Tuesday 20 July 2004

By Amy Taylor, Shirley Kumar, Clare Jerrom and Alex
Dobson

Deportation of the gala princess criticised as
‘deplorable’

A family, whose deportation was stopped by the government four
weeks ago which enabled their daughter to be crowned as
Liverpool’s gala princess, have been informed they must leave
Britain.

Jugder and Shinee Narantsogt have had their appeal against the
initial rejection of their asylum claim rejected and have been told
they must return to Mongolia.

Source:- The Independent Tuesday 20 July page 9

Kennedy quits euthanasia society in row over Swiss suicide
clinic

The veteran broadcaster Sir Ludovic Kennedy has resigned as
president of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society following an argument
over the direction the organisation should go in.

Kennedy resigned after the society board voted to expel its former
chair, Michael Irwin, for helping terminally ill patients to get in
contact with Dignitas, the assisted suicide clinic in
Switzerland.

The society is split  over whether they should support organisation
like Dignitas or continue to support “living wills”
that state people’s wishes about stopping treatment in their
last days.

Source:- The Independent Tuesday 20 July page 19

Father ‘slashed his baby’s neck in
bakery’

A political asylum seeker who slashed his baby in the neck appeared
to be sniggering while he did it, Carlisle Crown Court, heard
yesterday.

Shahajan Kabir carried out the attack while the baby was with its
mother at a bakery in the city.

Lorna Martin had tried to escape with the baby through the back of
the shop but Kabir caught up with them.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 20 July page 5

Depression drugs little better than dummy pills

Commonly used antidepressants are only slightly more effective than
fake pills when being prescribed by family doctors, according to a
new study.

A review by the University of Dundee found that 15 studies of
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), states that the
drugs, such as Prozac, only have a small benefit when given out by
GPs to treat depression.

Source:- The Times Tuesday 20 July page 6

Crime strategy focuses on delivering measures

New fixed penalty notices for low level criminality, more
community-based officers and satellite tagging of offenders are
just some of the measures unveiled yesterday by the
government’s five-year anti-crime strategy.

The plan focuses more on delivering what is already in place rather
than issuing further legislation.

Source:- The Financial Times Tuesday 20 July page 3

Charities ‘risk missing out on public service
delivery’

Charities risk missing out on opportunities presented by the
government’s use of voluntary organisations to deliver public
services, according to the Royal National Institute for the
Deaf.

Chair James Strachan said in a report that the sector needed to be
better at explaining to potential partners what the added benefits
are.

Source:- The Financial Times Tuesday 20 July page 5

Despair as gang fights Asbos in court

A five-year exclusion order issued against teenagers dubbed the
Press Road gang have done nothing to improve the quality of
residents lives, a high court was told.

The residents of Neasden Lane and Blackbird Hill in north London
said other groups have replaced the gang with teenagers bragging
about Asbos like a badge of honour.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 20 July page 4

Safeguard for rape victims ‘risks unfair
trial’

Legislation introduced five-years ago to stop defence lawyers
asking rape victims about their previous sexual experiences is too
restrictive, according to a report.

The move risks denying defendants a fair trial, said the study
which interviewed 70 judges.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 20 July page 9

Scientists find genetic link to bad behaviour

Researchers have found evidence that some people inherit a genetic
make-up that makes them prone to aggression and violence.

However, the gene is activated only if people were neglected or
abused as children, said the study.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Tuesday 20 July page 5

Elderly couple killed protecting their home

An elderly couple, who set up a neighbourhood watch scheme to
safeguard their village from crime, were murdered trying to protect
their home.

James and Joan Britton, who led the scheme at Strensall, North
Yorks, were stabbed to death.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Tuesday 20 July page 6

WPC who dared to tell the truth on asylum

A policewoman has shocked councillors by telling them that there
are five times more asylum seekers in Medway in Kent than they
thought.

Speaking at a council sponsored meeting Caroline Pope also told
councillors that illegal immigrants had been involved in street
robberies.

Kent Police said that she would not face any disciplinary
action.

Source:- Daily Mail Tuesday 20 July page 1

Brothers who could open a thousand new doors

Two brothers who sought asylum at the British consulate in
Melbourne after escaping from a detention centre have started legal
action against Jack Straw arguing that he breached their human
rights.

The case began in the Court of Appeal yesterday. If successful, it
could allow other refugees to make asylum claims in the UK
consulates and embassies around the world.

Source:- Daily Mail Tuesday 20 July page 4

Scottish newspapers

Council should pay for abuse I suffered

A woman from Ayrshire has petitioned the Court of Session to sue
Glasgow Council for £40,000 because it did not protect her
from abuse while she was in care over 30 years ago.

Jackie, is the first woman in Scotland to use the
“Lister” ruling by the House of Lords. At an appeal
hearing two years ago, in the case of Lister and Others v Hesley
Hall Ltd, the Lords found in favour of the appellants, who claimed
that they had been sexually abused as children at an English
school.

The defendants argued they knew nothing about the abuse and so were
not liable, but the Lords ruled that ignorance was no
defence.

Jackie suffered abuse during a four year period in the 1970s after
she was placed in care in the city’s mixed-sex Urrdale
children’s home. The abuse ended when her attacker was
removed after one particularly violent assault.

Source:- The Scotsman  Tuesday 20 July

Reliance contract extended

Troubled security firm Reliance is to take over court and prison
escort duties in south-west Scotland despite mistakenly releasing a
number of prisoners.

Staff from the firm will start work in Dumfries and Galloway later
this week, where they have been shadowing police and prison
officers since the end of June.

Reliance has been under fire for releasing in error a number of
prisoners since it took over escort duties at some courts in
Strathclyde in April.

Source:- The Scotsman  Tuesday 20 July

Worker tells of race abuse hell

A black care manager, who won a six-figure settlement from
Edinburgh Council, has spoken out about the racial abuse she
suffered in her job.

Agnes Masters said she has been left “traumatised” by
the actions of two female co-workers. She first raised her
complaint just four months into her job in October 1996.

She was signed off work with depression and said she felt she had
been bullied by two members of her team, at the social work office
in Craigentinny because she was the only black manager.

It emerged in a Commission for Racial Equality report last week
that Masters won a £50,000 pay-out from the council for her
race discrimination case. She also received a large settlement
injury personal injury claim for the stress she said the abuse
caused her.

Source:- Evening News  Monday 19 July

Welsh newspapers

Legislation to bring vital support for unpaid
carers

A new law to support unpaid carers will come into effect this
week after passing through its final hurdle in the House of
Lords.

The legislation, known as Sam’s Bill, was introduced by
Aberavon MP Hywel Francis and will place a duty on local
authorities to tell carers about education and training
opportunities.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 20 July page 2

Couple sue NHS over disabled daughter

A couple faced with a lifetime of caring for their disabled
daughter, due to alleged failures to spot abnormalities during
pre-birth screening, are suing for substantial damages in the High
Court.

Cheryl and Anthony Conway’s seven- year- old daughter, Lisa,
has significant care needs and they are suing the Cardiff and Vale
NHS Trust because the amniocentesis carried out during pregnancy
did not reveal potential problems.

Source:- Western Mail Tuesday 20 July page 3