No charges against Bill Henson. The persecution was political.
The role of the op-edder needs to be put in this context as well. Many whip up outrage, or seeming outrage, for entertainment purposes but have a willing political arm that will act to assuage the furore. This leads to political prosecutions which have little to do with the consistency of the rule of law.
It is mob based persecutions. I don't believe it is a failing of democracy, as this isn't a democratic mob demanding action, it is usually a small lobby group and a few with a long reach in the mass media. It merely a small mob or faction with access to political persuasion through the media.
Fortunately the rule of law is strong enough to resist these demands for burnings at the stake, but representatives are isolated from the electorate and do not need to campaign constantly. They can ignore those that make calls for mob persecution. As a representative they are constitutionally required to act in the public good and not at the beck and call of a violent faction who would make persecution political rather than within the framework of the rule of law.
