22 Monday Jun 2015
Posted in The Buzz
These are the news stories we feel should be right on the radar:
22 Monday Jun 2015
Posted in Question It
Welcome to another Monday.
A recent report by University of the West England researchers Lauren Devine and Stephen Parker reveals a startling statistic – despite the fact that referrals to children’s social care have increased by more than 300% since the introduction of the Children Act 1989, there has been no increase in the detection of child abuse.
The report goes on to warn about the adverse effects of these kinds of assessments on families and children and that little support exists for family units going through these processes. They are, many would argue including ourselves, very stressful, not particularly sophisticated methods of inquiry. Others take the view that they are the lesser of two evils and necessary to protect children from harm.
Our question to you then, is just this: do you think child protection assessment services are fine as they are, or if not, what should we be doing to make these investigations better and more comfortable for families and children?
21 Sunday Jun 2015
Posted in Researching Reform
Researching Reform would like to wish all fathers a very lovely Father’s Day today and we hope you get to spend it playing and spending time with your little and perhaps not so little ones, today!
For those dads who won’t get to see their children today we are thinking of you, and wish you strength and positivity.
Celebrating dads everywhere, we’ve added some entertaining, thought provoking and musical delights for you!
Who started Father’s Day and what is its origin?
Uplifting Father’s Day Quotes!
Happy Father’s Day from Researching Reform xxxxx
18 Thursday Jun 2015
Posted in News
These are the news items from around the world we feel should be right on the radar:
17 Wednesday Jun 2015
Posted in child welfare
It was a terrible case, which highlighted less than satisfactory social work practice, and the death of a toddler with Down’s Syndrome called Jonas whilst in care. Tomorrow will be an important day not just for Jonas’s parents, but the social work sector and family justice system too as campaigners and activists meet David Cameron at Downing Street to hand over a petition demanding a full inquiry into this little boy’s death.
The petition will be handed to David Cameron tomorrow, 18th June, 2015, at 3.30pm.
Jonas Stadden, who suffered with Down’s Syndrome until his untimely death last year, was separated from his family and sent to live with foster carers whilst going through adoption proceedings. Arriving perfectly healthy at his new home, his condition soon deteriorated, and seven months later, he collapsed and died.
Jonas’s parents have long maintained that the subsequent witch hunt of their family, and the targeting of their son Lucas in particular, was part of an entrenched desire by social services to cover up wrongdoing – the local authority in question was already struggling with poor Ofsted ratings. Jonas’s body was also cremated almost immediately after his death, preventing the possibility of an autopsy.
Researching Reform has very kindly been given permission to reveal the petition before it is given to Prime Minister David Cameron, which outlines the family’s terrible ordeal and demands a full inquiry into baby Jonas’ death.
The Petition Reads:
Katherine Russell (Mother) Haydn Stadden (Father) Mr David Cameron
No 10 Downing Street
15th June 2015
Dear Mr Cameron
On Monday 25th March 2013 I telephoned Leslie Pollard (PFSA) at the school for an appointment regarding advice for my children and was told to come in at 11.15. We had a discussion with various school staff over approximately an hour and a half. I was told that I would be informed of what the process would be. I returned home with my youngest son Jonas aged four who was a down’s syndrome child.
On returning to the school in the afternoon to collect my two daughters, I found they were traumatised after the headmistress had contacted social services who had then, without informing me, gone to the school on that day and questioned my children who were all alone and did not understand why they were being questioned. Later that afternoon they were taken and interviewed on their own by a male officer.
Some days later I was informed by the social workers that my children would be taken into a respite placement on a section 20 for two weeks and on doing so my four children were then split up with three different foster carers, with my eldest son being arrested and subsequently charged with Anal rape and sentenced to 25 years, five years for each count.
My partner (Haydn) and I have proved beyond a doubt that my son did not commit any of the offences and each time we proved the allegations to be false, then more allegations were made against my son Lucas, even to the point that social services accused Lucas of being the father of his brother Jonas, so in fact I and my son Lucas was accused of having sex when he was aged ten, again at a great cost to my family we provided the evidence that Jonas’ father was Haydn.
Lucas has been in a detention centre since 9th December 2013 he has been assaulted and refused contact with myself and his family, again on the basis of yet more allegations that we have proved to be false. At the time he was accused of raping his sister he was 15 years old although they said that it was historic with dates and times being vague and also with no contact with the family he was all alone with the then L.A lawyer representing him.
He was told by that lawyer to plead guilty as it would be better for him. With no-one able to provide him with advice to the contrary, he did as he was told and was then sentenced to 25 years. Not even paedophiles or Murderers are given such sentences.
Lucas is now coming up to 18 and they were trying to get him sectioned under the mental health act. My son is not guilty and we have the evidence to show this fact. I am asking for a public enquiry for my son Lucas as to why there has been a cover up from the day I asked the school for support.
My son Jonas had he lived would have now been aged six, but within eight months of being in care he was dead!!
Again there was a cover up and on Jonas’ death he was quickly cremated and with his incinerated body, all evidence was destroyed, (please see before and after photographs of my son Jonas).
You are aware of what is happening within the social services and of the many families whose children are taken into care on allegations then only for thousands of children never to see their families again, it is so hard to believe that what has happened to my children is happening throughout Britain with many countries from the EU and beyond voicing their concerns of the child abuse in Britain, even to point of making comparisons with Adolf Hitler’s Lebensborn programme.
I will say that to lose a child in death, another child in a detention centre and my two daughters still in foster care with contact six times a year (to which I have a judgement that supports this as fact yet I do not get that as the social workers are not adhering to it) and all this with the British Governments stating “In a child’s best interest” is it in a child’s best interest? When my youngest son is dead, the oldest one is being beaten up, afraid to leave his cell and my two daughters are alone in fear!! Therefore it is in the interest of you as the Prime Minister to call for a public enquiry into the death of my son Jonas, and a public enquiry for my son Lucas who is in the detention centre, and for my two daughters in a foster care placement.
Ofsted have reported for the past two years that the social services in Taunton are inadequate and have failed their inspections:
Ofsted rate Somerset County Council’s services “inadequate”
Ofsted Report, September 2013
‘David Cameron is telling us that by and large social workers can’t be trusted’, May 2015
I feel now that you can see why we are now of the opinion that you should also support our request to you as the Prime Minister for justice for my family and for a public enquiry into the death of my son Jonas and the allegations against my other children.
This Somerset County Council is not fit for purpose and needs a total reform.
As well as this petition, David Cameron will also receive another petition, addressing concerns of grandparents around the country that their right to contact with their grandchildren is still being ignored. Maggie Tuttle has also very generously allowed us to publish this letter, and so we print it below:
Children screaming to be heard
The silent witness here lies the truth
David Cameron
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London.
15/06/2015
Dear Mr Cameron,
In 2009 I wrote asking you for grandparents rights with a promise that I would make sure grandparents voted for you. You agreed to do so by letting the media know (please see the enclosed reply from Ian Pendlington). You broke your promise only to now continually say publicly that there is nothing more important than the safety of our children.
I have written many times to you regarding the safety of our children, to no avail. Just as I wrote to you personally regarding what the system has done to my grandson, which you ignored and returned my letter.
For this reason after witnessing a child screaming to be heard, then abused in the care system when I was in retirement after having been a voice for 40 years for justice, that I came back to be a voice for the abused children and registered the charity children screaming to be heard the silent witnesses here lies the truth.
I have for the past four years been researching into the most corrupt system that has been allowed to continue in this British Empire for centuries ironically claiming to be “In a child’s best interest”.
So you tell me, where is the child’s best interest when they are forcibly adopted and dragged into care only for many to be sexually abused and starved of meaningful and necessary contact with their families, used for drug experiments, many murdered, trafficked, then when the money runs out, they are thrown onto the streets, many to become drug addicts alcoholics and prostitutes?
Prison figures state 49% of prisoners are from the care system, then we have untold thousands in psychiatric hospitals and young peoples detention centres, and now government have set aside a further 19 million for more adoptions. Sadly you will never hear or know the real truth from the big charities or from Government departments, but my charity is paid for almost entirely by me alone from my meagre pension, I also have a help line and I hear from families daily throughout this country and I say with hand on heart all of the so called do gooder’s “In a child’s best interest” have no idea of the suffering of the British children who are abused in every way in care as I always have said the truth is with the Nation.
It is time for you as the Prime Minister to make a stand to support the children and families and not to just say what ever, the only solution I can think of for the children in care and families to stay in touch is by the “FAMILIES FOREVER STORYBOOKS” Prisoners are allowed to write stories for their children http://www.storybookdads.co.uk why not the families for the children in care?
I also suggest you read the evidence from my web-page of the corruption as you your self have recently stated in the media that social workers cannot be trusted.
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2015/05/29/david-cameron-telling-us-large-social-workers-cant-trusted/
There is more evidence in the media of the illegal social workers who with false passports and fake identities, are employed by the councils and have taken children into care on false allegations. This alone should be investigated and those children returned home until such time as those allegations by those illegal social workers have been fully investigated.
Your recent comment at the G7 Summit said that Britain is a country with a conscience sadly there is no British conscience for the children and families being torn apart, with children forcibly adopted and fostered, therefore “In the interest of a child” until such time as the corruption of the social workers has been fully investigated, give the children “FAMILIES FOREVER STORYBOOKS” so they will and can know they still have families who love and care for them.
Should you ever want to know or hear truth then please read the website
http://www.childrenscreamingtobeheard.com or ask me personally.
I do not work for a wage my life is to be a voice for justice for the children.
Yours sincerely
Maggie Tuttle
We will update you with further news as and when we receive it.
16 Tuesday Jun 2015
Posted in child abuse, child welfare
Cinderella Law, which is really an amendment to existing legislation, rather than a new law in itself, was designed to bring Criminal Law up to date, by recognising the effects of emotional as well as physical abuse on children.
At the time of its unveiling, it received a great deal of criticism, both for its criminal sanctions, which could see parents go to jail for emotional abuse – a phenomenon as yet undefined in the criminal courts – and the lack of clarity as to how this law would work in practice.
As a result, its creators and campaigners, Action For Children went underground, and despite getting a mention in the Queen’s Speech last year and subsequently being ratified into law in March 2015, Cinderella Law’s progress has remained largely a mystery, until now.
France 2 have made a very good documentary on Cinderella Law, which is balanced and thought provoking. We had the privilege of being interviewed for this segment, and chose to talk about the importance of recognising emotional abuse, but also the need for caution when implementing criminal sanctions.
Cinderella Law, a term which Action For Children have always disliked due to the perception that it trivialises emotional abuse, was created in 2010 and the subsequent campaign to implement this amendment culminated in its inclusion in the Serious Crime Act, 2015 which was ratified on 3rd March this year.
The amendment can be found in Part 5 of the Act, under Protection of Children and Others (Section 6.6 Child Cruelty Offence). The relevant part reads:
6.6 Child cruelty offence
(1)Section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (cruelty to persons under 16) is amended as follows.
(2)In subsection (1)—
(a)after “ill-treats” insert “(whether physically or otherwise)”;
(b)after “ill-treated” insert “(whether physically or otherwise)”.
(3)In that subsection, for the words from “(including” to “derangement)” substitute “(whether the suffering or injury is of a physical or a psychological nature)”.
This amendment is to go into Section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 which refers to cruelty to persons under sixteen. Anyone with legal responsibility for a child, like a parent or carer, found guilty of abuse under this section, could be fined, or sent to prison for a maximum of ten years.
Whilst we feel it is very important to acknowledge emotional abuse – after all, we accept that emotional abuse impacts adults, so children should be no different – fining and imprisoning parents may well be a step back for many of these children and the family at large. It is likely that parents or carers who come before the courts for emotional abuse and subsequently fined for this conduct may well not be able to pay the fine itself, and may end up in prison for failure to do so. This would be devastating for the families involved, placing more pressure on the remaining carers and potentially causing a greater risk of emotional and physical harm to the children in the home as day to day living becomes almost impossible. Many of the parents who could be found guilty of these crimes may need help themselves, often learning abusive behaviours from their parents and unable to break the cycle, simply repeat it with their own children.
The lack of clarity too on how this law might work is concerning. The phrase “or otherwise” in the amendment is vague and potentially ripe for misunderstanding. There will be fears that the changes to this law, though well meaning, could lead to greater miscarriages of justice and parents and carers punished for crimes they have not committed. There is also the very real worry that once parents jailed or fined for abuse return home, they will simply continue to abuse their children.
So are prisons and fines really the answer or is the bigger question, how effective are punitive sanctions in society, after all?
You can catch the documentary below, and further articles we’ve written about Cinderella Law, here.
Thank you to France2 and Nic Boothby for so kindly inviting us to be a part of their excellent film.
15 Monday Jun 2015
Posted in The Buzz
These are the latest news items we feel should be right on the radar:
15 Monday Jun 2015
Posted in Question It
Welcome to another week, one that’s bound to be buzzing with talk about the nation’s statutory inquiry into child sexual abuse, and its decision to hire a further 21 barristers to help run the investigation.
The move has upset victims and survivors of abuse, whilst those in the legal sector are welcoming the decision to get more legal minds on board. Those against this latest development fear a lawyer dominated inquiry will serve only the lawyers and deter victims from coming forward. Those in favour cite highly trained advocates helping out as a positive step in the fact-finding process.
And others, like ourselves, are not sure whether this latest reaction to yet more lawyers working on the inquiry is down to poor communication on the Panel’s part or a deep seated and perhaps legitimate mistrust of the legal sector. No mention of the decision was published on the Inquiry website or elsewhere prior to the national media, and only a select few channels reporting on the matter.
Our question to you then, is just this: do you feel the decision to hire more lawyers is a good one, or not?
14 Sunday Jun 2015
Posted in child abuse inquiry
It’s difficult at this stage to work out whether the Inquiry panel are simply devoid of common sense or just looking to profit from the process, but the news that the nation’s Statutory Inquiry Into Child Abuse is to hire a further 21 barristers is going down like a lead balloon.
Justice Goddard, the new Chair for the Inquiry has decided (we might assume with guidance and prodding from others in the legal sector), to hire 21 more barristers to help with the running of the inquiry. This does not surprise us, as we mentioned in an earlier post that the inquiry would become lawyer-centric in its next incarnation, with the vast majority of panel members now from the legal sector.
Not surprisingly, this has upset survivors and victims of abuse. Some are calling the move an exercise in profiteering, others a form of alienation which may well deter survivors from coming forward. Lawyers inside the inquiry have long been viewed as a domineering force within the investigation, so as far as PR moves go, this latest development is a disaster for the panel.
It has now become impossible to tell whether the forces inside the inquiry are well meaning or whether they are simply using the investigation as a way to carve out careers and profit from a historic inquiry which will be remembered for years to come – perhaps though, for all the wrong reasons.
What the inquiry must do now is explain its position. There is no mention of the decision to hire more barristers on the Inquiry website, no attempt at explaining the reasons behind the move – a massive faux pas on the part of the panel members. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times we highlight the need for openness and generosity in this process, the panel seems intent on behaving as if it is a law unto itself.
Our Statutory Inquiry is now teetering on the brink. If it wishes to remain relevant, and to garner the kind of credibility it craves, the current Chair and panel members will need to start focusing on communicating with their wider audience and show a softer side to survivors, and the world at large.
12 Friday Jun 2015
Posted in child welfare, Picture of the Month
In what is, to our mind, one of the cleverest and most thought-provoking photographic projects on child exploitation, Cuban photographer Erik Ravelo, and Brazilian artistic director Daniel Ferreira have put together a series of images to highlight child exploitation across the world and to raise awareness about the various attacks against children throughout the world from sexual abuse, shootings in American schools, sex tourism, war, nuclear disaster – even obesity and fast food.
Each image represents a child welfare issue:
The first image relates to pedophilia in the Vatican;
The second image focuses on child sexual abuse prevalent within tourism in Thailand;
The third photo refers to the war in Syria;
The fourth image highlights trafficking of organs on the black market, where most victims are children from poor countries;
The fifth photo relates to the readily available weapons, often for free in the U.S. and;
The sixth image highlights obesity, and the part fast food companies play in aggravating this phenomenon.
We think this project, which was produced in 2013, speaks volumes about the way children are treated around the world. And so we make this our image of the month.
