Abuse victims should be ‘believed’, says College of Policing – BBC News
‘Police in England and Wales need to further encourage sexual abuse victims to come forward, the College of Policing has said.’
BBC News, 22nd March 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: victims
NHS blood contamination victims hit out at ‘reforms’ which cost them up to £7,000 a year – The Independent
‘Victims of the worst contaminated blood scandal in the NHS’s history say they have been betrayed by the Government after plans were revealed to reduce their annual payouts. About 5,000 people – many of them haemophiliacs – who were infected with HIV, hepatitis C or both after receiving infected blood in the 1970s and 1980s, have been sent letters from the Department of Health asking for their views on “reforms” that will leave them up to £7,000 a year worse off.’
The Independent, 21st March 2016
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Goddard Inquiry: Focus on CofE handling of abuse claims – BBC News
‘A public inquiry is to consider whether there was interference by the Church of England in the case of jailed former Bishop of Lewes Peter Ball.’
BBC News, 16th March 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Lord Janner faced allegations of abuse against 30 victims, hearing told – The Guardian
‘Lord Janner faced allegations that he had abused 30 victims from the mid-1950s until the late 1980s, the first preliminary hearing of a public inquiry into child abuse has heard.’
The Guardian, 9th March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Why is domestic abuse still not taken seriously in UK courts? – The Guardian
‘Female victims left in fear for their lives speak out about the failure of the justice system to punish abusers with long prison sentences.’
The Guardian, 8th March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Online abuse: ‘existing laws too fragmented and don’t serve victims’ – The Guardian
‘The chief constable leading the fight against digital crime is calling for new legislation to tackle an “unimagined scale of online abuse” that he says is threatening to overwhelm the police service. Stephen Kavanagh, who heads Essex police, argues it is necessary to consolidate and simplify offences committed online to improve the chance of justice for tens of thousands of victims.’
The Guardian, 4th March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Millions spent on legal cases that fail to reach court – Daily Telegraph
‘National Audit Office warns criminal justice system ‘not delivering value for money’, with victims facing delays, collapsed cases and postcode lottery.’
Daily Telegraph, 1st March 2016
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
People-trafficking victims with children are ‘overlooked’ – BBC News
‘Victims of people trafficking who are pregnant or have children have had their needs “systematically overlooked” in the UK, a report has suggested.’
BBC News, 23rd February 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Police watchdog criticises Met chief’s comments on sexual abuse policy – The Guardian
‘The head of the police watchdog has criticised Scotland Yard’s commissioner for claiming that an official policy to “believe the victim” had caused confusion among his detectives when investigating prominent people for alleged sexual abuse.’
The Guardian, 18th February 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Pursuing damages for bribery in the civil courts – OUT-LAW.com
‘Under the 2010 Bribery Act, bribery is a criminal offence and companies are required to have in place adequate procedures in order to prevent those associated with them from undertaking bribery. Adequate procedures provide the company with a defence to the criminal offences set out in the Act. However, what is often overlooked is the ability of the company to pursue both the recipient of the bribe as well as the briber for its financial losses and, in some cases, damages for fraud.’
OUT-LAW.com, 16 February 2016
Source: www.out-law.com
Rape victim whose parents took opposing sides in court sent to live with her father – Independent
‘A family court judge has made decisions about the future of a teenage girl whose parents took opposites sides after her brother went on trial accused of raping her.’
Independent, 16 February 2016
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Separated people face more violence, figures suggest – BBC News
‘People separated from their partners are more than four times more likely to be victims of violent crime than those who are married or in civil partnerships, figures suggest.’
BBC News, 11th February 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
More than one in ten rape victims under ten, figures show – Daily Telegraph
‘Alarming analysis shows the extent of serious sexual assaults on young children for the first time.’
Daily Telegraph, 11th February 2016
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Police ‘should be neutral’ in sex abuse inquiries, says Met head – BBC News
‘Police should change their approach to allegations of sex abuse and not automatically believe the complainant, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has suggested.’
BBC News, 11th February 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Sex workers should be treated as potential victims rather than criminals, police chiefs say – The Independent
‘Sex workers should be treated as potential victims rather than criminals and the raiding of brothels should stop, according to proposals drawn up by senior officers.’
The Independent, 8th February 2016
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Rape case specialist units falling short, review says – BBC News
‘The care provided to rape and sexual assault victims by dedicated Crown Prosecution Service units in England and Wales is falling “well short” of what is expected, inspectors have said.’
BBC News, 2nd February 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
An open or shut case? – UK Human Rights Blog
‘R(C) v. Secretary of State for Justice [2016] UKSC 2. When is it right to keep the names of parties to litigation a secret? That was the difficult question the Supreme Court had to grapple with in this judgment, handed down on Wednesday. The decision to allow a double-murderer to remain anonymous led to outraged headlines in the tabloids. Yet the Court reached the unanimous conclusion that this was the right approach. Why?.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 29th January 2016
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
The DWP is forcing a rape victim to pay the Bedroom Tax on her police-installed panic room – The Independent
‘The Department for Work and Pensions is trying to force a rape victim to pay the so-called “Bedroom Tax” on her police-installed panic room, it has emerged.’
The Independent, 27th January 2016
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Victims are ill-served by the justice system: this bill will change that – The Guardian
‘The case of Poppi Worthington is the latest in a lamentable catalogue of misses by police or prosecutors. It demonstrates why the law needs to change.’
The Guardian, 25th January 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Vulnerable victims of violence ‘at risk’ over funding uncertainty – The Guardian
‘The most vulnerable victims of violent crimes, including abused women and refugees, are being put at a greater risk over uncertainty in funding to frontline services, officials have warned in a letter to the government. Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) from across England have called on the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to provide urgent clarification of the grants available to victims’ services.’
The Guardian, 21st January 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
