William Roache is charged with five counts of indecent assault
Things are not looking for good for Coronation Street’s William Roache. His friend Owen Oyston, several of whose businesses he also happens to be a director of, was jailed in 1996 for rape and more recently his other friend and fellow director, Stuart Hall, admitted to being a paedophile. Yesterday, Roache was charged today with five indecent assaults on girls aged between 11 and 16.
These charges are additional to the two charges of raping a 15-year old girl that Roache was arrested for in May. Of them, Nazir Afzal, chief prosecutor for the North West, commented:
“We have carefully considered all the evidence gathered by Lancashire police in relation to recent allegations from four complainants that William Roache indecently assaulted them in the 1960s”.
“Having completed our review, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest for Mr Roache to be charged with five offences of indecent assault relating to four girls who were aged between 11 or 12 and 16 at the time of the alleged offences”.
“We have been reviewing evidence and providing early investigative advice to Lancashire police regarding these allegations, which were made to police after Mr Roache was charged on May 1, 2013 with two offences of rape”.
“This decision was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and our guidance for prosecutors on sexual offences. Mr Roache has a right to a fair trial and it is therefore very important that nothing is said, or reported, which could prejudice that trial. For these reasons, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further”.
Roache, a member of the Pure Love Movement and a participant in Druid ceremonies, is famous for having once claimed to have slept with more than 1,000 women. He would have done well to have kept quiet.
Subscribe to our free once daily email newsletter here.