Tuesday 9 September 2003

By Amy Taylor, Clare Jerrom and Alex
Dobson.

Psychiatrist in sex abuse case cleared
A consultant psychiatrist has been cleared of charges that he led a
child to make allegations of serious sexual abuse against a
paediatrician.
John Eastgate, who works at the Princess Margaret Hospital in
Swindon, was found guilty of not keeping adequate medical notes of
his interviews with the 13-year-old, and of making inappropriate
comments.
However, a General Medical Council disciplinary committee found
that these were only minor failings and decided to take no further
action against him.
Source:- The Times Tuesday 9 September page 2
Every child to have an official file and unique identity
number
Every child in England will have an official file and all children
will have an identity number, to enable information about them to
be transferred between different government bodies, under a
large-scale overhaul of children’s services announced
yesterday.
Other measures, which have been launched in response to the
Victoria Climbie inquiry, include plans to appoint the first
children’s commissioner for England. Further proposals involve
social care and health services for families to be based in
schools.
Each local authority must now set about appointing a children’s
director responsible for both education and children’s social
services.
Source:- The Times Tuesday 9 September page 4
Nuisance fundraisers facing law for licence
Charity fundraisers that target pedestrians on the streets are to
be regulated under new measures outlined in a Home Office
consultation paper.
Under the proposals the charities will be required to have a
license from the local council.
The regulations follow complaints that fundraisers cause a nuisance
when they target people in the street, and try to get them to sign
up to direct debits.
Source:- The Times Tuesday 9 September page 4
Woman sleeps in wheelchair because nurses fear
injury
The high court heard how a woman with multiple sclerosis has been
forced to sleep in her wheelchair every night for the past 15
months because nurses fear lifting her into bed will cause them to
injure their backs.
The nightly lifting service was ended due to Milton Keynes NHS
Primary Care Trust deciding it was a “highly dangerous task”.
The solicitor acting for Lorraine Wolstenholme said the treatment
was degrading and a violation of her human rights.
The judge said it would be wrong to order the council to risk the
health of its staff by ordering the immediate reinstatement of the
lifting service.
He ordered that the case be adjourned until mid-October, by which
time the trust would have received a new report.
Source:- The Times Tuesday 9 September page 5
Man killed in asylum seekers’ street clash
One man has died and another was seriously injured after a fight
between almost 30-suspected asylum seekers.
Two groups, believed to be made up of Iraqis, came to blows in the
St. Ann’s area of Nottingham, an area that has been used to house a
large number of asylum seekers.
Witnesses said the groups fought with baseball bats, sticks, bricks
and knives.
Source:- The Daily Telegraph Tuesday 9 September page 4
Genuine asylum seekers are good for Britain, says senior
police chief
Senior police officers have said that asylum seekers’ public image
of “modern pariahs” is not fair.
The officers said they found them generally to be “law-abiding” and
“extremely positive”.
Speaking at the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and
Wales’ annual conference they added that asylum seekers were more
likely to be the victims of crime than the perpetrators.
Source:- The Independent Tuesday 9 September page 2
‘It was my hope that the dreadful things that happened to Victoria
would be a turning point’
Climbie inquiry looks to new dawn in child care services
Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 9 September page 7
Only one in five failed asylum seekers is kicked
out
It was revealed yesterday that 80 per cent of failed asylum seekers
never leave the country by an independent thinktank’s analysis of
Home Office figures.
The study, carried out by Migrationwatch UK, states that the number
of people living in this country illegally is increasing each year.
It adds that this is on top of those who never come into contact
with local authorities.
The thinktank said that the government’s failure to increase the
number of deportations has caused over 200,000 asylum seekers, who
have lost their cases in the past six years, to remain living
here.
Source:- The Daily Mail Tuesday 9 September page 6
Scottish newspapers
Jodi boy kicked out
The boyfriend of murdered schoolgirl Jodi Jones has been suspended
from his school following a row with the headteacher.
Luke Mitchell was told yesterday not to go to school for three days
after arguing with his headmistress when she told him he was to be
kept away from other pupils.
The 15-year-old found his girlfriend’s mutilated body. Jodi
had been going to visit Luke when she went missing.
Source:- Daily Record Tuesday 9 September page 1
Don’t put them on our island
Conservative plans to place asylum seekers in prison-style camps on
remote islands have sparked outrage.
Under the proposals all refugees coming to Britain would be
transported to remote island centres while their asylum claims are
considered.
SNP leader John Swinney said that under the scheme a child would
automatically be placed in prison for coming to this country which
would be “simply abhorrent”.
The remote islands are likely to be off the coast of
Scotland.
Source:- Daily Record Tuesday 9 September page 6
Swinney rallies rebels for debate on
Dungavel
John Swinney yesterday met rival MSPs identified by the SNP as
potential rebels in a move to force Scotland’s ministers to
break their silence over the detention of children at Dungavel
immigration centre.
The opposition leader plans to table a “unity” motion
to the Scottish Parliament on Thursday which would force the debate
on the detention of children.
Source:- The Herald Tuesday 9 September
Nowhere left to hide
Antisocial neighbours will have no place to hide in Scotland under
new powers to be given to councils and the police.
The Scottish executive is planning to track “neighbours from
hell” across the country and crackdown on them with
antisocial behaviour orders.
Source:- Daily Record Tuesday 9 September page 8
Measles fear for our kids
The number of children having the controversial MMR jab has fallen
to its lowest level in eight years, sparking fears of a measles
outbreak.
Between April and June this year 85.8 per cent of two-year-olds in
Scotland had the vaccination, according to new National Health
Service statistics.
It represents a drop of 0.3 per cent from the previous quarter, and
is well below the “safe” level.
Source:- Daily Record Tuesday 9 September page 14
First aid for mentally ill
The Scottish executive launched a three-year drive to improve the
mental health of Scots yesterday.
The £24 million scheme will train workers to pick up early
indications of problems and give “first aid”. It also
aims to prevent suicide, raise awareness, eradicate stigma and help
recovery.
Source:- Daily Record Tuesday 9 September page 20
Jag to stop addict kids
Children could be immunised against a future dependency on drugs,
scientists said yesterday.
The anti-addiction vaccine could also help cocaine users overcome
their addiction and smokers who lack the willpower to give
up.
Xenova Research is developing the vaccine and trials are showing
promising results with the vaccination shown to be safe and well
tolerated in the case of smokers and cocaine users.
Source:- Daily Record Tuesday 9 September page 21
Cash boost for literacy drive
The Scottish executive gave a £1 million boost to help improve
adult reading skills yesterday.
The cash will fund eight projects across the country for 30 months.
The executive aims to tackle the problem which affects up to
750,000 people.
The move came on International Literacy Day.
Source:- Daily Record Tuesday 9 September page 22
Welsh newspapers
Acting to stop bullying terror
A page-feature looking at the ways in which the government is
tackling the problem of bullying in schools.
Welsh childcare experts give their views on the best ways to
support victims and the types of strategies that schools can adopt
to bring an end to bullying.
Source:- South Wales Argus Monday 8 September page 8
Unrecognised ‘death penalty’ for those helping
terminally-ill suicides
The Voluntary Euthanasia Society (VES) says that significant
proportions of those who help loved ones to die, go on to commit
suicide.
According to figures from VES some 30 per cent will commit suicide
following a so-called “mercy-killing”, while others
have an increased risk of self-harm. The data is released as VES
outlines its case for changes in the law on euthanasia.
Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 9 September page 3
Victoria’s death a lesson
Lessons must be learned in Wales from the inquiry into the death of
Victoria Climbie, said Welsh Assembly health and social services
minister, Jane Hutt.
She said that the assembly was committed to ensuring that all
children enjoy the best possible physical, mental, social and
emotional health free from abuse, victimisation and
exploitation.
In its response to the inquiry the Welsh Assembly said that child
protection is at the forefront of everything it does.
Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 9 September page 5