Monday

The paedophile controversy is not a controversy. I refer to the recent remarks of Chief Constable Terry Grange on the issue and the 'controversy' that followed them. He said that men who have sex with girls under 16, but over 12, should not necessarily be classed as paedophiles. At first this might seem a shocking statement, and this was the aspect that the BBC news, predictably, pushed. However, if you listen to the details of what Mr Grange said you will find it not so shocking, and in fact quite sensitive. He said that boys under 16 having sex with girls under 16 shouldn't be classed as paedophiles. This is, indeed, perhaps so obvious as to be banal. But the BBC news didn't want a banal news story, they wanted a shocking one. So this 'controversy' over the last few days was entirely created by the media deliberately misinterpreting Mr Grange's remarks. Incredible, if you ask me.