Tory vice-chairman Alan Lewis arrested over rape allegation

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24314111

Tory vice-chairman Alan Lewis arrested over historical rape allegation

A Conservative vice-chairman has been arrested on suspicion of rape, relating to an alleged offence more than 40 years ago.

Alan Lewis, 75, was arrested by Greater Manchester Police after a woman claimed she was attacked in the late 1960s.

Mr Lewis was appointed vice-chairman for business relations by David Cameron in 2010. He has been released on bail.

A party spokesman said: "This is an ongoing police matter so we are not able to make any comments."

Mr Lewis is a successful entrepreneur who owns the Crombie clothing chain, and is one of nine Conservative Party vice-chairmen.

In 1990, he was made a CBE for his services as chairman of the Confederation of British Industry's initiative to prepare British businesses to the single market.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "A 75-year-old man was arrested following a complaint received earlier this year of an historic rape that occurred in the Manchester area in the late 60s.

(continued, good thing he didn't use a word like 'slut' or this would be plastered all over the press rather than hidden in some side comment?)

[Svartalf]

40 years ago? don't you guys have statutes of limitations of the like?

[Tyrannical]

No statute of limitations?

Damn,beaten

[Azathoth]

Not on sexual offences

[cronus]

Dirty old men must be allowed to mature before they are harvested.

[MrJonno]

40 years ago? don't you guys have statutes of limitations of the like?

No such concept in English criminal law (there is in civil disputes)

Cases however may be dropped due to age making a prosecution unlikely, but in the end of the day a 50 year old crime is just a lot harder to prove I don't see why there should ever be an absolute bar on prosecuting it

[klr]

The Tories and sex scandals seem to make for frequent bedfellows.

[mistermack]

40 years ago? don't you guys have statutes of limitations of the like?

No such concept in English criminal law (there is in civil disputes)

Cases however may be dropped due to age making a prosecution unlikely, but in the end of the day a 50 year old crime is just a lot harder to prove I don't see why there should ever be an absolute bar on prosecuting it

I agree, but not in every case. In these cases, it usually boils down to one person's word against another, so the passage of time has no effect whatsoever. In fact, it has made it easier.
Forty years ago, a jury would have almost certainly acquitted when the complaint wasn't made immediately. Or if there was no other evidence, than the accusation itself.
Nowadays, it just seems to be a case of who is the most convincing. So this case would probably have stood no chance forty years ago, but stands a good chance of a conviction now.

Anyway, I'm really glad that this has happened. Not because I'm not a Conservative, but because someone in power now knows what it's like to have this kind of shit happen. When it's happening to someone else, it doesn't seem so bad, that they are having their name plastered all over the press, for an unproved allegation from forty years ago.
Let's see how he likes it.

[JimC]

The Tories and sex scandals seem to make for frequent bedfellows.

Many of them involve activities in public toilets...

Or is that bishops?

[klr]

The Tories and sex scandals seem to make for frequent bedfellows.

Many of them involve activities in public toilets...

Or is that bishops?

Oh, I'm sure there are plenty of Tory Anglican bishops. They seem that way ... inclined.