Barry Bennell: Ex-football coach admits more sexual offences – BBC News
‘Former football coach and serial paedophile Barry Bennell has pleaded guilty to nine sexual offences.’
BBC News, 31st July 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: child abuse
Section 5 “Causing or Allowing” – The Catch 22 Provision – KCH Garden Sq
‘ ‘‘Baby-shaking”, or “baby-shaking syndrome” is a colloquial term used to describe the situation where the prosecution allege that a baby has either died or suffered serious injury as the result of being shaken. In a large number of these cases the prosecution are able to show that at the time of the causative event the child was in the sole care of its parents; the difficulty that arose historically however was when it was not possible to prove which of the two parents was the actual perpetrator. Prosecutors often found themselves in this scenario, with not enough evidence to conclusively prove which parent caused the harm to the child and neither parent prepared to implicate the other. However, on 21st March 2005, Section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 became law, and it meant that prosecutors could now take a different approach, one that didn’t require them to single out the primary offender.’
KCH Garden Sq, July 2020
Source: kchgardensquare.co.uk
Supreme Court rules there is no right to privacy against “paedophile hunters” – an extended look – UK Human Rights Blog
‘In Sutherland v Her Majesty’s Advocate, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that it was compatible with the accused person’s rights under ECHR article 8 to use evidence obtained by “paedophile hunter” (“PH”) groups in a criminal trial.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 21st July 2020
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘Paedophile hunters’ do not violate right to privacy, Supreme Court rules as convict’s appeal dismissed – The Independent
‘”Paedophile hunters” do not violate the right to privacy, the Supreme Court has ruled while dismissing a convict’s appeal.
Mark Sutherland was convicted after communicating with a member of an activist group, who he believed to be a 13-year-old boy. He appealed his conviction, arguing that his right to a private life and correspondence, enshrined in Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Delivering the Supreme Court’s ruling on Wednesday, Lord Sales said the appeal had been “unanimously dismissed”.’
The Independent, 15th July 2020
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Ex-Labour MP faces jail after admitting child abuse image offence – The Guardian
‘The former Labour MP Eric Joyce is facing a prison sentence and has been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register after he admitted to making an indecent image of a child.’
The Guardian, 7th July 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Over £46m paid to survivors of abuse at Lambeth children’s homes – The Guardian
‘A survivors’ group has secured a total of more than £46m compensation for 1,340 people who suffered “horrific” abuse in children’s care homes that were infiltrated by paedophiles over several decades.’
The Guardian, 25th June 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Suspension suffices for doctor’s online sexual misconduct – UK Human Rights Blog
‘GMC v Awan concerns a GP’s sexually motivated online chat with someone posing as 13 year old child. The GMC’s appeal under section 40A of the Medical Act 1983 was dismissed by Mostyn J and the 9-month suspension imposed by the Tribunal was upheld.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 19th June 2020
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
EP 116: IICSA Update and Abuse within Minority Religions – Richard Scorer – Law Pod UK
‘In Episode 116 Emma-Louise Fenelon speaks to Richard Scorer, Head of Abuse at Slater and Gordon, about progress of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and in particular the investigation into abuse within minority religions. The episode also examines the impact virtual hearings has had on evidence to date.’
Law Pod UK, 16th June 2020
Source: audioboom.com
Compensation for woman after rape trials collapse over police failings – BBC News
‘A woman who police believe was sexually abused by a gang from the age of 12 has been paid a five-figure compensation sum after three trials collapsed following police failings.’
BBC News, 11th June 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Fake casting agent Daniel Berry groomed young girls on Facebook – BBC News
‘A “cunning” paedophile who posed as a casting agent on Facebook to lure young girls into sending indecent videos of themselves has been jailed.’
BBC News, 10th June 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Supreme Court to rule on ‘paedophile hunters’ case – BBC News
‘A convicted paedophile who was snared by a vigilante group is to have his case examined at the UK Supreme Court.’
BBC News, 3rd June 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Professional Regulation – Case Comment: Caroline Reilly V Teaching Regulation Agency and Secretary of State for Education (2020) EWHC 1188 (Admin) – Park Square Barristers
‘The appellant was the head teacher of a primary school in the West Midlands. She was dismissed from her post in July 2011 following disciplinary proceedings which arose in consequence of her failure to disclose the fact of her personal relationship with a man who had been convicted of offences involving the making and possessing of indecent images of children.’
Park Square Barristers, 15th May 2020
Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk
Most online grooming offences in UK committed on Facebook-owned apps – The Guardian
‘More than half of online grooming offences recorded under a law that made it illegal to send sexual messages to children were committed on Facebook-owned apps, figures reveal.’
The Guardian, 29th May 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Lewes sex abuser Jonathan Smith’s victim feels hope after his jailing – BBC News
‘A woman who was systematically abused as a child by a world-renowned music director has gone from “despair to hope” after seeing him finally jailed.’
BBC News, 22nd May 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Judge names council after deciding knowledge of its social services failures in care case outweighed risk of jigsaw identification of children – Local Government Lawyer
‘A judge has severely criticised the London Borough of Haringey’s child social services department, after deciding to name the council following an appeal by the Press Association over an earlier anonymity order.’
Local Government Lawyer, 21st May 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Rotherham child sex abuse inquiry ‘to continue for years’ – BBC News
‘A major inquiry into historic child sex abuse in Rotherham is set to continue for up to seven years with around 600 victims still to be spoken to.’
BBC News, 20th May 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Watchdog reveals 8.8m attempts to access online child abuse in April – The Guardian
‘Nearly 9m attempts to access child sexual abuse material online were made in the UK last month during the coronavirus lockdown, according to an internet watchdog.’
The Guardian, 20th May 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Inconsistent sentencing of Defendants in cases where sexual activity against children does not actually take place – Park Square Barristers
‘This comment focuses upon two recent Court of Appeal judgments:
R v Privett [2020] EWCA Crim 557 (“Privett”); and R v Manning [2020] EWCA Crim 592 (“Manning”).’
Park Square Barristers, 12th May 2020
Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk
Reilly v Secretary of State for Education – Blackstone Chambers
‘This decision exemplifies the stricter approach the courts are now taking in disciplinary cases where the regulated person fails to attend a hearing.’
Blackstone Chambers, 13th May 2020
Source: www.blackstonechambers.com
Sentencing Sexual Cases with a Fake Victim – Broadway House Chambers
‘There has been something of an explosion in the number of sexual offences cases coming to the Crown Court where there is no actual victim. Offenders are caught by so-called paedophile hunters or police officers going online and posing as children.’
Broadway House Chambers, 11th May 2020
Source: broadwayhouse.co.uk
