TREATED LIKE A GUILTY MAN
EVeN now, despite all the hell he has been through, Cliff Richard accepts that no matter how implausible the accusation, the police have a duty to investigate when an allegation is made. What he cannot accept, and cannot forgive, is that in his case, the most basic tenet of law — that an individual is innocent until proven guilty — was seemingly cast aside by the police in their hunger for a highprofile prosecution.
as he puts it: ‘They made me feel as if I was having to prove myself, rather than them trying to find that I was definitely guilty,’ he says of the ‘vile’ police interview process.
‘I was not accepted, I don’t think, as innocent. They assumed I was guilty. after the first interview I said to the officer: “you guys have got a difficult job because there is never any proof in these cases.” My lawyer said: “The police use the accusation as evidence.” ‘I was thinking: “I’m not an expert, but an accusation can never be evidence in my book.”
‘It can’t be, or I could say what I wanted about anyone.’
He talks us through the questioning process, conducted by a Detective sergeant and an assistant at a police station in sheffield. It was ‘frightening’ and ‘vile’ — especially when they read out the precise details of the sex crimes he was accused of committing. It was also at times laughable.
‘It was the sort of thing if I’d been up on a murder charge they would have asked: “Do you murder often?” and I’d be replying: “Only at weekends.” ’
He felt he was going mad at the sheer repetition. ‘It must have been so boring for them to listen to. every single answer started: “I have never, ever molested a boy, a girl, a man or a woman. I never would. I never could. I never will.” ’
He is furious that the allegations against him were so full of holes. One of the main accusations, he reveals, was alleged to have taken place at a Billy Graham rally which was said to have taken place in 1983.
‘The accuser got everything wrong. He got the year wrong. That rally wasn’t until 1985. It [the attack] was supposed to have happened in a room that hadn’t even been built then.’
He says south yorkshire Police should have ‘dumped that there and then’. even when they continued to pursue it, several officers who had volunteered their services for security on the night in question came forward, offering to speak up for Cliff.
‘These policeman phoned south yorkshire Police and said they would like to make statements because they were there. and they didn’t even get an answer. They were ignored. The initiative was not from us, we didn’t even know they existed.
‘They phoned the lawyers independently and said they would like to make a statement saying they were there, on guard, and they didn’t think it was possible for Cliff to have gone away and done this.’
His despair is palpable. Does he think he fell victim to what has been described as the ‘moral panic’ following the Jimmy savile case? It seems so, and he’s horrified. ‘People knew what savile was doing. south yorkshire Police were aware of his activity. There was always this wink wink, nudge nudge.
‘Without mentioning any names, there are people we know who may have slightly dubious backgrounds, and I haven’t had that. Have you ever heard anything of that nature about me? No! No one has.’
as he said after being cleared, he believes he was hung out as ‘live bait’ for other accusers to come forward, no matter how improbable or unreliable they may be.
‘By using my name like that, they were putting me up there in a way, just saying: “Come on!” ’
He compares it to the ‘disgusting’ way a senior policeman stood outside Ted Heath’s house, after similar historical allegations were made against him, and, as Cliff puts it, said: ‘“Make your accusations, we will believe you.”
‘Wait a minute, what do you mean: “We will believe you?” so I come back to the fact there is something rotten at the grass roots.’
as it happens, Cliff had a niece who worked with the police and she was able to assure him that behind the scenes there was widespread disquiet at the way he had been treated.
‘she was one of the first people who called me when the story broke and said: “The divisions that I’m working with are all up in arms about the way they treated you. They cannot believe it”. so I know they’re not all like that.
‘somebody’s got to take back control. and south yorkshire Police seem to be the ones who are mostly getting slammed for being not only inept, but corrupt’’.
He is particularly exercised by the behaviour of the interviewing team at his second voluntary interview in November last year.
‘I never had the feeling that they thought I was innocent unless proven guilty. They made me feel as though I was having to prove my innocence. Whereas they’re supposed to actually prove the guilt.
‘even at the second interview, which was about the other handful of accusations, there was a time when I had to say to them: “stop referring to these people as victims. They’re not victims, I’m the one who is being victimised here.”
‘I said: “I don’t understand how you can possibly do this on the strength of this guy [the accuser].” He [the interviewing officer] actually said, “If you’d met him, you’d understand.”
‘and I thought: “No I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t understand.” ’
Worse still, as Cliff calmly and
confidently gave his answers, eager to get the process over with, a policeman came in and called a halt after six hours, meaning they would all have to return and resume the interview the next day.
‘I found that really strange and it was just typical of the way South Yorkshire Police seemed to like to work. It was a disgusting thing. They don’t seem to have any concern for us as human beings.
‘Where are the good old days where you could stop a policeman? My mum and dad used to say: “Ask a policeman.” Well would I now? No, I would not.’
He believes the law must be changed to protect the identity of those accused of sex crimes, as well as their victims, other than in exceptional circumstances.
He also suggests that ‘statute of limitations’ should be imposed, as it is in the States, when it comes to historic sex offences.
‘We will probably have to take that on board,’ he says, pointing out that it’s impossible to remember the minutiae of what happened 20 or 30 years ago. ‘People just can’t remember. I couldn’t remember how long I was in that stadium.’
Yet at least the police have held their hands up and said they got it wrong. Was Cliff happy with that apology? ‘It’s not enough, no, but I’m glad that they did it because I’ve always said, it’s human decency to apologise.’
ClIff is more furious with the BBC. ‘The police have apologised, but the BBC hasn’t, and it owes me that. What it did to me was shameful. No one should have to go through what I did.
‘My name was plastered everywhere before I was even questioned. When they broke into the apartment, I had no idea why. None at all. later, they [the BBC] even boasted that the raid on my home was the news scoop of the year.
‘One of my advisers said: “We think you’re keeping a dignified silence.” I loved that phrase, so I thought: “They’re right. I’ll remain above everything and I’ll be dignified and I’ll say nothing.” I never said anything against the BBC.
‘Until now. Now is my time and I’ve started talking about it. But I was determined not to at the time and I think it paid off. I think people were impressed I wasn’t coming out with fists fighting So I’m glad I did that. It helped me deal with it.’
Will he now sue? He refuses to say for sure, but yes, he is considering it. He feels he has a duty to stand up and say: ‘This is wrong.’ He says if the BBC are ‘quaking in their boots’ about what action he will take next, then so they should be.
‘They have a lot to answer for and that was a real invasion into my privacy. It’s unforgiveable. They raided the apartment before I knew what I was accused of, or checking on my welfare. And now I’m free.
‘They must be thinking I will sue them. Once, I would have been reluctant. It’s tempting to forget the whole thing, but people like myself are in a very privileged position to possibly change things so it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
‘I don’t want heads to roll. That sounds a bit like ISIS. I don’t want revenge. I want to be able to say: “The BBC should never have done this.” Somebody has to teach them a lesson and if it’s done by suing, let’s do it. And the same with South Yorkshire Police. They have damaged me in a great way.’