Let's stop the black or white thinking about sexual abuse.

[s-cubed]

Some things can indeed be one or another: in my time zone it's evening, not morning.

Woody Allen may be a great director. That doesn't mean he can not possibly be a child molester. Nor does Dylan's brother's denial prove anything.

For at least six years, one of my brothers sexually molested our younger sister. This was in a small house with lots of people. I can't imagine how he got away with it. But he did. If you were to have asked any of us during those years, we've have denied the possibility. We know better now, though we have chosen to keep it from our mother.

Yes, a few people are wrongly accused: most of the time an accusation is true. It is extremely difficult for a child to go against the threats of his/her abuser to report abuse. It is extremely difficult for an adult to report prior abuse, for the same reason rapes are not reported. The victim is further victimized by the reactions.

The "truth" of Woody vs. Dylan will probably never be known, unless Woody confesses. So please stop attacking Dylan, as this only makes it harder for other victims, of any age, to come forward.

[seabeyond]

1. the tells are there, why ignore? if a grown man put his head in the lap of my 7 yr old child,

that man would never be around my children again. there would be no consideration. that would be the reality.

and that is only one.

when it comes to parents protecting children, i am not playing "fair". when i see a flag, i will act on it.

[frazzled]

2. You're sort of not doing what you advocate

You're saying to stop the black and white thinking, but then doing precisely that. You should have added that it's equally possible that this didn't happen. You see, no one will ever know. This is fruitless. This is not for us to decide. The truth will never be known, so stop attacking Woody as well.

[pnwmom]

3. When we don't know, the only safe thing is to err on the side of children.

He shouldn't have been able to adopt more daughters after the judge in Dylan's case took away his visitation.

I bet that wouldn't be allowed today, because the public is much more aware of the problem of molestation than it was in 1992. I guess that's the only good part about all the cases that have come to light since then, in the Catholic Church and elsewhere.

[frazzled]

5. There's no need to err on anyone's side

This is not a public matter. It should not be discussed in public. It's not a legal case, and there is no way to adjudicate it. Let's agree to just drop the entire discussion.

One thing is clear: no one on this board has ANY skin in this game (unless Woody Allen is your relative or babysitter): there is only prurient interest. This isn't the Catholic Church. This isn't a public school teacher. This isn't something that is even current. It was a 21-year-old private dispute in a bitter custody battle. And since we can never know what happened, it has NO VALUE as any kind of lesson about child molestation.

In other words: it's NONE OF OUR BUSINESS to be taking sides. Your opinion (or mine) just DOESN"T MATTER.

[pnwmom]

8. Anyone close to anyone who was molested has skin in the game.

The immediate backlash against Dylan must be very painful for many young people who are dealing with their own traumas in the past.

[kcr]

4. But that's the thing. It isn't equally possible.

No way to know for sure doesn't mean both scenarios equally possible. False accusations are indeed rare. "Stop attacking Woody" Waaah. People are having opinions. Poor Woody.

[BainsBane]

7. He wasn't the one who experienced the abuse

They may indeed have a fucked up family, but that doesn't mean Dylan wasn't abused. I have to wonder if people who raise the fact he is a therapist have known many therapists. That gives him no more credibility than the other brother.

You found Dylan's letter distasteful? I find Allen's rape of a child distasteful. Good fucking grief. Distasteful.

Know what else is distasteful?: Carrying on a secret affair and taking nude photos of the sister of one's own children. Putting one's lust for a young girl above the well-being of his own children is distasteful. Why would a man whose father married his sister be angry at his father? Why should that bother him? A little thing like that?

[seabeyond]

10. he ADOPTED the child. what kind of creep would adopt a child, promise to be a father,

then hold the baby like it had cooties or something.

way to stand up for the man. sounds like scum to me.

[BainsBane]

11. Dylan is his child

Legally. Both Mia and Woody adopted her. Woody Allen sued for custody of the child. If he didn't consider Dylan his child, why would he seek custody? The court not only denied custody, but denied visitation, even supervised visitation. That is very rare, and the custody suit was brought by Allen, not Mia.

You think you know the story based on a picture you saw in a magazine? That's not even rational.

You make a lot of claims that are demonstrably false, starting with the charge than Dylan wasn't his daughter. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about.

[TeeYiYi]

12. "I read the People Mag article"...

Well hey,... if People Magazine is your high bar, don't bother getting a ladder to help you climb up onto the curb.

To sum up: You 'believe' that Moses was there with Dylan, in her every waking hour and in every possible scenario in her young life; so it's not possible that anything untoward ever happened to her since Moses was dutifully, 24/7, chained to Dylan's ankle...

Oh lawdy, mama...

TYY

[TeeYiYi]

13. Opa, troll patrol...

hey lawdy mama
6. I read the People Mag article with Moses

and I believe him. He is now a family therapist. I know a child psychologist who grew up in a screwy family and I bet the impetus for this line of work is more often that scenario than any other. So I believe that Moses lived in an effed-up family most likely. He said that Mia hit him, too. So perhaps HER image as an intelligent, talented actress is just one aspect of her, too.

I found it very distasteful how the whole Ronan-Mia-Dylan accusation rollout occurred. I questioned why Ronan would be so vitrolic after such a long period of time. I suspect that he is still under Mia's control on some level. I know that it sometimes takes one's 30s or even 40s before the concept of parent as god-like figure bites the dust.

Bye bye fathead.

TYY

[seabeyond]

14. bah hahahahha. lol, you. nt