Wandering Hands

There is a lot of talk in the press about inappropriate sexual behaviour, whether it be from professionals who care for youngsters, or Catholic priests or celebrities from a by-gone era.
When I hear that some of the alleged victims are claiming thousands of pounds in damages I am always a little sceptical. And when I hear, as in the case of Cardinal O’Brien, that these incidents took place thirty years ago I am even more sceptical. 
There are times when our body space is invaded, and women in particular have their space invaded by men.
Some men are ‘touchers.’ Mercifully, they are few and far between. There is one well known local figure I know who is a ‘toucher,’ and I’m amazed that people put up with it. How someone didn’t knock his teeth out years ago, I’ll never know.
But other cases are not so clear cut.
Many many years ago I knew a girl quite well.  She told me about her best friend, whose music teacher gave her a lift home.
According to the best friend, the music teacher ‘made a pass’ at her. He must have been about forty and she would have been over the age of consent, so there was nothing illegal in what he did. There was no suggestion that he was persistent, or forced his attentions on her.
Indeed, it may be that his action was misinterpreted.
It may have been spiced up by a little teenage imagination.
Whatever happened, no harm was done and the girls had a laugh about it.
Yet, what if she made a complaint now, 35 years later?
Well, yes, as her music teacher he should have behaved. But so? Presumably the girl made it clear that she was not interested.
Most sexual activity starts with some form of touching. This is not the same as being a ‘toucher’, patting women’s bums and such like.
I have some sympathy with the Catholic Cardinal. Being a priest must be hell, like being in prison.
So he made inappropriate advances to other priests! Who cares! There’s no suggestion that he persisted or forced his attentions on them. The advances were only inappropriate because those who received the advances did not want to reciprocate. 
If the allegations are true, I am sure Cardinal O’Brien has spoken to his Maker about this matter, and I am sure he has been forgiven.
Given that he was recently named Bigot of the Year by the tax funded Authority pressure group Stonewall due to his opposition to abortion, euthanasia, and the normalization of homosexuality, and given the time gone by since the alleged incidents, it would appear that these allegations, true or not, are part of a smear campaign to discredit the Cardinal.
Such things have been done before.