When A Corpse Is Put On Trial, How Fair Is Justice?
Gesture justice does little more than tick a box. Because however credible allegations may be, a credible rebuttal cannot be argued either - and a massive waste of time, and energy ensues.
Sometimes I wonder just how far down on their arse in the competitive world of journalism someone has to be to write a sensational story about a dead person who doesn’t, strangely as it may seem, enjoy the same right of reply as us living beings?
Anyway, moving on to the topic of this particular blog post. What really is the point of pursuing a cold case where the accused is literally cold by virtue of being a rotting carcass? I speak of the former Harrods multi-millionaire owner Al Fayed, of course.
Notwithstanding the fact that some serious allegations have been made against the corpse, from a legal perspective, how many of these can be tested in law? Short of digging up the corpse and putting it in the witness box amid a seance - the event of which, by the way, would probably qualify Netflix for its highest-ever viewing figures since launch, dredging all of this up serves no meaningful purpose other than to enhance the career of the journalist who broke the story and, conversely, cause the recipients of Al Fayed’s alleged activities further distress.
It’s been reported that Al Fayed was the subject of police investigations as far back as 2008, and even Kier Starmer has now been brought into the mix, given his former post as Director of Public Prosecutions, as allegations were made during his tenure, which, by sheer coincidence just happened to a period when the Jimmy Savile case was being investigated. Not that I’m suggesting that the two cases are in any way connected, of course. Just a matter of coincidence that both matters came to light under Kier Starmer’s watch, so to speak.
Anyway, after evidence was shown to the CPS in 2009 and 2015, it decided not to go ahead with the prosecution because there was no “realistic prospect of conviction”. Furthermore, In 2018, 2021 and 2023, the CPS provided early investigative advice to the Metropolitan Police following allegations made against Al Fayed.
However, a full file of evidence was never received by the CPS in each of these instances and they were given no further action by police, which, for whatever reason does present as being bizarre, to say the least, given the weight of allegations.
So, what is this case against Al Fayed all about in reality? A dead man, and a plethora of alleged victims whose pasts have been tragically dragged back into the spotlight for the sake of a good, historical story? Or a deliberate attempt to expose the surreptitious underworld of the ‘establishment’ and its machinations, of which, the alleged victims are once again being used as pawns by those in power?
Only time, if ever, will tell.
