This would under normal circumstances be headline news

Will Donaldson’s wife be considered fit to be sentenced?

No, Chocolatelovinggran, it is not my view that these activities are something new, they are tragically as old as time, but there is still not enough being done to bring justice for those emboldened to speak.

According to date from Rape Crisis England less than 1...yes, ONE...percent of rapes committed result in a conviction. That, to me, is an astounding figure and testimony to our complete failure to get a grip of these most shocking of crimes.

It's a very good thing that historical sexual violence is being addressed and perpetrators punished but it's simply not enough.

Where is the outrage and immediate promise of action over the rape grooming gangs horror just as an example? Allegedly there are over two hundred and fifty thousand children - a figure as startling in it's magnitude as the 1% conviction rate is in it's shocking minimality - who's lives have been devastated by systemic rape and abuse, where is the rush to ensure justice for them? There's statements and forensics and colossal amounts of evidence but for what?

And that's just for that particular set of horrors, it's not even touching the side of the hellish level of domestic assaults never mind rape by strangers.

We're living in cloud cuckoo land if we think our present justice system is fit for purpose.

Chocolatelovinggran

Nanee, is it your view that these activities are new, and were not happening throughout history?
If you read my first post, you will see reference to an aged clergyman who had been abusing boys for many years.
The change is that, now, victims are emboldened to speak, the law is confident to prosecute, juries and judges happy to sentence.
Like domestic violence, which we have dealt with it openly in my lifetime. It was rarely investigated in my childhood.

I agree with you. The number of cases being brought to court which are historic shows that abuse in all its forms has been going on for a long time.

Nanee, is it your view that these activities are new, and were not happening throughout history?
If you read my first post, you will see reference to an aged clergyman who had been abusing boys for many years.
The change is that, now, victims are emboldened to speak, the law is confident to prosecute, juries and judges happy to sentence.
Like domestic violence, which we have dealt with it openly in my lifetime. It was rarely investigated in my childhood.

Our world seems to be sliding into a rotten, stinking cesspit of abuse of all forms, the very worst kind going grieviously unpunished and almost ignored.

Thank God this vile man has been convicted and hopefully faces a long, long time to reflect on his disgusting behaviour but so, so many don't.

The rape of children, obscene to even write, is off the scale, women killed in their thousands by partners, vulnerable people having their houses, their lives destroyed by drug gangs, evidence of all this vile abuse presented to authorities and what....? Wrists slapped, suspended sentences doled out, prison time cut so short why bother jailing them in the first place.

What the actual f*ck is going on?

I believe in the inherent goodness of people but what do we do in the face of such a tsunami of depravity?

It isn’t a link , it’s. a photo so goes nowhere

AuntieE you can also do a screenshot and then enlarge it

AuntieE I'm reading on my phone.
If I click on the picture it brings up the article.
If I hold my finger and thumb together on the picture, then slide them slowly apart, it enlarges it.
Does that help at all?

I'm sick of all this crap "not fit to stand trial"! Make her! Who cares if she has "mental problems". They both must have had to commit such vile crimes in the first place. What about the mental problems of the victims after they inflicted their vile acts on them?! Like when you read so and so refused to attend court! Drag them there! Add to their sentence for refusing to attend!

AuntieE All you have to do is enlarge the screen and you can read it perfectly well. Control + That's what it is on my Macbook Air laptop.

I have no idea what it is all about because for about the upteenthem time sonone has posted an article in such a small font, which cannot be enarged, that no-one who uses glasses can read i t.

Please will you all either post links to a site where we can read what it is all about, or enlarge things before posting them?

I have made this request numerous times before no w, but no-one takes a blind bit of notice.

It is really unpleasant for those of us who do not see perfectly.

The wife's sister was also married to a convicted pedophile.

Fallingstar

The wife sounds as bad, imho she should be charged with aiding a paedophile. Not sure if this is already the case but if not it should be.
What a ghastly couple.

Most definitely. Awful, evil woman.

Just awful.

She is not fit to plead.
A trial of the facts found that she did aid and abet her husband in the commission of the offences.

This disgusting crime has hardly been in the news because it has consisted of wall to wall "get starmer out" coverage. They can only handle one story at a time!

Never understood why wives help their men to do this. Could be coercion or it could be covering up to keep their lifestyle. Seems very unfair she's not stood trial.

But do you have endless phone ins
Radio and tv discussions and analysis
Like we did re the Murrell story.

It is headline news here in Northern Ireland.

They did paddyann, and their support helped to push BREXIT through.

paddyann54

welbeck money is a.ways more important than abuse.
Given that Mr. Murrell stole FROM the SNP and the media loves an SNP BAD story of course it was ramped up….from the blue tents in their garden to a parade of their belongings on view to the world.
This NI case is a man abusing children….nothing to be seen here…or very little.Didn,t his party get billions from Teresa May.? Where did that go?
Like the Huw Edward’s case kept under wraps by the media ,this stinks!

It certainly does stink!

welbeck money is a.ways more important than abuse.
Given that Mr. Murrell stole FROM the SNP and the media loves an SNP BAD story of course it was ramped up….from the blue tents in their garden to a parade of their belongings on view to the world.
This NI case is a man abusing children….nothing to be seen here…or very little.Didn,t his party get billions from Teresa May.? Where did that go?
Like the Huw Edward’s case kept under wraps by the media ,this stinks!

The obsession over peter Murrell and his multiple coffee machines seems very small fry by comparison.
I too wondered why this case has not drawn equal outrage.
It is far worse.

Just read the case details and details of him and his wife. A very odd and deviant pair and of course these “children” are now two adult women, much disturbed.

Awful.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I read that this afternoon GG13 and the facts of the case were very disturbing. I cannot imagine any wife staying with such a man nor not reporting him to the police. Those poor children.

I agree, those poor children and I do hope they receive all the help they need to move forward.

As for his wife, there are no words.

Actually he will not be sentenced until September but the judge intimated that he will face "a lengthy sentence."