Wednesday 4 December 2002

By David Callaghan and Alex Dobson.

Church culture of shame ‘feeds abuse’

A cutlure of sexual shame and secrecy leads to sex abuse in the
churches of Britain and Ireland, a new report argues.

The report, Time for Action, written by member of the umbrella
group Churches Together in Britain, says the church as an
institution and Christianity as a religion can be used to foster
abuse and prevent the abused from speaking out.

The report says: “Since the clergy and other church leaders are
sexual beings as a condition of their humanity, they are caught in
a trap: experiencing sexual desire and sexual need, and at the same
time, experiencing shame and distress.”

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 4 December page 9

 Attorney general seeks tougher sentences for domestic
killings

The attorney general has called on judges to impose tougher
sentences on men convicted of manslaughter for killing their
partners.

Lord Goldsmith said a sentence of seven years had become the
norm no matter how serious the crime. He said it should be compared
to other offences such as attempted murder which carried a tariff
of up to 12 years.

Source:- The Guardian Wednesday 4 December page 8

Guardian Society

Made to measure

Top councils will next week be officially rated as matching the
best public companies and government departments for efficiency.
But some critics of the new town hall inspections claim the regime
is too ‘half-baked’ to be taken seriously.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 4 December page
2-3

One big step

Improved treatment for schizophrenia

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 4 December page
4

The A to B of disability

Fiasco of 60-mile trip heralds new transport law change

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 4 December page
4

Treat yourself

Peter McCluskey on how GPs are advocating DIY therapy for some
common mental health problems.

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 4 December page
88-87

Sweet and sour

Local authorities query cash offer on bed-blocking fines

Source:- Guardian Society Wednesday 4 December page
87

Welsh newspapers

The Child Who’s Costing You £4,500 A
Week

Cardiff council is paying £4,502 a week to look after one
child in residential accommodation.

The bill, which comes to £234,000 a year, is part of a
total of more than £2.3 million spent by the council in just
eight months for children whose needs mean that they cannot be
cared for in the capital.

Deputy mayor Peter Perkins said that a total of 93 children,
including 14 in residential homes and 74 in foster homes, were
housed outside Cardiff, ” including Bristol and some further
away”.

Source:- South Wales Echo Tuesday 3 December page 1 and
5