> How is the rampant hysteria that is this discussion
> helping to identify other potential victims or to encourage them to come forward?
> Ask yourselves honestly how the things you are typing help accomplish that goal
> that we can all agree on.

Because it counters the hagiographic obituaries and articles that were all over the place earlier in the week, and creates the likelihood that they will be heard. It's clearly an impediment to people coming forward, when the individual concerned is placed on such a pedestal that few want to believe ill of them. Why else did floods of accusations against Jimmy Saville start to come in AFTER he was dead and AFTER the first stories were made public? Because it was finally OK for the victims to tell their stories without being disbelieved.

Also, this forum is the equivalent of CNN in the acoustic music world, so it's not an unseen backwater. It *is* useful to have this discussion here.

Duck isn't conducting a witch hunt - he just feels strongly that any potential victims need to know that they're not going to be shot down in flames if they now come forward. Duck is my husband, so I know how he feels about it.

For those who refuse to believe it until it's proved in a court of law - for goodness sake, Brozman is now dead, so can't be tried! And when you ask 'why didn't people come forward sooner?', please remember that it's a common problem with sexual abuse. It can take decades before someone is ready to come out and talk about it. When it happens, obviously, they're children and it's rare that they want to tell the world about it, and their families don't want to put them through that - if the families even know about it, or believe them. Saville was never tried; do you doubt *his* accusers?
Possibly some of Brozman's victims had recently steeled themselves to face a trial, which will now not happen, and they have to deal with that.
I agree with Duck that since there are a lot of signs that the accusations are true, the hagiography needs to be countered. That's why this thread is useful.