Friday 18 June 2004

By Clare Jerrom and Alex Dobson

Asylum ruling is defeat for Blunkett

Judges ruled yesterday that David Blunkett could not remove a
failed asylum applicant under “fast track” deportation
rules.

Law lords ruled that Mohammad Ali Razgar was entitled to remain in
Britain until his appeal is heard.

The home secretary had ruled that Razgar should be sent to Germany,
the first country in which he sought asylum after fleeing
Iraq.

Source:- The Times  Friday 18 June page 2

Man confesses to killing in 1964

A 76-year-old man confessed yesterday that he kidnapped and killed
a schoolgirl over 40 years ago.

Kim Roberts vanished from her home in East London in March 1964 and
her body was later found in a quarry. A post mortem examination
showed the seven-year-old had been sexually assaulted and
strangled.

Police began detailed questioning of the man yesterday as the
victims parents Joe and Pat Roberts were warned that the case was
being reopened.

Source:- The Times  Friday 18 June page 3

Feuding parents head for court

Soaring numbers of parents are resorting to courts to sort out
squabbles over children, lawyers have warned.

Between 1992 and 2002, the number of residential orders made rose
from 16, 424 to 30,006. Lawyers claim reforms are needed to tackle
the problem.

Source:- The Times  Friday 18 June page 4

Tories promise not to preach to parents

New plans for family policy were unveiled by the Conservatives
yesterday.

The Tories pledged not to be too “prissy” about
parents’ lifestyles and promised to approach the subject with
“humility and care”.

Source:- The Times  Friday 18 June  page 13

Child court case expert witnesses face review

An investigation into how medical expert witnesses are used in
child protection cases will be carried out by chief medical officer
Sir Liam Donaldson.

The move follows a series of acquittals of women wrongly convicted
of murdering their children.

Children’s minister Margaret Hodge announced the inquiry
yesterday amid concerns over the competence of medical witnesses
called in care proceedings in family courts which can lead to
children being removed from their families.

Source:- The Times  Friday 18 June page 15

Law lords jolt UK asylum plans

Law lords ruled yesterday that people could seek sanctuary in
Britain by arguing that they feared religious persecution.

The court of appeal in 2002 had ruled that only evidence of torture
could be used to stop asylum seekers being deported from Britain.
But five law lords struck down the court of appeal ruling in a
judgement that was hailed as historic.

Source:- The Guardian  Friday 18 June page 6

Restraint technique banned

A specific restraint technique used in Secure Training Centres has
been banned by the Youth Justice Board.

The decision to withdraw use of the “seated double
embrace” was taken on the recommendation of Northampton
police who are investigating the case of Gareth Myatt who died
after being restrained at Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre in
April.

Source:- The Guardian  Friday 18 June page 8

Parenting helplines get £6m boost

Funding of £6.5 million to boost hotlines offering advice and
support to parents was announced by children’s minister
Margaret Hodge.

Hodge said New Labour wanted to improve the help available to
families and increase support for those with the greatest
need.

Source:- The Guardian  Friday 18 June page 11

One in five babies grow up with no fathers

Almost one in five babies are born into homes with no fathers,
according to research.

The new estimate in the government backed study is that 18 per cent
of first born children leave hospital with just their mother.
Research has indicated that children who grow up without fathers do
worse at school, suffer poorer health and face a more difficult
start to life than those with two parents.

Source:- Daily Mail  Friday 18 June page 1

Scottish newspapers

Crown to take no action over death of refugee pupil

No further action is to be taken over the death of an 11-year-old
refugee who died following an alleged scuffle in a Glasgow
secondary school, the Crown Office has confirmed.

Suhail Saleh died following an incident at All Saints Secondary
School in Barmulloch in February. The refugee collapsed following
an alleged scuffle with a 12-year-old Iraqi boy.

Police charged the Iraqi boy and later released him. His family
then fled their home which was four floors above where the Saleh
family lived.

Source:- The Scotsman  Friday 18 June

Jack looks at life on crime ridden estate

Visit to the troubled Broomhouse estate was used by First Minister
Jack McConnell to boost support for the Scottish executive’s
Antisocial Behaviour Bill.

McConnell saw first hand the conditions which residents have to
live in as he toured the estate with communities minister Margaret
Curran.

The visit came ahead of today’s debate on the legislation in
the Scottish Parliament.

Source:- Evening News  Thursday 17 June

News centre opens doors to refugees in Capital

The Edinburgh Refugee Centre was due to open in the Capital today
to home refugees from 25 different countries.

The centre will work with these communities to help build links,
access support and improve their lives in Edinburgh.

Source:- Evening News  Thursday 17 June

Police given controversial power to tackle ‘ned
culture’

Powers for police to break up groups of youths were passed by MSPs
yesterday despite fears that they could alienate young
people.

MSPs overwhelmingly backed a raft of measures in the Antisocial
Behaviour (Scotland) Bill aimed at improving the quality of life in
communities.

Powers passed included electronic tagging of children, orders to
force parents to control their children and measures to tackle
noisy neighbours.

The bill also extends use of antisocial behaviour orders to 12-15
year olds.

Source:- The Herald  Friday 18 June

Asylum claim frees family from detention in
Dungavel

A family which had been locked up in Dungavel detention centre will
be released this morning following a legal move, according to
campaigners.

Aamer Anwar, the family’s lawyer, said they would be freed
after a fresh asylum claim was submitted based on the fact that the
government could not guarantee their safety in Mongolia.

Source: The Herald  Friday 18 June

Welsh newspapers

Closing the net

Gwent police cybercrime unit has revealed that it has dealt with
350 cases since it was established in 1998 and officers say their
work is increasing as they deal with more information on larger
computer hard disks.

The specialist unit that deals with paedophiles who download child
porn from the internet is to be increased. Meanwhile, Gwent force
computer crime investigator Gary Probert has called for longer
sentences that would act as a greater deterrent against such
crime.

Source: South Wales Argus Thursday 17 June page 1

Whistleblower suspended by Trust attacks
investigation

A consultant surgeon who turned whistleblower while working for
the North Glamorgan NHS Trust claims that the NHS body is
attempting to frustrate a full investigation of his
allegations.

Hungarian-born Andrew Ezsias has been suspended since last April
from his post as a consultant specialising in face and dental
surgery. The trust has appointed a senior barrister to chair an
external review of the allegations.

Source: Western Mail, Friday 18 June page 5