Thursday 26 September 2002

By Clare Jerrom, Nicola Barry and Alex
Dobson.

Tory plan to save crime-risk children

The Conservative party will today announce a new plan for
deterring children as young as five from a life of crime.

The party leader, Iain Duncan Smith, will back plans to identify
young children at risk of a criminal life, and to develop
programmes to offer help and support.

Duncan Smith and shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin will launch
a pamphlet calling for a much bigger role in the voluntary sector
in early intervention in young people’s lives.

Today’s policy launch will be as the shadow cabinet meets
at a hotel in Newbury, Berkshire, to prepare for the Tory
conference and the return to parliament.

Source:- The Times Thursday 26 September page 3

Samurai defendant fit for trial

A man accused of attacking an MP with a samurai sword and
killing a councillor with the weapon, has been declared fit to
stand trial.

Robert Ashman was sent to Broadmoor hospital 18 months ago after
it was ruled he had mental health problems, and could not be tried
for the murder of Andrew Pennington and the attempted murder of
Liberal Democrat MP for Cheltenham, Nigel Jones.

Doctors have confirmed that Ashman is well enough to be tried
and he will face a preliminary hearing at Bristol court next
week.

Source:- The Times Thursday 26 September page 13

Father jailed for manslaughter

A 24-year-old man from Bolton was jailed for three years
yesterday after he was convicted of manslaughter.

Lee Hendry admitted at Manchester crown court killing his
three-and-a-half-week-old daughter by shaking her in May last
year.

Source:- The Guardian Thursday 26 September page 7

Getting away with murder

Every year hundreds of children are killed or tortured by their
own parents, yet a scandalous loophole in the law ensures that most
of the culprits are never brought to justice.

Source:- Daily Mail Thursday 26 September page
34-35

Scottish newspapers

Appeal of 16 year sentence rejected

Appeal court judges yesterday upheld a 16-year sentence passed
on a care worker at the centre of one of Scotland’s worst child
abuse cases.

Gordon Knott was jailed in December 1997 at the high court in
Edinburgh for sex offences between 1973 and 1983, when he worked at
Clerwood and Glenallan children’s homes in Edinburgh.

Source:- The Herald September 26 page 9

Child porn suspects may escape prosecution

Hundreds of paedophiles in Scotland and thousands south of the
border could escape prosecution despite a world-wide inquiry into
internet child pornography.

Source:- The Herald September 26 page 9

Sex offender register could rise fivefold

The number of offenders on the sex offenders’ register could
rise fivefold, according to the deputy justice minister.

Richard Simpson spoke after it emerged that 300 names had been
added to the list in the past year alone, taking the total number
of registered Scots sex offenders to 1,816.

Source:- The Scotsman September 26 page 11

SNP family courts target irresponsible
parents

An SNP administration would create new family courts, to deal
with both civil and criminal cases, and would punish parents for
anti-social crimes committed by their children, Roseanna Cunningham
announced yesterday.

The SNP’s justice spokeswoman explained her approach to youth
crime during her speech to the SNP conference in Inverness.

Source:- The Scotsman September 26 page 10

Children the silent victims of crime wave

Half of all Scottish children have been victims of “society’s
silent crime wave”, campaigners warned yesterday.

Victim Support Scotland called for parents and schools to take a
tougher stance on youth crime, and called for new guidelines on
reporting offences against children and dealing with the
aftermath.

Source:- The Scotsman September 26 page 2

Welsh newspapers

Big Issue vendors hit back at drugs claims

Big issue sellers in Cardiff have denied that they use the money
they make from selling the magazine to buy drugs.

A survey had revealed that some vendors had admitted to drug
addiction and seven people with official Big Issue identification
were arrested during police raids in Cardiff over the weekend.

Su West, director of the Big Issue Cymru held a meeting
yesterday to discuss the claims.

She said that many vendors had a difficult time following the
claims and that several had endured verbal abuse, and she made it
clear that the Big Issue would not take action against vendors who
are addicted to drugs.

“People who develop a drug addiction usually have had traumatic
lives, and this is often the kind of people who find themselves
homeless,” she added.

Source:- South Wales Echo Wednesday 25 September page
2

Owen raped me when I refused to perform sex
act

The Clywch child abuse inquiry has had heard that alleged
paedophile John Owen raped a pupil after she refused to perform a
sex act on another student in a drama class.

The woman who is now in her twenties wept as she told the
inquiry, chaired by Children’s Commissioner Peter Clarke, of
the assault that she says took place in an office at a school,
Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen in Pontypridd.

John Owen taught drama at the school and the inquiry was told
that several teachers had raised serious concerns about his
activities. He later went on to become an award winning television
writer, but killed himself just before he was to stand trial on
charges of indecency against children.

Source:- Western Mail Thursday 26 September page 7