A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom.

New jury sworn in for Sarah Payne trial

A judge at the Sarah Payne murder trial halted procedures
yesterday, and discharged the jury due to irregularities.

Another jury of nine men and women were sworn in for the
afternoon session, but the Payne family did not attend the
hearing.

The new jury was told Roy Whiting denied kidnapping Sarah in
July last year and murdering her.

Regarding the change in jury, Mr Justice Curtis adjourned the
hearing for 90 minutes and as the court reconvened, told the seven
women and five men: “I have had a report which discloses a
procedural irregularity…I am going to discharge you from
further jury duty. I regret it, but it’s one of those
things.”

When the court resumed, he put new questions to the panel of
jurors asking them if they, or anyone close to them, knew any of
the Payne or Whiting family.

The trial continues.

Source:- The Times Friday 16 November page 11

Boy’s killer is tracked down 33 years
on

A paedophile, who thought he had got away with the murder of a
schoolboy 33 years ago, has been trapped by DNA technology and is
now serving a life sentence.

The parents of Roy Tutill died before they could see Brian Field
brought to justice for the murder of their son.

Police confirmed they would be re-examining hundreds of unsolved
sex attacks to establish if they are linked to Field.

Field admitted murder at the Old Bailey yesterday.

Source:- The Times Friday 16 November page 13

Woman of 93 must let male carer wash her

A 93-year-old woman faces losing her home help unless she agrees
to let a male carer wash her.

Una Penny lives in sheltered accommodation and is helped each
morning by a female carer to wash her hair and shower her. But two
weeks ago she was informed a male carer would be taking over these
duties.

Penny claims that when she said she found the idea embarrassing
she was told she may have to see a psychiatrist to discuss her
“problem with men”. A social services official also told her she
could lose her home help.

Her son-in-law David Dunn said that his mother-in-law had been
told by council officials that it would be an infringement of the
male care worker’s human rights not to allow him to carry out
bathing duties.

Penny’s help was provided by Brunelcare.

A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire council said that
social services was trying to resolve the dispute.

Source:- The Times Friday 16 November page 13

Brown urges new deal for the poor

Chancellor Gordon Brown will today urge the west to learn
lessons from the war against terrorism by agreeing to double aid to
£69 million a year to fund ‘a new deal for the global
economy’.

Brown speaking at the New York Federal Reserve will urge the
west to look at taxes on foreign exchange transactions and arms
deals as possible ways of raising the money.

He will propose the creation of a new international fund
dedicated to meeting the United Nations development targets by
2015.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 16 November page 1

Patients get choice of hospital

Patients waiting more than a year for an operation on the NHS
will soon be given the right to demand treatment in another
hospital, under plans being proposed by Alan Milburn.

A ministerial source said a scheme would be announced in January
to give patients waiting the longest the opportunity to switch
hospitals and get free treatment in private clinics, if
necessary.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 16 November page 11

One in four gays suffers mental illness over
sexuality

The first “gay census” in the UK has revealed that one in four
lesbians and gay men have sought treatment for mental illness
because of their sexuality.

The survey suggests that while British attitudes to
homosexuality are changing, many people are still struggling to
come to terms with their sexuality.

The research is intended to provide the first comprehensive
picture of homosexual life in the UK and covers careers, religious
beliefs and family structures.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 16 November page 15

Immigration set to boost population

The latest statistics show that the future of the UK in 25 years
time will show more immigrants, more pensioners and fewer children
according to government estimates.

The Office of National Statistics said the population was likely
to increase from 59.8 million in 2000 to nearly 65 million in 2005,
mainly due to an increase in inward migration.

In the mid 1990s the surplus of immigrants over emigrants was
running at around 100,000 a year, but from 1998 to 2000 it rose to
a record 180,000 a year.

Source:- The Guardian Friday 16 November page 15

Women ‘at more risk of
addiction’

Women may be at more risk than men of abusing alcohol and drugs
because the female hormone oestrogen seems to make the brain
vulnerable to addiction.

Dr Jill Becker, of the University of Michigan, said: “These
findings suggest that when it comes to drug use, women should be
extremely cautious, especially younger women who may be
experiencing major hormonal swings at times in their lives when
their peers are first experimenting with nicotine and cocaine.”

Older women using hormone replacement therapy may also be more
vulnerable to drug addiction, according to the study which was
presented to the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Friday 16 November page 19

Scottish News

Sheriff’s ruling ends child porn case

A man accused of being a member of the Wonderland paedophile
ring was freed yesterday on a legal technicality.

Andrew Aspinall was charged with storing more than 7,500 images
of child pornography on a computer, and was arrested after officers
searched his home in 1998.

But yesterday, sheriff Peter Gillam ruled the search illegal
because an untrained civilian had accompanied police officers to
Aspinall’s house in West Lothian.

Aspinall denied possessing and distributing child pornography.
He was accused of being a member of the Wonderland Club.

Seven men were jailed in February after confessing to being
members and six committed suicide after being charged.

Source:- The Times Friday 16 November page 13

One in 50 a heroin addict

One in 50 of the adult population in Scotland are heroin
addicts, according to a census of the country.

The study conducted by professor Neil McKeganey at Glasgow
University calls for an urgent review of resources to tackle the
problem.

He said: “We have nearly twice as many drug addicts as we
thought we had. It shows very clearly that we don’t have one
drug problem in Scotland, we have a series of local epidemics. We
must increase resources on drug treatment and law enforcement, but
prevention is a Cinderella area.”

Figures show that 53 per cent of Scotland’s drug addicts
live within Strathclyde Police force area.

The ratio from male to female drug addicts is three to one.

Source:- The Scotsman Friday 16 November