News round up: Bone fragment dates back to Jersey children’s home

By Mithran Samuel on April 9, 2008 in Adults, Child safeguarding, Legal, Mental Health, Youth justice

Bone fragment dates back to Jersey children’s home

A fragment of a child’s skull found at the Jersey “house of horrors” where dozens of people claim they were abused was put there while it was a children’s home, police said today.

The remains of a child were found at Haute de la Garenne, which closed in 1986 but is now the centre of a major investigation into child abuse on the island, on February 23.
Read more on this story in The Guardian

Advice for older people hit by cuts

Up to half a million older people could miss out on the financial advice they need as a result of cuts to council information services, according to Age Concern. Its report, The Price of No Advice, finds that 80% of Age Concern centres say their funding to provide advocacy and advice has been cut by councils since April 2007.

Mayoral candidates unite in call for illegal immigration amnesty

A formidable coalition of businessmen, politicians, religious leaders and community workers will pledge their support tonight for an amnesty for illegal immigrants who have been resident in the UK for several years and can pass strict tests to prove their contribution to British society.

Straw ‘threatened to hit Balls in Cabinet bust-up’

Tensions at the highest level of the government surfaced yesterday with an astonishing claim that Jack Straw, the justice secretary, threatened to punch Ed Balls, the schools secretary, during a turf war – an allegation dismissed by aides as “malicious gossip”, “garbage” and “completely without foundation”.

Mr Straw was reported to have had a bust-up with Mr Balls after a cabinet meeting over who was in charge of youth crime
Read more on this story in The Independent

Psychiatrist ‘let crazed bodybuilder free to kill and dismember two women’

A schizophrenic killed two women after a senior psychiatrist discharged him from hospital against the advice of other doctors and the man’s own family, a medical tribunal heard yesterday.

Dr Eric Birchall, 70, released bodybuilder Mark Corner into the community, telling GPs he posed little risk to the public. But less than a year later 29-year-old Corner – who was a cannabis smoker, had a history of violence and harboured murderous thoughts – killed two prostitutes in separate attacks.

Government taken to court for breaking pledge to abolish OAP fuel poverty

A failure by the Government to end fuel poverty for millions of the vulnerable will be highlighted in a highly embarrassing test case today.

Friends of the Earth and Help the Aged say the Government did not put in place the measures needed to bring this about.

Thousands of migrants win right to stay

Thousands of highly skilled migrants who were faced with deportation can now stay in Britain, a court ruled yesterday. The ruling is a blow to the Government and its attempt to demonstrate to the public that it is taking a tough stance to meet concern over the extent of immigration.