Scott Mills

[AT_16]

Writing someone off as a child abuser when there's absolutely nothing concrete to go off seems a bit much to me at this stage. What definitive evidence is there right now that he groomed or abused a child? He's not been charged with anything, historically or today.

Some balance wouldn't go amiss until more comes out, surely? I'll happily join your side of the fence if and when there's concrete evidence and charges to go by.

i can understand your point for sure and yes of course some horrible people make things up (and i hate them just as much as abusers) BUT he’s been investigated by the police to the point a case was presented to the cps AND sacked from his job, those things aren’t going to both happen without some sort of proof.

I personally have seen both sides, i’ve been the victim of CSA for 8 long years of my childhood and because i was so frightened and confused about what happened to me by the time i reported it, it was essentially too late. The cps refused the case due to my mental state at the time (due to the abuse) and the fact id left it so long there was no “concrete” evidence but it happened and it was real and the officers even said we know he’s done it but without the cps we can’t do anything.

I’ve lived my whole life with that and from the other side someone who i was extremely close to was accused of SA and at first i didn’t want to believe it either because “surely not?!” but yes, they did do it even though there was no criminal conviction again and they also got sacked so both of these are why i am so “there’s no smoke with out fire” type of opinion.

Im sorry (not sorry at all actually) but i honestly think a lot of you will be ashamed when you others step forward and more comes out.

 

[Happy Alpaca]

Not condoning anything at all id like to state before i go on

This person accusing scott and going to the papers as it looks like they are,why now? Why would you not say something sooner? Something dont feel right about this coming out now

There are a million reasons why people don't come forward sooner, many of which have been discussed numerous times in relation to various different cases. Having worked with survivors, this question alone is quite damaging, but always comes up. It's really disheartening.

If it's a genuine question, please do a bit of research on the subject.

 

[GrunkaLunka]

The serious sexual offences were over a 3 year period, it seems unlikely that all took place within a dark nightclub setting, where Scott Mills mistook an under 16 for someone of a similar age to himself.

 

[Bread]

The idea that you can tell who is a paedophile just by looking at them is crazy.

 

[YeahBrackie]

I'm baffled at the lack of outright denial in the statement. You usually get some type of "I categorically deny these allegations" line, yet this is basically "the CPS deemed there was not enough evidence to charge me, and it was ages ago, so please stop talking about it." Obviously he would have been advised by the relevant people who know exactly how to word these things from both a legal and PR perspective, so it doesn't look good (to me, at least) that there was no denial.

 

[allaboutmoi]

My friends and I, now in our 40’s are only starting to question the men we dated when we were technically children. When I was 15 I met a 19 year old man who I dated for around 18 months. It never crossed my mind then, and for many years that this was inappropriate. We split amicably but I do not think of him fondly, it was actually gross.

This!!
my husband has said this for a while about me and guys before him. One in particular I was 14 he was 24 , we didn’t do anything other than kiss but he said it was wrong but kept doing it.
Once my kids turned into teens I thought of it very differently.
Most the me in my past were predatory whether that was me being too young or they were violent /over sexual men who thought the had a right to me and my body and I thought the same as that’s what thry made me believe
I am so sad for my younger self

 

[Merpedy]

Surprising how many people I have seen subtly or not so subtly try and reason around alleged sexual offences against an under 16 yo

From lying about your age to the age gap not being that big... are we alright?

 

[MrsDon1]

See - Trainspotting, Queer as Folk…

Queer as Folk was HUGE at this time and glamourised a young lad coming onto the scene with an older man so you can imagine a lot of young men thinking that would be their experience too and finding out otherwise.

 

[AllSeeingEye123]

Verifying Device

Jeremy Vine isn't afraid of the sack for speaking out. He's right. It's crazy someone has been sacked for something thirty years ago, that he was cleared of ten years ago and never been arrested for.

 

[AT_16]

I don’t think this is why people don’t come forward. There is no legal case against him. There is genuine shock in the industry because he is universally well liked. That’s not to say that he can’t be guilty of something but he was essentially cleared. It seems to me like the person who made the allegations has come forward strongly since the huw Edwards drama and they have shat the bed about it.

There is not enough evidence yet. Every single wrong ‘in in the past has made complete sense. Saville was so obvious - the man could not look like more of a PDF. Russel brand, David walliams, even Rolf Harris have always given me the ick. Scott mills it just doesn’t make sense. There also needs to be some space to consider that this person may be making false allegations. Most of my male gay friends were sexually active from a young age. That’s not to excuse someone in their 20s knowingly going after them but to say these relationships happened. My female friend dated a 25 year old when she was 15 and while I found it totally gross at the time (he was a twat to boot), she would argue that she knew exactly what she was doing. If he was a public figure that she was now trying to take down, I’m not sure that I would think it fair unless he showed that pattern of behaviour. It will be k treating to see if any other claims come out.

are you actually for real? he was NOT “essentially cleared”, do you know how hard it is for historical SA cases to go to court? the police believed they had enough evidence for a conviction but the CPS turned it down, which is very very common unfortunately. It does NOT mean someone is “cleared”.

Also could you explain to me what a PDF looks like then? because to me it isn’t just the creepy old man down the road, it could literally be anyone.

 

[VeniVidiVicki]

There’s a reason the Challenge 25 campaign is set at 25 when the legal age is 18. Adults having sex with people who look young (especially when the law said 18 at the time) should apply the same principle.

ETA I‘ve been raped. There was zero evidence I could provide so I didn’t bother reporting it. What would have been the point? I thought I’d forgotten about until I was on a video call for work years later and a woman joined the called who had a very very similar name to my rapist. I had to leave the meeting.

 

[bowtiesarecool]

I love his voice. I couldn't stand Scott Mills, his whole love ya bye schtick used to really fuck me off. Not that fussed who replaces him as long as it's nt that desperado that was on Strictly.

If it's Ritchie Anderson, I'm boycotting the whole of the BBC for life. Such a try-hard wannabe that has the largest gob in history! Cannot stand the fucker!!!

 

[GrunkaLunka]

I understand that speculation is natural but it absolutely blows my mind the way people can make up their own little version of events based on nothing and then talk about them like they're based in fact. It also worries me that these people are probably eligible for jury service.

 

[AT_16]

Can’t believe how many sympathisers are on here, backing Scott. This is exactly why people don’t come forward. Disgusting.

 

[KatLit]

Bit of a pointless statement. He doesn't say much apart from thank people for support, of which he will have already done for most of them anyway.

He could have said he cooperated fully at the time, and denied any wrongdoing.
Instead, he said the evidential threshold had not been met. He did not say he was innocent of that which he had been accused.
interesting.

 

[GrunkaLunka]

No one ever used a fake ID so that they could sneak into a club with the intention of being the victim of a serious sexual offence. This is such a "Yeah, but what was she wearing?" victim-blaming attitude.

 

[Sakkiedekock]

 

[Serene Serena]

I doubt there's any evidence of text messages and photo messaging wasn't a thing back then, was it? It'll be hearsay and anecdotal evidence, I would imagine.
I do feel sorry for the man, losing his job so publicly, and having his allegedly sordid past discussed in depth all over the internet.

 

[SweetPerdita]

Whoever said the industry is rife with this is absolutely correct. I used to hang around with a group that included prominent gay men in the theatre industry and there were always loads of very young guys just hanging around, who’d get taken on foreign holidays and stuff and every now and then one of them withdrew suddenly see his career explode. This was all men over 18 but still sleazy.

And with Spacey the issue wasn’t him dating inappropriately young guys, he was known to be physically violent and abusive. He seriously sexually harassed several of my friends and I absolutely believe the rumours that he outright raped young men.

 

[HotesTilaire]

A lot of people are just considering different angles because the information is missing. As a PP said, it’s a discussion, people are discussing opinions and new info is coming to light so people’s opinions change.

Personally I don’t want to jump in condemning someone until I feel there’s evidence to do so, doesn’t mean I dont believe the victim. I don’t even know who the victim is or what the exact allegations are - and that’s absolutely right, I shouldn’t!

Society will judge him differently if he met a 15 year old in a club who he says he assumed was 18, and they met up a few times over the years at a club, than if it was a 14 year old family member he regularly abused.

Nobody is saying the first is ok, just that it doesn’t scream pdf grooming and abuse like the second one does, some people would forgive the first, some wouldn’t. Nobody would forgive the second.

There are victims who have relentlessly pursued justice who are liars, and there are victims like Virginia Guiffre who we not lying and had to keep the pressure on in different ways for years. How the victim reports it isn’t an indication of lying or not being truthful.

So we wait to find out more, just kicking around ideas in the meantime.