The freedom of the press belongs to those who control it
If you are unfortunate to become a subject for the tabloid press, I guarantee you will then start to read all articles in the press more discerningly. Of the press that appears below, most was reasonably accurate and some, like the Daily Star and the Manchester Metro, very good. At the other end of the spectrum are the Sun and the News of the World. I wonder if the editors at the latter paper know or care about the affect publishing garbage about a person can have on that person. At its worst poor journalism could provoke attacks on the entirely innocent by ignorant and violent people, (who think paediatricians are paedophiles, this apparently has happened) or feed the sort person who attacked and set fire to Bijan Ebrahimi who was actually trying to document vandalism but his murderer wanted to believe he was taking photographs of children, this very sadly happened in Bristol in July 2013 to Bijan.
I don't know what the law is in 2013 but in 1990 the situation was the Crown had six months to charge someone after the date of the allegation. The allegation stemmed from September 1990 and in March 1991, I was charged and after that my name became public knowledge. I had to endure nine months before the court case. It was during this period that two young girls who lived nearby said "do you abuse young girls" and dolphin shagger was shouted out to me. It wouldn't take a great leap of imagination to think that someone could have decided I was already guilty, and some sort of child abuser too, and physically attacked me. I can't see what purpose is served, certainly in my case by releasing a name to the public domain before a court case and verdict.
Press Headlines
| Headline | Date | Newspaper | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dolphin activist calls for fun park boycott | ||
| 2 | Police vow to halt zoo violence | Scarborough Evening News | 4th June 1991 |
| 3 | 4 Hurt in Zoo Battle | The Star | |
| 4 | Demo yobs beat up zoo staff | The Sun | |
| 5 | Dolphin demo at Ryedale zoo end in violent clash | ||
| 6 | Three held in zoo fight as Bank Holiday Britons flock to tourist spots. Battle of Flamingo Land | Daily Express | 28th May 1991 |
| 7 | Dolphin win for campaign | ||
| 8 | Victory, but dolphin campaign to to on | Manchester Metro News | |
| 9 | Owners remain defiant as last performing dolphins fly out | ||
| 10 | Protest leader on dolphin sex charge | The Yorkshire Evening Press | 8th April 1991 |
| 11 | Man denies sex assault on dolphin | Express | |
| 12 | Man denies indecency with dolphin | ||
| 13 | Jury told of dolphin sex case hate mail | ||
| 14 | Boat trippers tell of dolphin sex swim | Today | 10th December 1991 |
| 15 | Zoo man trained his dolphins to remove woman's bra | The Northern Echo | 11th December 1991 |
| 16 | Dolphin man cleared in sex-game trial | The Star | 14th December 1991 |
| 17 | I just want to get back in the swim with Freddie says cleared diver Alan | ||
| 18 | Taking a dip with a perfect gentleman | ||
| 19 | The finger of friendship | ||
| 20 | Cheer at end of unique indecency trial. Dolphin man cleared | Yorkshire News | |
| 22 | Dolphin scandal killed my mother | ||
| 23 | Flipping Crazy ... | The Daily Star | |
| 24 | Is this the finish for Freddie? | ||
| 25 | Worries over dophin charge 'cost caring mother her life' | A Manchester newspaper | 14th December 1991 |
| 26 | Nothing fishy about our love. 'We're just good friends,' says the dolphin case man. | News of the World | 15th December 1991 |
| 27 | Freddie's friend back in the swim | Scottish Sunday Mail | |
| 28 | Dolphin trial man tells of his ordeal. Activist is cleared of indecency | A Manchester newspaper | |
| 29 | Man is arrested in anti-whaling protest | Evening Telegraph | 15th September 1993 |
| 30 | Case witness with bite! Killer whale to appear in court. | ||
| 31 | Extra police to monitor festival Keeping peace in shark fishing protest. |