What happened to innocent until proven guilty?

I think Bill Shorten's call to strip him of honours was just silly until he is actually found guilty, but the fact he has so many accusers means the court of public opinion is going to be very heavily against him.

Being a basketball related site, do we want to know if someone (using the timeframe of Don Burke) was accused of doing the same things in say an Opals camp or even an NBL or WNBL team?

The timeline I use is one that very few people are still left in the NBL that were seen in the 80s and 90s so would trying to ruin a reputation of someone we haven't heard of or since the last millennium. Would we care?

It's been a quite entertaining saga.

The memes are starting to come through now as well.

The old clips filled with sexual inuendo are hilarious as well.

This has been one of the more entertaining scandles for sure.

"Should he get the benefit of the doubt?"

When it's a case of his word vs theirs, and theirs includes 50 people, then he should absolutely not get the benefit of the doubt.
Sure, legally his guilt still needs to be established properly, but it's pretty obvious what the truth is. Even his own side of the story makes him look like a creep!

He is in no way entitled to the benefit of the doubt. This is not a he said she said case. There are a significant number of women who have now had the courage to come forward about Don Burke's appalling behaviour towards them. His interview with Tracy Grimshaw was his opportunity to at least acknowledge and apologise but he went down the arse covering PR route instead.

I remember similar comments about going easy on Robert 'Hey Dad' Hughes just because like Burke we all grew up with them on TV. People will excuse a lot when it's a celebrity, look at everything they get away with. The courts will decide his fate but I think it's safe to say he's in a world of trouble now and it was all of his own making.

It's likely that you've only heard about it because he has been a public figure in the past - he's traded off a public image. And now, this is not a legal case, but a public case: that public image is getting dismantled in the same place it was built up.

Shame the media executives kept putting money first and dodging responsibility when they first heard about it.

Regardless of what the Court of Public Opinion thinks, the Australian legal system is based on the basis that a person is innocent until proven guilty. In the case of criminal charges, this guilt must be proven and it is seen that it is better that a guilty man walks free than an innocent one goes to jail.

In civil matters, the onus of proof is a little different.

So far, I do not believe he has been actually charged with anything (?), but the static surrounding him is mounting and certainly attracting attention from authorities. Should they receive a complaint, then it will need to be investigated, then if there is sufficient evidence to pursue a prosecution they will commence proceedings. And of course, it then needs to be recorded as a conviction of some description.

Until then, although the discussions make him sound like the perverted uncle from hell at an underage teenage girls pool party, he is in fact entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Fiona Barnett came out about a year ago with claims of an absolute hornets nest (being swept under carpet). You can Google & Youtube the details, wherby she comes out with names.

Don Burke is most certainly entitled to presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a court of law, this is afforded to all Australians not just the ones we don't like.

Until then, although the discussions make him sound like the perverted uncle from hell at an underage teenage girls pool party, he is in fact entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Don Burke is most certainly entitled to presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a court of law, this is afforded to all Australians not just the ones we don't like.

Guilty doesn't always mean you go to jail.

To the best of my knowledge there hasn't even been any criminal charges laid.

I don't recall him playing basketball or ever being a Sixers fan so

Off with his head!

I will make sure that I decline any invitation to visit Burke's Back Yard.
Not all weeds appear to be in the ground.

Its sad because he always projected such a wholesome image, and it turns out he was just another creep.

That said, it is somewhat of a beat-up, in the sense that the TV industry is hardly a beacon of moral righteousness.

NB: I am not in any way defending Jim, he sounds like a vile lecherous creep, but he's probably no worse than many others in that industry.

Yeah, it's not ideal that the same media groups who profit from covering these things up and throwing dozens of victims under the bus, then profit again from blowing it all up into big news stories.

" ... the TV industry is hardly a beacon of moral righteousness".

D2, I certainly agree. If anyone follows through on my earlier comment Fiona Barnett reveals a lot about the extent of it. Her experiences date back to when she was a child, if you get my drift.

The media for so long were the moral preachers on pretty much most things and it turns out its "do as i say not as i do" arrogance thats bringing down many of these celeb's/TV personalities

Fact is that this shit has been going on in the media and Hollywood since day one, and continues to go on. But now they selectively want to out a couple of individuals who for whatever reason have fallen out of favour.
I don't care about Burke being outed, he's a creep and deserves whatever he gets. But there's a lot more where he came from.

People wonder how it is that dirtbag paedophiles like Harris and that hey-Dad scum got away with it for so long? And this is why. Who could the victims turn to? Other scuzzball men? Or the women trading sexual favours with them?

True story: Back in around 2006 one of my staff was giving us regular updates on one of her close friends, who was screwing one of the (married) current darlings of Australian Television.

Love to make a comment but due to the New Age Over Insentative Woman i might find myself in court 50years from now and getting sued...

Love to make a comment but due to the New Age Over Insentative Woman i might find myself in court 50years from now and getting sued...

Yeah, I hear you.
The problem here definitely lies with all the women, LOL.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/in-their-own-words-women-speak-up-against-don-burke-20171201-gzx4eq.html