Map, Meet Territory
Dave Langford reports on one of the worst things that can happen to a writer.
PETER ATTAWAY withdrew his horror story `The Hunting Ground' from the Infinity Plus website owing to rumours in his local community that the content -- vampires posing as children to entrap child molesters -- showed him to be a paedophile. Therefore he is unfit to coach his son's football team: `The club to which I belonged formally investigated the complaint against me, and came to the conclusion that there was "no case to answer", but -- somewhat bizarrely -- decided that I could no longer continue as a coach with the club as I had "lost the confidence of the parents".' Next, a letter from the Football Association `stating that they "had received evidence that my conduct gave rise to a reasonable belief that I posed a risk of harm to a child", and that I was to be suspended from all football and football related activities.' In January 2007 the hapless author learned from the FA that `I may be prosecuted for misconduct, due to the existence of "The Hunting Ground", even though the story was written _seven years_ before I became a coach and therefore officially involved with children.' How to fight this madness?
PETER ATTAWAY withdrew his horror story `The Hunting Ground' from the Infinity Plus website owing to rumours in his local community that the content -- vampires posing as children to entrap child molesters -- showed him to be a paedophile. Therefore he is unfit to coach his son's football team: `The club to which I belonged formally investigated the complaint against me, and came to the conclusion that there was "no case to answer", but -- somewhat bizarrely -- decided that I could no longer continue as a coach with the club as I had "lost the confidence of the parents".' Next, a letter from the Football Association `stating that they "had received evidence that my conduct gave rise to a reasonable belief that I posed a risk of harm to a child", and that I was to be suspended from all football and football related activities.' In January 2007 the hapless author learned from the FA that `I may be prosecuted for misconduct, due to the existence of "The Hunting Ground", even though the story was written _seven years_ before I became a coach and therefore officially involved with children.' How to fight this madness?