Monday 5 July 2004

By Amy Taylor, Alex Dobson and Clare
Jerrom

Parents cleared of child abuse to sue police

Parents who were falsely accused of satanic child abuse have
criticised the police and social services.

Six men and four women on the island of Lewis, in the Herbrides,
were arrested last October and charged with rape and sexual abuse
against three girls aged under 16.

Source:- The Sunday Telegraph, July 4, page 13

“Deranged” Mr X new suspect in Billie-Jo case

A loner sighted near the home of murdered girl Billie-Jo Jenkins on
the day she died was so unstable he did not know whether it was
night or day, those who knew him said last week.

Sion Jenkins, Billie-Jo’s foster father was found guilty of
murdering her at his home in February 1997 but has launched an
appeal.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been identified
as a possible suspect for the murder by Jenkins’ legal
team.

Source:- The Sunday Times, July 4, page 12

Public gets power to curb thugs

The public will be able to impose a range of court orders to tackle
anti-social behaviour the government has revealed.

Petitions and public meetings could be used to dish out anti-social
behaviour orders, curfews and dispersal orders where communities
are under fire.

Source:- The Observer, July 4, page 3

Fury as Briton accused of child rape flies home

The British High Commissioner in Gambia has come under fire after
allowing a British man charged with raping a 10-year-old girl to
avoid having a court trial.

John MacKintosh, 63, from Inverness was arrested on 16 May and
denied the charges. His passport was locked in a police safe and he
was granted bail. However, shortly before his trial was due to
start Eric Jenkinson, the high commissioner, got him a new passport
enabling him to fly home before the trial.

Jenkinson denies a making a mistake saying that he believed charges
against Jenkinson had been dropped. But the officials in the Gambia
say that this is not the case.

Source:- The Observer, July 4, page 2

“I’d rather die than live next to these
hooligans”

As the debate over anti-social behaviour orders rages, on woman
tells of her stand

Source:- The Observer, July 4, page 10

MPs may allow child smacking in new Bill

Ministers are set to get legislation changed to allow parents to
smack their children as long as they do not physically harm
them.

Campaigners have criticised the government’s plan arguing
that it defines ways in which children could continue to be
abused.

The government’s approach will be shaped when the Children
Bill is debated in the House of Lords today.

Source:- The Independent, July 5, Monday, page 4

Muslims demand curb on police powers

Muslim leaders are stepping up pressure on the government to ensure
that police powers to stop and search are used fairly.

Home office minister Hazel Blears said yesterday the government was
taking action to ensure that police stop and search powers are used
fairly following a dramatic rise in their use against Asians.

However, Whitehall officials said the government was being pressed
to consider amending the Race Relations Act to include religious
discrimination as part of a wider strategy aimed at winning back
the trust of the Muslim community.

Source:- Financial Times  Saturday 3 July page 2

Blunkett wins police chief’s suspension

The chief constable of Humberside was suspended last night after
David Blunkett’s lawyers won a High Court battle over the
home secretary’s powers to force such an action.

Mr Justice Burnton ruled that Blunkett had exercised his powers
correctly as Humberside police authority had been in default of its
statutory duty.

The Bichard Report into the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica
Chapman found “deeply shocking” failures of police
intelligence which helped create conditions in which Ian Huntley
gained work as a school caretaker.

Source:- Financial Times  Saturday 3 July page 2

Council workers’ union accepts deal

A union representing 300,000 council workers has accepted a
three-year pay deal worth 8.9 per cent.

The GMB said its members voted 2-1 in favour of the increase, which
will lead to new grading structures aimed at delivering equal pay
in local authorities within three years.

Source:- Financial Times  Saturday 3 July page 2

People smugglers caught in air chase

A bid to smuggle 50 illegal immigrants into Britain by light
aircraft was foiled last night following a high-speed air
chase.

A seven-month intelligence stake out found that the unnamed pilot
was ferrying Turkish asylum seekers from Belgium and France.

The pilot arrived in Britain with five illegal passengers including
a child. Each had paid £6,700 for transport from Turkey to
Britain.

Source:- The Times  Saturday 3 July page 7

Children barred from mobile porn sites

Vodaphone yesterday launched the world’s first system to
prevent children from calling up adult websites from their
handsets.

Customers will not be able to view pornography or gambling sites or
enter unmonitored chat-rooms until they have proved they are over
18.

Source:- Daily Telegraph  Saturday 3 July page 12

Scottish newspapers

Crown drops Western Isles child abuse
investigation

A child abuse investigation in the Western Isles has been dropped,
the Crown Office has confirmed.

The investigation, which saw social workers and four police forces
carry out dawn raids on houses in England and Scotland last year,
resulted in seven men and a woman being charged.

A Crown Office spokesperson confirmed that following a thorough
investigation, the Crown counsel has instructed that no proceedings
be taken in this case.

Source:- The Scotsman  Saturday 3 July

Knife thug accused of rape during home visit

A teenager who was locked up for abducting and stabbing a young
girl is alleged to have raped a young girl while on home
leave.

Social work chiefs in Edinburgh allowed the 14-year-old boy out of
care home accommodation for a series of weekend visits earlier this
year, believing the move was safe.

However, the boy has been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl and
a string of alleged sexual assaults against other youngsters.

The evidence is being examined by the Crown lawyers who must decide
whether to send him to an adult court for trial or allow the case
to be dealt with by the Children’s Panel.

Source:- Scotland on Sunday, Sunday 4 July

Prisoners reap reward of slopping-out crisis

Hundreds of Scottish prisoners, including convicted rapists and
violent attackers, will have their home leave extended to as much
as two weeks a month following the controversial slopping out case
earlier this year.

Lawyers representing Robert Napier successful argued in court that
the practice of slopping-out contravened his human rights.

Jail chiefs hope that be letting offenders home for up to a week
instead of the current three days they can minimise the use of the
cells which do not have proper sanitation and reduce the likelihood
of further compensation claims.

Opposition parties believe the plan risks putting the public at
risk.

Source:- Scotland on Sunday  Sunday 4 July

Beds shortage puts children “at risk”

Vulnerable children are being forced to sleep on floors at
children’s homes in Edinburgh because of a lack of
accommodation and foster carers.

The beds shortage is also putting some children in “high
risk” situations for weeks at a time, despite emergency
orders granted by sheriffs recommending they are removed from their
families.

Union chiefs have blamed the crisis on a lack of Scottish Executive
social work funding and a huge rise in the number of child
protection cases.

Source:- Scotland on Sunday  Sunday 4 July

Scots scrape barrel with binge drinking

Experts have warned that Scotland’s binge drinking culture is
threatening to spiral out of control as fresh figures showed the
number of alcohol related hospital admissions has soared by more
than 20 per cent in the past five years.

Cases of the more serious alcohol related conditions are increasing
even more rapidly than the overall figure, with liver disease up by
more than 40 per cent, according to the Scottish executive
figures.

Source:- Scotland on Sunday  Sunday 4 July

McConnell caves in over reforms

Scottish Labour has caved in to Blairite reform in England, which
they earlier rejected, which will see the creation of foundation
hospitals.

First minister Jack McConnell’s party had dismissed the plans
including foundation hospitals but they now say they may provide
lessons they can learn from.

Source:- Sunday Herald  Sunday 4 July

“No confidence” for prison heads

Justice minister Cathy Jamieson has refused to back the head of the
Scottish Prison Service following the recent problems including
mistakes by Reliance escort company and the slopping-out case in
Scotland.

Jamieson declined to say if Tony Cameron has her full confidence.
She said she did not have the power to sack him but stressed that
the Prison Service can expect a major change as a new national
corrections agency is introduced.

Source:- Sunday Herald  Sunday 4 July

Prejudice against mentally ill still common in
Scotland

Three in five Scots believe someone with a mental health problem
would be unable to look after children, according to new
research.

The study by the anti-stigmatisation See Me campaign also found
that more than half of those polled claim someone with an illness
such as depression could not hold a job down as a bank
manager.

Source:- Sunday Herald  Sunday 4 July

Alcohol charity warns of £34m shortfall

Plans to tackle Scotland’s hard drinking image are woefully
under-funded and misdirected according to a charity.

The £8 million Scottish Executive funding over two years to
promote sensible drinking, cut alcohol-related deaths and improve
health services for people with alcohol problems is a drop in the
ocean, according  to Alcohol Focus Scotland.

The charity claims that action plans to deliver the
Executive’s strategy would cost £42m, leaving a huge
deficit.

Source:- Sunday Herald  Sunday 4 July

Another two prisoners freed in error

A further two prisoners have been mistakenly released from custody,
prompting fresh calls for justice minister Cathy Jamieson to
resign.

An investigation was underway to establish whether escort company
Reliance was at fault.

Source:- The Scotsman  Monday 5 July

Forced to live behind closed doors

Older people in Scottish care homes are being forced to live behind
closed doors under a new fire safety regime imposed following the
Uddingston fire which killed 14 older residents.

Inspectors from the country’s two main brigades are insisting
homes keep bedroom doors shut at all times, despite evidence that
older people are deeply distressed without regular social contact
with other residents and staff.

Source:- The Herald  Monday 5 July

Welsh newspapers

Millionaire dad threatens tug-of-love mum with
jail

A mother battling to be re-united with her children is facing two
years in a South American prison.

Jane Davies, a teacher from Carmarthen, is being sued by her
ex-husband after she accused him of withholding important documents
during their custody case, and if the case is proven she could face
a prison term in Ecuador. In spite of being awarded custody of her
two children, she has not seen them since 2002 when her millionaire
husband abducted them and took them to live in the Galapagos
Islands.

Source:- Western Mail Monday 5 July page 1

Woman’s free disabled parking
struggle

A former nurse has launched a campaign opposing the introduction
of parking charges for disabled drivers.
Anne Goodman who is disabled wants blue badge holders to continue
to park for free in car parks in Pembrokeshire. She says that the
introduction of charges, which is currently under consideration by
the council would victimise people with disabilities.

Source:- Western Mail Monday 5 July page 3

Owen victim criticises school staff

A former pupil who claims to have suffered sexual abuse at the
hands of drama teacher, John Owen, has criticised senior teachers
for not providing adequate pastoral care.

Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Peter Clarke last week
published the Clywch report that examined the alleged abuse by John
Owen of pupils at a south Wales comprehensive. Senior teachers were
praised in the report for blowing the whistle on Owen’s
activities but the man, who identity is unknown, says they should
have done more to protect children.

Source:- Western Mail Monday 5 July page 5