An open letter to Barbara Hewson.

For those of you that haven't heard, Barbara Hewson , a barrister in the UK , would like the age of consent lowered to thirteen to "stop the persecution of old men." She also claims that Operation Yewtree is a bigger threat than Jimmy Saville. She also has issues with anonymity for the accused.

Dear Barbara,

Lowering the age of consent to thirteen is ridiculous. Saying you'd like it to happen to "stop the persecution of old men" is offensive to anyone who has ever been abused. It makes you as culpable as the abuser.

I've been a foster-carer. I've met plenty of thirteen year olds who were not ready to make any real decision about sex. Same goes for fourteen, fifteen and sixteen year olds. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a prude. Far from it. But having had a hand in raising other people's children, I'd like to think I know a little about what kids go through.

I was a child once too. Yes, I had sex before I was legally old enough. That doesn't mean the age should be lowered. It just means I was lucky enough to know what I was doing, with someone the same age as me.

Sixteen is an acceptable age. Even then it's an individual thing. What's okay for one sixteen year old might not be for another. And even at sixteen, people can be abused by older men and women.

I added "and women" there deliberately. It's about time people acknowledged that women can be abusers too. So many care policies say men can only give personal care to other men, but women can help anyone. That's discrimination. (I'm hoping a certain organisation might be listening!)

Anyway. Old men and women are persecuted over abuse cases because, more often than not, they are guilty. Stuart Hall gave a public statement denying any wrong-doing despite admitting it in court. He's a guilty old man. He deserves chemical castration , with rusty garden shears.

He's not a gentle old man who may have touched a girl's knee. We all touch knees! I pulled grit out of my five-year old nephew's knee with tweezers the other day. That's not the same as putting your hand up a child's skirt. What was Hall hoping to find up there? Missing It's A Knockout contestants?

The age of consent is there for a reason. If you want to lower it, start by teaching parents how to talk to their children about sex. The way sex ed is taught in UK schools is awful. It was bad when I started secondary school in 1984 and from what I hear it never got better. I was shown a video of a rat giving birth. We were handed diagrams of the female reproductive organs and a flaccid penis which, with the aid of a four-colour biro, soon became an alien and Gonzo from the Muppets. Five minutes after the giggles died down, a very embarrassed Miss Kelly turned the lights back on and said "Right children, osmosis!" For years I thought ovaries were in the breasts and every penis was shaped like a hook. You can imagine my disappointment at my own stubby shillelagh.

Barbara, the age of consent should be sixteen. It's that simple.

What does need changing is the sex offenders register. If a fifteen year old boy sends a picture of his tackle to his girlfriend, he's committing a criminal act and could end up on the register for life. Thankfully the police only get involved if parents complain. And who could blame a father? My friend once got chased down the street by an irate dad wielding a garden shovel. The things parents do, eh?

Now, about anonymity. I will never be found guilty of a sex offence because I'm not a filthy nonce. But I could be accused. There are twisted people out there who want to ruin lives. A spurned ex might make false claims. I'd like to believe "innocent until proven guilty" still means something. But allegations alone can destroy a life. A foster-carer I know had his career ruined by false accusations.

Here's how it should work:

Both parties remain anonymous until the trial concludes. If there is any doubt at all , ANY , both stay anonymous forever. If there is no doubt, the innocent remain anonymous if they wish, and the guilty are named. Accused abuser or liar, same rule. I have no problem with them being paraded down the street. They tried to ruin someone's life; they can face the music.

In conclusion, Barbara, I think it would be best if you actually thought about what you were saying before you said it. Unless you're a media-hungry attention seeker, in which case by all means carry on. But let me know so I can train my news filter to ignore anything that comes out of your mouth.

Old men and women who abuse children deserve persecution. The innocent do not.

Regards,
Rob Partridge