Islington Council child abuse investigation

Islington Council is to conduct its own investigation into historic child abuse despite objections from abuse survivors and its poor track record, under Margaret Hodge, of taking child abuse seriously.

Demetrious Panton, who was repeatedly abused by Bernie Bain, the former head of an Islington children’s home in the late Seventies, said: "An independent police investigation into Islington is crucial. I know so much. Yet, throughout all the 13 inquiries into Islington, I was never once asked to give evidence."

Mr Panton, who is a lawyer, added: "We still don’t know the full extent of Islington’s corruption...

Mr Panton first complained about Bain in 1979 but was ignored. When Mrs Hodge was children’s minister in 2003, and her job under pressure over her former role at Islington council, she accused Mr Panton of being "extremely disturbed" in a private letter to the BBC in an attempt to discredit his testimony.

Asked if he thought it right that Mrs Hodge’s son-in-law now held a key position in the council, he replied: "Of course not. I don’t know him at all and he may be a fine councillor, but I would think it is better that he is not in this position, given the association."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/jimmy-savile/10747257/Margaret-Hodge-sorry-as-council-she-led-told-to-investigate-Savile-abuse-allegations.html

Liz Davies, speaking to the Daily Mail, recounts Margaret Hodge`s involvement in the discredited `Every Child Matters` agenda which called for the database profiling of every child in England. (Similar to GIRFEC in Scotland). Vulnerable children were lost like a needle in a haystack`.

She recalls Margaret Hodge`s dismal performance, as leader of Islington Council:

When I uncovered a child sex ring in Islington's care homes in the Nineties, I found one of the homes included a young relative of Baby P who was introducing other children to pimps and appeared to be a victim himself.

He needed the help of experienced social workers and dedicated detectives who could organise surveillance, intelligence and physical protection.

The boy begged social workers for help. But Margaret Hodge, who was leader of Islington Council at the time, refused to believe a ring was active.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1179751/Why-soon-new-Baby-P-scandal--woman-tried-warn-danger.html

See article in Telegraph