Udon Thani: Robert Hastings sentenced to 15 years by UK court for child abuse

[thaibeachlovers]

Not long enough.

He will spend a minimum of 7.5 years in prison in the UK for that sentence.

Considering he was charged with child abuse, it would appear that he was not actually convicted of anything sexual, though it's possible that the case was badly reported.

At 62 years of age that could be a tough sentence in the UK. depending on his health. He will have a very hard time in prison in the UK as he will be treated very badly by the other prisoners, he will probably be attacked and injured and spend every day of that sentence in fear of more attacks.

I'd say, considering the offence he was convicted of, it's probably a fair sentence. He will spend more then 7 years after his release under supervision, by the end of all that he will be 77 years old.

considering the offence he was convicted of

Do you have information that is not available on this thread? I have seen nothing as to the specifics of what he is alleged to have done. If nothing sexual was involved, it is worth noting that murderers get away more lightly nowadays

Given that offences of this sort are caused by a psychological condition which is not treatable, I would have expected him to have continued the offences in Thailand where it would probably be easier to do so, but there has apparently been nothing of the sort.

I really wish the staff would not post threads like this as it just brings out the sicko armchair sadists, and adds nothing to the general discourse. It's not even as though he commited the offences in Thailand.

PS and after just reading a few more replies, some are from very mentally disturbed people indeed.

[thaibeachlovers]

The child was British and abused in the UK. Get the story right. He wouldn't have been extradited and tried in the UK, if it occurred in Thailand.

The provided link takes me to a Chiangrai newspaper report dated November 2014, is that what you are commenting on?

Here is a local link to the paper in Somerset.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-33936250

That link goes to the BBC.

So the statement in the OP, that suggests he was up to his old ways in Thailand, was repeated or originated via the BBC.

Why am I not surprised. The BEEB has fallen a looooooong way from it's glory days and is becoming an irrelevant PC stupidity.

[thaibeachlovers]

Very hard to defend an allegation from 25 years ago. You have to be concerned that he hasnt just peed someone off. Like an ex partner who is upset he went to thailand. Its all to easy to say men who go to thailand are kiddy fiddlers. It's all to common an opinion around the world. Tell someone in the UK you have been to Pattaya and they will think u are a perve who cant get a women and need a prozzie or a lad.

Well, it's equally as hard to prosecute an allegation from 25 years ago, if not more so considering that the burden of proof is on the accuser. Despite what paranoid ex-pats say, people can't just pull allegations out of thin air and watch the justice system blindly accept them and jail people.

Considering that the victim contacted the police about the sexual offences caused to her when she was between the ages of four and nine, what makes you think it's an angry ex-partner behind this..? Because that's a pretty bold claim to make so I imagine you must have something to back it up, rather than just a vague sense of solidarity with the convicted.

Do YOU remember with clarity what happened to you between 4 and 9? I don't. It is possible that the "victim" has false memories, or was "pursuaded" by an angry parent that the guy had done something to her, especially if she waited years to come forward and there was no suspicion at the time.

Divorced parents use their children as weapons all the time.

[Rumblecat]

Very hard to defend an allegation from 25 years ago. You have to be concerned that he hasnt just peed someone off. Like an ex partner who is upset he went to thailand. Its all to easy to say men who go to thailand are kiddy fiddlers. It's all to common an opinion around the world. Tell someone in the UK you have been to Pattaya and they will think u are a perve who cant get a women and need a prozzie or a lad.

Well, it's equally as hard to prosecute an allegation from 25 years ago, if not more so considering that the burden of proof is on the accuser. Despite what paranoid ex-pats say, people can't just pull allegations out of thin air and watch the justice system blindly accept them and jail people.

Considering that the victim contacted the police about the sexual offences caused to her when she was between the ages of four and nine, what makes you think it's an angry ex-partner behind this..? Because that's a pretty bold claim to make so I imagine you must have something to back it up, rather than just a vague sense of solidarity with the convicted.

Do YOU remember with clarity what happened to you between 4 and 9? I don't. It is possible that the "victim" has false memories, or was "pursuaded" by an angry parent that the guy had done something to her, especially if she waited years to come forward and there was no suspicion at the time.

Divorced parents use their children as weapons all the time.

Right, just so I'm clear... you say this woman- who is no relation to Robert Hastings- has been convinced by one of her parents to make false accusations against him, because Robert Hastings did something to one of her parents.

Or that Robert Hastings ex-wife has convinced this person, not a relative, to go through the traumatic ordeal of reporting abuse as revenge.

Do you have any evidence to back up these claims..?

It is interesting to see the subtle ways you try and undermine the victim and portray the abuser as the victim instead- introducing the concepts of 'false memories' and persuasion- when there's zero evidence for that beyond your own desire to bring these into the discussion. It's attitudes like this- where the victim is shamed by total strangers- that lead to people being scared to report abuse and allowing abusers to continue unhindered.

But I think you're aware of that.

[thaibeachlovers]

Very hard to defend an allegation from 25 years ago. You have to be concerned that he hasnt just peed someone off. Like an ex partner who is upset he went to thailand. Its all to easy to say men who go to thailand are kiddy fiddlers. It's all to common an opinion around the world. Tell someone in the UK you have been to Pattaya and they will think u are a perve who cant get a women and need a prozzie or a lad.

Well, it's equally as hard to prosecute an allegation from 25 years ago, if not more so considering that the burden of proof is on the accuser. Despite what paranoid ex-pats say, people can't just pull allegations out of thin air and watch the justice system blindly accept them and jail people.

Considering that the victim contacted the police about the sexual offences caused to her when she was between the ages of four and nine, what makes you think it's an angry ex-partner behind this..? Because that's a pretty bold claim to make so I imagine you must have something to back it up, rather than just a vague sense of solidarity with the convicted.

Do YOU remember with clarity what happened to you between 4 and 9? I don't. It is possible that the "victim" has false memories, or was "pursuaded" by an angry parent that the guy had done something to her, especially if she waited years to come forward and there was no suspicion at the time.

Divorced parents use their children as weapons all the time.

Right, just so I'm clear... you say this woman- who is no relation to Robert Hastings- has been convinced by one of her parents to make false accusations against him, because Robert Hastings did something to one of her parents.

Or that Robert Hastings ex-wife has convinced this person, not a relative, to go through the traumatic ordeal of reporting abuse as revenge.

Do you have any evidence to back up these claims..?

It is interesting to see the subtle ways you try and undermine the victim and portray the abuser as the victim instead- introducing the concepts of 'false memories' and persuasion- when there's zero evidence for that beyond your own desire to bring these into the discussion. It's attitudes like this- where the victim is shamed by total strangers- that lead to people being scared to report abuse and allowing abusers to continue unhindered.

But I think you're aware of that.

Of course I'm aware of that, but I was supporting loonodingle with his very valid post and I was speaking in general not specifics.

What does concern me nowadays is that the so called justice system is skewed against men and the female is always believed whether true or not. If I had confidence in the system I wouldn't be so worried. In my last hospital job I had to be constantly protecting myself from any possibility that a man hating female patient could ruin my life by making a false statement against me. Certainly I would NEVER be a children's nurse or take a teaching job with female students now. I have experience of too many women that use their sexuality as a weapon to trust any that I don't know well. I have even been told by a young female hospital manager that ALL men are rapists.

Back in my home country I haven't picked up a solo female hitch hiker for at least 20 years in case of being accused falsly. Only if two of them or a couple.

[Rumblecat]

Do YOU remember with clarity what happened to you between 4 and 9? I don't. It is possible that the "victim" has false memories, or was "pursuaded" by an angry parent that the guy had done something to her, especially if she waited years to come forward and there was no suspicion at the time.

Divorced parents use their children as weapons all the time.

Right, just so I'm clear... you say this woman- who is no relation to Robert Hastings- has been convinced by one of her parents to make false accusations against him, because Robert Hastings did something to one of her parents.

Or that Robert Hastings ex-wife has convinced this person, not a relative, to go through the traumatic ordeal of reporting abuse as revenge.

Do you have any evidence to back up these claims..?

It is interesting to see the subtle ways you try and undermine the victim and portray the abuser as the victim instead- introducing the concepts of 'false memories' and persuasion- when there's zero evidence for that beyond your own desire to bring these into the discussion. It's attitudes like this- where the victim is shamed by total strangers- that lead to people being scared to report abuse and allowing abusers to continue unhindered.

But I think you're aware of that.

Of course I'm aware of that, but I was supporting loonodingle with his very valid post and I was speaking in general not specifics.

What does concern me nowadays is that the so called justice system is skewed against men and the female is always believed whether true or not. If I had confidence in the system I wouldn't be so worried. In my last hospital job I had to be constantly protecting myself from any possibility that a man hating female patient could ruin my life by making a false statement against me. Certainly I would NEVER be a children's nurse or take a teaching job with female students now. I have experience of too many women that use their sexuality as a weapon to trust any that I don't know well. I have even been told by a young female hospital manager that ALL men are rapists.

Back in my home country I haven't picked up a solo female hitch hiker for at least 20 years in case of being accused falsly. Only if two of them or a couple.

Not really interested in your paranoid male nonsense to be honest, it's the usual crybaby men's rights stuff, even worse when it's used to back up the idea that false claims from abuse victims are the norm rather than the horrendous exception.

Usual tactics of shifting the goalpost and trying to make it about 'men and women' rather than 'men and children' and Loonodingle's post was someone popping into a thread about child abuse to throw the idea out that the accused may have pissed someone off rather than the abuser being honest. Which is pretty disgusting.

[aboctok]

Not long enough.

erm, i'm certain NOT supporting child abuse, but surely 15 years pretty damn long.. (considering that he would have got LESS for killing the child).

it kind of annoys me when all the Tabloid News Readers start yelling "it should be life" or "castrate him".

seriously, she has been psychologically harmed and abused, but she will grow up (a bit mucked up during her teens and early twenties), but she will get over it. she hasnt been killed.

the way the UK law works, you get less for killing someone !!

Haven't you been paying attention to the thoughtful, cogent explanations that taking somebody's life—permanently—is less serious than inflicting long-term but survivable suffering? In case you're pressed for time, I'll give you a summary of the main points that establish murder as less serious: It just is, okay? Now, give me a spiked club, and let me bash some pedophiles. I'd appreciate some grievous assault-type help from that cluster of lazy murderers over there... ahh, that's more like it. They're not so bad, these guys, now that we're fellow travelers...

[easybullet3]

Not long enough.

erm, i'm certain NOT supporting child abuse, but surely 15 years pretty damn long.. (considering that he would have got LESS for killing the child).

it kind of annoys me when all the Tabloid News Readers start yelling "it should be life" or "castrate him".

seriously, she has been psychologically harmed and abused, but she will grow up (a bit mucked up during her teens and early twenties), but she will get over it. she hasnt been killed.

the way the UK law works, you get less for killing someone !!

Haven't you been paying attention to the thoughtful, cogent explanations that taking somebody's life—permanently—is less serious than inflicting long-term but survivable suffering? In case you're pressed for time, I'll give you a summary of the main points that establish murder as less serious: It just is, okay? Now, give me a spiked club, and let me bash some pedophiles. I'd appreciate some grievous assault-type help from that cluster of lazy murderers over there... ahh, that's more like it. They're not so bad, these guys, now that we're fellow travelers...

hahaha

funny reply.

but you didnt 'have me at hello'.

i'm quite sure that any person (about to get killed) would choose to live with being abused (as supposed to be murdered).

being abused and raped will not bring the victim continuous pain for the whole of their life.

sure its gonna be some dark horrid memories.. and probably it takes several months, years or even a decade or more to get over it. but they WILL get over it eventually.

you and i both know that TIME moves us Further away from events... and thus giving us the fortune to detatch from traumatic events.

rape or abuse may change our opinions of people or make us act different to others (in certain situations).. but i thoroughly believe that TIME will allow any victim to get over it.

how about wives or husbands that get mentally abused by their partners (without any law to protect them) ?

how about people mentally tormenting eachother on daily basis.

"Nervous Nigel" may not have been such a nervous/anxious person if his parents didnt continually shout at him or put him down and treat him in a bad manner.

he may have been more confident at school and avoided getting bullied.. (but because he was a 'quiet one at school, he got bullied and became even more of a "Nervous Nigel".

if you get my drift: there are so many types of abuse.. some people will drag it through their entire life.. and some will learn how to shun it away and move on.

if it means anything.. i know a girl that was raped TWICE (and abused as a kid).

she said its "up to the individual how they heal from these things".

its easy for people to form a mob and wanna do a good old lynching.

and its easy for tabloids to stirr up the masses.

[luckyman]

wow! 15 Years !!

Perhaps the BBC meddled for a higher sentence, being they are so frigging guilty if not plainly accomplicit themselves in hiding pedophiles in plain sight (Jimmy Savile/Maggie Kirkpatrick and even one of their own http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/456106/BBC-embroiled-in-further-scandal-as-executive-filmed-Dutch-child-abuse-movies )

[technologybytes]

There can be no worse crime than molesting kids. Like many RC priests have done for decades.

Technologybytes - you have it totally wrong - he should be flung into a deep & dark dungeon and the key must be thrown away.

I would never attempt to play down any offence against children, anything involving kids is vile and beyond my comprehension.

I simply stated that he was charged and convicted of child abuse, that's a much lesser charge in law than sexual assault or rape, suggesting that either there was no sexual assault or it could not be proven.

When you say there can be no worse crime than molesting kids, surely you must agree that rape of a child would be a worse charge ?

I understand the sentiment of locking these people away and throwing away the key, BUT you have to be realistic and understand that the judicial system does not work that way. 99.999% (or more) of offenders sent to prison in the Uk are eventually released and so the real objective must be to reduce risk and attempt to prevent future offending.

Of course that must involve punishment and retribution, which a 15 years sentence certainly is.

In the absence of any other information the sentence seems fair.

[thaibeachlovers]

There can be no worse crime than molesting kids. Like many RC priests have done for decades.

Technologybytes - you have it totally wrong - he should be flung into a deep & dark dungeon and the key must be thrown away.

I would never attempt to play down any offence against children, anything involving kids is vile and beyond my comprehension.

I simply stated that he was charged and convicted of child abuse, that's a much lesser charge in law than sexual assault or rape, suggesting that either there was no sexual assault or it could not be proven.

When you say there can be no worse crime than molesting kids, surely you must agree that rape of a child would be a worse charge ?

I understand the sentiment of locking these people away and throwing away the key, BUT you have to be realistic and understand that the judicial system does not work that way. 99.999% (or more) of offenders sent to prison in the Uk are eventually released and so the real objective must be to reduce risk and attempt to prevent future offending.

Of course that must involve punishment and retribution, which a 15 years sentence certainly is.

In the absence of any other information the sentence seems fair.

I'd agree with you re "fair" if murderers got as long, but often they don't. Driving drunk and killing someone is murder far as I'm concerned.

[aboctok]

Not long enough.

erm, i'm certain NOT supporting child abuse, but surely 15 years pretty damn long.. (considering that he would have got LESS for killing the child).

it kind of annoys me when all the Tabloid News Readers start yelling "it should be life" or "castrate him".

seriously, she has been psychologically harmed and abused, but she will grow up (a bit mucked up during her teens and early twenties), but she will get over it. she hasnt been killed.

the way the UK law works, you get less for killing someone !!

Haven't you been paying attention to the thoughtful, cogent explanations that taking somebody's life—permanently—is less serious than inflicting long-term but survivable suffering? In case you're pressed for time, I'll give you a summary of the main points that establish murder as less serious: It just is, okay? Now, give me a spiked club, and let me bash some pedophiles. I'd appreciate some grievous assault-type help from that cluster of lazy murderers over there... ahh, that's more like it. They're not so bad, these guys, now that we're fellow travelers...

hahaha

funny reply.

but you didnt 'have me at hello'.

i'm quite sure that any person (about to get killed) would choose to live with being abused (as supposed to be murdered).

being abused and raped will not bring the victim continuous pain for the whole of their life.

sure its gonna be some dark horrid memories.. and probably it takes several months, years or even a decade or more to get over it. but they WILL get over it eventually.

you and i both know that TIME moves us Further away from events... and thus giving us the fortune to detatch from traumatic events.

rape or abuse may change our opinions of people or make us act different to others (in certain situations).. but i thoroughly believe that TIME will allow any victim to get over it.

how about wives or husbands that get mentally abused by their partners (without any law to protect them) ?

how about people mentally tormenting eachother on daily basis.

"Nervous Nigel" may not have been such a nervous/anxious person if his parents didnt continually shout at him or put him down and treat him in a bad manner.

he may have been more confident at school and avoided getting bullied.. (but because he was a 'quiet one at school, he got bullied and became even more of a "Nervous Nigel".

if you get my drift: there are so many types of abuse.. some people will drag it through their entire life.. and some will learn how to shun it away and move on.

if it means anything.. i know a girl that was raped TWICE (and abused as a kid).

she said its "up to the individual how they heal from these things".

its easy for people to form a mob and wanna do a good old lynching.

and its easy for tabloids to stirr up the masses.

A little confusing. but you didn't have me at hello... you and I both know... if you get my drift... I get the feeling that I didn't quite convince you. But then you proceeded to make my own points back to me. o_O Yes, the passage of time may, at the very least, allow the possibility of recovery. Death, on the other hand, is permanent.

Remember, re-reading is free, if you have the time.

[Toknarok]

I worked on the gold mines in Western Australia for many years. At one of the camps (not mine) an employee went on holiday to either Cambodia or Vietnam, I can't remember which. Whilst there he engaged in 'kiddy fiddling' with several local children in his hotel room. He took photograps of them in various states of undress performing various acts. He smuggled the photos back into Aussie by hiding them under other innocuous photos he had in a photo album.

He made te grave mistake of getting pissed one night and showing the photos to some of his mates, one of whom promptly dobbed him in to the local police. He was arrested.

Despite th fact that no complaint had been made by the Cambodian or Vietnamese authorities he was charged with child abuse. He himself did not appear in any of the photos.

The Australian Federal Police sent an officer to Asia to try an locate the children involved. In this he was unsucessful, but he did manage to locate the hotel and the room in which the accused had stayed.

At the trial a childrens specialist medical officer gave evidence that the children in the photographs were well under the age of consent. Also the accused had made the mistake of taking a photo that had his suitcase in the background, that suitcase being found in his belongings in Aussie. The purpose of this was to get a cnviction for child abuse not merely for possession of child pornography.

He was duly convicted and sentenced to fourteen years gaol. He's still languishing there now I believe.

[Globeman]

This is the 2nd best news story today, after Jason Day winning the PGA. Although his sentence should of come with a castration.

Should HAVE come with castration? (it only sounds like "should of" in spoken word)

What other mediaeval punishments do you advocate?

I quite like the old Thai one where they'd put outspoken journalists inside a big rattan ball and let the elephants play with it, and then command them to crush it with their feet.

[thaibeachlovers]

I worked on the gold mines in Western Australia for many years. At one of the camps (not mine) an employee went on holiday to either Cambodia or Vietnam, I can't remember which. Whilst there he engaged in 'kiddy fiddling' with several local children in his hotel room. He took photograps of them in various states of undress performing various acts. He smuggled the photos back into Aussie by hiding them under other innocuous photos he had in a photo album.

He made te grave mistake of getting pissed one night and showing the photos to some of his mates, one of whom promptly dobbed him in to the local police. He was arrested.

Despite th fact that no complaint had been made by the Cambodian or Vietnamese authorities he was charged with child abuse. He himself did not appear in any of the photos.

The Australian Federal Police sent an officer to Asia to try an locate the children involved. In this he was unsucessful, but he did manage to locate the hotel and the room in which the accused had stayed.

At the trial a childrens specialist medical officer gave evidence that the children in the photographs were well under the age of consent. Also the accused had made the mistake of taking a photo that had his suitcase in the background, that suitcase being found in his belongings in Aussie. The purpose of this was to get a cnviction for child abuse not merely for possession of child pornography.

He was duly convicted and sentenced to fourteen years gaol. He's still languishing there now I believe.

While not excusing child abuse, it seems that the courts consider kiddy fiddling to be a more serious crime than getting drunk and murdering people on the road.

Even murderers that deliberately kill other people seem to be serving less time than that.

[elliss]

Mine was a general comment about people who are accused of something 25 years ago and cant prove otherwise. I have no knowledge of this case [.Quote. ]

Of course ,one should keep their Diaries ,

Where were you on the night of November 25 1985 @ 9 pm ..... the accused don't know . therefore found guilty .

Hang him ,high , bstd .