles living where she grew up were well known as 'funny fellas' and mothers made sure kids gave their houses a wide berth. No prosecutions in those days...

[Booyhoo]

i dont know if this is just where i live or the families my family knew or maybe just that my parents talked about it more but trhoughout my childhood i was aware of different stories of such and such was arrested for 'interefering with' his daughters or similar. none of these were people i had contact with but i do remember my parents discussing it and i knew of these families. also, now as an adult i know quite a few men and women in my local town who are 'known' for trying to abuse chidren or abusing children or have been convicted of abusing children. obviously there will be many i've never heard about and many that no-one has spoken up about so yes i do sort of agree with the idea that peadophiles are everywhere. i know it's not a popular opinion but it's one that my own experiences support.

[ParadiseChick]

Exactly what meddie said. We need to be careful in our use of terms, there is a difference and it is important (although equally vile and it is uncomfortable discussing the differences) to differentiate.

[Isiolo]

scaevola WHAT????

[ReculverTowers]

2 people on corrie alone is more than 1% though

[nemno]

I certainly came across plenty of dirty old men in the seventies. If I knew the name of one in particular and I knew others had come forward then I would now too. So if he were a celebrity I would a) remember his name and b) be more aware that others had accused him.

I thought this was all normal for a pre teen and teenager to experience. It is a relief that all this is coming to light as being unacceptable.

[scaevola]

BBC story on Hall's guilty plea.

[megandraper]

I think there are a lot of paedophiles about, actually. And most of the time they look/seem perfectly normal to other adults. It is something that worries me. I think it's harder to protect our children than we think.

[x2boys]

this whole corrie thing is a bit sick am i right in remembering that the actor who played len fairclough was accused and subsequently let go from corrie for allegations of child abuse i remember this because it was supposed to have happened in the swimming baths in bury where i was brought up he would have known william roache surely?