Sunday, September 27, 2009

Clergyman found dead

The Reverend Ian Thompson, Dean of Chapel at King’s College, was found dead at his home. He was asphyxiated. His death is notable because of an ongoing investigation regarding sexual offenses allegedly committed in the Strathclyde area of Scotland.

Thompson death is not being treated as suspicious. I’m not sure what that means. Asphyxia is suffocation, right? If somebody does not do it for you, you must do it yourself. Is suicide not considered suspicious?

Cambridgeshire police said there were no suspicious circumstances and the case had been passed to the coroner. A family friend said his death was thought to be suicide.

In situations like this, when a man’s professional life hangs in the balance because of sex abuse allegations, suicide may seem like an easy out, but it is the cowards path.It also denies justice to the victims. I consider it the ultimate abuse.

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Asphyxia can be accidental too. Things like choking or carbon monoxide poisoning are considered asphyxiation too.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
There's also auto-erotic asphyxiation, which can and does result in death sometimes.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
Non-judgmental's avatar

Non-judgmental · 815 weeks ago

How can you comment on this situation, when you clearly know nothing about it?

First of all, so far, all that has been said is that these are 'allegations'. Nothing has been proven in court, and in some reports, it was commented that the Procurator Fiscal had been still deciding whether to proceed with the investigation (this was before this unfortunate incident occured). In this country, I am proud to say, a person is innocent until proven guilty by a jury of his / her peers. As nothing has gone through the courts yet, then in my eyes this man is innocent until proven otherwise.
3 replies · active 815 weeks ago
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Non-judgmental · 815 weeks ago

Secondly, have you considered that this could be a case of false allegations being made (as does often happen), which have had the effect of causing embarrasment to the individual against whom the allegations have been made. Whether or not he had any case to answer, the simple matter of having allegations of this nature made against him may have been enough to cause him serious personal and professional embarrassment. Couple this with an over-worked (he was apparently both Dean of Chapel and Dean of College, as well as a Senior member of the University Boat Club), and probably stressed and maybe even depressed personality, and perhaps, in a dark hour, this sad outcome may have appeared to be the only solution.
2 replies · active 815 weeks ago
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Non-judgmental · 815 weeks ago

Thirdly, as for the comment of "suicide may seem like an easy out, but it is the cowards path" - I can only presume you have never contemplated suicide. To actually go through with it, to me, indicates an immense courage.

Finally, if you had read many of the comments in some of the newspapers from his friends, colleagues and acquaintances, you would have seen that there was more to this man's tragically short life than simple 'allegations of historic offences'.

You appear very quick to judge, based solely on the sensationalist reporting of the national / regional press, when obviously many facts of this case are not yet clear. While I do not in any way condone child abuse, it makes me angry that the press and members of the public consider themselves prosecutor, judge and jury without being in possession of the full facts. Allegations are just that - not proof of guilt.
2 replies · active 815 weeks ago
Mojoey

Just curious, you seem pretty worked up over this. Did you get diddled by a priest or something like that?
4 replies · active 814 weeks ago
How can you write and be judgemental on this. You think that you have the right to judge people. No wonder why you have bad dreams. Go seek help, if you find this therapy.
18 replies · active 814 weeks ago
believe2

Hey! Watch the weight jokes, ive put on a few pounds also.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
These clergy perv is just one of many. That he offed himself is a good thing, one less religious pervert, many less victims. If only they'd all follow suit.

Oh sure, there are religious whackos who to this day will proffer that there are no priest, minister molesters. It's all just a big conspiracy to them. They get all righteous and indignant when a Jesus worshipper is shown to be no more than a social deviate. It diminishes their belief system. So they attack the messenger, they resort to ad homin attacks, they stoop to calling people fat, or projecting their own denial of clergy molestation onto others. Please... how transparent.

Show me an man who kills himself in the face of criminal charges as opposed to fighting to clear his "good name", and I'll show you a guilty man.
Maybe he just didn't have enough faith in his God to see him through the trial... and what likely would have been its inevitable outcome.

Fuck him.
8 replies · active 814 weeks ago
LOL.. " A right to jury trial." ??? Hahah.

And who took that rightfrom him? Hmmm? No one here truncated his rights. But, the dirtbag forfeited that right when he killed himself.
Dead people aren't tried.

Thus, he "fucked himself," both before, and as a result , of his suicide... AND he denied his accusers/aleged victims the right to justice and recourse.

But hey... the "thoughts and prayers" of his friends and family are with him, so that should make him feel a heck of alot better.
4 replies · active 814 weeks ago
um... No. I face my demons.

Hump... I say we out this fucker. You?
1 reply · active 814 weeks ago
With people like you the devil is working over time. The fires of hell will keep you warm, oh yeah you don't believe you will be anywhere. You just die and take up space in a burial ground.
3 replies · active 814 weeks ago
Final, thought you can't handle someone who stands up to you. No wonder why the world has so many problems with people like you, who think they know everything. Now We are done. I will pray for your sole.
6 replies · active 813 weeks ago
I only hope that none of you are ever in a position when you feel so desperate, whether because of deeply regretted past or because of false, painful allegations made about you, that you have to take your own life. Nobody can imagine, unless they have been there, what desperation and sadness that must feel like.

And if you think that anybody deserves to feel like that, I am sad for you.
3 replies · active 802 weeks ago

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