Just spotted a book by Paul Gambaccini about his 2 years of bail due to yewtree investigation

[soulbug]

Looks to be a interesting book, I might grab a copy from Amazon

Google Paul Gambaccini and yewtree.

The book is called Love, Paul

He was a famous broadcaster, he was arrested in 2013 due to sexually allegations and was on bail for 2 years, it is written by him and details his harrowing experience.

[Franticwithworry]

Thank you for this.

[hello88]

there's also a book called betrayal of memories by sophie ____ i was looking at getting. There is also another one i read about two pages of before breaking down but i cant remember what its called, my mum has borrowed it so i will ask her again

xx

[Franticwithworry]

I got this from the library and found it interesting reading - once you get past the daily entries of who had what for dinner, where and with whom.

Though Mr Gambacinni's difficulties run in higher circles than most - who of us would have Stephen Fry speaking to eminent politicians on our behalf? - his issues regarding employment, finances, health and so on mirror ours. I wonder too, how many of our situations are manipulated for political reasons. More than we might think, I suspect.

He seemed to be better informed by the police of what was going on in his case, though reading through the forum, there seem to be no guidelines on that. Some people get lots of feedback from the OIC as to where in the system the 'investigation' is while others, like us, get nothing, just new date after new date.

It was certainly worth the read. False accusations know no boundaries of class or socio-economic group and the effects are the same. Having said that, selling basic possessions to survive is a little different from selling a prized collection of comics.

Mr Gambacinni ends by commenting that it could happen to you, the reader, and asking what 'you' are going to do about it. We need at do something and we need to demonstrate that FA's affect everyone, from teenagers to pensioners.

It has happened to us, and I've said on other threads, I believe that campaigning for anonymity before charge isn't, of itself, nearly enough. We are ideally placed for raising this profile. In fact we are the only people who can, effectively. Us, the accused, and their wives, partners, mothers, sister, brothers, friends; the whole spectrum of people who find and benefit from this site. Everyone's experience and perspective matters.

There is another thread talking about gathering statistics so that we can make an approach, as a group, to celebrities such as Paul Gambacinni and Sir Cliff Richard, and ask that they include the ordinary person in their campaign for change.

Personally, I think we should do what Mr Gambacinni has done and get our experiences (I'm deliberately not saying 'stories') on paper. I have started collecting items I see in the news of people who have been acquitted.

I'd like to suggest that anyone who has been found not guilty, had an NFA on this site or is dealing with a wrongful conviction, write everything down, removing names if they wish. I am happy for this information to be sent to me either by PM on this forum or I'll give my email address if asked by PM. I will collate them, anonymise them if requested and needed, with a view to sending them on to Paul Gambaccini and Sir Cliff in due course. Another member of the forum suggested that 20 or so participants would make a good group when talking of gathering statistics, but 20 or so experiences would be powerful. It think it would also be good if people ended by saying what they would like to see changed. We don't all need the same changes, so multiple changes need to be asked for.

Our individuality gets lost. We need to gather together to be effective.

I would need to find some help getting some contact details as I don't know where to start with that apart from writing to the publishers of Love Paul.

And I think we would need to be sending the same information to politicians too - the Prime Minister, the Justice Minister and so on, pointing out, amongst other things, the waste of money to the public purse.

Any thoughts or takers?

[Jan11]

What a great post franticwithworry. We're not far into our experience, just a few weeks. I'm happy to share our experience once we know what is happening.

I've often thought about speaking to our mp about our experience too. I'm determined to follow this up, again when we know what's happening. Aside from the obvious, it is frustrating that taxpayers money is being wasted on these investigations, then on top of this people can claim compensation without a shred of evidence. All at a time when we are constantly being told there isn't enough money for our health service.

Unfortunately it seems this is just another symptom of the something for nothing attitude which pervades our culture.

[Rights Fighter]

Mr Gambacinni ends by commenting that it could happen to you, the reader, and asking what 'you' are going to do about it. We need at do something and we need to demonstrate that FA's affect everyone, from teenagers to pensioners.

I started in FAs in 2000 when a friend of mine was sent to prison by his daughter. He was fortunately released on appeal in 2001.

In 2002 I became "active" and believe me, many, many people have been trying "to do something about it" since long before I became aware of false allegations.

I often have to wonder at how many people, new to false allegations, can honestly and truthfully believe that nobody has done anything at all. Before my introduction to FAs in 2000, I later found out that campaigning groups had been very busy from at least the early 1990's.

A few years back I was gobsmacked by one woman (who was a member here but banned) who attended a United Against Injustice meeting in London, who had the gall to stand up and ask "where are the support groups?" We should organise ourselves". Dr Andrew Green who started the Innocent groups and UAI groups was also taken aback, given that he had organised that particular meeting, and present were many representatives from various groups, including FASO and PAFAA among others.

The same woman said the same thing at a FACT conference. Again she caused offence by her comments as obviously FACT members were there, they have campaigned since long before I had been in the FA "business" and also present were FASO and PAFAA members.

People HAVE been campaigning with evidence to HANSARD, letters to MPs and other Government Ministers, God knows how many petitions, marches, laying of wreaths..... etc etc etc..... for at least the last 25 years......

In the late 1990's and early 2000's there was an All-Party Select Committee for False Allegations which was then headed by the then MP Claire Curtis-Thomas. I was in weekly contact with the Earl (call me Freddie) Howe until around 2005.

Campaigns HAVE been running and still are. Petitions are still being sent and ignored. Many are badly worded and ask for multiple complaints to be addressed, so it is not surprising that they are ignored. But at the end of the day, it's not a "popular" cause.

Until a serving Prime Minister is falsely accused and it goes the distance of a wrongful conviction with no hope of an appeal, absolutely nothing will be done to rectify it. Complaining that nothing is being done is an insult to all those who actively campaign daily, weekly, monthly or even yearly.

[Franticwithworry]

RightsFighter, I'm not suggesting for a NANOSECOND that no-one has done anything, or anything approaching that. What I am suggesting is that more needs to be done and new tactics tried.

All that has been done so far, with the greatest respect to all that has gone on before, has not achieved the desired result. Indeed, in the current political climate, things have got measurably worse. What I am suggesting is that, seeing as powerful people, media people are beginning to push for change, we 'ordinary' people must not be left behind. We must be included and our voices must be heard. We need a highly visible campaign. We need the help of motivated people with contacts.

I've been following the Police and Crime Act going through parliament at the moment, the one that Teresa May touted as dealing with the bail issue. From what I can see it will do nothing to help us. Those accused will simply be in the same endless limbo but without bail conditions for the most part. For many, that will solve nothing, though it/she promised everything.

My abject and profound apologies if you thought I was doing anything other than suggesting that the time is ripe for renewed and new efforts, and stating my willingness to be involved. We need voices like those of Paul Gambacinni and Cliff Richard, potentially powerful people, if we are going to be heard and they haven't been available before.

Voices like theirs may make a difference, but I think we need to get them to speak for us and demonstrate the scale of the problem too. Right now, too many think that FA's are tiny minority and the CPS website confirms this way of thinking.

Many have done much, I know that, but we need to do more. I'm sorry if I offended you by giving the impression that I thought nothing or little had been done so far. I should have said we need to do 'more' rather than 'something'.

I was meaning that getting some high profile people on the side of the little people might help get the ball rolling again and in the right direction.

Edited to add - I have scoured the web for hours and not come across details of any campaigns that I can join. I've learned from experience that individual letters to individual MP's achieve nothing. I've been fobbed off by multiple MP's depending on where I live relentlessly over a number of issues. Petitions are all too easily ignored. Somehow, this issue needs to become more visible and people need to understand that EVERYONE is at risk rather than thinking that there is a sex offender in every household, which is what some want us to think. As I said, the issue as I see it is mainly one of visibility.

[Lilyput]

The only thing I will say about there being 'nothing' is compared with other situations that cause equal trauma there's no 'game plan' no counselling service or physical support group. However that certainly isn't due to a lack of commitment or a lack of people trying. Its more a lack of funds as it isn't a popular cause as has already been said.

[Rights Fighter]

We had a number of very high profile people on board in the all-party select committee many years ago. When Claire Curtis-Thomas stepped down as an MP it seemed to die a death.

If only we could persuade MPs and people in the House of Lords to step up to the plate, once again.....

[Lilyput]

There afraid to speak out as many of them have been accused too if they supported a person who was actually guilty theyd be the next person accused no doubt

It's the CPS and the police that know it's unfair system that need to speak out imo.

[Franticwithworry]

We had a number of very high profile people on board in the all-party select committee many years ago. When Claire Curtis-Thomas stepped down as an MP it seemed to die a death.

If only we could persuade MPs and people in the House of Lords to step up to the plate, once again.....

Indeed, and again, apologies. My point was and is that things have changed, got worse, and we need renewed efforts. According to Paul Gambacinni's book there are high profile people, in politics and the media, who supported him and understand the issues. Poorly worded petitions need to be replaced with wisely worded ones.

Again, I'm not suggesting nothing has been done, but that there are many more falsely accused who can be encouraged to join forces and and join the campaign for change. The events of the last few years, post-Saville mean that new strategies are needed. I only meant to suggest one possible avenue, now a new cohort of pop stars, media people and MP's are running the gauntlet of false accusations.

[Rights Fighter]

No need to apologise.

The problem is, once the FA has gone away either NFA or NG then people tend to move away from groups and don't want to know. Imagine if I had done that in 2001 when my friend Rob was released on appeal.

I know I have only made a very small difference but it has been huge to many, whose trials were stopped due to evidence I found, or got the NG verdicts due to evidence I found and appeals that succeeded where I refused to give up on them.

Few people hang around once they've got the desired result.

[Lilyput]

You guys are stuck with me no matter what I couldn't live my life built free and forget those who weren't as lucky (though I may not be that lucky myself )

[Franticwithworry]

I've spent more time trawling and found the Select Committee report you spoke of, RF, and the FACT website. Both of these focus on institutionalised abuse.

I also came across this site - www.falselyaccusedhsa.co.uk - which seems to be trying to do what I was advocating. It seems to have been a bit quiet for the last 9 months with only the Twitter feed showing activity. It is/was trying to do what I was advocating.

It has only had 3579 views. It's depressing.

I'm not going anywhere either, RF or Liliput. I'm concerned about anonymity while we are still awaiting a charging decision, but once that comes I don't intend letting this disgraceful situation lie.

Hats off to you, RF, you do wonderful work for which I and many others are truly grateful.

[Rights Fighter]

I am but one person. Just wish I had more hands and brain power to do more. It's like a conveyor belt. I work on one case and along comes another three, and I have to choose which ones I can take on.....