Have you actually read the details of this case? Heās a fucking creep, who used his position of power to take advantage of a 15 year old girl. Thereās a big difference between 27 & 18 as well you know, and anyway if it was an 18 year old doing the creepy shit that he was doing then yes, yes I would.
People arenāt taking joy in it, people are baffled as to why a 27 year old who had the World at his feet would knowingly groom a 15 year old girl, when he could have had pretty much any woman in the UK or a decent chunk of them anyway. Heās a sick weirdo.
When the case initially broke I had assumed heād accidentally banged her in a nightclub or something but this is completely different.
You accused people (one of which I assume was me) of faux outrage. I pointed out that I find it quite distasteful that people are trying to excuse his behaviour. This isnāt faux outrage. Again, I point out that our society has a duty of care towards our young, to ensure they are protected. He was a grown man with a status (rightly or wrongly) in our society.
His behaviour should not be excused. To attempt to even do so, to try draw theoretical parallels, to attempt to explain it away, Iām not sure baffled is the word Iām looking for, but I am utterly baffled by it.
By law that an 18 year old with a 15 year old is treated the same as a 27 year old with a 15 year old so that when we call Johnson a scumbag we are hypocrites as we might give mitigating factors for an 18 year old with a 15 year old?
You are drawing parallels between a 27/15 year old relationship with an 18/15 year old relationship. The parallel is that in law they are both illegal.
You are suggesting, I think, that we are hypocrites because we would provide mitigating circumstances for the latter and not Johnson.
There is a world of difference.
Johnson, if youāve read the trial details, has shown himself to be a predator. He preyed on this girlās naivety.
People will provide more leeway to the former as it is more understandable. There can be just 2 years in school between a 18 year old and a 15 year old. There can be little more than 2 years between the people depending on their birthdays. There can be an overlap of friendships and social relationships. Itās not clear cut of course, as you can well have an older 18 year old applying pressure to a 15 year old, but there is far more likely to be mitigating circumstances.
A 27 year old footballer, in the public light and with a family, clearly applying pressure to a far younger girl is pretty clear cut. People gave him the benefit of the doubt thinking it could have been an instance in a nightclub and he didnāt know. Thatās not the case here.
I have reflected on this this morning.
Whether 5 years is a bit much, Iām not sure, being completely ignorant of the facts.
So much so, I shouldnāt be expressing an opinion on it at all.
