By
Natalie Valios and Reg McKay.
A former assistant director of social services, magistrate and Labour councillor has been jailed for abusing boys in a children's home scandal which may have had as many as 70 victims over 30 years.
Alan Prescott received a two-year sentence after admitting indecently assaulting four boys in his care between 1970 and 1980. He was superintendent of a Tower Hamlets children's home. He later became assistant social services director.
He confessed after the trial of William Starling, his colleague at St Leonard's children's home in Hornchurch, Essex over which Prescott presided from 1968 until its closure in 1984.
Starling was jailed for 14 years in April for 19 offences including rape and buggery on boys and girls over a 20-year period.
Meanwhile, the case against a third man Haydn Davies, who was facing charges of assaulting boys at St Leonard's in the 1970s and 1980s, was dropped after police lost video evidence.
Police said the investigation into child abuse at the homes continues.
Source:-
The Guardian October 9 page 14
A minister of a French-speaking church in south London refused to take action when told that Victoria Climbie, a member of his church, was being sexually abused.
Pascal Orome thought her too ugly to instill lust, the inquiry into the death of the eight-year-old girl heard.
Source:-
The Times October 9 page 20
The inquiry into the murderous medical career of Harold Shipman reopened yesterday, as another 30 suspicious deaths emerged.
The public inquiry took the unusual step of placing adverts in national newspapers requesting information on the deaths of over 80 of the GP's patients in the 1980s. Thirty cases dating back to 1977 will now be examined, bringing the total deaths under investigation to 431.
Shipman is Britain's worst serial killer. He was convicted last year of the murders of 15 patients and is serving life.
Source:-
The Guardian October 9 page 16
The former Bay City Roller, Derek Longmuir, yesterday retained his right to work as a nurse after a disciplinary hearing decided not to strike him off the nursing register following his conviction for possession of child pornography.
Longmuir was sentenced to 300 hours' community service last March after pleading guilty to two charges of having indecent photographs, videos and computer disks of children at his Edinburgh home.
The former drummer with the Scottish pop group also admitted making indecent photographs of children in March 1998 by downloading them from the internet. The professional conduct committee of the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting decided not to remove Longmuir’s name from the nursing register but to serve him with a caution having listened to three hours evidence.
Source:-
The Herald October 9 page 13
