The statement by Councillor Rob Curtis, ‘Councillor resignation call’, Barry & District News, (June 11) contains much spin and leaves many questions unanswered.
By pleading guilty to common assault, and with the court case heard two weeks in advance of the published date, it is unlikely that the public will ever hear the version of events from the 17-year-old girl’s perspective.
His statement specifically avoids mentioning the girls age (he refers to her as ‘a female’, ‘this person’ and ‘the woman’); what the circumstances were when the assault occurred; whether there were any witnesses, and how touching a 17-year-old girl’s leg can be regarded as ‘a friendly gesture’.
I can understand how stressful this must have been for everyone involved but a greater degree of contrition for the real victim and her family would have been more appropriate than placing the emphasis on his own personal feelings.
His self-referral to the Ombudsman may give the impression to some of a bold and noble gesture but a referral to his voters would have been the more honourable thing to do.
Dennis Harkus
Cornwall Rise
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