Saint Briar

Pervert Alert!
Hate paedophilia? Despise every loathsome individual who produces, trafficks, consumes, or encourages kiddy porn? Couldn't agree more, & in a strange way feel same about the Herald on Sunday for attempted airbrushing of the Dravitski Child Rapist. Were it a man, he'd be hounded relentlessly, yet a curious double-standard emerges when women commit 'male' crimes. An archaic feminist residue permeates our newsrooms, declaring that women are always victims of men. And should females fall foul of the law, it's a result of prior victimisation; the perpetrators thus deserving of our pity.

In an article oddly avoiding the words "rape", "sexual assault" or "paedophile," no effort's spared to elicit our sympathy. Photograph shows doleful Briar, gazing wistfully. Hair chastely tied, a funeral veil fringe, subdued lips & kohl rimmed eyes complete pensive pose of Sorrowful Mother, burdened with unspeakable sadness.

Evoking pathos, the story glosses over her repeat offending, pending assault charges, a houseful of minors drinking booze & sleeping-over unauthorised, to present harrowing epic of lost soul confronting impossible odds. HoS hints it's all a Big Misunderstanding since Briar believed boy was 17. At first, she "wasn't attracted to him," somehow her kindly succour of poor homeless youth went sadly amiss. Her 'regret', we're informed, is 'palpable'. Even boy's mother (with most 'right' to be upset, you'd think), while barely recovering from physical altercation, mysteriously relents to comfort a crying Briar with forgiveness. The sobbing continues with gasps at her turbulent childhood: estranged parents, a distant mum, the spectre of social welfare overhanging endless struggle with mental illness & diets of antipsychotics.

Bravely, our victim-hero exhibits unusual valour, refusing to "use her background as an excuse" and acknowledges wrong doing. Yet despite humbling penance & noble public contrition, she's nonetheless pursued by witch-hunting vigilantes, hurling insults & abusive calls & texts. Jobless, hapless, enduring nightmares & suicide attempts, amid home town hostility, our heroine soldiers grittily on...

Or so the HoS would have you believe...
What's really disgusting imo is the MSM's dishonest portrayal of Briar as courageous victim rather than Sex Predator. In effect, they're cheering for the rapists. Attempting to soften and sanitize the paedophiliac elements in this case, I maintain that the HoS are enablers and appeasers of Child Rapists.

Careful which Sunday paper you buy! Would you willingly give money to peddlers of kiddy-porn? Choose wisely when deciding at the News stand.