Monday 16 August 2004

By Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson

Soham PC jailed after betrayed girl’s family

Brian Stevens, the police family liaison officer for the Chapman
family whose daughter Jessica was murdered by Ian Huntley in Soham,
has been jailed for conspiracy to pervert the course of
justice.

He was jailed for 8 months yesterday after giving police a false
alibi when they were investigating him over downloading child porn
from the internet to his laptop.

Source:- The Times, Saturday, 14 August, page 5

Ofsted to review nursery inspections

Nurseries and playgroups are set to have the amount of notice they
are given before an inspection cut after a television documentary
revealed concerns about the treatment of children in some
nurseries.

The education watchdog Ofsted said it would cut the notice period
to two or three weeks by the time the next series of inspections is
due in April next year.

Nurseries Undercover: The Real Story was shown on BBC 1 last
week.

Source:- The Independent, Saturday, 14 August, page 10

Refugees ‘detained during legal process’

Campaigners and lawyers say they are seeing a growing number of
cases where women and children asylum seekers are being deported
before they have fully exhausted their legal options.

Solicitors have accused the immigration authorities of picking on
women and children even when they have grounds for further legal
action hoping that they will come with little fuss.

Asylum seekers should “not be removed from the UK while there
is outstanding legal action” state Home Office
guidelines.

Source:- The Guardian, Saturday, 14 August, page 6

Charities consider pension funds plea

Several large charities are considering asking the government to
exempt their staff pension funds from an accounting standard to
prevent them from having to use donations, according to new
research.

A survey, by the Charity Finance Directors’ Group, which has
900 members, found that more than half of charities with final
salary pensions had large deficits.

Source:- The Financial Times, Saturday, 14 August, page
2

Charity shops lose out as second-hand goods go to
internet auctions

Charity shops are loosing thousands of pounds each week due to
people selling their unwanted items on the internet.

The loss is a result of many people choosing to sell their goods on
eBay, the online auction site, rather than donating them to the
shops.

Source:- The Sunday Telegraph, August 15, page 5

Don’t be fooled by the picture: this is Middle England
in full revolt

Gypsies are buying and developing unspoilt land with scant regard
for planning rules. Adam Lusher meets the villagers who are
fighting the invasion.

Source:- The Sunday Telegraph, August 15, page 11

Out of work and on benefit. But, like millions
of others John Webster is not officially unemployed. The official
number of unemployed people would increase by almost 80 per cent
from 1.43 million to 2.5 million if the government included people
on incapacity benefit, according to new research. The study, by
Sheffield Hallam University, finds that the official number of
unemployed people would rise from 4.8 per cent – 1.43 million to
2.5 million if the group was included.
Source:- The Sunday Telegraph, August 15, page 14

Parents keep web watch as nursery abuse
revealed

A TV inquiry into low standards is prompting families to supervise
children by remote control.

Source:- The Observer, August 15, page 14

Blunkett’s asylum pledge betrayed

Over 150 asylum seekers who have not committed any crimes are being
held in prisons despite the government’s pledge 3 years ago to
abolish the practice. Official figures show that 170 asylum seekers
are currently being held in prisons. More than 130 of them were
previously detained in Harmondsworth removal centre but were moved
after riots occurred last month.

Source:- The Independent on Sunday, August 15, page
2

Sharp rise in young offenders at risk of suicide or
self-harm

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of young offenders
considered suicidal or highly vulnerable over the past three years,
new government figures show.

The figures for 2003-04 reveal that 3,337 jailed teenagers were
considered at risk or self harm or had been bullied and abused.
This is compared to the 432 girls and boys aged five-18 who were
seen at risk and sent to youth offending institutions in
2000-01.

Source:- The Independent on Sunday, August 15, page
2

Behind the razor with Britain’s lost generation

Suicide rates in youth jails are a national scandal. But one
infamous institution is attempting to turn the tide.

Source:- The Independent on Sunday, August 15, page
8

They live in houses and we live in caravans, but so
what?

As Gypsies prepare to leave Prince Charles’s Poundbury village,
Jonathan Thompson discovers them in a defiant mood

Source:- The Independent on Sunday, August 15, page
13

Woman who fled gunman refused asylum

A Jamaican woman who came to Britain after gangsters killed her son
and shot her in the head has had her asylum claim turned
down.

The woman fears that the gangsters will kill her if she returns to
Kingston but has been told that she has to go back.

The Home Office has backed an immigration appeals tribunal
rejection of the woman’s asylum claim which found that her
experiences did not amount to persecution in terms of race,
religion or political opinion.

Source:- The Guardian, Monday, 14 August, page 6

‘Fifteen homeless people living at Heathrow’

About 15 homeless people are living permanently at Heathrow is has
been alleged by a man who lived there for four years.

The story of George, a 26-year-old who dropped out of college, is
revealed in a BBC documentary.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph, Monday 14 August, page
7

Children of criminals to be ‘targeted’ and
‘tracked’

A programme targeting and tracking the children of criminals is
being planned by the Home Office.

The programme aims to stop 125,000 children whose fathers are in
prison from offending.

Source:- The Independent, Monday, 14 August, page 2

Scottish newspapers

Vulnerable youngsters remain at risk in city

Vulnerable children in the capital are “not as safe as they
should be”, according to an external investigation into child
protection services.

The report highlights serious concerns on issues including a lack
of resources, failure by professionals to share vital information
about children’s cases and an inefficient use of social
workers’ time.

The report, ordered by Edinburgh Council following the
O’Brien inquiry into the death of Caleb Ness, found that
despite the hard work and dedication of frontline workers, children
on the child protection register were not as safe as they should
be.

Source:- Evening News  Saturday 14 August

Sheriff’s fury over full-up abuse
project

A staff shortage at a project designed to tackle domestic violence
in the capital has been criticised by a sheriff in court.

Sheriff Andrew Lothian was told he could not place a violent
offender on the domestic probationary programme because there were
not enough spaces.

The project, run by the council’s social services department
through Scottish executive funding, is designed to educate men and
end their abusive behaviour towards their partners.

Lothian said it was a “great pity” he could not order
offenders to take part in the programme as it was “a very
good project”. He said it made sentencing difficult when
successful solutions to prevent re-offending were not
resourced.

Source:- Evening News  Saturday 14 August

Under-fives to stay with mothers in Cornton Vale
prison

Children aged under-five-years-old will be allowed to stay
alongside their mothers in Cornton Vale prison under an experiment
ordered by the governor.

Currently, children are only allowed to stay with their mothers
until they are 18 months old and they are then sent to live with
relatives or carers. But governor Sue Brookes has decided it is in
the best interests of some children to stay with their mothers
until they are school age.

Brookes believes the controversial move is better for the
development of the child and will help to motivate mothers to
behave inside prison and after release.

Source:- Scotland on Sunday  Sunday 15 August

Why child drinkers could be grown up alcoholics

Giving young children alcohol may put them at greater risk of
alcohol abuse in later life, parents have been warned.

Researchers, from Binghampton University in the US, carried out an
experiment on rats. It found young rats eagerly lapped up large
amounts of highly concentrated alcohol in a short time while adult
rats had to be tricked into drinking the alcoholic fluid. 

The researchers claim their findings heightened the importance of
parents keeping alcoholic drinks away from infants and children
because they might find them very attractive.

Source:- The Herald  Monday 16 August

Kerb crawlers face letter from the law

Police letters may be sent to kerb crawlers warning them that they
have been repeatedly seen in red-light districts as part of a
crackdown on prostitution.

Strathclyde police has proposed writing to drivers seen in red
light areas to warn them about the inherent dangers and illegal
status of soliciting.

The plan is part of a police strategy to reduce soliciting in
Glasgow city centre and to encourage vice girls to use support
services to change their lifestyles.

However, the move is expected to infuriate civil rights
campaigners.

Source:- The Herald  Monday 16 August

Offenders on deferred sentences must
‘improve’ their behaviour

Offenders whose sentences are deferred will be forced to attend
counselling and prove to courts that their behaviour has improved
or face sanctions under proposals unveiled today by the Scottish
executive.

However, those who participate fully in the scheme could be
admonished and avoid having a criminal record.

Unions and professional bodies warned however that unless
additional funding is provided the scheme will overburden the
social work system.

Source:- The Herald  Monday 16 August

Welsh newspapers

Matrons make a comeback in our hospitals

Matrons are returning to Welsh hospitals for the first
time in more than 30 years in a bid to drive up standards.

They will be responsible for patient care, cleanliness, food
quality and staff attitudes and advice and are also expected to
encourage innovation. Initially matrons will be placed in
Powys’ ten community hospitals but if successful the scheme
will be rolled out across Wales.

Source Western Mail Monday 16 August page 1

Family fights for ‘a quiet life’ for
autistic teenager

A Welsh family has launched an urgent bid to build a new
home to help their daughter who suffers from autism and a rare
condition, hyperacusis which means everyday sounds can cause
agony.

The family of Stephanie Blayney, 14 who live in Guilsfield, Powys
have applied to build a house in quiet surroundings near to their
village but their application has been rejected.

Leading barrister, Lord Carlisle of Berriew is urging Powys council
to reconsider.

Source Western Mail Monday 16 August page 5