Care is about Davey, a teenager who suffers systematic sexual abuse while living in a council-run children's home. Though Glenavon and the Welsh county of Caradog are fictitious, the roots of Prendiville's story are not. We know this from the millions of words of testimony that have been aired in recent years the now adult victims of institutionalised abuse. Once, Cleveland, Leicestershire and Norrth Wales were just places. Today in some circumstances they are synonymous with the physical, sexual and emotional suffering of children in care.
Though the programme depicts Davey's physical abuse with chilling clarity, its main focus is how the mental suffering never stops as he struggles to create some kind of normality for himself in adulthood. Directed by Antonia Bird, who dealt so powerfully with the issue of homosexuality in the church in Priest, Care is not easy to watch. At times harrowing in its intensity; and viewers may well be stunned by Steven Mackintosh, playing adult Davey, as he unleashes a terrifying volcano of pain and primal rage.
‘Savile got Franey the job in Broadmoor so that Franey could then promote Savile to the position of Entertainments Manager.’
‘Alan Franey, the chief executive of Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire, which houses some of Britain’s most dangerous patients, is to leave his post next month it emerged last night.
The hospital, which was the subject of an inquiry earlier this year following allegations that a child paedophile ring was operating within its walls and that patients held child pornography videos, will advertise for a new head to replace Mr Franey, 49, when he leaves on 25 July.’http://www.independent.co.uk/news/broadmoor-chief-resigns-1254020.html
ALAN FRANEY ON SAVILE: 2011 “We were close friends for more than 20 years, we used to pop into the Palace after the Marathon”
Addendum: ‘The Sunday Telegraph established that the civil servant behind Savile’s appointment to take charge of Broadmoor, the high-security hospital, was subsequently prevented from working with children
Allegations against Savile include sexual assaults of patients at Broadmoor, where he was initially an “honorary entertainments officer”.
Brian McGinnis ran the mental health division of the Department of Health and Social Services in 1987, when plans were drawn up to appoint Savile to run a taskforce overseeing the hospital.
Health service sources said they understood Mr McGinnis was “instrumental” in the creation of the taskforce, which began work the following year. He was under-secretary for mental health with responsibility for the high-security hospitals when Savile and other members of the group were recruited.
In a book about psychiatric care, Alan Franey, an NHS administrator who wasappointed to the same taskforce describes being issued with the invitation in 1987 – during “an unusual meeting in the Athenanaeum Club in London with some officials who shall remain nameless.” (at which Savile was present).
UPDATE: ‘He is now CEO of Barndoc, out of hours doctor’s surgery and alsodeputy leader of Welwyn and Hatfield Council, Hertfordshire. Had a little peek at his Register of Interests and he has member of ‘Queens Oak‘ listed. Only Queen’s Oak in Hertfordshire coming up is Queen’s Oak Lodge, Provincial Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire. So looks like we should be addressing him as Bro. Alan Franey in future.
Interesting to also note that Leader of Welwyn and Hatfield Council, Councillor John Dean also lists Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in his register of interests.
There have been threats made to snatch him back and the police are aware of that”
Grandfather
"I probably wouldn't be here if I'd kept on losing weight."
The boy, whose mother is British and father German, said he was in deep trouble and wanted to take his life.
The grandfather risked arrest for taking a person under 18 out of Germany, and travelled by road and rail with his grandson to avoid the authorities.
From Nuremberg, they went to Cologne before heading for Brussels to catch the Eurostar train.
Three weeks after arriving in England, the grandson felt able to reveal he had been a victim of sexual abuse.
He also said a family doctor linked to his abuser was targeting him with emails.
'Very thankful'
Solicitor Melinda Nettleton sent a letter to the alleged abuser warning she would seek an injunction and that no English court would return the child to Germany.
She added that police in Germany were investigating, along with officers in Greece, where the boy is alleged to have been raped while on a family holiday.
The boy and his grandparents now live at a secret address, with the boy adding that he was "very thankful and relieved" to be in Britain.
The grandfather added: "There have been threats made to snatch him back and the police are aware of that."
Until I was 10 years old my life had been very happy. I lived with my mum and my little sister, who I adored. One day, my uncle was babysitting me and my sister while my mum went out with her boyfriend. We had been watching TV for about an hour when my uncle told my little sister it was time for her to go to bed. He carried her upstairs, and I continued to watch TV in the living room. I ended up going upstairs to use the bathroom, and heard a noise coming from my sister's room. I walked up to the door and heard my uncle telling her that it'd be a secret. I didn't know what they were talking about so I opened the door a little. I saw my uncle standing there naked, trying to get my little sister to touch his penis. I opened the door fully. He turned around to face me before telling me to go away.
I refused, and said I wasn't going anywhere. I remember being so terrified, but I wasn't going to let him hurt her, I couldn't. He said that it was none of my business and that he could do what he wanted. I have no idea what came over me, but I walked up to him and started touching him like he wanted my sister to. I remember him smiling at me and he followed as I walked out of my sister's room and back downstairs. I just didn't want him to hurt her. When we got back into the living room, he sat down next to me and started to stroke me. I tried to move and get away, but I couldn't. He said he could always go back upstairs again; I couldn't let that happen. He told me to touch him again, which I did, as well as sucking him like he wanted. I just couldn't let him go back upstairs and hurt my sister. Eventually I let him undress me and he had sex with me. The whole time he said that I must like it, otherwise I would have stopped him. I was so confused. I wanted him to stop, but I couldn't let him hurt my sister.
After this time, it happened every time he came to babysit, which seemed to be more and more now that my mum had a new boyfriend. She spent all her time with him, leaving us with my uncle. After about 6 months, my mum and her boyfriend split up, and I was so happy. My uncle didn't have to babysit us anymore.
Six months later, she got another boyfriend. She said my uncle was coming to babysit again. I remember breaking down and crying so much when she said that. I was begging her not to leave us with him. She asked me what was wrong and I tried to explain what had happened. She called me a whore and a slut. She said I had led him on, asked him to do it by leading him from my sister's room. She said that he probably hadn't wanted to do anything to her and I had given him the idea in the first place, so it was my fault. I was devastated. I thought she'd stop it. I thought she'd be pleased I'd protected my sister, but she didn't care. As soon as she left, my uncle was at it again. I just wanted to die, but I couldn't let him hurt my sister, so it went on until I left home at 18 and took my sister with me to live at my friend's house.
My mum tried to get me arrested for kidnapping my sister, but I told the police what had happened and they arrested my uncle. But they let him off because they didn't have enough evidence. My sister had to go back to my mum. My sister came around to my place all the time, and every time my mum went out, we arranged she'd come and stay with me so my uncle had nothing to do with her. When she turned 16 a year later, she moved in with me.
Now she still lives with me and we're happy. I remember what happened every day and feel guilty for not stopping it, for letting him do it. Although I knew what he was doing was wrong, it always seemed like he was wrong for trying to do it to my sister. I still feel like I deserved it, by leading him on. I know this isn't true, but I can't help how I feel.
Police are searching for three men after a 12-year-old girl was "brutally" raped by two of them in east London on the early hours of Saturday morning. The suspects are described as being between 17 and 19-years-old.
This was a very nasty attack on a vulnerable girl just 12-years-old by a group of older males who engaged her in conversation before leading her to a secluded area.
She was pinned down and two of the males then brutally raped her.
I would appeal for anyone with information or any witnesses to please contact police as soon as possible.
– DETECTIVE INSPECTOR SIMON ELLERSHAW
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command on 0208 217 7408 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Police are searching for three men, described as being between 17 and 19, following the rape of a 12-year-old girl in east London.
The incident took place in Hibbert Road, Walthamstow in east London. Credit: Google Maps
The first suspect said he was 17, was mixed race but dark-skinned. He wore a diamond stud in his left ear and a spoke with a London accent.
He had big brown eyes, short hair, was very skinny and wore a black puffa-style jacket with a hood, black chinos, black trainers and a grey/black t-shirt. He said his name was Mo.
The second was black and very tall. His hair was partly shaven and he wore black trousers and a red and blue shirt. The third male (who did not rape her) was black and had a moustache. He wore a blueish hoodie and a red and blue cap. He said his name was Miles.
A major probe is now under way into why teachers, doctors and social workers failed to stop mum Magdalena Luczak, 27, and lover Mariusz Krezolek, 34, carrying out the horrific abuse.
Before being battered to death in March last year, Daniel was so malnourished his bones had stopped growing and he looked like a Nazi concentration camp victim.
The family home’s kitchen was full of food but if starved Daniel took any he was force-fed salt so he would throw up.
The lad was subjected to terrifying water torture – with Luczak bragging to her boyfriend about abusing her son and nearly drowning him in the bath.
When they weren’t torturing Daniel at the property, the couple kept him locked in a nightmarish, homemade prison.
Daniel’s grief-stricken dad Eryk Pelka last night demanded answers, adding: “I want Magda to rot in prison.
"I want her to suffer the same way that Daniel suffered, to make her feel like he felt.
“I’m satisfied with the verdict and hope they spend the rest of their lives in jail.”
Dad: Daniel's biological father Eryk wants answers
John Fuller-Rowell
The Polish dad, who moved back to his homeland in 2008 after splitting from Luczak, added: “The people in school saw Daniel was taking food from bins. They should have done something about it.
“They should have sent police or social services to check the situation at home to check what they were doing.
“As far as I know they did nothing. They failed Daniel. Nobody reacted on time.
“I’m not saying they are guilty but I know they made a mistake. I’m sure social services could have done more, the same with the school.”
Luczak and Krezolek will be sentenced tomorrow for murdering Daniel at their home in Coventry.
The lad suffered a massive head injury which turned out to be fatal. But the court heard he could have been saved if they had called 999.
Instead the pair, both heavy drinkers and drug users who came to Britain in search of work, locked him in a stinking room for an agonising 33 hours.
Luczak called her son’s school to say he had flu. And she texted Krezolek saying: “There’s no point to call the ambulance as that will cause proper problems.”
They finally raised the alarm two days after the attack, and Daniel was pronounced dead at hospital.
The true horror of his injuries were revealed when medics examined the body. A postmortem revealed 30 injuries.
Detectives raided the family’s rented home and discovered the hellish box room that had become the boy’s prison cell.
Evil: Magdelena Luczak and Mariusz Krezolek
West Midlands Police
The room had no bed, the door handle had been removed to prevent escape, and the keyhole was covered up, depriving Daniel of even looking out.
The case, which echoes the death of Baby P who died in London after being tortured for months, reduced horrified detectives to tears.
Police found records of Google searches on a computer about how to poison someone with salt.
Luczak and Krezolek abused Daniel under the noses of doctors and teachers for more than six months.
Daniel died despite contact with a paediatrician specialising in child abuse cases, and repeated home visits from school staff and health workers.
Worried teachers at Daniel’s primary school, Little Heath in Coventry, spotted he was grossly underweight and had bruising and black eyes months before his death.
They repeatedly spoke to Luczak about her son and passed their concerns on to doctors and health visitors.
But the court was told that, crucially, the fears were not passed on to social services.
Jurors heard the only social services involvement was in 2011 when they were tipped off by police about Daniel suffering a broken arm. But after Luczak told cops the injury was caused by an accident, the social services case was closed.
Daniel, who has still not had a funeral, weighed just 1st 9lb – 15lb below average – when he died.
Prosecutor Jonas Hankin QC told Birmingham crown court: “Daniel was subjected to a campaign of incomprehensible and escalating cruelty.
“An expert in child deaths said a lay person would compare it to a child starving in a concentration camp in the Second World War.”
Hours before the fatal beating, film footage shows Daniel chasing after his mum in the school playground at home time.
The headteacher, Gil Mulhall, said the lad’s death had had a “devastating impact” on staff and pupils.
Amy Weir, of Coventry Safeguarding Children Board, said a serious case review into the tragedy should be completed in six weeks.
She added: “The review to date has scrutinised and challenged the actions of all the agencies and organisations that had an involvement in Daniel’s life.
“It has considered whether more could or should have been done to protect Daniel.
"However, new information has emerged during the trial.
"Therefore the Safeguarding Children Board will consider the work completed so far on the review in the light of all the evidence presented in court.”
During the trial, the lovers tried to blame each other for killing Daniel, who often went entire weekends without being fed.
In the weeks before the death, Luczak texted her boyfriend about abusing Daniel, saying: “He is unconscious as I nearly drowned him in the bath... I’m having my quiet time.”
Daniel’s dad said: “It’s a tragedy that such a little angel had to leave this world.”
A 71-year-old man charged with 32 serious sexual offences relating to allegations of historical child abuse in north Wales has been remanded in custody.
John Allen, of Ipswich, Suffolk, appeared before magistrates in Mold.
He was re-arrested on Wednesday when he answered bail in north Wales.
The charges include 22 indecent assaults and one offence of gross indecency, alleged to have taken place between 1968 and 1989.
He will appear at Caernarfon Crown Court in a week's time.
After answering bail, Mr Allen was interviewed further by officers from Operation Pallial - the investigation into allegations of historic abuse at care homes in north Wales - before being charged on Wednesday.
Operation Pallial confirmed they were the first charges to be brought under the investigation.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between 1968 and 1989 against 15 boys and girls aged between seven and 15.
Operation Pallial is led by Keith Bristow, director general of the National Crime Agency, which is replacing the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
He said 187 people were now speaking to investigators about alleged abuse.
Mr Allen is one of four men arrested.
The others remain on police bail while investigations continue.
Yesterday afternoon as I was walking through town, I stumbled upon a group of Police Officers outside the bus station, near a large video monitor which was playing a 2min feed on a continuous loop. I stopped to speak with the Officers and tried to gather info about their plans for the campaign and to give feedback on the monotone video they had droning away in the background.
The video they were showing actually stopped at around 2m 20s rather than the full 4m 11s avail. here. This may be a good thing as the info given at the end is highly inaccurate and misleading.
Now, as regular readers will know, I have "issues" when it comes to WYP, but I tried to put these to one side as I hoped this was a chance to raise awareness.
After speaking with the Officers handling the campaign yesterday, my "issues" have grown somewhat. The attitude of some of the Officers was awful. I witnessed one in particular, who had been tasked with leaflet distribution.....
A young female walked down the concourse of the bus station, past the Officer who noticed and called after her.. "Oi..." she kept walking. "Oi..!" on she walked..... "Oi!" after five such attempts she finally decided there couldn't be anyone else so she stopped and turned. The Officer walked up to her, shoved a leaflet in her hand and walked off. No explanation about the info he had just delivered, no Please nor Thank You....
After speaking further with one of the Officers, I took a leaflet and left my details as somebody they could contact should they (and Yes, they do!!) need help, feedback or suggestions from victims as to how to approach the subject of Child Sexual Exploitation and gain some of the exposure needed.
Since then I have been in contact with the Press Office for WYP and expressed some of my concerns in regard to the Campaign itself and the Officers tasked with it.
Among other comments I made during that conversation, I pointed out to the Press Office that women are offenders too..... but that the info they were distributing specified offenders as being male.
I hope WYP can take the suggestions on board and actually make the campaign work. I have volunteered my input along with the information I have gathered over the months/years. Let's hope WYP make use of the research and stop others suffering.
*Update: Thank You to Patrick Brooke and Andy Smith from WYP for taking the time to read my comments and this blog and your positive-sounding comments.
Below is the content of the leaflet.....
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a type of child sexual abuse. It is the organised and deliberate exploitation of a child purely for the sexual gratification of adults.
Any young person could become a victim of child sexual exploitation; the crime affects both girls and boys, from any background and of any ethnicity.
There are three main types of CSE –
Inappropriate relationships – this usually involves one perpetrator who has inappropriate power or control over a young person. There is often a significant age gap and the victim may believe they are in a loving relationship.
‘Boyfriend’ model – the perpetrator befriends and grooms the young person into a ‘relationship’ and then convinces or forces them to have sex with friends or associates. This is sometimes associated with gang activity.
Organised sexual exploitation – young people are passed through networks where they are forced into sexual activity with multiple men. This often occurs at ‘sex parties’ and the young people may be used to recruit others into the network.
Know the Signs Even something that seems like normal teenage behaviour could be a sign that a child is being sexually exploited.
Some of the visible signs include:
Regularly missing from home or school and staying out all night
Change in behaviour – becoming aggressive and disruptive or quiet and withdrawn.
Unexplained gifts or new possessions such as clothes, jewellery, mobile phones or money that can’t be accounted for.
Increase in mobile phone use or secretive use
Appearing to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Being picked up or dropped off in cars by unknown adults
A significantly older ‘boyfriend’ or ‘friend’ or lots of new friends
Spending excessive amount of time online and becoming increasingly secretive about time spent online
Sudden involvement in criminal behaviour or increased offending
Sexual health problems
If you have any concerns that a child you know may be a victim of Child Sexual Exploitation report it to West Yorkshire Police by calling 101 or you can callCrimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency or if a crime is ongoing always dial 999.
You can also call or email your local Police Safeguarding Unit to discuss any concerns or questions you have with one of our specialist staff on the contact details below:
Yorkshire MESMAC – BLAST! Project works with men and boys involved in or at risk of becoming involved in sexual exploitation, aged 25 and under and living in Leeds or Bradford. 0113 2444209 blast@mesmac.co.uk www.mesmac.co.uk/blast
National Helpline for male victims of sexual exploitation - 07808 863 662
Parents Against Child Sexual Exploitation (Pace) Working alongside and supporting parents and carers whose children have been sexually exploited. 0113 240 3040 info@paceuk.info www.paceuk.info
Barnardo’s Turnaround
Working with young people who are involved or vulnerable to CSE and who go missing from home
Supporting young people affected by Child Sexual Exploitation across the Calderdale district. Tel: 01422 430 495 safehands@childrenssociety.org.uk
The Force's 'Know the Signs' campaign aims to advise everyone across West Yorkshire of the typical signs of child sexual exploitation and what they should do if they know a young person who might be a victim.
The campaign is supported by Safeguarding Boards across the five districts of West Yorkshire and takes the form of impactive posters and advice cards, social networking messages and a hard-hitting radio advert.
A man who wears a sieve on his head for religious reasons has been allowed to wear his bizarre headgear on his official identity card.
Prankster Lukas Novy, from Brno in the Czech Republic, claims that his Pastafarian faith means he has to wear the sieve at all times.
Officials ruled that turning down Novy's request would be a breach of the country's religious equality laws.
Unusual headgear: Lukas Novy exercising his right to wear a sieve on head for religious grounds in official ID for the Czech Republic
Brno City Hall spokesman Pavel Zara explained: 'The application complies with the laws of the Czech Republic where headgear for religious or medical reasons is permitted if it does not hide the face.'
Novy claims to be a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, when emerged in the USA as spoof on organised religion.
I tracked down the original document that WYP have gathered their info from for the C.S.E campaign
What to do if you suspect a child is being sexually exploited
A step-by-step guide for frontline practitioners
1. This step-by-step guide complements, and should be read in conjunction with, the
Safeguarding children and young people from sexual exploitation statutory guidance
published in 2009. It is intended for frontline practitioners in the statutory and voluntary
and community sectors (VCS). It outlines the actions they should take, as a minimum, if
they suspect that a child they are in contact with is being sexually exploited.
2. Child sexual exploitation is a form of child abuse which involves children and young
people (male and female, of a range of ethnic origins and ages, in some cases as young
as 10) receiving something in exchange for sexual activity. Perpetrators of child sexual
exploitation are found in all parts of the country and are not restricted to particular ethnic
groups.
3. Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) are responsible for ensuring that
appropriate local procedures are in place to tackle child sexual exploitation. All frontline
practitioners need to be aware of those procedures (including ones for early help) and
how they relate to their own areas of responsibility. LSCBs and frontline practitioners
should ensure that actions to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young
people who are sexually exploited focus on the needs of the child.
Step 1: Identifying cases
4. Frontline practitioners from voluntary and statutory sector organisations (including, for
example, health and education) should be aware of the key indicators2
of children being
sexually exploited which can include:
going missing for periods of time or regularly coming home late;
regularly missing school or education or not taking part in education;
appearing with unexplained gifts or new possessions;
associating with other young people involved in exploitation;
having older boyfriends or girlfriends;
suffering from sexually transmitted infections;
mood swings or changes in emotional wellbeing;
drug and alcohol misuse; and
displaying inappropriate sexualised behaviour.
Practitioners should also be aware that many children and young people who are victims of sexual exploitation do not recognise themselves as such. 5. A significant number of children who are victims of sexual exploitation go missing from home, care and education at some point. Return interviews for young runaways can help in establishing why a young person ran away and the subsequent support that may be required, as well as preventing repeat incidents. The information gathered from return interviews can be used to inform the identification, referral and assessment of any child sexual exploitation cases. 6. In assessing whether a child or young person is a victim of sexual exploitation, or at risk of becoming a victim, careful consideration should be given to the issue of consent. It is important to bear in mind that:
a child under the age of 13 is not legally capable of consenting to sex (it is statutory
rape) or any other type of sexual touching;
sexual activity with a child under 16 is also an offence;
it is an offence for a person to have a sexual relationship with a 16 or 17 year old if they hold a position of trust or authority in relation to them;
where sexual activity with a 16 or 17 year old does not result in an offence being committed, it may still result in harm, or the likelihood of harm being suffered; non consensual sex is rape whatever the age of the victim; and
if the victim is incapacitated through drink or drugs, or the victim or his or her family has been subject to violence or the threat of it, they cannot be considered to have given true consent and therefore offences may have been committed.
Child sexual exploitation is therefore potentially a child protection issue for all children under the age of 18 years and not just those in a specific age group. Step 2: Referring cases 7. Where child sexual exploitation, or the risk of it, is suspected, frontline practitioners should discuss the case with a manager or the designated member of staff for child protection. If after discussion there remain concerns, local safeguarding procedures should be triggered, including referral to local authority (LA) children’s social care and the
police, regardless of whether the victim is engaging with services or not. Step 3: Assessment 8. On receipt of a referral to LA children’s social care, a qualified social worker should discuss the case with other services and professionals that they consider relevant and decide on a course of action within one working day of the referral. Where there is a risk to the life of a child or a likelihood of serious immediate harm, an agency with statutory child protection powers must act quickly to secure the immediate safety of the child. 9. An assessment under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 must be undertaken in all cases where child sexual exploitation, or the likelihood of it, is suspected. The local authority, health and other partners must follow the process set out in the Framework for assessment of children in need and their families. The assessment is not an end or a process in itself, but the means of informing the planning and delivery of effective services for children. The need to make timely, proportionate assessments to understand a child’s needs and circumstances is critical to secure good outcomes for the most vulnerable children and young people. The assessment should contain a conclusion as to whether the child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm. 10. If a section 17 enquiry shows that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm, the social worker should hold a strategy discussion involving the police, health and other relevant statutory and VCS organisations to consider whether a section 47 enquiry is required. If the decision is taken to initiate a section 47 enquiry, the social worker should convene a child protection conference. 11. The child or young person’s wishes and feelings should be considered when determining what services to provide and before making decisions about action to be taken to protect individual children. 12. Where the child or young person is not deemed to be in need, the social worker must consider onward referral to agencies who provide services for children and young people with additional needs (for example, a VCS or health organisation; see Step 4 below). Step 4: Supporting victims out of CSE and in recovery 13. Statutory agencies and voluntary sector organisations should reach agreement on the services to be provided to the child or young person and on how they will be coordinated. The types of intervention offered should be appropriate to the needs of the child or young person. They should take full account of both the identified risk factors and the child or young person’s family and wider circumstances. The latter might, for example, include previous abuse, running away from home or care, involvement in gangs and groups and/or child trafficking. The health services provided might include sexual health services and mental health services or counselling. 14. Because the effects of child sexual exploitation can last well into adulthood, such support may be needed over a long period of time. For this reason, effective links should be made between children and adult services and between statutory and VCS organisations. 15. Consideration should also be given to supporting the families of victims, including through the work of organisations like the Coalition for the Removal of Pimping. Step 5: Identifying and prosecuting perpetrators 16. The police and criminal justice agencies lead on the identification and prosecution of perpetrators. All frontline practitioners involved with victims of child sexual exploitation should continually gather, record and share information with the police as soon as practicable, including data on running or missing episodes. Step 6: Ensuring child victims are supported through related legal proceedings 17. Child victims should be supported throughout the prosecution process and beyond, including through the use of special measures where appropriate. Independent Sexual Violence Advisers or specialist VCS services, where available, may also have an important role to play. Further information 18. Further information on child sexual exploitation can be found on the Department for Education website . Also See: Assets: Letter To Safeguarding Teams Letter To Sue Berelowski 2012 Letter To Sue Berelowitz 2013 Letter To Ann Coffey MP C.S.E Action Plan Reforms To Protect Children In Care
Ten men have been charged with the alleged sexual exploitation of teenage girls in Coventry.
The suspected sex trafficking ring allegedly preyed on vulnerable girls in the city, according to West Midlands Police.
The ten suspects, aged from 19-30, were charged yesterday with offences including rape, sexual assault and trafficking, following a police investigation into the alleged exploitation of five girls aged 16-18 at various locations across Coventry between May and September last year.
Some of the girls were in care at the time of the alleged offences, police said.
Brothers Gulfraz Banaris, 20, and 25-year-old Ifaraz Banaris, from Deedmore Road, Wood End, and Izthkhab Banaris, 24, from Eld Road, Coventry, are charged with conspiracy to traffic girls across the city for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
Gulfraz Banaris and Izthkhab Banaris are also both accused of rape.
The three appeared before Coventry magistrates yesterday and were remanded in custody to appear at Coventry Crown Court on November 7.
Brothers Isa Iqbal, 21, and 20-year-old Ismail Iqbal – both of no fixed address and cousins of the Banaris brothers – face trafficking charges and have also been remanded in custody to reappear in court in November.
Ricardo Hinkson, 23, of Telfer Road, Radford, Coventry, was remanded to appear in court this morning charged with conspiracy to traffic within the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
Amir Mahmood, 27, a signwriter from Blackwell Road, Foleshill, and milkman Tasveer Hussain, 30, from Canal Road, Foleshill, Coventry, will join Hinkson at Coventry Magistrates Court charged with the same offence.
Mechanic Saleem Hussain, 30, from Beake Avenue, Coventry, and Khezer Hussain, 25, from Bordesley Green East, Stechford, Birmingham, will also face magistrates charged with sexual assault and rape, respectively, this morning.
The five alleged victims are now in council care or living with relatives under safeguarding arrangements.
They are being supported by specially-trained police officers from the public protection unit and Coventry City Council children’s services.
Chief Inspector Sue Holder of West Midlands Police said: “Protecting young people from harm is a priority for West Midlands Police and the force takes reports of sexual and physical abuse extremely seriously.
“Anyone convicted of sexual exploitation, in whatever form, can expect to be dealt with severely by the courts.”
A former Brighton man was sentenced today in Miami to 165 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for child sex tourism offenses.
Matthew Andrew Carter, 68, aka “William Charles Harcourt” and “Bill Carter,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard of the Southern District of Florida.
A jury convicted Carter in February of five counts of traveling in foreign commerce from the United States to Haiti for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with children and one count of attempting to do so.
“For 15 years, Matthew Carter, under the guise of serving as an international humanitarian, sexually abused more than 50 Haitian children,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman said in a statement. “He held himself out as a savior to vulnerable children in Haiti, but in fact cruelly forced those children to choose between poverty and submitting to repeated sexual abuse.
“Child sex tourism is a heinous crime, and today's sentence demonstrates our commitment to bringing the weight of justice on anyone who seeks to exploit our most vulnerable citizens, wherever they reside,” he added.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from 1995 to 2011, Carter resided at and operated the Morning Star Center near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, prior to his arrest on May 8, 2011.
The Morning Star Center was a residential facility that provided shelter, food, clothing and school tuition to Haitian children.
The children who lived at the Morning Star Center were from impoverished families that could not feed, educate or otherwise support their children.
The evidence at trial showed that Carter specifically targeted children in need and preyed on their vulnerability. Between 1995 and 2011, Carter frequently traveled between the United States and Haiti in order to raise funds from churches and donors for the continued operation of the center.
Carter sexually and physically abused the children in his care and custody at the center during this period of time.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Carter used force to get these children to comply with his sexual demands and required the children to participate in sexual acts in order to receive food, remain at the center and/or continue to receive school tuition payments.
At trial, 16 Haitian victims who resided at the Morning Star Center between 1995 and 2011 testified. Additionally, four witnesses testified that they were sexually abused by Carter in London during the 1970s.
Carter previously was charged with and acquitted of charges related to the sexual abuse of children in London, Cairo and Winter Haven, Fla.
A 25-year-old man has appeared in a West Australian court to face a charge of murder after he allegedly sexually assaulted and killed a 10-month-old baby boy.
Mervyn Kenneth Douglas Bell is accused of assaulting his girlfriend in Broome on March 19 this year.
As the woman required hospital treatment, the boy somehow ended up with Bell.
He then drove the child 900 kilometres to the Fortescue Roadhouse, near Karratha.
The baby was found seriously injured at the roadhouse the next day and was pronounced dead in an ambulance en-route to hospital.
Police will not say exactly when or how the baby was injured but Major Crime Squad detectives charged Bell with grievous body harm.
During his appearance in the Karratha Magistrates Court via video-link from Casuarina Prison this morning, that initial charge was dismissed in favour of murder.
New charges were also laid, including sexually penetrating the baby, causing him aggravated grievous bodily harm, and assaulting the woman.
Bell will remain in Casuarina Prison until his next court appearance in the Stirling Gardens Magistrate's Court in late August.
There are 15 ongoing investigations into children at risk of sexual exploitation in Barnsley, the Chronicle has learned.
Det Ch Insp Mark Wilkie said the issue of child sexual exploitation came to the fore with cases in Rotherham, Rochdale and Oxford where gangs had groomed young girls for sex. He said: "The general view with regards to Barnsley is we do not have the same issue with this as other areas in South Yorkshire. "We don't have a massive problem with it, however one of the things we have to be careful with is that while there may not be a visible problem, we cannot take our eyes off the ball and have to look a little deeper." Child sexual exploitation is a form of abuse where young people are forced or manipulated into sexual activity. The police say offenders may sometimes get the young person to engage in sexual activity by giving them attention, treats, alcohol, drugs or a place to stay. In some cases they may even manipulate the young person into believing they are in a consensual relationship and that they love them. It is a problem that is high on the agenda for the Barnsley force, says DCI Wilkie. "In Barnsley we have now got a specific detective who looks at child sexual exploitation as a full time job and that role has come from funding from (Police and Crime )Commissioner Shaun Wright's budget," he said. "It is a crime that ruins lives and we're talking about vulnerable people here. It is usually young girls who are vulnerable to this, who find themselves in situations not of their choosing.
"They get sucked into a lifestyle that does them no good and our job is to spot the early signs of this and make interventions and focus on would-be offenders."
The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme gives members of the public, whether they are a parent, carer, guardian or another interested party, a formal mechanism to make enquiries about individuals who are in contact with children. Around a quarter of child sexual offences are carried out by strangers, and the majority of child sexual offenders are known to their victims. They are often someone who has some form of access to a child e.g. a member of the family, a friend of the victim, or a friend of the victim’s family. This is why this scheme may allow you to better protect a child from harm.
If police checks show that the individual has a record for child sexual offences, or other offences that might put the child at risk, the police will consider sharing this information with the person(s) best placed to protect the child, usually the parent, carer or guardian.The aim of the scheme is to give parents, carer, guardians and other interested parties a more formal mechanism for requesting information about an individual who has contact with their child or a child close to them if they are concerned that the individual is a child sexual offender. We will discuss your concerns with you and decide whether it is appropriate for you to be given more information to help protect the child involved.
If you have concerns regarding such an individual, we have a dedicated telephone number, where you can contact us to make enquiries within this process. The dedicated number is 0114 2196954. Further information relating to the scheme can also be found on the following websites: Gov website Parents Protect website
How can West Yorkshire Police improve the service provided to victims and witnesses of crime, and achieve better outcomes? What are Out of Court disposals and Restorative Justice and how can these benefit victims and local communities?
These are expected to be among the issues under the spotlight at the next West Yorkshire Police live webchat this Monday, August 5, entitled "Bringing Offenders to Justice."
Responding to the public questions and comments are Chief Inspector Mark McManus and Inspector Rick Sumner, of the Force Performance Improvement Unit.
Ch Insp McManus said they were looking forward to the online discussion. He said:
"West Yorkshire Police work closely with partner agencies to bring offenders to justice.
"We strive to put victims and witnesses first, and support them through the Criminal Justice System.
"We are always looking at how we can improve he service we provide to victims and witnesses, achieving better outcomes.
"We are also expecting questions about restorative justice and community resolution, and about how we and other agencies try to manage offenders, both in custody and the community, to reduce crime and re-offending rates. "
Monday's webchat will be the last in the present of webchats with previous ones covering cannabis, legal highs, volunteering as well as euro-cylinder burglaries. More webchats are already being planned for a a future series. Click here to view previous web chats.
Parents Protect have put together quite collection of info regarding Child Sexual Abuse, including this little piece on Age Appropriate behaviour and how to deal with inappropriate responses from your child.
We all know that children pass through different stages of development as they grow, and that their awareness and curiosity about sexual matters change as they pass from infancy into childhood and then through puberty to adolescence.
Each child is an individual and will develop in his or her own way. However, there is a generally accepted range of behaviours linked to a child’s age and developmental stage. Sometimes these will involve some exploration with other children of similar age. It can be difficult to tell the difference between age appropriate sexual exploration and warning signs of harmful behaviour. Occasionally we may need to explain to children why we would prefer them not to continue with a particular behaviour. This is a chance to talk with them about keeping themselves and others safe and to let them know that you are someone who will listen.
Disabled children may develop at different rates, depending on the nature of their disability, and they can be more vulnerable to abuse. Children with learning disabilities, for example, may behave sexually in ways that are out of step with their age. Particular care may be needed in educating such children to understand their sexual development and to ensure that they can communicate effectively about any worries they have.
It is important to recognise that while people from different backgrounds have different expectations about what is acceptable behaviour in children, sexual abuse happens across all races and cultures.
Remember that each child develops and at his or her own pace and not every child will show the behaviours described below. If you have any worries or questions about a child you know, talk to someone about it. Your health visitor, GP or child’s teacher may be able to help, or you could ring the Stop it Now! helpline on 0808 1000 900.
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