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In questioning Freda Briggs's call
for teachers to watch for signs of sexual abuse, Ross Francis wrote (Feb 3)
there are no signs or behaviours symptomatic of child sexual abuse. Indeed,
non-abused children can and do exhibit the same behaviours as abused
children. In response, Emeritus Professor
Freda Briggs fulminated at the challenge to her authority, but left Mr
Francis’s concern unaddressed (Feb 10). Shame on the Press Council for
capitulating to her outrage (June 13). As our Court of Appeal observed:
Freedom of expression … is applicable not only to information and ideas that
are favourably received or regarded as inoffensive or as a matter of
indifference, but also to those that offend, shock or disturb the State or
any sector of the population. Such are the demands of that pluralism,
tolerance and broadmindedness without which there would be no democratic
society. |
