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It is conventional wisdom (i.e. truisms never given thought) that if a complaint is made to the police, it must be investigated. I don't actually agree with this. I liked the good old days when Dixon of Dock Green interviewed someone, listened to them, talked to them and made a common sense decision whether to send them kindly away, making sure they were visited by social workers or doctors, or passed it up the chain for investigation.
Of course times have changed and often because of one or two mistakes, not following up a complaint, allowed a mass murderer or abuser to commit further crimes.
And media, who love a good story, reported with lurid detail the mistakes, ignoring the hundreds of correct decisions.
And police, brow beaten by the media, started being more concerned with getting convictions than in finding the truth.
But it is still fair enough, if complaints have been made, to investigate.
What is NOT fair is if such complaints are spurious and manufactured in order to attract publicity, further (better) allegations and if a search can then be made leading to discovery (or planting) of evidence of other - possibly more recent - offences.
That, for me, is crossing the moral - and, possibly, the legal - line.
That is when Government needs to take a long, hard look at the police and CPS.
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