Anorak

Anorak News | Gary Glitter Roams, Prowls And Infects The Tabloids: Paedo Puts World On Alert

Gary Glitter Roams, Prowls And Infects The Tabloids: Paedo Puts World On Alert

by | 26th, November 2011

GARY Glitter is on the Mirror’s front page. The headline declares:

“He’s back again”

And he has been away. Glitter’s music is not played over the airwaves, and you’d no more belt I Love You Love Me Love from the car stereo on the school run than you would dress up as The Leader for the Christmas party.

Before the convictions for paedophilia, Glitter had been a popular musician. Indeed the Mirror’s headline is pun on his hit song Hello, Hello, I’m Back Again, lyrics of which are overshadowed by his crimes:

Hello, Hello. It’s good to be back, it’s good to be back.
Hello, Hello. It’s good to be back, it’s good to be back.
Did you miss me, Yeah, while I was away, did you hang my picture on your wall
Did you kiss me, Yeah, every single day, although you couldn’t kiss me at all.
And did you love me, Yeah, like a good little girl,
Did you tell that naughty boy not to call, did you love me, Yeah, in your little world,
Although you couldn’t see me at all, although you couldn’t see me at all, Dance me Up!

The Mirror’s Tom Pettifor writes:

Charities last night spoke of their fears for children as pervert Gary Glitter was given the green light to roam the world.

Let’s not downplay it, Tom:

Critics branded the decision to lift a ban on him travelling abroad as “risky” and warned there are no guarantees a ­paedophile will not strike again, even if they have had therapy to try to tackle their sick desires.

Kidscape said he should not be allowed to travel abroad without someone keeping a close eye on him…

The charity’s director Claude Knights added: “To use one analogy, you wouldn’t put an alcoholic into a bar unsupervised. When you think of the person concerned it would be better for them if they are being monitored because temptation is never far off with these kind of offenders. People with these propensities are still very dangerous and it’s very difficult to give them a clean bill of health. It’s very difficult for anyone to say a convicted paedophile is now safe to travel abroad, especially to countries where child protection is not as well thought through as it is here. It’s no surprise that a person who is going to offend will go to places like Vietnam and ­Thailand It’s so sad because the most vulnerable children in these ­countries are the ones at risk.”

Glitter was convicted under his real name of Paul Gadd for sexually abusing two girls in Vietnam. It’s unlikely he’ll go there again.

The Sun’s headline screams:

Paedo Glitter free to prowl world

Although, in the story we are told:

Glitter, 67 — real name Paul Gadd — signed the Sex Offenders Register in 2008, and must notify police if he intends to go abroad for more than three days.

So. He is being monitored. Freedom is on a long leash.

The Star repeats a Tweet from “former police detective” Mark Williams-Thomas. He “warned there is a ‘very high risk he will re-offend‘.”

Mr Williams-Thomas, an expert on paedophiles, tweeted: “Let’s see what country Gary Glitter decides to travel to – this will tell us how interested he is in addressing his paedophile offending.”

Because paedophilia does not exist in some countries? Maybe Glitter can stay in the UK, where paedophila does not exist at all?

Glitter is a convicted peadophile. But the tabloids focus on him, rather than on the abuse of young girls in this country trades on his notoriety whilst offering no insight.

Why not censor Glitter, as the BBC did with Jonathan King? And on that matter, why not also censor others who have fallen foul of the law, like George Michael and Phil Spector?

You might like to dawdle on this from Alison Boshoff of the Daily Mail in 1999:

“Sir Elton John was last night facing the possibility of legal action after he appeared with a troupe of male strippers dressed as Cub Scouts at a gay rights concert.”

No writ ever came.

The red-tops and tabloids have their pet hates and easy opinion triggers: Gary Glitter is one of them.



Posted: 26th, November 2011 | In: Celebrities Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink