Anyone who has stuck with me for an extended period of time will know that I’ve expressed nothing but sincere admiration for Germaine Greer.<\/p>\n
As a writer, I have found her work to be thought-provoking, intelligent and, frankly, ahead of its time. Away from the writing circle, I have long admired Professor Greer’s ability to position herself in such a way that she was slightly distant from the academic environment, being seen to enjoy a firm grounding in the ‘every day’ world.<\/p>\n
But, if what I read in today’s print media is correct (and that, in itself is a significant point!), it appears that Germaine Greer has lost the plot.<\/p>\n
Speaking at last night’s Cheltenham Literary Festival, Professor Greer allegedly put forward the notion that a ‘name and shame’ website should be created, to enable women to list men who, they allege, have raped them.<\/p>\n
*pause for breath*<\/p>\n
The first problem I have with naming and shaming, is that we have a legal culture of being innocent until proven guilty.<\/p>\n
I have no issue with naming and shaming those who are found guilty – whether it is men found guilty of rape, or women found guilty of making false allegations of rape – but I do have a significant problem of anyone making unfounded allegations outside of the legal process.<\/p>\n
Let me put this in to perspective for a moment.<\/p>\n
It’s like me, as the father of a 13-year old girl, putting a post on this blog that makes a clear statement that Fred Flinstone of 32 Burnt Offering Crescent, Burbletown, is a paedophile who has sexually molested my daughter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Because, frankly, where is the difference?<\/p>\n What Professor Greer seems to be advocating is a website that stands outside of the legal process; the creation of a website where people are able to make unfounded, unsubstantiated allegations about – and let’s get this perspective straight – crimes of a sexual nature.<\/p>\n The website Professor Greer is advocating isn’t about naming and shaming some thug from across the road who throws stones, swears a lot and shouts at his (or her!) neighbours.<\/p>\n We are, in Professor Greer’s model, accusing a named person of being a rapist, and we are accusing that person of being a rapist without the least shred of evidence, and without getting anywhere near due legal process.<\/p>\n The big issue here is that being accused of a sex crime makes the accused person guilty by implication.<\/p>\n Do you remember the very sad situation a few years ago where Yvette Cloete was hounded out of her house by a mob because someone daubed the allegation that she was ‘a paedo’ on the walls of her home?<\/p>\n The reality is that that Dr Cloete’s only crime was to be a paediatrician<\/a>.<\/p>\n But that kind of mud sticks.<\/p>\n Just as I cannot be allowed to pull up a website and state to all of Google that Fred Flinstone of 32 Burnt Offering Crescent, Burbletown is a paedophile who has raped my 13-year old daughter<\/strong>, without going before the law and having that allegation subjected to scientific evidential scrutiny, no woman can be allowed to pull up a website and allege that she was raped by Barney Rubble of 34 Burnt Offering Crescent, Burbletown.<\/p>\n Because allegations are not always the truth.<\/p>\n I make this statement as someone who was identified – as a schoolboy – of being a rape assailant.<\/p>\n Fortunately I had an unshakeable alibi. While I was supposed to be carrying out this terrible crime I was actually at a family dinner party at a remote farmhouse 15 miles away. The dinner guests included my uncle. The Chief Constable of Gwent Police.<\/p>\n I’ve said enough on this for now, but I do hope that I have gone some way towards demolishing Professor Greer’s flawed thinking.<\/p>\n But just in case I haven’t done enough, here are just a few links, each one goes back to a high profile case where a woman has lied in the making of *at least one* (and sometimes more) false allegation of rape:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1224122\/Women-rape-ALWAYS-sent-prison-appeal-court-warns.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-398817\/Stalk-case-consultant-calls-anonymity-men-accused-rape.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1196362\/Policemans-daughter-cried-rape-night-ex-lover.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1292055\/Student-jailed-rape-claim-invented-extension-course-work.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1003683\/Jailed-The-evil-21-year-old-seduced-soldier-accused-rape.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/femail\/article-1186202\/The-rape-lies-ruined-lives-Taxi-driver-wife-reveal-devastating-cost-drunk-teenager-cried-rape.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-432637\/Church-ministers-daughter-cried-rape-times-jailed.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1127303\/BBC-personality-40-false-rape-allegations-ex-boyfriend.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-442772\/Jilted-lover-lied-rape-jailed.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1244204\/Cry-rape-businesswoman-falsely-accused-father-jailed-18-months.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1039281\/Wicked-woman-ruined-marriage-crying-rape-jailed-months.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1225823\/Nursery-assistant-cried-rape-times-jailed.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-460743\/Woman-false-rape-claim-jailed-months.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1285876\/Mother-falsely-accused-policeman-rape-jailed-2-years.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1050583\/Jail-Wren-cried-rape-seducing-lover.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1198088\/Woman-cried-rape-date-man-met-internet-chatroom-jailed-year.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-513702\/Jail-young-mother-cried-rape-cover-secret-night-stand.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1201224\/Mother-cried-rape-jailed-years.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-125949\/Snooker-star-cleared-rape.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1046530\/Woman-jailed-making-false-rape-claim-family-row-night-out.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/femail\/article-433819\/Girl-cried-rape-times.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-487985\/Man-freed-years-jail-double-rape-accuser-liar.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-416170\/Six-months-girl-cried-rape.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1184989\/Court-rules-taxi-driver-falsely-accused-rape-receive-compensation-legal-first.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1311522\/Woman-jailed-rape-charge-drove-ex-try-kill-twice.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1056570\/My-rape-hell-Wrongly-accused-man-tells-11-month-nightmare.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1224454\/Woman-cried-rape-sex-man-met-online-jailed-months.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/femail\/article-1283234\/One-man-killed-life-destroyed-All-girl-falsely-cried-rape-So-does-say-herself.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-454224\/Woman-cried-rape-justify-lovers-attack-ex-boyfriend.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-429835\/Bestselling-writer-lied-rape.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1049854\/X-Factor-girl-false-rape-claim-ex-fiance-walks-free-court.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1299310\/Woman-admits-SECOND-rape-offence-spared-jail-heavily-pregnant.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1197118\/Mother-falsely-accused-husband-rape-wanted-life.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1200746\/Ruined-lies-children-The-teachers-destroyed-false-allegations-pupils-know-theyre-untouchable.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-444298\/Lesbian-accuses-innocent-stranger-rape-win-lover.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1294947\/Leyla-Ibrahim-jailed-crying-rape-despite-7-months-pregnant.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1010364\/Schoolgirl-escapes-prosecution-false-rape-claim.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1048754\/Binge-drinking-mother-jailed-crying-rape-devout-Muslim-taxi-driver.html<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-181088\/Hamilton-accuser-guilty-perverting-justice.html<\/a><\/p>\n