News round up: Twice as many four-year-olds excluded

Twice as many four-year-olds excluded from school

The number of primary school pupils suspended for attacking staff rose 5.6 per cent to more than 7,000 last year, about 35 each school day. The number permanently excluded for such attacks rose 7.7 per cent to 280.

Exclusions of pupils under 5 also rose. However, the total number of exclusions and suspensions from state schools fell, official statistics showed yesterday.

Read more on this story in The Times

Evil lover of mum beat tot to death

A drug-crazed brute was yesterday convicted of battering to death his lover’s toddler.

Two-year-old Joshua Jones lived in fear of violent Wayne Davenport – but his mother Nichola Bowman just turned a blind eye.

Read more on this story in The Sun

Therapist who had affair with addicted patient is sacked by psychiatric hospital

A therapist at a psychiatric hospital has been sacked for having an affair with a patient.

Grandmother Trinity Marriott, 50, is said to have booked hotel rooms for sex with 28-year-old Martin Godfrey. The emotionally vulnerable former criminal was battling drink and drug addiction at the time.

She became close to Mr Godfrey after a series of one-to-one counselling sessions as part of his recovery programme.

Read more on this story in The Daily Mail

£150m childcare scheme for two-year-olds is a flop

Labour’s scheme to offer free childcare places to two-year-olds has been an expensive flop, a government-backed report has revealed.

Attending nurseries, playgroups and childminders has not significantly improved youngsters’ mental and social development.

Read more on this story in The Daily Mail

Teenage volunteers face prosecution unless they register with anti-paedophile database

Teenage volunteers and care workers will face prosecution unless they register with the world’s biggest anti-paedophile database, under government plans.
Guidance for the controversial Independent Safeguarding Authority states that youths who want to help vulnerable groups will have to be vetted “in time for their 16th birthday to avoid committing an offence”.

Read more on this story in The Daily Telegraph

Debbie Purdy wins significant legal victory on assisted suicide

Britian’s highest court issued a historic judgment today that could finally remove the fear of prosecution from people who travel abroad to support relatives seeking an assisted suicide.

In a unanimous ruling, the law lords ordered the director of public prosecutions to immediately draw up a policy that would spell out when prosecutions would and would not be pursued.

Readmore on this story in The Guardian