A summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom and Reg McKay.

Stage hypnotists ‘brought back trauma of sex
abuse’

A woman claimed a stage hypnotists reawakened memories of sexual
abuse, which have left her like a “zombie”, the high court was told
yesterday.

Lynn Howarth alleges she has suffered clinical depression, which
resulted in two suicide attempts, and forced her to put her
children into a nursery because she felt unable to cope.

Howarth said hypnotist Philip Green was negligent in the way he
carried out his act at a private function at a social club in
1994.

“I went to that stage show as a normal, happy, healthy,
energetic woman and came out a zombie,” Howarth says.

She claimed Green made her regress to the age of eight when she
was sexually abused by an uncle.

Lawrence West, counsel for Green, said Howarth had volunteered
to participate in the hypnosis and would have a pretty good idea
what she was letting herself in for.

The case continues.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Tuesday 22 May page 5

Mother threw her baby out of window

A mentally ill woman killed her baby daughter by throwing her
out of a third floor window to “get her own back” on her boyfriend,
the Old Bailey was told yesterday.

Sherinda Patterson was 10-months-old when she died from multiple
injuries.

The court heard how parents Helen Patterson and Oswraine Bramble
had been arguing.

“In an effort to draw attention to her plight and to get her own
back on the man she thought was betraying her, she threw her baby
from the window,” Sir John Nutting QC prosecuting said.

Patterson denied murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter on
the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The crown decided to accept the plea following reports from
psychiatrists that she was suffering depression and other mental
problems.

Patterson was remanded on bail to await sentence.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Tuesday 22 May page 5

Tories promise to raise all pensions

Pensioners would have their taxes cut and pensions increased
under plans by the Conservatives.

All pensioners will be promised above inflation increases in the
state pension in April 2002, taking them up to £75.50 for a
single pensioner and £120.70 for a couple.

Pensioners over 75 will also get more. Single pensioners would
receive an increase of £4 a week and couples would benefit
from an extra £6.80.

They have promised to raise the personal tax allowance for those
over 65 by £2,000, taking one million out of tax altogether,
and increasing other incomes by £8.50 per week.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Tuesday 22 May page 9

Refugees denounce Hague as Hitler

Kosovan refugees branded William Hague “the second Hitler”
during a chaotic walkabout yesterday.

As the Tory leader hurried past the refugees to talk to voters
in Northampton town centre, Agron Rexha, who was granted asylum in
Britain three years ago, and four friends, barracked Hague.

Rexha later said he had paid smuggling gangs £2,750 to get
him across Europe in the back of a lorry, in a bid to escape the
war.

Asked about Hague, Rexha said “Tony Blair is better for us
because he helps us come in this country. This other one is no
good. What is he saying about us? I think it is lies.”

Source:- The Times Tuesday 22 May page 13

Nurses attack ‘poaching’ from Third
World

Nurses attacked Britain’s reliance on foreign nurses
yesterday as “deplorable” and “exploitative”.

Poaching nurses from developing countries, experiencing chronic
staff shortages themselves, to plug acute shortages in British
hospitals, was branded “totally unscrupulous”.

For the first time, the number of overseas nurses registered to
work in Britain is poised to overtake the number of newly qualified
nurses.

The number of foreign nurses who applied to get on the official
register rose by 71 per cent in the past year, to 29,119.

Delegates at the Royal College of Nursing’s annual
conference in Harrogate, Yorkshire, attacked the government’s
recruitment agencies for “hoovering up” foreign staff.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Tuesday 22 May page 4

Scottish newspapers

Attacks on asylum seekers not racist

Scotland’s most senior Asian community leader has claimed
that violent attacks on refugees and asylum seekers are not racist.
Bashir Maan, a city councillor and convenor of Strathclyde Joint
Police Board, said that groups of people moving into certain areas
of Glasgow would still face violence whatever race they were. Maan
said: “I think any group, even Scottish people from another area,
would be treated the same way.”

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 22 May page 15

Hungry plight of voucher holders

Asylum seekers and refugees are facing daily hunger and serious
threats to their health because of the inadequacy of the voucher
system, according to Peter Barry, manager of the Scottish Refugee
Council, and Dr Peter von Kaehne, one of the two doctors dealing
mainly with asylum seekers. Dr Kaehne said that studies had proven
that it was impossible to maintain good health while surviving on
the cheapest foods affordable under income support. He added: “How
then can you do it on 70 per cent of that?”

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 22 May page 15