Wednesday 8 December 2004

By Clare Jerrom, Derren Hayes and Amy Taylor

Cherie’s jail call

Tony Blair’s wife has called for young parents in prison to
see more of their children.

Cherie Blair said greater family contact could help to prevent the
emergence of a new generation of criminals.

Around 150,000 children in Britain have a parent in prison.

Source:- The Times  Wednesday 8 December page 4

Father goes free

Fathers4Justice activist Jason Hutch who scaled Buckingham palace
in London dressed as Batman, will not face criminal charges.

Source:- The Times  Wednesday 8 December page 4

Race divide in big cities widens as whites move out

A growing racial divide in Britain’s largest cities is
emerging, according to census figures published yesterday.

The analysis finds a “white flight” as white people
leave areas with high ethnic minority populations.

Source:- The Times  Wednesday 8 December page 5

Police hold 150 in domestic violence raids

Over 150 people were arrested yesterday as part of a police
campaign to tackle domestic violence.

A further 40 people were arrested for hate crimes such racist,
homophobic, disability or religious attacks.

The dawn raids were carried out under extended powers given to
police in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill aimed at
ending attacks that result in two women being murdered every
week.

Source:- The Times  Wednesday 8 December page 11

Seaside rampage of rapist boys

The lax regime at a seaside children’s home that allowed two
16-year-old boys with a history of serious offending to commit
rape, robbery and assault during a night-time rampage has been
criticised by a judge.

Daniel Collins-Frampton and Aaron Hull were moved to the home in
Torquay after breaching antisocial behaviour orders.

They were let out as a reward for good behaviour in may this year
and the boys went on a night of crime smoking crack cocaine,
robbing five teenagers at knife point and raping a 13-year-old
girl.

Judge Graham Cottle lifted an order granting the boys anonymity and
said he was considering imposing life sentences.

Source:- The Times  Wednesday 8 December page 23

Neighbours to decide punishments

Communities will decide what work offenders should do as part of
their community punishment under plans to be announced by David
Blunkett tomorrow.

Local people will be given more of a say over wider aspects of the
criminal justice system and on how to regenerate their communities
under the scheme.

Source:- The Guardian  Wednesday 8 December page 1

Wasted lives of the young let down by hail system

Concluding his investigation into mentally disordered prisoners,
Nick Davies looks at the number of children in prisons which cannot
deal with their mental health problems.

Source:- The Guardian  Wednesday 8 December page
12-13

Naughty children may cost their parents a £5,000
fine

The parents of children who steal or vandalise property will be
ordered to pay up to £5,000 compensation to their victims, the
government said last night.

Home secretary David Blunkett told MPs that the government would
close the loophole as part of its drive against antisocial
behaviour.

Source:- Independent  Wednesday 8 December page 14

Gipsies buy up homes for space to park the caravans

Source:- Daily Mail  Wednesday 8 December page 20 and
21

Thugs target pupils with anti-bully wristbands

Children wearing anti-bullying wristbands have become the latest
targets of bullies trying to steal the sought after items.

Demand has outstripped supply and 100,000 of the blue bands were
snapped up within days of Radio One giving them away as part of
National Anti-Bullying Week a fortnight ago.

School children are reporting a rising trend of the bands being
stolen in internet chatrooms.

Source:- Daily Mail  Wednesday 8 December page 35

Gift horse with rotten teeth

It’s no fun when you have to go cap in hand to charity for
help, says Jane Muir, whose teenage son is severely disabled. You
can often end up feeling patronised, humiliated and exploited.
It’s time, she argues, that charities recognise the error of
their ways.

Source:- Guardian Society  Wednesday 8 December pages 2
and 3

Clause for concern

Critics fear that the lottery bill would enable ministers to
dictate where and how ‘good cause’ funds are spent,
undermining the cherished independence of the grant making
process.

Source:- Society Guardian  Wednesday 8 December page
8

Forgive and Forget

Scotland’s first minister has apologised to sufferers of
child abuse and there is pressure in England to do the same, But
saying sorry is unlikely to stop the victims;’ fight for
justice.

Source:- Society Guardian  Wednesday 8 December page
10

Close encounters

Local councils are to face fewer inspections overall but in future
will be assessed ‘rigorously’ on how effective they are
at forming partnerships with local and national groups.

Source:- Society Guardian  Wednesday 8 December page
14

What else can I do?

Richard has enjoyed the community aspect of his police force job so
much that he is considering changing career.

Source:- Society Guardian  Wednesday 8 December page
75

Scottish newspapers

Kids bus guards

Aberdeen Council is looking at plans to introduce CCTV and security
guards on school buses to control children’s behaviour. The
plan is being considered by the council’s education
committee.

Source:-The Daily Record Wednesday 8 December

This man says child porn is a victimless
crime…he’s a lawyer

A defence lawyer has been criticised for claiming in court that
possessing child pornography is a victimless crime.

James Swinburne – who was defending a man found in possession
of 400 pornographic images of children – said it was
victimless in the respect that nothing his client did had directly
impacted on anyone.

However, experts were quick to tell the solicitor that a child
suffers every time a picture was taken.

Source:- The Daily Record Wednesday 8 December

Carstairs question: Why was a violent man let out?

Opposition parties are calling for a review of rules governing
patients’ leave at Carstairs prison after a violent inmate
suffering from paranoid schizophrenia escaped during a visit.

Michael Ferguson, who disappeared after going to see his fiancee,
was allowed out of the high-security state hospital despite a
previous history of violence and absconding.

He was allowed to make the trip because he was earmarked for
release soon.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 8 December

Wealthiest and poorest grow further apart

A new report shows the gap between the richest and the poorest
people in Britain has widened since Labour came to power.

Although the disposable weekly income of the wealthiest 10% of
households and the poorest 10% has increased at the same rate, in
absolute terms the gap has grown, according to the Office for
National Statistics.

By 2003, the weekly disposable income of the least affluent
households had risen to £164 or less, but the wealthiest had
soared by more than £100 – to at least £658 a
week.

Source:- The Herald Wednesday 8 December

Welsh newspapers

Wales to appoint Commissioner for Older People

A Commissioner for Older People is going to be appointed in Wales
to champion the rights of older people, it was announced
yesterday.

Speaking in the House of Commons Peter Hain, Welsh Secretary and
Commons Leader, said that a draft-Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny
would be brought forward in this parliamentary session.

He said that it would be the first such Commissioner for Older
People in Britain and, he thought, in the world.

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 8 December

£7m guarantees a sex-disease test within two day

A ring-fenced budget of £7.1 million has been announced to
deal with sexually transmitted diseases in Wales after concerns
about the low level of services.

Health Minister Jane Hutt also announced an extra £500,000 for
modernising services. The money will allow every person in Wales
with a suspected sexually transmitted disease to be offered a test
within two days

Source:- Western Mail Wednesday 8 December