Operation Yewtree is not in the business of solving reported crimes. Rather, it is devoted to the task of discovering or even constructing alleged sex crimes committed a very long time ago. This dramatic reorientation of policing – away from solving reported crimes and towards searching for crimes that have not been reported – is not really being commented upon. But there should be much more fuss about it, because large trawling operations like Yewtree are really exercises in crime construction. It is likely, of course, that such operations will from time to time uncover genuine cases of terrible criminal behaviour, but they will do so at a very high cost to our system of justice.
***
Lots of other good articles now up at Spiked Online UK.
