Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
SINGER SIR CLIFF Richard is to face no further action following a British police investigation into allegations of historical sex abuse.
In a statement this morning, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said South Yorkshire Police had “carefully reviewed evidence relating to claims of non-recent sexual offences dating between 1958 and 1983 made by four men.”
“We have decided that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute,” the statement said.
In a statement issued this morning, Richard, 75, said he was “thrilled that the vile accusations and the resulting investigation have finally been brought to a close”.
But he said being named before he was even interviewed by police in relation to the allegations meant he was “hung out like live bait”.
“Ever since the highly-publicised and BBC-filmed raid on my home, I have chosen not to speak publicly,” Richard said.
…This was despite the widely-shared sense of injustice resulting from the high-profile fumbling of my case from day one. Other than in exceptional cases, people who are facing allegations should never be named publicly until charged.
I was named before I was even interviewed and for me, that was like being hung out like ‘live bait’.
Richard added the CPS’s statement did not go far enough “in some people’s eyes”.
“It doesn’t expressly state that I am innocent, which of course I am,” he said.
There lies the problem. My reputation will not be fully vindicated because the CPS policy is to only say something general about there being ‘insufficient’ evidence. How can there be evidence for something that never took place!
The investigation into the allegations against Richard became public in August 2014, when police raided his home in Berkshire.
South Yorkshire Police apologised to Richard this morning for its handling of the case.
“The force apologises wholeheartedly for the additional anxiety caused by our initial handling of the media interest in this case,” it said in a statement.
Police said the investigation is estimated to have cost about £800,000 (€1 million) since the initial allegation was made in April 2014.
“We appreciate that waiting for a conclusion will undoubtedly have caused additional distress to all those involved and we have made every effort to ensure this has been as timely as possible,” it said.
However, it is in the interests of justice to investigate such matters thoroughly. We have a duty to explore any allegations relating to sexual abuse and other crimes and will go wherever the evidence takes us in order to protect victims and stop offending.
If the stream is so polluted and the only solution is deemed to be the use of bleach, there is something very wrong with the council employees’ thought processes.
Tracking and stopping the source of the pollution in a stream would be too much trouble.
@Bramley Hawthorne: This is Water infrastructure, you start from the symptoms and work back, then give up and just keep paying lip service to the symptoms regardless of the actual state of things. In fairness we’re lucky they didn’t just start charging for use of the beaches.
Insane. These streams might be polluted, well lets make sure and dump a load of chemicals into them. And these people are in charge…?
I’d rather buy a bottle of water in aldi. Haven’t drank water from a council running tap for years now. Always boil yer water folks just for safe measure.
I’ve been saying about the amount of chlorine in our drinking water for years now it’s disgusting it smells like a swimming pool. Then add a dose of fluoride, have had to buy bottled water for about 12 years now maybe more!
@Colette Kearns: i regularly test water mains for chlorine as a control test for testing the chlorine levels of a spa swimming pool, Ive never had the control test show the presence of chlorine. Mind you thats not to say there aren’t other chemicals present such as flouride
@G man: a sane response on jouranal! I must be getting old..
@Colette Kearns: I use a reverse osmosis filter for all drinking and cooking water. The last time I did an analysis the water rain in the rain butt was purer than the unfiltered tap water.
@G man: Not sure what source the spa is taking water from, but chlorine is added to virtually all public water supply with the exception of some group water schemes.
@David Dineen: yea you are you look ancient
Waterford has backed it’s own decision but it is time to reconsider. It is a stream not a swimming pool. And be a bit more transparent also. Someone shouldn’t have to smell bleach for this issue to come to light.
Crazy! Work upstream with a testing kit and eliminate the sourc(es) of the pollution “disinfecting” a living stream is an obscenity.
Are you for real??
Hazard Statement H400. ” Very Toxic to aquatic life”. That’s from the Material Safety Data Sheet for Sodium Hypochloride. Case Closed.
@Glen Kearns: Aloho is listened as a poison but people drink in in lesser strengths. Same with this stuff.
“now hands that do dishes can feel soft as your face”… because chemicals are melting them. Lol.
have your say