Name withheld for legal reasons.??????
Discussion
Back in 2012 there was a well publicised case of a 15 yr old schoolgirl who eloped to Franc with her Teacher, and her name and pictures were plastered all over the papers.
In todays Daily Fail ther are extracts from a book written by her mother about the event
BUT the girls name is now Gemma and the surname is Williams, and a caveat at the end saying name changed for legal reasons. A few months ago there was a follow up, about this girl who, it was alleged, is still in love with the Teacher, will wait for him forever etc etc, and she has been given a new identity, and relocated BUT the paper cannot give her old name ...due to this 'legal reasons'
however as any fule kno all you have to do is google, xxxxxxxxxx and xxxxxxx and up pops her name which is XXXXX XXXXXXXX ( i'm not that stupid ) and the full story
Now what is the difference between this case and the one of the child killer Mary Bell, who now has a wikipedia page about her. also the Bulger killers Venables and Thompson,and Huntleys girlfriend all of whom now have new 'protected' identities and not had their previous name names expunged from the public record.
What is so special about this girl?
As this girl is
In todays Daily Fail ther are extracts from a book written by her mother about the event
BUT the girls name is now Gemma and the surname is Williams, and a caveat at the end saying name changed for legal reasons. A few months ago there was a follow up, about this girl who, it was alleged, is still in love with the Teacher, will wait for him forever etc etc, and she has been given a new identity, and relocated BUT the paper cannot give her old name ...due to this 'legal reasons'
however as any fule kno all you have to do is google, xxxxxxxxxx and xxxxxxx and up pops her name which is XXXXX XXXXXXXX ( i'm not that stupid ) and the full story
Now what is the difference between this case and the one of the child killer Mary Bell, who now has a wikipedia page about her. also the Bulger killers Venables and Thompson,and Huntleys girlfriend all of whom now have new 'protected' identities and not had their previous name names expunged from the public record.
What is so special about this girl?
As this girl is
If you are involved in a very public, pan-European search to find someone, it is relatively unwise to withhold their name from the public when you ask them to help.
Secondly, at the time she was named, it wasn't known if any offence had been committed, therefore no need for anonymity.
Thirdly, once proceedings were underway it was open for the court (in fact with sexual offences and those involving children it's automatic) to rule that complainants (and those accused where their identity might lead to identification of the complainant) remain anonymous.
Secondly, at the time she was named, it wasn't known if any offence had been committed, therefore no need for anonymity.
Thirdly, once proceedings were underway it was open for the court (in fact with sexual offences and those involving children it's automatic) to rule that complainants (and those accused where their identity might lead to identification of the complainant) remain anonymous.
From memory, the automatic right to anonymity begins when court proceedings commence. The press would be free to name the child at the investigation stage. A child defendant's right to anonymity usually expires on the child's 18th birthday. Witnesses (i.e. victims) are protected for life.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff