Some women are trivialising a crime that destroys people, says VIRGINIA BLACKBURN
LET’S be clear: if even a fraction of the allegations made against Harvey Weinstein are true, the man is a monster and deserves to end up in jail.
BBC correspondent Rajini Vaidyanathan claimed she was sexually assaulted
But the clamour of women coming forward to claim that they too have been “sexually assaulted”, not by that Hollywood creep but by men who have had the temerity to say they fancy them, is becoming nauseating.
A new low was reached on Radio 4’s Today programme when, tremor in her voice, BBC correspondent Rajini Vaidyanathan said that she too had been abused.
Had she had a similar experience to Lysette Anthony, who says Weinstein forced himself upon her in her own hallway, a truly horrible experience and one that if he was found guilty of in court, deserves years in the slammer?
Nope: some eejit of an older, married colleague told her over dinner that he was sexually attracted to her.
Pass the smelling salts. Every woman – and I do mean every – has found herself subjected to unwanted male attention and it can be extremely irritating.
But unless it spills over into violence and coercion, that is all it is.
I once spent an entire evening grasping a man’s wrist to stop him from shoving his hand up my skirt (he was smoking and drinking with the other hand, as indeed was I), behaviour that was exceptionally annoying but nothing more.
It would probably get him arrested today.
Yes, men who commit sexual assault deserve to have the book thrown at them but these foolish women who can’t distinguish between boorishness and criminality are doing a disservice to women who have been genuine victims. It took years to have rape classified as a war crime and if people are going to equate what the women affected had to go through (or for that matter victims of peacetime rape) to some oaf trying it on, they have a screw loose.
They are also trivialising a crime that destroys people. They should shut up now.
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Anne-Marie Duff slams 'disgraceful' Harvey Weinstein
Have confidence in May
Here is a prediction: Theresa May is in it for the long haul. Yes, the election was a snafu and she has weakened her authority.
But this week, for the fi rst time in months, she has come back to the subject of grammar schools and her confi dence is clearly returning.
The PM still has all the attributes she had when riding that surge of popularity, not least being a level-headed adult among a group of excitable teenagers, both in her Cabinet and in Brussels.
At a similar stage in their careers both Margaret Thatcher and Angela Merkel had been written off.
There is life in the old girl yet.
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Theresa May come back to the subject of grammar schools during a recent speech
A thought on the upcoming Budget
The moment the Tories turned from a shambles into a formidable force was the moment George Osborne said he would raise inheritance tax thresholds to £1million.
It frightened Gordon Brown so much he called off the election. Could someone at the Treasury please have a word?
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David Beckham is said to have formed a friendship with Lady Mary Charteris.
It should be noted that she is married and any impropriety is denied.
But the former England footballer certainly has a soft spot for women interested in fashion.
Pictured above is the dress that Lady Mary got married in.
Yup, she actually walked up the aisle in that monstrosity. It takes all sorts but if I were Beckham I’d be grateful for what he has at home.
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David Beckham is said to have formed a friendship with Lady Mary Charteris
Getting tipsy in front of children is bad for them as parents become disruptive, a report claims
Not in front of the kids
Getting tipsy in front of your children is bad for them as parents become disruptive, according to a report.
I’m sure it is but so are myriad other offences such as not correcting bad posture.
But unless it turns into a real problem, it isn’t anyone else’s business if you have a third glass of wine in front of the kiddiwinks.
Is there no area of life into which some interfering old busybody will not stick their nose?