In this extract from Roald Dahl’s excellent ‘Matilda’, the young protagonist patiently explains to a friend that a teacher’s genius lies in hiding her nefarious and abusive activities in plain sight.
And if you reckon “the headmistress grabbed me by the hair and slung me over the playground fence,” would be a tough sell, try “Rolf Harris groped me when I asked him for an autograph.”
That’s how they got away with it. Right there.
H/T @mrjamesob
Have you noticed that some people are terribly perplexed by the sex scandal gradually engulfing the BBC? Over the weekend I’ve come across several individuals, ranging from people I know to commenters on internet sites, who are questioning the veracity of the women coming forward with their stories.
For this week’s highlights package, I’ve prepared a primer of the most common queries I’ve heard or read, plus a crib sheet of possible responses. Writing it has served as a useful distraction from my own annoyance, and if you’re as pissed off about this as I am, it may provide essential pause before your arm lifts and you find yourself grabbing for the nearest heavy object to hurl at the befuddled applicant for the post of village idiot standing in front of you.
Image: @SOTCAA.
Without making assumptions of guilt or innocence, the response of a sizeable minority of people towards the recent allegations against Jimmy Savile is making it increasingly clear to me how this kind of thing might have gone unchecked for so long.
I realise it must be horrendous for his family, but the level of anger directed towards the women claiming he assaulted them – the preferred option apparently to “let him Rest In Peace” – frightens me.
I thought we’d made some progress since the 70’s. Obviously not.
More: Grace Dent, Independent. ‘Soon, Pervert, Soon‘.
Kelly Welles 