I love Sky News and I especially like Jeremy Thompson, but I am appalled and disgusted by a line of questioning the veteran newscaster took with Gerry Adams in the 6pm hour during an interview where Gerry Adams was outside Stormont.
Thompson basically drew a parrallel between the Robinson Affair and the Adams’ Family Sex Abuse news and invited Gerry Adams to comment upon that. Gerry Adams was absolutely right to tell Thompson that there are absolutely no parallels between what is happening with the Robinson’s and what terrible events happened inside his family at the hands of his brother. I was particularly pleased when Adams said he found the parralells insulting and that members of his family would also find them insulting too. I admire the strength the Gerry Adams showed by not walking away from the interview there and then as I would have done.
I had hoped that as soon as Adams finished his response that Thompson would apologise for drawing those parallels or even put it down to a misunderstanding, but he didn’t. As one of Britain’s most experienced newscasters he should have known better and handled that situation better. He should have apologised on the spot.
To somehow attempt to bring a case of child sex abuse to the level of what is essentially a relatively minor political scandal as history will undoubtedly view it is to cheapen and devalue the experiences that the victims have been through and is deeply offensive. Having to stand down for 6 weeks whilst you’re investigated is nothing compared to the ordeal that child sex abuse revelations causes.
Jeremy Thompson should be a big man here and apologise to Gerry Adams and his family for that line of questioning and he should apologise to those of us who have suffered abuse as a child for the offence he has caused.
As I said, I love Sky News and still do, but I couldn’t let this slide.
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