[Margaret Pilkington]

I can answer that one for you.
If he had been another Joe soap, the incident would not have been brushed aside.
He would have been disciplined by his employers.
But as he was seen as some kind of media personality, and she was just getting started on her career, nothing was done for 19 years.

As for the time and effort going into something more serious........if this was a female relative of yours, it would be serious.
You would be wanting this man to get his just desserts.......as it is and because of the time that has elapsed you see it as something that is of little consequence.

As to your last mention of the person using it in her stand up comedy routine.......well, sometimes to cope with bad situations laughter is used to take the sting out of it(I know this to be true, because having worked in situations which have been unpleasant.....black humour has helped not exactly normalise, but to make things more acceptable......not that I am saying any kind of sexual abuse is acceptable).

This man is a sexual predator......and he doesn't like people knowing that.
He tried to call the victims liars and fantasists....he wasn't doing anything wrong in his eyes, he still thinks he wasn't doing anything wrong and that should tell you he would do it again.
He has learned nothing. He should have gone to jail.