Tuesday 18 February 2003

By Amy Taylor, Nicola Barry and Alex
Dobson.

Taleban refugees ‘given asylum priority’

The home office has granted political asylum to three former
members of the Taleban, and permission to stay here indefinitely,
causing refugee groups to say they are being given priority over
other Afghans.

Around 14 members of the Islamic fundamentalist militia have
been seeking political asylum in Britain since Mullah Muhammad Omar
lost power of the country 14 months ago.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 18 February page 1

Lords vote to delay fining authorities for bed
blocking

The House of Lords yesterday voted to delay the ‘bed blocking’
fines for local authorities by a year.

The Conservative proposed amendment to delay the fines until
April 2004 was backed by the Liberal Democrats, with the
government’s compromise of a six-month delay being rejected.

Ministers now plan to try to overturn the defeat in the House of
Commons.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 18 February page 2

Patient went on to kill after his release

A judge has called for an inquiry yesterday into a case
involving a social worker who failed to tell anyone of his concerns
about a man with paranoid schizophrenia who had recently been
released from a mental hospital, and went on to murder an older
woman shortly afterwards.

Bristol crown court heard how Adelaide Howard was stabbed 42
times, soon after Matthew Newland was released.

A social worker who interviewed Newland minutes before he
carried out the attack was so frightened of his threats of violence
that he fled, but did not pass on a warning.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 18 February page 7

Inspectors say girls at risk in Holloway

The chief inspector of prisons, Anne Owers, has called for
teenage girls to be removed from Holloway women’s prison
immediately.

She makes the call in a critical new report saying that she
found it inexcusable that vulnerable young girls were still being
held at the prison.

The report found that no risk or vulnerability assessments were
taking place and that the regime was “wholly inadequate”.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 18 February page 8

Police ‘failed’ murdered mother who wanted
help

Kent police have been heavily criticised in a report into the
death of a woman, who is believed to have been murdered by her
husband, and had called officers to her home five times previously
because of domestic violence.

Michelle Fraser was found strangled at her home in Dover in
March last year.

Source:- The Independent Tuesday 18 February page 7

Scottish newspapers

Parents face jail for shaking teens

Parents who shake their teenage children could face prison under
new laws set to outlaw physical punishment.

Ministers claim a new law is needed after a series of cases in
which toddlers have been shaken or beaten to death by parents.

The proposals are contained in the Criminal Justice (Scotland)
Bill, to be voted on in the Scottish parliament tomorrow.

Source:- Daily Mail Tuesday 16 February page 9

20% of gays in Scotland have children

One in five gay people in Scotland is a parent, and a further 17
per cent would like to have children in the future, according to a
survey published today.

The survey from Glasgow-based rights group, Beyond Barriers,
found most of the children had been born during a previous
heterosexual relationship.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 18 February pages 1 and
10

100 Scottish men sign up to donate sperm to
service

More than 100 Scottish men have signed up to donate sperm to
lesbians and single women.

Man Not Included, the controversial pregnancy service, has
revealed that 103 Scottish men have registered as donors, and 76
would-be-mothers have signed up for the semen.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 18 February page 10

The business of saving lives

Diana Lamplugh is in the business of saving lives. From the
depths of despair after her estate agent daughter, Suzy,
disappeared 17 years ago, Diana Lamplugh has emerged triumphant as
director of the UK’s leading authority on personal
safety.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 18 February page 14

Police launch racism inquiry at council

Police are investigating alleged racist behaviour at a
council.

Officers were called in after a leaflet featuring senior union
official, Gill Thackray with Osama bin Laden were circulated at
Aberdeen council’s headquarters, St Nicholas House.

Thirty staff are believed to have been fingerprinted in an
attempt to find the source of the offensive material.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 18 February page 7

New crackdown on problem neighbours

A package of measures to help crack down on bad neighbours is
expected to be passed by MSPs by the end of this week.

The Scottish executive wants housing associations and other
registered landlords to have the same powers as councils, allowing
them to apply in court for anti-social behaviour orders against
disruptive tenants.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 17 February page 8

Welsh newspapers

I’m tainted for life

A front-page news story and feature looking at the plight of a
south Wales man wrongly accused of sex offences against a
child.

Deri Rogers served nine months of an 18-month sentence after
being convicted of indecent assault and indecency with a child. His
name was placed on the sex offenders register, but his conviction
was later quashed at the court of appeal.

Source:- South Wales Argus Monday 17 February pages 1
and 7

Hidden nurse army could solve NHS crisis

The National Health Service’s shortage of nurses could be
filled by a “hidden army” of refugee nurses already living in
Britain rather than through costly overseas recruitment.

Former president of the Royal College of Nursing, Roswyn
Hakesley-Brown, is calling on the NHS to speed up the process to
allow qualified refugee nurses to practise in the UK.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 18 February page 1

Police excluded from John Owen investigation, Clywch
inquiry told

Education officials decided not to tell police about the
activities of a teacher suspected of child abuse, the Clywch
inquiry has been told.

The inquiry set up by Children’s Commissioner for Wales,
Peter Clarke, is looking at the activities of former drama teacher,
John Owen, who committed suicide in 2001.

The inquiry heard details of the decision not to inform police
in new evidence of a conversation between Owen’s solicitor
and education officers.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 18 February page 5