How do you measure an artist?

[Maaz Hasan]

That's the thing I fear...
That if Blaine's really innocent, why on Earth is he not coming out?
Why has the verdict been left in a grey area?
That's my problem. Because I like most of you, am hoping the allegations are false (or else my image of Blaine will be tarnished) but also want the woman to have justice IF the allegations are true.
The fact that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty is okay...the thing is that Blaine has not been proven guilty OR innocent. If he is at fault, he should get punishment but if he is not, then why all this quietness? This silence of the case will tarnish only Blaine's reputation, no one else's.
But obviously as a third person, I don't have the right to say or think too much about it and come to conclusions as a third person never knows all the details.

The best way to avoid controversy is to not address it. The moment he addresses it, the whole thing will blow up, regardless. Silence does not tarnish your reputation. Example: Thomas Jefferson was accused of having an affair with a slave during his presidency. He didn't address it at all and the whole thing just died down. And in reality, the whole thing HAS died down recently. The alleged victims have not brought it up again, the investigators have not brought it up, Blaine hasn't brought it up, and besides his thread, I have seen very little about it.

Also, there is the whole thing about "innocent until proven guilty". So far you have 2 Intelligence organizations looking into the subject and finding nothing. People shouldn't be so quick to jump to their own final verdict. Eg. Bill Cosby has recently been proven innocent (I think) due to mistrial. However, his reputation has been tarnished due to how big the trial/case/event really got.

 

[Al e Cat Dabra]

According to an article in The Daily Beast (Don't you love the name?), Scotland Yard has been investigating the allegations, which were made by the accuser on 17 November 2016. Representatives of Scotland Yard stated, "There have been no arrests at this stage and enquiries continue.” So, considering the allegations were made a year ago (almost to the day) and no charges or arrest have yet been made, I would think that it may be unlikely that there will ever be a trial of the matter and a definitive verdict either way. I would imagine that it is very hard to come up with evidence to prove that someone is guilty of what DB has been accused of if there is no forensic evidence (e.g. DNA, blood, etc.) or no witnesses to corroborate the account of the alleged victim. And the fact that this is something that was alleged to have happened 13 years ago would seem to make it that much more of a challenge for investigators to come up with solid proof, if in fact there is any.

Blaine’s attorney, Marty Singer, did make a statement to The Daily Beast in a statement in which he said:

“My client vehemently denies that he raped or sexually assaulted any woman, ever, and he specifically denies raping a woman in 2004, This would include Natasha Prince.” (whom I believe is a second accuser out of a separate alleged incident) Singer further stated: “If, in fact, there is any police investigation, my client will fully cooperate because he has nothing to hide.”

The question has been raised on this thread as to why Blaine hasn't come forward and directly made a statement proclaiming his innocence - to the world or the magic community or whatever. But it might just be that his attorney advised him not to do so, which would not be out of the ordinary...