FOUR RECENT CASES

We’ll run through FOUR CASES we’ve recently been befriending
Because these people – our comrades: our friends when they get done are terribly hurt worried lonely  - it’s awful what happens.
It is a persecution that is going on.

And not all will get to court – not a to a court trial.

CASE 1
Take B.H. and those are NOT his real initials – though this is a case where the guy would go and tell his story to say The Guardian and we and he have approached - but so far oh dear.
Some days you go into a corner and weep.
B.H. is and was at the time of the events a middle middle aged man of with a secure good job in a smallish private company that made things – living in this fairly big town but not a metropolitan Great City place. B.H. lived alone in a council flat in a good district where he was liked. He was known and well respected in the small local gay community and particularly because (here comes the rub) he wrote letters from time to time to the local papers on gay issues.
And quite a fair few in his local community knew he was gay and wrote letters.
But never  ever was there any interest shown by B.H. or known in any circle of any kind of interest from him in kiddies or even teenagers.  None. None.
However there was one guy in a local pub B.H. frequented who could be just generously obnoxiously anti-pouf to him.
And then – ah ha - in a local park an incident happened where two male children aged 4 and 5 said they were assaulted in a mild sexual titillating manner in the park by a “funny” male adult stranger.  The kids were not at all traumatised, so their Mum said.
But there was a complaint made to the police  And a report in the local paper.

And then as the police begin some door to door inquiries – ah ha lo and behold the guy in the pub of the obnoxious remarks says he saw B.H. take kiddies in the bushes – because he was homoseckshul.
Well - B.H. was nicked – that’s what happens.  Nicked and charged.
Taken to the magistrates who are  as is the rule.  Even when not the law.  Even when they have  power – our experience is magistrates won’t want to touch sex with a bargepole – always: always – magistrates pass the sex bag to the Crown Court.
The charges – when people have charges put against them in these circumstance – the charges are vaguey.- because the prosecutors think there may be changes.
THE question for the magistrates is the BAIL CONDITIONS for B.H.
Well after great deliberations the magistrates bench decided that in this case B.H.  could not enter the town – as if “keep him away from OUR kids” He had no choice.  His advise not sought.  He was ordered out of his town – exiled -  except to see his solicitor.
You can see from the magistrates’ point of view they could cite public order fears – now there’d been charges and publicity and his name mentioned it wouldn’t be safe for B.H.
So – well he had to give up his job and give up his flat – leave – to live miles away in temporary accommodation for the long long period between the first charging and the eventual Crown Court appearance.
During this time the police passed their files to the Crown Prosecution Service who examined the evidence and eventually decided  to bring no charges and have the matter dropped.  End of story.
Yes -  but B.H. had lost his job – his friends – his flat – his home: everything.
No compensation. No apology.
He came back to his town but his job had gone.  And it took some of our efforts to get him back a flat.  And slowly he picks up his friends and gets some life back and a job with another small firm  in HIS town.  And dignity and standing ?  Yes – returned. 
An apology from the accuser ?  No.
He formally applied for compensation – and the Home Office refused.
There we are. 
We are pursuing the matter with B.H.’s M.P. and others.