A perfectly innocent explanation ....

[andy-hughes]

Two men have been arrested for placing a sleeping child in the boot of a car, and driving some considerable distance. The police were alerted by shoppers who witnessed the incident in a Sainsbury's car park. the police are reported as saying that there could be a, quote, 'perfectly innocent' explanation for what shoppers had seen, but that the circumstances appeared 'suspicious'.

Now I'm as keen as the next person to see that the police don't jump to conclusions before the facts are known, but from where on earth does the thinking come that reckons placing a partially clothed sleeping four-year-old in the boot of a car can be explained as 'perfectly innocent', and even more gob-smacking is the notion that such an action only 'appeared' suspicious.

Given their lamentable profile in terms of falling over themselves to protect the 'human rights' of felons to the detriment of innocent people - and how much more inocent can you get than a sleeping child - maybe the police should brief their 'spokesperson' in advance about what he or she is going to say.

Something less in line with a willingness to see the potential for an 'error of judgement', or somehting from which 'lessons can be learned', and more in line with the view of any sane member of the public whom the police are paid to protect, which is that putting children the boots of cars is nothing else but 'suspicious' and the explanation couldn't find a notion of innocence if it tried!

What in the name of sanity are the police playing at?

Any opinions?

[cardiacbleed]

i guess it may be explained by them using a term to try and reassure the already nervous and neurotic "there's a pedo round every corner" mob and to inappropriately use the term "innocent" when what they actually mean is not a kidnapping pedophile gang roaming the country...

noxlumos posted an innocent scenario and andy you see more of a negative connotation... andy i know what you mean in so much why should the police pre judge the situation by attaching the term innocent suggesting no guilt, but you can be guilty of something through ignorance or stupidity without criminal intent and in fairness they have heard the explanation...

so in summary perhaps the term was inappropriate but was said to reassure the masses that it wasn't what most people (led by the media) feared prima facia so perhaps "no pedo, just thick as a stump" is the right explanation but "innocent" was more polite and succinct

[netibiza]

joko - I did answer that it was a hatchback with no back seats and she was in that space - but it didn't print out. I've seen a lot worse with kids not being strapped in properly in England. By the way a few weeks later daughter was strapped into carrycot strapped properly onto back seat when a car skidded round a corner and hit us side on, luckily only denting the car, and there was nothing we could have done about that as we were in a queue at a x-roads

[joko]

oh thats good.
I was having visions of a car with the boot open, flapping about in the wind.
thats terrible about that car htting you - i suppose the centre of the back seat must be safest.

[beejaybee]

One man was arrested in Bracknell & charged with child cruelty.