Falling From Grace

10 Ramadhan 1435

Sky News gave quite a bit of coverage last week to the outcome of the trial involving Rolf Harris. So even though it was barely mentioned at all on these shores, I got a good picture of what was going on. Not very nice at all, especially, of course, for the victims. And there was something sad about a figure familiar from one's childhood being exposed in this manner as what appears to have been the worst, or very nearly the worst, kind of sexual predator.

But I was surprised by the number of commentators who found it difficult to reconcile the true nature of the man with the apparently nice guy he had appeared to be on stage and screen. Surely no one can reach adulthood without understanding that it's quite possible for the nicest, most agreeable person to be harbouring a darkness at their centre. Surrendering to our appetites, as it appears he all too often did - the worst kind of appetites - we are capable of terrible things, awful cruelty, and we can cause irreparable damage.

It's almost criminally naïve of us to ignore this fact about ourselves and our fellows. To blindly trust in the integrity of others is reprehensibly foolish. When we accept this truth we are able to see how all the more admirable it is that the vast majority of people behave decently, kindly, compassionately despite their innate capacity for doing otherwise. This is why I can't see it as unduly cynical to be distrustful of others and, indeed, oneself.

In my own line of work it's only sensible to bear in mind the likelihood that the job might well attract some individuals with dark motives for wanting to get close to young people. Over my limited career I've directly known of five cases of behaviour that crossed a line that shouldn't have been crossed - all involving apparently decent people. That might seem a lot, but it needs to be borne in mind that I've known I suppose hundreds of educators of impeccable integrity. And that's to be celebrated in a fallen world.