Dave
People will hold different views on whether it's necessary to actually meet someone in order to form a valid opinion about them, or whether an opinion can reasonably be formed based on their behaviour. The old adage 'actions speak louder than words' may have some force. It's true there have been some strong criticisms of her, and it's obviously a matter of opinion whether they are justified, but you might also concede that some of those who condemn her have been commendably restrained in not commenting upon Captain Starmer's personal circumstances when she met him.
Not giving an opinion on the case itself, just setting the record straight on one point -
"You are 26 years old, the nation's media are outside"
The "nation's media" didn't just happen to be passing through Watford. There was no media interest in the claim until BALPA, presumably with the agreement of the (undoubtedly) highly-intelligent and (allegedly) "quiet and unassuming" Mrs Starmer, chose to create it.
BALPA's own website triumphantly gives details of how it very successfully managed to manipulate media coverage, giving the story to the Press "only on the Sunday before the Monday hearing, so that it hit Monday morning’s papers and Monday morning television and radio programmes."
BALPA's Press Release gave Mrs Starmer's side of the argument. Mrs Starmer gave interviews to the Press, and so did the BALPA Officials fighting her case - including you.
BALPA's timing gave BA no chance to give the other side of the argument to the Press before the tribunal started - even if they'd thought that was the right way to go about things.
What would BALPA's reaction have been if BA had released details of her claim and her personal circumstances, and BA's side of the argument, to the Press on the day before the hearing was due to start?
The Press are fickle, and they rarely miss a chance to criticise our industry.
Will the same Press be quite as generous if there's an accident in which one of the pilots is inexperienced low hours part-time - even if the accident has got nothing at all to do with inexperience, low hours part-time?