By Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson.
Vicar was killed by mentally ill man
A mentally ill man who stabbed a homosexual priest before jumping from a London tower block was failed by community care services, an inquest heard yesterday.
David Watkins attacked the vicar, David Paget, with a knife and stabbed him nine times at a vicarage in Fulham, London, in May last year. Two days later, he leapt from the 11th floor to his death in east London.
During two separate inquests, west London coroner’s court heard that Watkins had a history of self-harm and violent psychotic behaviour.
Two months before the murder Watkins served a four-month sentence for false imprisonment, and two weeks later discharged himself from St Clement’s psychiatric hospital, east London.
The inquest found Paget was unlawfully killed and Watkins committed suicide.
Source:- The Times Wednesday 24 April page 3
Pope apologises to US for paedophile priests
There is no place for paedophile priests in the Catholic Church, the Pope said yesterday.
Addressing a two-day meeting of US cardinals, the Pope offered a special apology to Roman Catholics in America, where 55 priests have been removed since January. One of whom is Father John Geoghan, who is accused of molesting more than 130 children in Boston.
Sexual abuse of children was rightly considered a crime by society, he added.
Source:- The Times Wednesday 24 April page 4
Detained patients win rights case
The government has breached the human rights of people compulsorily detained in psychiatric hospitals, a judge ruled yesterday, meaning thousands of patients could be entitled to claim damages.
Mr Justice Burnton ruled that the breaches occurred in seven test cases because patients ‘sectioned’ under the Mental Health Act did not receive speedy reviews of their detention by independent tribunals.
The state must now provide "such resources as will provide speedy hearings", he said.
Lawyers for the seven meant the ruling could affect potentially thousands of people in England and Wales. The seven will be applying for compensation within the next few months.
Source:- The Times Wednesday 24 April page 12
Asylum Bill ‘plays into the hands of far-right extremists’
David Blunkett will today be accused of playing into the hands of extremists with tough new measures on asylum and immigration.
Labour MPs, and black MPs in particular are worried about the "dangerous rhetoric" of the legislation, saying that it panders to the same prejudices, which led to the success of Jean Marie Le Pen in France.
They plan to speak during the second reading of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill in the Commons today.
The bill includes plans which will force asylum seekers to take citizenship lessons, learn English, take an oath of allegiance, and they may be housed in secure centres.
All parties have aired concern about another measure, which would prevent asylum seeking children attending mainstream schools as they would be educated in the detention centres.
The proposal has been criticised by refugee groups and teachers, who believe children should be integrated into local schools.
Source:- The Times Wednesday 24 April page 14
£90m pledged to tackle truancy
Labour will promise extra cash to help schools reduce truancy by introducing electronic registration and extra police around schools.
Downing Street has recognised the links between schools suffering high levels of truancy and 33 crime hot spot areas, and the money will be spent on three schools in each of the crime areas.
The £90 million cash announced in the Budget will be given to schools with above average truancy rates. Money will also be used to increase the number of pupil referral places for fear that the government may not meet its pledge of ensuring all excluded children get educated.
Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 24 April page 10
Guardian Society
Blueprint for the future
New posts signal change in health workers’ traditional role
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 24 April page 4
Officer found ‘guilty of neglect’
Police disciplinary hearing’s verdict on arrest tragedy of schizophrenic man
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 24 April page 5
Legacy of illness
Compensation bid for Asian workers
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 24 April page 4
Captured essence
Photographic competition to show volunteering
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 24 April page 5
Separate checks
Government takes a big risk with new ‘super’ inspectorates
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 24 April page 6
Early warning
A preventive approach, imported from the US, is to be tried out in Britain to counter child sex abuse. Maureen Paton on a strategy aimed at deterring paedophiles
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 24 April page 12
Dual alliance
A fresh approach to helping people with mental health problems exacerbated by drink or drugs abuse
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 24 April page 128-127
Hazards of helping
Safeguard warning over volunteer support in public services
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 24 April page 127
Unsettling period
Homelessness likely to recur without support for families
Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 24 April page 127
Welsh newspapers
Commons to look at inquiries into abuse
Police investigations into past cases of abuse in children’s homes are to be examined by a special session at the House of Commons.
The all-party home affairs select committee is due to launch a full inquiry into the way that police have conducted investigations, and will hear evidence from Sir Frederick Crawford, the head of the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
The commission was set up in 1997 to investigate possible miscarriages of justice.
The South Wales Echo has recently reported on a number of cases of ‘historical abuse’ where there has been criticism of the way that the police handled investigations that look at incidents that took place many years earlier.
Source:- South Wales Echo Tuesday April 23 page 4
Judge powerless to punish boy, 11
A judge said yesterday that he was powerless to curb an 11-year-old boy who has been branded a mini crimewave.
The boy appeared at Cardiff youth court yesterday for the 154th time charged with a string of serious offences, but district judge, Gerwyn Watkins said that his ‘hands were tied’ because the boy had not yet reached his 12th birthday, and could not be locked up until then.
The boy from Cardiff is in local authority care, and is one of the youngest people in the UK to be electronically tagged. He is also subject to a 13-hour curfew, but he has breached the curfew eight times within 22 days, and has gone missing for up to 12 hours despite being tagged.
Police have warned that the serial car thief will eventually kill someone, and say that the 4ft 6in boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, uses public roads like racetracks.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 24 April page 1
Clywch Inquiry: Pupil forced to do ‘Equus’ scene naked
One of the alleged victims of abuse in the Clywch inquiry has said that his reason for testifying was to prevent other children being abused in the future.
The inquiry is looking into the activities of alleged paedophile, John Owen, who taught drama at a school in south Wales before going on to become an award winning scriptwriter for Welsh children’s television.
The inquiry, chaired by children’s commissioner for Wales, Peter Clarke, heard that one alleged victim had been required by Owen to strip naked to perform nude scenes from the controversial Peter Shaffer play, Equus, for his O-level drama examination.
Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 24 April page 3
