Losingit - your suggestion of an anonymous report has merit - I had not thought of that in the context of the OP. As for the moderator(s) having a responsibility to report crimes, it may "just" be a technical point, but this forum counts on trustfully reported events - which in legal terms are "hearsay" and not actual evidence a crime has occurred. This is not a "crime watch" forum and posters should feel safe to anonymously report events without being "heavied" in to forced disclosures to authorities. One of the conditions of posting on this forum does recognize the need not to make disclosures that could be legally construed as in contempt of the Courts - so you are stating a point that has a welcome note of responsibility to all posters to be careful about divulging details that can identify alleged petpetrators and their victims. I take it as a given that regardless of the views expressed throughout this worthwhile thread that posters are not careless about natural justice.
What do I do about this?
by dissonance_resolved 84 Replies latest members private
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steve2
Double post.
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Frazzled UBM
As someone who works in law enforcement I can tell you anonymous reports are pretty useless. You need either the victims to make a complaint, which they will back up by giving evidence in court, or the prepetrator to make a confession. The anonymous report may get the police to talk to the victims but if the victims are scared about cooperating because the police arrive on their doorstep out of the blue or becasue they consider that judicial proceses of the elders are final and do not want to do anything contrary to elders dictates, then the investigation will stop there. The victims need to be encouraged by someone they trust to make a complaint to the police. The best thing that can happen is that dissonance resolved's father sees the error of his ways and goes to the victims and reassures them that the best thing they can do is to make a complaint. The second best thing would be for dissonace resolved to contact the victims and encourage them to make a complaint. The third best thing would be for dissonance resolved to provide a copy of the elders papers to the police and the fourth best would be an anonymous report. I don't think posters are giving dissonance resolved enough credit for finding her own way through that produces the right result. I got the impression she is taking this very seriously and I did not get the impression that she intends sweeping it under the cartpet.
The moderators cannot have an obligation to report a crime when they do not know any of the details of the victims or perpetrators or the factual accuracy of what has been posted. It is not just hearsay but is also lacking particulars.
I fully understand why she has chosen not to discuss the matter further on this forum. While posters are acting from the best motives, some of the commentary is too vitriolic and displays a lack of understanding of legal and judicial requirements and processes.
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Miss.Fit
Ditto to what Steve and Frazzled said.
@Steve and Frazzled: thanks for your measured and thoughtful reply to losing it. I attempted several times to write a suitable reply but could not find the right words.
I hope the OP will still check this thread and read your posts.
I hope she will see fit to let us know how things turn out.
Miss.Fit
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losingit
Thanks for sharimg your legal background Frazzled UBM. The options as thry were laid out are instructive and address the major problem at hand-- sexual abuse of a minor.
In my posts, that was my main concern. There are many others here on this forum that can talk about her relationships with her father and with her husband, and how she can delicately handle that, being a therapist in effect. That was not the role I decided to play. Sometimes we are so concerned about these intricacies of our lives that we fail to see the bigger picture. I hoped to remind her of that bigger picture knowing that so many were treating the topic with kid gloves.
1. Vitriolic--
filled with bitter criticism or malice.
"vitriolic attacks on the politicians"
synonyms: acrimonious, rancorous, bitter, caustic, mordant, acerbic, trenchant, virulent, spiteful, savage, venomous, poisonous, malicious, splenetic;
No vitriolic comments from me--- just reminders of what needed to be done (reporting the crime to the police).