It’s a cop-out – Nonce Stuart Hall gets just 15 months

TV presenter Stuart Hall admitted 14 counts of molesting girls as young as nine over three decades and today was sentenced to just 15 months in prison. This is at all levels a disgrace. The Judiciary and the BBC should be in the dock on this one.

It’s a Knockout star Hall initially denied the charges and accused the girls of lying. Only when the evidence became overwhelming did he fess up. Heaven knows how many other incidents involving the old peadophile took place but are as yet unknown as the victims have not come forward.

But for 14 serious sex crimes Hall has been sentenced to just 15 months. He will be out not long after Christmas if he behaves himself. Hall has used the “old man, I did not go all the way, I have done a lot of charity work” line and won. The whole episode brings shame on two institutions.

First is the BBC which gave Hall his own room to “entertain” young ladies and which effectively assisted with his crimes. There appears little remorse at the BBC and little effort made to find how if other senior staff helped Hall along the way or at least covered up his activities. Now why does that ring a bell? Who fixed it for Stuart?

Secondly there is the judicial system. The point of prison is a) to deter and b) to keep society safe and c) to punish. I am prepared to accept that Hall’s kiddy fiddling days are over and so b) is not an issue.  But is the knowledge that you can engage in sex crimes with numerous kids and escape with just a few months inside really a deterrent? No. And is it a suitable punishment? Again, I doubt it.

I guess Hall played his joker and won. And the BBC and the judicial system really don’t give a damn.