This is relating to the story that Veritas has brought up here. The star of an 80's Australian sitcom - 'Hey Dad' has been accused (in paid interviews) by a former cast member of being inappropriately touched. Obviously this is a huge thing in Australia but little reported elsewhere as the sitcom wasn't screened here.

I've been following the developments through Google News and found this very interesting article arguing that trial by tabloid is now threatening the integrity of the Australian justice system (just as we are debating the same thing here in the light of the Venables affair).

www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/he...frg6zo-1225847686028

The first time I've agreed with Janet Albrechtsen the writer of that piece.

Plenty of legal people are saying this whole matter is a travesty of justice from barrister Greg Barnes to Terry O'Gorman head of Civil Liberties.

This is really pedo hysteria at it's best. When I saw an old pal was handling the sale of the claimant's story-descibed as a 'celebrity agent' (he's a real estate agent and hasn't done PR fo 10 years )was involved alarm bells rang for me. The claimant reckons she never expected the reaction..despite being a TV producer in Texas.

Now I see the main claimaint has joined the real nutbag and self apointed child protection expert Hetty Johnson in Bravehearts. Poor old Hetty sees a pedo under every bed and bush.

The maddest piece was the description of one woman saying when she was a 'girl' and 'hit upon' as the 'dad' drove her home. Despite the difficulty of him doing much if he was driving..she was actually 18 at the time.

Same newspaper of course carries stories the same day as 2 'men' (18 years old) commit a crime.

This matter will never go to court except..I still predict..gigantic libel cases all round.

There are very sinister rumblings beneath all this. The 'dad's' wife-an agent for Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and many others was to float her company on the stock exchange that week.

The tabloid TV show which as been behind the 'expose' has been after the rival channel's owner that aired the 'dad' tv show for year..because he is running adverts trying to wrestle sports telecast for free-to-ait TV from the rival's cable channels.