Wednesday 20 November 2002

By Clare Jerrom, Nicola Barry and Alex
Dobson.

Church pays hush money to sex victims

Thousands of pounds of “hush money” has been paid by the Roman
Catholic Church to thousands of Britons who were sexually abused by
priests.

It will come as a further embarrassment to the Archbishop of
Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, who has been
accused of turning a blind eye to paedophilia when he was Bishop of
Brighton and Arundel.

It emerged as Father Michael Hill, who was jailed in 1997 for a
string of sex offences, admitted further charges on indecent
assault. He will be sentenced tomorrow.

Several of the compensation payments, which were made on the
condition that the victim did not talk about it, went to people
abused by Hill, and O’Connor is said to have been aware of
them.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 20 November page 1

Elderly miss out on £2bn a year

Almost £2 billion of benefits for older people goes
unclaimed every year because many still fear the stigma of
receiving them or do not know the extent of their entitlements.

There was widespread ignorance about the benefits system despite
action by government and older people groups to encourage take-up,
according to a National Audit office report.

Most older people regard the state retirement pension as an
entitlement, but many see other payments to which they are entitled
as charity and refuse to apply for them.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 20 November page 2

Blunkett sweeps away Victorian anti-gay sex
laws

Home office proposals will scrap sex laws that discriminate
against gay people.

Offences such as buggery, gross indecency and soliciting will be
scrapped while protection from rapists and paedophiles will be
strengthened.

Home secretary David Blunkett published proposals to reform
“archaic, incoherent and discriminatory” sex laws with measures
designed for the 21^st not 19^th century.

The 34-page white paper outlines changes to rape laws, tougher
action to protect children from sex abuse and exploitation and the
removal of gay sex laws.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 20 November page 4

Paedophile pair jailed for life

Two paedophiles were jailed for life yesterday after more than
40 videotapes of their abuse of boys was found by police.

Jeremy Wing and Brian Hogg were told by Judge Andrew Patience QC
at Maidstone Crown Court: “You are evil and wicked
men……committed, resourceful and unrepentant
paedophiles.”

Wing from Orpington in south London admitted 12 charges of
indecency with a child, two of rape and four of taking indecent
photographs.

Hogg, of Ellington in Cambridgeshire denied three charges of
rape, one of indecency and one of indecent assault. He was
convicted on all except one of rape, and admitted five charges of
indecent assault and three of indecency.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 20 November page 4

Boy’s body found

Three people are being questioned in connection with the death
of a boy whose remains were found in a canal, a street and playing
fields.

The three were arrested last night, according to Leicestershire
police, hours after a third set of child body parts were found in
Loughborough.

Source:- The Times Wednesday 20 November page 4

Two in court over drug death

A man and a woman will appear in court tomorrow charged with
killing 10-year-old Jade Slack, who died in July after taking
ecstasy.

Wayne Wood and Rebecca Hodgson, both of Galgate, Lancashire,
also face drug charges.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 20 November page 8

Bosnian refugees suffered trauma in UK, says
study

Bosnian refugees suffered worse trauma after being resettled in
Britain after the Balkan wars than those who stayed behind in their
war-shattered homeland, according to a study by a British
psychologist.

A lack of supportive social networks, and the unfamiliarity of
life in a foreign country, are cited as reasons that may have made
it more difficult for them to rebuild their lives and reinforced
their sense of alienation or rejection.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 20 November page 10

From Body Shop to bag lady

Anita Roddick is uneasy about being a multi-millionaire –
is that why she chose to become fat, old and homeless?

Source:- Daily Telegraph Wednesday 20 November page
23

Guardian Society

Ageism charge

Expert attacks diluted care standards

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 20 November page
4

Turning the tide

Charity regulator calls for ombudsman for the sector

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 20 November page
4

Equal to the challenge

Mencap appoints social services director to top job

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 20 November page
4

Living for kicks

Foleshill International FC looks more like the League of Nations
than a Sunday League team. Chris Arnot on how it is helping asylum
seekers to find their feet

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 20 November page
5

Vocal training

An international literacy project which aims to give a voice to
Britain’s inner-city communities

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 20 November page
120-119

Stepping into the void

Charity that cares for carers of the mentally ill

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 20 November page
119

Scottish newspapers

Crackdown on paedophiles

Tough new laws will help to keep tabs on convicted paedophiles,
it was revealed yesterday.

They will have to annually confirm their details in person,
provide National Insurance details and notify police of any change
of name or address within three days.

The move was announced by the Scottish executive following
sweeping changes to England’s sex offence laws.

Source:- Daily Mail Wednesday 20 November page 2

Cornton Vale overcrowding ‘recipe for
disaster’

The outgoing chief inspector of prisons yesterday described the
overcrowding problems at Scotland’s only jail for women as “a
recipe for disaster”.

Clive Fairweather said the high number of women at Cornton Vale,
near Stirling, was causing severe problems, including an increase
in violence among inmates and soaring levels of stress among
staff.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 20 November page 6

Welsh newspapers

Archbishop: I can’t promise end to
abuse

The new Archbishop of Canterbury warned yesterday that he could
not guarantee that there would not be another child abuse scandal
in the Church.

As another court case involving catholic priest Michael Hill hit
the headlines, Archbishop Rowan Williams said that no system of
checks would ever be foolproof.

He said all institutions tended to close ranks under pressure,
and that had been part of the difficulty in the past. He added that
none of the churches had been aware of the problem of abuse until a
few years ago.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 20 November page 1

Four deny child sex abuse claims

Two men and two women have denied being involved in serious sex
assaults on a girl and a boy both aged under 10.

The two men denied rape and indecent assault allegations while
the two women denied knowingly allowing the abuse to continue.

At the opening of the case at Swansea crown court, Peter Rouch
QC told the court that the police were alerted after the girl was
seen to be displaying “over familiar” behaviour, and that there
were a number of other signs that aroused their suspicions.

The court heard that an investigation by police followed and
last December, Nigel Toms, and Stuart Watson and his ex-wife Karon,
were all arrested on suspicion of involvement in sexually abusing
children. The following month Jodie Preece, Tom’s partner was
also arrested.

The girl at the centre of the allegations gave her evidence via
a video link to the court. The case continues.

Sourc:- Western Mail Wednesday 20 November page 5

No forgiveness now for paedophile priests

A page feature examining some of the abuse scandals that have
hit the Catholic Church in recent years.

In Wales, two priests have been sentenced to long prison
sentences for abusing children and the former Archbishop of
Cardiff, John Ward, left his job after allegations that he not
acted promptly enough to prevent them abusing those in their
care.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 20 November page 10