Thursday 22 August 2002

By Clare Jerrom, Reg McKay and Alex Dobson.

Scientists finally identify bodies

Cambridgeshire police announced yesterday that the two
“unrecognisable” bodies found in a wood were those of Holly Wells
and Jessica Chapman.

Intensive forensic tests eventually confirmed what detectives
had feared when the remains had been found four days earlier.

The children’s parents visited the Fenland beauty spot
where the children had been hidden, and took solace from all the
messages of support attached to the many floral tributes.

At almost the same time, Maxine Carr attended Peterborough
magistrates’ court charged in connection with the murders. An
angry crowd gathered outside.

Carr was remanded in custody to Holloway prison for eight days,
accused of perverting the court of justice. Carr will appear at
Peterborough crown court next Thursday.

She is under a 15-minute round the clock suicide watch in the
north London prison, and has been put in a segregation unit for her
own protection.

Her partner, school caretaker Ian Huntley, who has been charged
with murdering the two 10-year-olds, did not appear in court
yesterday.

He is being held at Rampton high security hospital in
Nottinghamshire under the Mental Health Act, having been judged by
psychiatrists as unfit to appear in court. They are continuing to
assess his condition.

Source:- The Times Thursday 22 August page 1

Help for disabled computer users

Scientists have discovered a new system that could allow
disabled people to use computers comfortably.

A system called ‘Dasher’ means that people who cannot use a
keyboard could still tap out 25 words a minute, according to
Cambridge scientists.

David Ward and David MacKay, of the Cavendish laboratory, who
feature in a report in ‘Nature’ magazine today, say they matched a
camera tracking device and the logic of a video game to enable
disabled people to use computers.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 22 August page 6

Bishop applauds school plan for refugees

Britain’s most senior Afro-carribbean bishop backed
government plans to educate the children of asylum seekers
separately from other children yesterday.

The next Bishop of Birmingham, the Rt Rev John Sentamu, said the
priority for refugees while their asylum claims were being
considered was to provide a protected environment where they could
begin learning English.

The government plans to place refugees in reception centers
rather than educating them in local schools was praised by the
current Bishop of Stepney as “very imaginative”.

The scheme has been criticised by asylum seeker welfare groups,
and the plan for reception centres in rural areas was condemned by
the former head of the commission for racial equality Gurbux
Singh.

The bishop rejected criticism that the home secretary David
Blunkett’s plans to provide school places and health care
within asylum reception centers were a form of apartheid.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 22 August page 8

Apology for Punch and Judy ban

A council has apologised for banning a Punch and Judy
performance after an official complained that it promoted domestic
violence.

The event was staged at a council-backed event in Newcastle upon
Tyne by Derek Carpenter, a children’s entertainer who
performs as Bo the Clown.

The following day, Carpenter was told that Mr Punch’s
treatment of his wife had to be dropped from the act, because it
was likely to cause offence.

It emerged later that the officer who complained had not seen
the show, which the council has now ruled as inoffensive.

The council said it acted after an employee had complained, but
denied there was a policy to ban Punch and Judy shows.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Thursday 22 August page 5

Scottish newspapers

Two strikes law to be scrapped

The highly controversial “two strike” law requiring judges to
give life sentences where an individual has been convicted of a
second offence such as rape, murder or culpable homicide is to be
scrapped by the Scottish executive.

The law was one of the last pieces of legislation to be
introduced by the Conservative government, but has never been
implemented in Scotland. The MacLean Committee, which reported on
violent and sexual offenders last year, recommended that the
legislation be removed from the statute books. Now the Scottish
executive looks set to follow through on that proposal, and replace
it with life long restrictions, one of the key recommendations of
MacLean.

Source:- The Herald Thursday 22 August page 9

Welsh newspapers

Professionals turn to agency working

Highly trained personnel are turning to agency work to escape
the stress and responsibility of working in the public sector.

Social workers, teachers and doctors are increasingly signing up
with employment agencies, and in many cases earning more for agency
work.

Temporary social workers are used to fill vacancies in
children’s services departments, but because of their
transient nature practitioners are often not given the most
difficult and protracted cases.

Michelle Lindsley, Operations director at Reed Social Care
Personnel, said that many people came to the agency because they
wanted a greater degree of flexibility to suit their lifestyle. She
added it was also a way that people could experience more varied
work experience.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 22 August page 9

Council in urgent talks over attempt to buy
hospital

A local authority in west Wales has called for urgent talks with
the Welsh Assembly over its attempts to buy a disused hospital.

Carmarthenshire council bid £2 million for St David’s
Hospital in Carmarthen following fears that the site could be used
to house asylum seekers.

Council leader Meryl Gravell said that the council had taken the
decision to make a bid for the good of the community, and that if
the council was successful they were determined to allow local
people to have a say in the way the site was used in the
future.

Officials from the council hope to meet with ministers in the
assembly as soon as the holiday period is over.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 22 August page 9