Queensland Police, pfft, they dont care who they hurt, just not celebrities like Steve Erwin dangling his baby in a Crocs mouth.


Hearing the Queensland Police defend their ridiculous prosecution (persecution) of some hapless old dude who re-posted a YouTube 'baby-swinging' video on Liveleak made me eager for the day when they bust down the set of Australia's Funniest Home Videos and arrest the whole crew while carrying out raids on the houses of the people who send in the 'child abuse' videos that are broadcast every Saturday evening.

After all, if we can arrest a guy who watched and disseminated a video in which a baby is swung around vigourously by its circus-performer father/family member and then shown laughing and smiling after the event, why can't we arrest and prosecute the deadbeats who think it's funny to continue filming while their child, clearly in a dangerous situation, toddles obliviously toward an accident in which they are injured? Or those who continue filming because they derive amusement and pleasure from watching their own children punch each other in the nose, wailing in distress afterwards? If we're talking the 'appearance' of child abuse- for which the Queensland Police seems to have a fairly loose set of criteria, then 90% of the videos featuring children that are screened by the Funniest Home Videos program must constitute a criminal offence. Look out, though- the Queensland Police say it's a crime to even watch the baby-swinging video on YouTube, so I guess that means that sooner or later they'll be busting down the doors of anyone who's ever had the misfortune to encounter Funniest Home Videos on their television screen on a Saturday night.

The baby-swinging video not feature any child who "is, or appears to be, a victim of torture, cruelty or physical abuse". The laws used to arrest Mr Illingworth were created to combat paedophiles. It appears that no evidence whatsoever of any such material was found in Mr Illingworth's possession and the Queensland Police are barking up the wrong tree, only unwilling to admit it.

Let's hope we get a judge with an ounce of common sense who will throw the matter out of court and order the Queensland Police to issue an apology and compensation to the guy. Give the idiots enough of a spanking that they won't pursue any more ridiculous prosecutions of individuals in an exercise borne of frustration when they are unable to find any real paedophiles to prosecute.
Posted by Sarah at 9:07 PM