Paul O’Grady calls celebrity sex arrests a ‘farce’

Comedian and television personality Paul O’Grady has spoken out over the increasing number of celebrities who have been shamed in the press, without being found guilty of any crime, describing the proceedings as a farce. It follows a similar note of concern by magician Paul Daniels.

O’Grady told The Sun, “It’s not about the victim. It’s about ‘Look who has done it now. Look it’s another dirty old man’.

“The real villains are getting away with murder. Half of them I don’t believe — Rolf Harris for one. Who else are they going to destroy from my childhood? Andy Pandy? Bill and Ben the Flower Pot Men?”

The chat show presenter, who began his showbiz career as drag act Lily Savage, added:

“Whatever happened to being innocent until found guilty? It’s destroying their reputations.”

In December last  year television personality and magician Paul Daniels suggested that not all ‘victims’ were the unwilling innocents they have claimed to be noting the groupie effect stars in the past had, and still have. Its easy to see in footage from the 60s and 70s crazed girls throwing knickers, hankies and themselves at male performers.

He noted: “The super-short mini-skirts, the teetering high heels, the full slap made it… impossible [to tell their real age].”

“I think most people would agree that still applies today and maybe more so.” He added, “Life back then was a blur and therein lies a major problem with what is going on now. It was 35 to 40 years ago. How the hell can you say you did or didn’t? …Anyone can come along and claim to have been ‘abused’ by anyone they care to name.”

In January this year Telegraph reporter Charles Moore was one of a number who raised concerns upon the way some media took to reporting the allegations, and even the way the police were noting the incidents.

“Operation Yewtree – has [they say] “collated all the allegations against Savile, irrespective of where the offences took place”. It jumps straight from “allegations” to “offences”. It assumes that because allegations were made, the offences were committed.

And in The Sun this week, columnist Jane Moore pondered the issue,

“Because for every 100 genuine victims of sexual abuse – Stuart Hall’s being some of them – there could be one fantasist sticking a pin in the Radio Times and saying: “Whose life shall I ruin today?”

“According to a recent report by the Crown Prosecution Service, an average of two people a month are now being prosecuted for making false allegations of rape in cases that don’t always make the papers.”

The police began their mission to root out famous sexual predators following over 500 claims Top of the Pops presenter Jimmy Savile had used his fame to abuse youngsters.