Some memories torment us, despite our best efforts to forget them. My guilt is hinged to the things I never said, but really should have.
Because I knew a grown man who was having sex with a child. He was, in those days, my friend. His girlfriend was under the age of consent. The law on this in the UK is clear: if an individual over 18 engages in sexual activity with a person under 16, he or she can be charged with a criminal offence, which may result in a 14-year prison sentence. I was aware of this at the time, but I did nothing.
Although we have grown accustomed to the paunch, the sagging chins and the silver hair, the octogenarian former Rolling