Beware The Backlash: The Media And The Politics Of Paedophila
Posted: July 21, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized 2 Comments‘We have then done that old-fashioned thing: sought confirmatory evidence or – where appropriate – evidence which undermines or disproves what we have been told.’
This latter clause is a good principle of both journalism and scholarship – always try to test your thesis at its most vulnerable, and never cherry-pick evidence which suits an a priori conclusion. Sometimes this will mean the conclusions are more provisional or modest, but this is a better option than weakly founded conclusions.
A question I keep asking re Elm Guest House is whether some of those alleged to have visited there might have done so for discreet sexual liaisons with same sex partners, over the age of 16 (which would have been illegal at the time as there was a discriminatory age of consent, 16 for heterosexuals, 21 for homosexuals, but this law is little more just that then pre-1967 laws which criminalised homosexual acts altogether). Doing so might have left politicians open to blackmail or censure in considerably more homophobic times, but are nothing whatsoever to do with the abuse of children. Whether or not this was the case for some individuals I am not in a position to say, but I am concerned that people with no more evidence than I have do not want to countenance this as a possibility, as the result would be rather less spectacular than that which is anticipated/desired.
I won’t stoop to counter the slurs and smears cast upon Tim Tate in the last couple of days.
I’ll just give him a voice.
I can only hope that those with ears to listen pay heed. Certainly anyone who really cares about this issue should.
BEWARE THE BACKLASH: THE MEDIA AND THE POLITICS OF PAEDOPHILIA
By Tim Tate
“We are at a vital crossroads.
The coming weeks and months will determine the course of how paedophilia is investigated and how children can be protected from those who seek sexually to abuse them.
For the first time in a generation the public is being relentlessly bombarded with stories alleging the existence of VIP paedophile rings, cover-ups (both governmental and institutional) and accounts of men and women of the abuse they suffered as children.
This very public pressure – both in the mainstream press and in social media – has forced…
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Desiring Progress 
“Unfortunately, Exaro is also one of the most prominent offenders in publishing – and then hyping – inaccurate and over-sensational stories. Its story this weekend about the audio tape it acquired of a conversation between a former customs officer and a journalist [transcript published elsewhere on this blog] makes claims and deductions about a former government minister that are – to my certain knowledge – simply false. Worse, they obscure the real evidence which indicate that the man needs to be properly investigated.”
Tim Tate.
Now that the tape has been listened to by many and the allegations above found to be incorrect, one wonders if perhaps Tim Tate has any additional comments to make?
I can only imagine that he was either given an inaccurate transcript, or a different tape than the rest of us. Mr Tate has an excellent reputation so I believe it would be in his interests to clarify these discrepancies.
Hear hear. Come on Tim Tate, and Needleblog, put up a correction please- your information was inaccurate.