THE ARCHERS : Verdict

I have been listening to the Archers ever since I was a child. I would join my grandfather for breakfast on a Sunday morning, and over smoked haddock, still one of my favourite things to eat, we would listen to the omnibus edition together.

Some 50 years later I still tune in whenever I can, but in recent weeks it has been increasingly difficult for me to detach myself from the main storyline; it is only fiction after all.

I believe it is right that programmes like The Archers try to reflect our modern day society, but sometimes the story line is just too close to home for many people. Partly through my involvement with Samaritans, I have been a long-time supporter of some of some of our most vulnerable people, both adults and children, and I spend much of my working life listening to and defending those who are the victims of abuse.

Regular listeners will be familiar with the plotline relating to Rob and Helen Titchener that has dominated for some time.

Along with millions of others across the nation this week, I breathed a sigh of relief, when after months of speculation the ‘not guilty’ verdict was reached by the jury; phew, justice was seen to be done, but it was a close run thing.

Most of us, when we think of abuse, tend to think of the physical kind, involving violence or unwarranted sexual activity, where the evidence is often all too apparent. Almost on a daily basis our newspapers are peppered with graphic images of bruised faces, permanent disfigurement and other evidence of life threatening injuries as a result of such abuse.

In a civilised society, we must be outraged and intolerant of such behaviour, doing all that we can to bring the perpetrators to justice.

What the Archers has highlighted though is that the scars of mental and emotional abuse may not be outwardly visible but the invidious, constant, persistent chipping away at a person’s confidence and self-esteem can be much more damaging. This was the type of abuse, that for all of his false outward charm, Rob Titchener was able to inflict on his wife Helen over a long period of time.

Had she not stabbed him the situation could have continued for many years, until finally she became the shell of a person he was trying to engineer though his despicable behaviour.  

The fear of not being believed is very powerful as all too often, when confronted with the evidence, onlookers will be sceptical and disbelieving. This is all part of the perpetrator’s plan, and something we see especially with children, who are less likely to be believed over an adult, especially one who can be so convincing.

Much as I admire our legal system, the flaws in the jury were all too apparent. In such situations there is clearly a risk where the individuals concerned will always bring their own pre-conceived ideas and prejudices to bear in making judgment.

I have personal experience of this as a member of a jury some years ago. It is not something I would willingly experience again.

Thankfully things have moved on in recent years, with victims being more willing to come forward, but we still have a long way to go.