High-Profile Sexual Abuse Epidemic

[OffsideSpecialist]

Well okay. The PCs are doing everything in their power to ensure Ontario remains Liberal for the rest of time.

But although we're just a few months from the election, I don't think he will make it that long. Gotta think the PCs would want him gone ASAP.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by OffsideSpecialist

Gotta think the PCs would want him gone ASAP.

I'm sure the OPC Party is going to be super excited about the upcoming "Who knew what, and when did they know?" conversation as the centerpiece of a hastily juryrigged leadership contest on the eve of a general election.

FYI his (Brown's) top aides all just resigned en masse.

[llwhiteoutll]

It’s ridiculous that the presumption on innocence has effectively been removed in favour of guilty as soon as an accusation is made. The claims should be investigated, then people can demand he step down once it’s shown he actually did something. At the same time, if the allegations are false, there should be penalties equal to those of the allegations.

What we have now are alleged incidents that happened 3+ years ago, that were never reported to the police and are instead reported to the media right before an election. Far from any sort of proof or evidence

[PepsiFree]

That’s pretty much always the way it’s always been, though.

It’s not like there was a time where people in the public eye could be accused of serious crimes and suffer no consequences.

You live by the sword, you die by the sword. Wanting to be high-profile comes with trade-offs.

[Senator Clay Davis]

We might have a record for shortest time between a denial and a resignation. Brown resigned in the middle of the night, about 4 hours after the denial.

[PsYcNeT]

Yeah I would think all of the aides quitting en masse was the "jig is up!" moment. Must have been fairly egregious if they quit trying to deny it so quickly.

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

Yeah I would think all of the aides quitting en masse was the "jig is up!" moment. Must have been fairly egregious if they quit trying to deny it so quickly.

Or the fact that there is an election just around the corner and him stepping down is probably the best bet of a PC win? Wanting to remove the distraction of this doesn’t automatically mean he’s guilty.

Considering the length of time between alleged incident, no reporting to police and clear timing of the release by them to the media and the nature of the claims, a thorough investigation is warranted. I mean, who waits 10 years and 5 years respecively to report an alleged act and then decides that the best time and way to do so is on CBC just ahead of an election where the accused is a front runner?

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

Or the fact that there is an election just around the corner and him stepping down is probably the best bet of a PC win? Wanting to remove the distraction of this doesn’t automatically mean he’s guilty.

Considering the length of time between alleged incident, no reporting to police and clear timing of the release by them to the media and the nature of the claims, a thorough investigation is warranted. I mean, who waits 10 years and 5 years respecively to report an alleged act and then decides that the best time and way to do so is on CBC just ahead of an election where the accused is a front runner?

I don't know man, he never tried to #### me.

[PepsiFree]

It’s almost as if there’s some sort of... cultural shift... or something... that has made women feel more comfortable coming out about these things.

If only there was a thread about it to look deeper into the possible reasons. Ah well. Investigate those broads!

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

It’s ridiculous that the presumption on innocence has effectively been removed in favour of guilty as soon as an accusation is made. The claims should be investigated, then people can demand he step down once it’s shown he actually did something. At the same time, if the allegations are false, there should be penalties equal to those of the allegations.

What we have now are alleged incidents that happened 3+ years ago, that were never reported to the police and are instead reported to the media right before an election. Far from any sort of proof or evidence

In this case he will be able to fight the charges in court personally and he still retains his position as MP. Being the leader is something different and even if he didn't step down the party could have replaced him anyways.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

It’s almost as if there’s some sort of... cultural shift... or something... that has made women feel more comfortable coming out about these things.

If only there was a thread about it to look deeper into the possible reasons. Ah well. Investigate those broads!

I'm glad women are feeling more comfortable coming out but I'm not sure I'm a big fan of the cultural shift whereby having female private parts makes you incapable of lying, exaggerating or misinterpreting things. Speaking specifically to "believe all women" posts before having the full story.

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

In this case he will be able to fight the charges in court personally and he still retains his position as MP. Being the leader is something different and even if he didn't step down the party could have replaced him anyways.

He hasn’t been charged with anything since these women never went to the police to file a complaint and they haven’t (yet) filed a civil suit, so he isn’t going to be able to have his day in court unless he initiated a suit.. They went to the CBC anonymously and detailed events that happened 10 and 5 years ago.

To Pepsi’s point of women beinmore comfortable, if you’re able to go on TV and accuse someone, you are comfortable enough to go to the police. The difference being that if you only go to the media, you’ll never be asked for evidence.

[Simanium]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

It’s ridiculous that the presumption on innocence has effectively been removed in favour of guilty as soon as an accusation is made. The claims should be investigated, then people can demand he step down once it’s shown he actually did something. At the same time, if the allegations are false, there should be penalties equal to those of the allegations.

Maybe in the interest of balancing things, the name of the accused could be prohibited from being public (similar to under age accusers) until a verdict has been made by the court?

[2Stonedbirds]

That's all it takes to get someone turfed now?

Dear Mr Mansbridge,

Justin Trudeau touched my front bum whilst slathering peanut butter on himself.

Sincerely
2StonedBirds

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm just catching up on this story now.

Patrick Brown definitely needed to step down.

I always find timing to be the thing and with Brown and the conservatives heading into an election in 5 years its strange that these allegations are coming forward now, and not back when he was running for the leader of the party three years ago.

Its likely that there will never be a day in court for this.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by 2Stonedbirds

That's all it takes to get someone turfed now?

Dear Mr Mansbridge,

Justin Trudeau touched my front bum whilst slathering peanut butter on himself.

Sincerely
2StonedBirds

That's ummm awfully specific

[Simanium]

Originally Posted by 2Stonedbirds

That's all it takes to get someone turfed now?

Dear Mr Mansbridge,

Justin Trudeau touched my front bum whilst slathering peanut butter on himself.

Sincerely
2StonedBirds

#metoo

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm just catching up on this story now.

Patrick Brown definitely needed to step down.

I always find timing to be the thing and with Brown and the conservatives heading into an election in 5 years its strange that these allegations are coming forward now, and not back when he was running for the leader of the party three years ago.

Its likely that there will never be a day in court for this.

It's unclear if what he did was even criminal even if everything being reported is even true. In both cases the girls said "not interested" and he took them to their respective residences.

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by Simanium

Maybe in the interest of balancing things, the name of the accused could be prohibited from being public (similar to under age accusers) until a verdict has been made by the court?

The problem is that these women are choosing not to make their accusations to the police. So you’d have to get the media on board with not naming an accused, which unless you made it law, will never happen. Splashing a sexual assault allegation on your front page, no matter how vague or old, sells clicks.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by Simanium

Maybe in the interest of balancing things, the name of the accused could be prohibited from being public (similar to under age accusers) until a verdict has been made by the court?

Just because something isn't provable in court, or even illegal, doesn't mean the person who committed the act is worthy of political office.

If he brown was accused of calling a black person the n-word we wouldn't have a trial over it but it would definitely be worthy of him stepping down if it was true.