Robert Green was freed earlier than expected at 07:40 this morning, and following a brief time with his supporters caught the 8:22 train to take him South of the Border.
As the familiar figure emerged, supporters rushed up and hugged him and a garland was placed round his neck. “Where are the hula dancers?” he quipped, then “actually, you’d better not come too close – I haven’t had a bath for 3 months!”
…but not before the last few hundred leaflets have been handed out this afternoon. The leafleting point will be once again Union Street, by the memorial, on the corner with Union Gardens Terrace (hope I’ve got the geography right). Sorry I (Belinda) can’t be with you guys to help out as will be on the train all afternoon. But be assured we’ve given out hundreds of copies of The Leaflet down here on the streets of London in the past few weeks, with a sticker over Richard Wareham’s face explaining why Londoners are being addressed as Aberdonians – 50,000 copies of this leaflet given out in Aberdeen secured the man on the left’s early release from prison!
No one will disavow me of this fact, ever since I heard from Robert’t own lips that on the Sunday of the Aberdeen leafleting blitz, one of the 4 (?) governors of Craiginches came over to him when he was out in the Exercise Yard and asked him whether this demonstrating on the streets by his supporters was likely to continue? Quick on the draw as ever, Robert immediately feigned extreme vagueness – "Oh I’ve no idea, Governor, that’s down to my supporters, not me. But I imagine that as time goes on, if anything it’s likely to intensify."
This casual hint, factored in with Prisoner 125799′s over-flowing daily post-bag and enormous popularity with staff and fellow-prisoners alike obviously struck the right nerve, for 2-3 days later he was summoned to the Governors’ office and informed he was to be given early release on 17th May.
Which is where we now practically are, the party begins today! Inside, Robert’s custodial sentence is winding up with a bang, of the kind he finds particularly tiresome, namely a 36-hour lock-up (eg. lock-in the cells due to some incident). Never mind Robert, in not too many hours from now you’ll be able to stroll around the green spaces of Warrington to your heart’s content, although there’s still to be no brawling in the local pub for 3 months longer, sorry about that.
So, Aberdonians, if you haven’t yet acquired one of these historic leaflets, get on down to Union Street this afternoon. In 100 years from now (hopefully less!) I guarantee this leaflet will be a Collector’s item! It will be seen as one of the important cultural artefacts of the early 21st century, symbolising the moment in time when the battle against organised paedophilia was beginning to pick up real momentum and when people all over the world, not just in the UK and Scotland were beginning to revolt against being ruled and regulated by those of twisted minds and morality who condoned the rape and terrorisation of young children and abused their position and the law to protect themselves. We have some way still to go, but these perverts’ hegemony is fast coming to an end. Just how different the world will be when all of them, and those who cover up for them are removed from positions of public or professional responsibility cannot as yet be imagined, but that it will be different, and this world an infinitely pleasanter place to pass the odd three-score years and ten in for future generations is without question.
So the battle goes on, but just for today it’s party-time! The venue this evening once the leafleting is done will be the MONKEY HOUSE PUB in Union Street, just across the road from the memorial, and/or outside Craiginches Prison for breakfast first thing tomorrow. Robert says don’t expect him to say very much on this occasion regarding where things are at in the campaign or what he’s going to be doing next, this won’t be the moment to talk about those kinds of things but he’ll be very pleased to see whoever turns up, of course.
And we will be very pleased indeed to see you Robert!!
This is a STATEMENT sent to me by Robert a couple of days ago.
As many of you may be aware, I am due to be released from prison on Thursday 17th May.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all of you who have been so kind as to write to me whilst in prison and for the gifts and generosity.* It is wonderful to be aware of just how many good, humane people there are around the world who have expressed their support, which has been a great comfort, both to me and my loved ones.
It is not possible for me to find the appropriate words of gratitude to you, but I shall never forget.
Most importantly of all, you have expressed how much you care about Hollie and the plight of other defenceless children and the disabled, whatever they may be. So many of you have written to your MPs and other influential figures to voice your concerns.
I should also like to thank those of you who have joined demonstrations here in Aberdeen and around Britain. I know that many have travelled great distances at their own time and expense. It is surely time the authorities listened -and acted!
As to the question as to how I have been treated here, I must say that the officers, governors and my fellow-prisoners have unfailingly shown the utmost consideration and courtesy towards me. In fact, I have come to hold the prison officers here in HMP Aberdeen in high regard for their professionalism and humanity in undertaking their duties, in what is a difficult and sometimes dangerous occupation.
The remarkable Hollie Greig case is now firmly within the public domain and I trust that you will appreciate that I feel a great responsiblity to my loved ones, so that I shall act now in accordance with professional legal advice, both north and south of the border. I would also ask for some time following my release to be allowed to devote to personsal affairs, which I shall need to attend to following the three months of my incarceration. Of course, I intend to pursue every avenue in order to have my conviction quashed, as I believe that I have been dealt with in a most unfair manner throughout by the Scottish justice system, beginning with my original arrest on 12 February 2010.
On that day, I was denied my legal right to have access to legal representation, in contravention of Scotland’s own solemn commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights. The Scottish justice system was severely admonished by the Supreme Court for its systematic failures on this fundamental issue (see the Cadder case).
Finally, since Hollie’s case became public, a wide variety of views have been aired and everyone has as much right to express his or her opinion as I have. Whilst the wider case and those related to it involve many complexities, may I leave you with just one simple statement based on fact.
On 8th September 2009, Hollie Greig was formally interviewed, in my presence, by DC Lisa Evans of Grampian Police. During the interview Hollie described in detail a number of criminal acts perpetrated against her by a number of named individuals. Grampian Police knew that Hollie’s allegations were supported by documents from a number of expert medical and psychological witnesses, prepared independently of each other, sometimes many years apart. In fact, the State regarded the weight of evidence to be sufficiently convincing as to award Hollie £13,500 of public funds, administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in compensation for her suffering as a result of these crimes.
During my trial, officiated by Sheriff Principal Edward Bowen, it was established that the Grampian Police had not even questioned a single individual named in Hollie’s interview. By contrast, when I made a statement a few months later within which I emphasised Grampian Police’s failure, complaints were made against me. The police sprung immediately into action and within six weeks from the beginning of January 2010 had interviewed no less than sixty one witnesses to testify against me.
It is surely not just me who wonders at this wide divergence of attitude by Grampian Police in the pursuit of handling criminal complaints. I believe it would make anybody wonder.
A large number of gifts of all kinds have arrived at the prison during my stay and are dealt with by a different office to the one that handles my non-packaged mail. Occasionally, the parcels become detached from the details of the sender so if I have not acknowledged anyone for their tremendous kindness and generosity it is entirely due to these circumstances. Therefore, may I say now a very sincere "thank you" to anyone to whom I have not responded.