Yes! I can hear you shout. Disgusting pervert, the ultimate dirty old man etc, etc. His crimes against girls were indeed despicable, even in that far-off era of the 60s and 70s (and beyond, apparently) These things were wrong then and certainly wrong now. I have said before that it never occurred to me to grope women back then, and thought men who did (and there were a great many of them) were sick.
So, given all that, why shouldn't the guy go to prison? I think it comes down to his age and frailty. He's 84 for Chrissakes, and doesn't exactly look in the peak of health. His guilty verdict has completely destroyed his reputation, not just here but around the world. That in itself is a very severe punishment. I do think he should have a suspended sentence, I do think he should be given a lengthy term of community service, and I believe all his honours, OBE, CBE etc, should be stripped from him now we know the truth about his conduct. But a prison term? No. That is a step too far; it would be a disproportionate act of revenge rather than true justice.
Not that I have any innate sympathy for the man. I was told a story last week which really says it all about him. A female friend of my wife's happened to bump into him on a beach in Majorca in the mid 70s when she was just five years old. Spotting him, she rushed over to where he was sitting and, breathless with excitement, she gushed with admiration, telling him how much she loved to watch him on TV. "Fuck off" was his response.
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