Whilst I always thought that Jimmy Saville gave me the creeps, this whole thing is now beginning to resemble a witch hunt. Before judging this particular case against Hall, I think we need to hear the evidence.
Although what I will say is that for me - based on both assisting in the criminal defence and representing in the employment dismissal case an individual accused of abuse - the odds are horribly stacked against the accused in historical abuse cases, and more worryingly it is often based on the poorest of evidence, that because of the passage of time often cannot be reasonably tested. Thankfully in the case I represented the jury was not persuaded by the flimsy evidence, but I would say that my friend had to 'prove' his innocence, rather than the prosecution having to demonstrate beyond all reasonable doubt his guilt. He was lucky though, because a number of good people stood up alongside him, a number of people came forward to give evidence of a conspiracy amongst the accusers, as well as contemporaneous evidence such as photographs.
Most accused in abuse cases do not have either that level of support nor evidence from up to 30 years ago to clear themselves. And they are certainly not helped I'm afraid by the vested interests of self righteous social workers and police (in particular the child protection officers) who too often base their case less on establishing a coherent case based on the facts, based simply on the word of the accuser/s and all too often on the demonisation of the person accused.
I say my friend was lucky enough to have been successful in clearing his name, but it cost him and his family a terrible price, particularly the price paid by his children, for over three years until finally cleared after his 'second' trial, when his employer attempted to sack him, supported by the same group of social workers and police who had failed in the criminal case - he was successfully re-instated in his old job. And as anyone with any employment representation experience that doesn't happen very often.
So before some of you grab your pitch forks, torches and head off in mob style to lynch Hall ... I'd recommend that you wait to hear the evidence before passing judgement, the verdict and the evidence may paint a completely different story to what you have formed in your mind before hearing the evidence.
