Why The Long Wait?

[sir.prize]

On 1 November 2012, Freddie Starr was arrested by police at his Warwickshire home in connection with the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal.

Practically 12 months on and still no charges.

Why the long wait?

[ummmm]

They have lots of people to interview.

[boxtops]

all these cases are taking ages to amass the evidence, or discredit the rumours.

[sir.prize]

Wow. Really ummmm. Lots of people to interview in relation to Freddie Starr's 'offences'? I don't think so.

boxtops - where they have evidence there have already been charges laid and court appearance dates made.

And why is it necessary to arrest people based on rumours?

To me it is grossly unfair to make someone wait 12 months without being charges. If they have evidence then charge - if not then why arrest?

[bednobs]

it's really not unusual at all for people to be arrested and then bailed for extended periods while police investigate. out of interest, how do you know he was arrested based on rumours?

[sir.prize]

bednobs - to take this long to investigate points to the 'evidence' being scant.

The word rumours wasn't mine it first appeared in the second post.

[bednobs]

i disagree with you, it's exceedingly common to "wait this long" to amass evidence, and in fact, even longer

[craft1948]

I always thought that the police had to have evidence before they charged you, nowadays it seems they arrest you and then try to find evidence.

[hc4361]

All that is needed to arrest a person is a complaint from somebody such as Joe Bloggs punched me. The person is 'arrested on suspicion of....'
They need evidence to charge a person.

[sir.prize]

craft could be right.

[sir.prize]

bednobs - I just cannot understand your thinking. You say "wait this long" to amass evidence.

AMASS? For goodness sake how many witnesses in one case can there possibly be to have to AMASS evidence!

AMASS really made me chuckle.

[bednobs]

errr yes she is right, that's how the justice system works.

[bednobs]

i really don't understand what you are saying - why does that make you chuckle? Amass = to gather or collect. I would hope that if they are going to charge him, then some evidence should be gathered or collected, right? I'm seriously not getting hwta you are not understanding here?

[sir.prize]

Amass = gather together or accumulate (a large amount or number of material or things)

We don't know how many complaints PC Plod has received - but large amount might turn out to be an exaggeration.

I'll stick with craft's 15:23 post.

Something really is not right.

[bednobs]

i would love to know how you know so much about this case. You can make assumptions all you like (number of complainants, amount of evidence gathered) but i for one hope that the people doing the investigating aren't making assumptions about guilt or innocence, AND instead are gathering as much evidence as they can If he is going to be charged or in fact investigating and finding no evidence in order to decide not to charge. Personally whatever failings you seem to think the justice system has, i would rather leave this case to the justice system to decide, rather than randomers on websites!

[sir.prize]

Answerbank is a forum. I asked a question merely to create an online 'conversation'.

To me it seems a particularly long time for someone to wait for a decision.

Obviously we are none the wiser.

Personally I hope the outcome is the same as was decided re Jim Davidson.

[craft1948]

Some of these Savile connected cases seem a bit iffey to me..........

[bednobs]

personally i hope the outcome is that which the accused deserves!

[sir.prize]

I'll let is rest now bednobs. My parting shot is God help the defendant if you serve on the jury.

[bednobs]

why? if i were on a jury, i would listen to the evidence and make the appropriate judgement i suspect. when i say "that which he deserves" i mean if he's innocent let him be not charged, and if he is guilty, let him get the punishment appropriate, i really don't get how you can possibly infer any of my personal views about guilt/innocence (considering i have no views on the matter, in fact i didn't even know he'd been arrested, or what for, and have not much interest in it at all)

[boxtops]

sir.prize, if I were on a jury I'd want to see all the evidence so I could make a balanced decision. One person accusing another of something isn't evidence.