Some issues in public life should be very easy: safeguarding children as an absolute priority is one of them. Avoiding heaping shame on the innocent is another. The longstanding principles of justice in our country ought to make both ideas apparent.
And yet, as the Telegraph sets out, in some parts of our country those charged with sacred duties failed in them, scandalously and over many years. It is an utter disgrace and people are right to be angry.
Plainly, steps must now be taken at the national level to ensure this never happens again. There should be a national public inquiry: investigations cannot now be left to local authorities. Through it all, even in that righteous anger, there will be no justice in condemning innocent people by association because of their identity.
Posts tagged “Op Ribbon” at stevebaker.info
Given demands for a public inquiry into systematic child sexual exploitation to which a blind eye was turned over quite wrong and cowardly sensitivities about race relations, I revisited what happened in Wycombe in 2012 when a group of Asian men were arrested, charged and tried for similar alleged offences. Over one fifth of the population in Wycombe is Asian, overwhelmingly hailing from Pakistan.
The outcome of the case may be found here and my response to events at the time may be found here: seven men were found not guilty and the jury failed to reach a verdict on three men.
I am satisfied that in Wycombe and Thames Valley, the law was applied equally to all without fear or favour. The pursuit of justice for and the protection of victims was paramount in everyone’s minds. Appropriate steps were taken to manage tensions in our community.
The rest of this article sets out what ought and ought not to be done in the handling of such circumstances: zero tolerance is the right approach.
Victims come first
Though it ought never to be necessary, plainly it must be restated that victims come first in the pursuit of both justice and wellbeing.
I am satisfied that in Wycombe, Buckinghamshire and Thames Valley, the pursuit of justice and the protection of victims was everyone’s priority and guided every decision. I recall that the police, social services and other professionals collaborated to provide the right support to victims and potential victims.
A full commitment to the rights and wellbeing of victims should be at the heart of every action in connection with such cases.
The law applies equally to all
It is fundamental that the law applies equally to everyone, irrespective of background, position, or any characteristic which might set one person apart from another. People rightly demand that where credible evidence exists, arrests will be made and charges brought without fear or favour.
That is, there must be certainty that no crime will be ignored or perpetrator let off due to any aspect of their identity. People are also entitled to the certainty that no one will be treated as guilty by virtue of race, religion, class or any other aspect of identity. Justice must be blind.
This dual imperative is vital to establish and sustain a climate of trust between the authorities and the public, and amongst various sections of a community.
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty
Every individual is innocent until proven guilty, even when charged with an offence. And no one is guilty by virtue of their identity.
The allegations in Wycombe were of the most serious character, and any person found to have committed such grave offences needed to be dealt with accordingly – through the courts, with due process and subject to the full weight of the law.
Equally, it was vital to remain mindful that we all have a moral and legal duty to protect the innocent from the stigma that can arise in cases fraught with emotion and public anger. All too often, entire communities become tarnished for the actions of a criminal few. In Wycombe, we were determined to avoid scapegoating based on sensational headlines or unfounded conjecture.
I wrote on 22 November 2012:
The vast majority of British people are decent and law abiding. Pakistani British in Wycombe share my disgust at these events, which have no place in any section of our society. Such is their decency that many of them feel ashamed the accused even come from the same community. There is no collective guilt or guilt by association in this country. Fair minded people will not treat the charges as if they are an indictment on that community.
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Child sexual exploitation is always and everywhere a disgusting crime. Criminals who commit these acts must be prosecuted and their victims must be supported and helped. Leaders of all sections of society at every level have a responsibility to act to end these cycles of abuse. In Wycombe, we are united against such crimes.
As I saw in Wycombe, it is essential to remember that the vast majority of people of all races and religions are decent, law-abiding individuals of good character who are appalled by such offences. It is quite wrong to suggest otherwise: any allegation of complicity must be robustly substantiated to garner the support of everyone of good faith.
This is too serious for mere politics
Subjects like this are too serious for mere politics, the pursuit of electoral advantage.
In addition to the suffering of the victims and the shame felt by the innocent, the risks of inflaming racial tension through either action or inaction are too great. We have seen that riots are easily possible together with a compounding sense of injustice, with all the resentment that entails, particularly when reasonable people are accused of racism.
Any politician who was complicit in child sexual exploitation to avoid electoral disadvantage deserves to live in shame and ignominy. Likewise, if any politician exploits righteous public anger to obtain electoral advantage at the price of unjust shame on the innocent and rising social tensions, that politician deserves exclusion from public service.
Conclusion
It is a ghastly outrage that so many opportunities for failure have been taken over the years. Victims have suffered obscenely. Justice appears not to have been done. That could have been avoided if leaders at all levels and in all roles in our society had courageously applied their firm grasp of enduring principles.
Those principles ought to be well known:
- Justice for victims comes first,
- The law applies equally to all, without fear or favour,
- Everyone is innocent until proven guilty and no one is guilty by virtue of their identity,
- Justice requires the punishment of the guilty and the protection of the innocent, first the victims, then wider members of the community who bear no culpability, and
- These subjects and incidents are too serious for mere politics.
The rule of law exists precisely to ensure justice and prevent collective blame, ensuring that only those proven to rigorous legal standards to have committed an offence are held responsible and punished. This ought to be non-negotiable.
Everyone in a relevant position of authority – from ministers and MPs to police officers and officials – must have a firm grasp of the principles which apply and the courage to apply them regardless, even in the darkest of circumstances.
I am dismayed not everyone in our country rose to the standards we exhibited in Wycombe and Thames Valley when it truly counted in 2012. If we are committed to being a society of equality before the law, there should be zero tolerance of any other way.
Further reading
- The Rule of Law, Bingham, 2011
- My quick guide to the rule of law
- My blog posts on the rule of law
- Racism is running riot
This piece was first published at Fighting for a Free Future.
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