News round up: sex abuse by women, Alzheimer’s and carers

Children’s claims of sex abuse by women double

The number of children reporting sexual abuse by women to helpline service ChildLine has more than doubled over the past five years, it was revealed today. New figures show a 132% rise in complaints of female sexual assaults in this period, compared with a 27% increase in reports of abuse by men.
Read more in The Guardian

Multi-tasking could help differentiate depression and early Alzheimer’s

People developing Alzheimer’s suffer from mild levels of impaired reasoning and memory that are easily mistaken for signs of depression.
As a result many patients with the dementia illness are misdiagnosed and fail to receive early treatment that could help.
Read more in The Telegraph

Johnson has ‘no regrets’ over sacked drugs adviser

Alan Johnson remains unrepentant over the controversial sacking of his chief adviser on drugs and is surprised about the outcry from scientists over the decision.
When he meets the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs tomorrow, the Home Secretary will try to persuade it that it has a vital role to play and appeal to other members not to join the two who have already resigned in protest at the dismissal of its chairman, Professor David Nutt.
Read more in The Independent

We cannot keep failing our carers
Town hall leaders have thrown their weight behind the Mirror’s Caring for Carers campaign.
They say the benefits system is failing Britain’s six million carers.
David Rogers, spokesman on social care for the Local Government Association, urged ministers to carry out an immediate review.
Read more in The Mirror

Future of care for older people is in our hands

Consultation on how Wales will pay for elderly people’s care needs public input, says Deputy Minister Gwenda Thomas.
At some time, almost every family in Wales faces the reality that a loved one may need care and support because of age or disability. This will increasingly be the case as more of us live longer.
Read more at Walesonline.co.uk

Couple flee to save their unborn baby from social workers after girl, 17, is told she is not clever enough to look after her child

A heavily pregnant woman and her fiance have gone on the run after social workers threatened to take away their baby at birth.
Kerry Robertson, 17, and Mark McDougall, 25, had been told that she was not bright enough to raise their child and that they would have to give him up.
Read more in The Daily Mail

Wage concern: ‘excessive’ City pay culture infecting charities, warns union

An “insidious” and “excessive” City pay culture is creeping into some of Britain’s charities, with bosses earning more than the prime minister, it is claimed.
The Unite union is calling for a curb on remuneration packages as it attacks the salaries of executives at some leading charities and not-for-profit organisations.
Read more in The Guardian

Rise in divorce actions puts extra strain on children, solicitors warn

The number of divorce and separation cases being fought in the courts that involve children has risen, with £151m of legal aid money being spent on litigation, according to figures released today.
The distress experienced by children whose parents are divorcing is cause for increasing concern, experts say, as the rising number of cases places a further burden on the struggling family court system.
Read more in The Guardian