Beechwood in the news

Melanie Shaw Awareness Day, Manchester 2019

=========================

Meanwhile:

"A woman in her 40s has been awarded more than £20,000 in criminal damages over the sexual abuse she suffered at Beechwood children’s home over 30 years ago."

"The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was a resident at the home in Mapperley in the 1980s."

"The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, which is a Government agency, has awarded the former resident £22,000 damages."

"This is despite the fact that the people she said had abused her did not face any charges against her..."

"Although the location of Beechwood is within the city boundaries, it was being run by the county council during the time the woman was there."

"The council has already paid out over £2.5m to more than 125 people in civil compensation to people who were in children's homes and foster care."

"Of the civil claims made to both the city and county councils, more than 140 relate to Beechwood."

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/former-beechwood-resident-receives-22000-2980031?fbclid=IwAR3eV84pscVvVlVwwRPrMF5Uza5VGlmZDq_h3DqxudvKRXD8c1u-n01c3sA

The inhumane treatment of a child abuse survivor and whistleblower

[UK Col 5 October 2018]

"What better place to go than IICSA, ... Theresa May`s child abuse inquiry because it`s just been talking about its findings in Nottingham and [it has] mentioned Beechwood children`s home, of course where Melanie Shaw was abused; and then Melanie became the lead whistleblower. So Sky news here says, `One of the most notorious children`s homes in Nottingham, known as Beechwood, has been singled out by the inquiry for special investigation. There were 136 allegations of sexual abuse from children there between the 1960s and the 1990s,` and, of course, this is a special investigation of Beechwood because the lead whistleblower Melanie Shaw has never been called to give evidence to that inquiry. On the contrary, the inquiry has done everything it possibly can to make sure that Melanie has not appeared at the inquiry. They`re not interested in speaking to Melanie and as their media lady said to me in a slightly agitated state, `What do you expect us to do? Break into the prison, Styal, in order to get Melanie`."

"Well what`s going on here I think is becoming pretty clear. It`s John Mann MP.  He said. `It is a total betrayal; the system didn`t work for them, the institutions didn`t even co-operate and hardly talked to each other. It is quite astonishing how they were let down... This is institutional failure but we need to learn for the present and the future`."

"I thought I`d just slap a label across this. No, no, no Mr Mann, it is not `institutional failure.` This is criminal activity;  and the evidence is easy to see, that institutions fully co-operated in the abuse and subsequent cover-up. So I`m not sure what Mr Mann`s plan is here. He is apparently representing three of the abuse victims. I called his office before we became live today in order to see what he had to say about the fact that the lead whistleblower Melanie Shaw hadn`t been called but there was nobody to answer the telephone. We`ll try him again this afternoon."

"BBC is on the bandwagon. Now remember of course that this is the same BBC that has removed all of their earlier articles about Beechwood and the abuses and those that featured Melanie Shaw; but they are telling us that `three witnesses who gave evidence on Tuesday had all been through branches of Beechwood community home in Mapperley`."

"`The facility is one of three case studies for the Nottinghamshire branch of the inquiry, which opened at Trent Bridge on Monday. A woman in her 50s, identified only as D7, said she grew up in Mansfield and went into care in the 1970s. She recalled being attacked `on several occasions` by John Dent, a social worker who lived on site`."

Brian Gerrish refers to a picture of Melanie Shaw: "So there, remarkably, this particular victim of Beechwood she said that children were not only abused but murdered on that site and has been completely blocked so far from this inquiry."

"David, I predicted a very long time ago that IICSA would be a cover-up. I believe...that even more. This is a very carefully crafted government cover-up, as to the scale of the abuse, and the links through to high level abusers in the establishment and the political system in Westminster. And the fact that [they] are now reporting on Beechwood without even interviewing the lead whistleblower says to me that I`ve been correct. Sorry to be a little bit arrogant there. What do you feel about IICSA?"

David Scott: "Well look what it`s doing? It`s now been running for how many years? Exactly how many shocking headlines have we seen ? How many ... politically connected people [have] been charged? How many have resigned in disgrace? How many changes have been made? There`s been nothing. What it is is a nice quiet gentle ease out from where we were three or four years ago where we had daily headlines about people like Leon Brittan, what he was up to with small boys, and a general view that the people who rule over us have shown themselves to be utterly corrupt. And now this is just easing the public down gently. So there`ll be some lessons to be learned. There might be a few low level people thrown to the wolves but what`s going to change? I don`t see any momentum here for change."

Brian Gerrish: "But of course you need the abused children because as you`ve demonstrated if you have the abused children who go through life damaged and suffering, the state can then use that to bring in controls over parents who do look after their children."

"But this little part of the story gets worse because it was kindly pointed out to us that the Independent Monitoring Board had recently produced a report on HM prison Styal where Melanie has of course been held. This is the Board; it`s independent; it`s always important to tell people that; it`s an independent Board `appointed by the Secretary of State from members of the community in which the prison or centre is situated`. Now I spoke to a very nice lady at this organisation this morning and I questioned her about this report. I`ve been invited to email the Board although I`m not to know who`s on the Board at the moment. But why did I have questions? Well I had questions because the report that they wrote has concluded that prisoners are overall treated fairly in the prison although a small number with poor English are at a disadvantage. `Are prisoners treated humanely? The view of the Board is that prisoners are treated humanely by staff in the prison. However conditions are adversely affected by the poor state of the buildings.`"

"So overall this is a good review for this prison. But when we get into the report there`s some interesting things there. `Five women have spent between 31 and 42 days on the... segregation unit under Rule 45 or Rule 49. A sixth woman arrived on the Unit under this provision on 7 November and, despite several unsuccessful efforts to begin a return to normal location, remains there at the time of writing, with appropriate authorisation. The unit is not ideal for anyone to spend more than a few days`."

"Now some people suggest that this particular person that they are referring to is Melanie Shaw. I believe that could well be true. But I simply asked the question of the Board: If people were spending a long time in a unit where you should only be for a few days, how is this humane? And they seemed to get rather confused by my question. Hence the invitation to email them."

"I`ll just add in this from the report, because if you go into the depths of this report they`ve got a massive increase in self-harm and mental health issues that`s occurred over the last few months. And it`s interesting that the prison governor has recently had to step down, although the Ministry of Justice at the moment will not tell anyone the reasons she`s been removed from the prison; so HMP Styal ... is effectively out of control; it doesn`t have a proper governor. The government who appoints people who do the inspection isn`t saying why this lady has been removed but we seem to have another report smoothing the waters, although conditions in that prison are pretty unpleasant."

"And I`ll just put this image up which I did tweet out yesterday."

"But as I watched Theresa May cavorting on stage in front of her adoring conservative audience, I thought: `Yes, this is the dancing queen that was of course responsible for putting Melanie Shaw in prison and Melanie has finished her jail term but is still - I think it is 3 months later - is still in prison, still not receiving the [care for her] mental health needs that she deserves.` So well done Theresa May."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4SRjkdEBUY

Dark forces around IICSA

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From Robert Green:

BEECHWOOD - THE RAPIST- THE JUDGE AND MELANIE SHAW

The IICSA is currently continuing at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, focusing much of its direction into the shocking catalogue of sexual crimes that have taken place at the Beechwood Home.

Inexplicably, this investigation is being allowed to continue without the most crucial witness of all, former Beechwood victim Melanie Shaw, from being allowed, by the state, to provide the IICSA with her detailed and extensive evidence.

She remains a prisoner at HMP Styal, even despite the recent suspension of its governor, Mahala McGuffie.

Thus, the IICSA`s investigations into the Nottinghamshire issues cannot possibly carry any real credibility until Melanie`s evidence has been considered.

So serious is the evidence that Melanie, unlike some other victims of Beechwood, has refused to accept a gagging order along with any financial compensation offered for her ordeals. Her evidence will highlight the existence of a local well-connected and sinister network that has been responsible for the continuation of these outrages over a period of many years. It is likely that the true number of victims from Beechwood alone will turn out to be absolutely staggering.

It is also the case that there are unlikely to be any of the usual issues of race or religion connected with the crimes. It would appear that the perpetrators will be found to be overwhelmingly white and some to have even held positions of influence in the Nottinghamshire area.

It must be beyond any reasonable doubt that the sole motive for the state`s astonishing efforts to silence Melanie is that her evidence will prove to be explosive for those who have previously held or currently hold offices of power locally and even beyond..

A key individual frequently mentioned by the IICSA is Andris Logins, a former Nottingham social worker who was jailed for 20 years in 2016 for committing four acts of rape whilst at Beechwood, around the same time that Melanie was a resident there. Moreover, Logins was aided and abetted in his crimes by his wife, Helen, another employee of Nottingham Council, who criminally abused her position by providing her rapist husband with confidential information about his Beechwood victims. She received a twelve month suspended sentence.

Unusually for such a dangerous serial rapist, Andris Logins has an acknowledged friend who is member of the judiciary, a judge still serving in the Family Court at Nottingham, where he currently and rather bizarrely, continues to make decisions after taking evidence from the same Nottingham Social Services.

His name is Judge Jeremy Lea.

Judge Lea also employed his rapist friend to work, a few years ago, at a charity the judge directed called Faith in Families, set up to assist in adoption cases.

Given his obvious and likely in-depth personal knowledge of a key dangerous sex criminal, it would surely be a good idea for the IICSA to invite Judge Lea to offer evidence to the Inquiry, as he may well be in a position to not only provide more information about the background and true extent of his friend`s crimes, but also to offer some guidance about the network that has protected and sustained Logins and any of his accomplices for so many years.

I have already informed the IICSA`s Junior Counsel, Paul Livingston of Outer Temple Chambers, of this situation and have passed on these details to Dorota Krawczyk, at Professor Jay`s office.

It is surely time for the full evidence to be placed before the IICSA panel for thorough consideration.

Disturbingly, Professor Jay has already indicated her belief that "dark forces" are intending the IICSA to fail in its task.

Whilst she gave no information of whom these "dark forces" may be, no third parties, whether organs of state or not, must be permitted to compromise the independence of the Inquiry by interference, including any obstructions or even threats to be made against Professor Jay, any of the IICSA team and most importantly of all, against Melanie Shaw and any other victims or those with information who possess sufficient courage and decency to come forward with their evidence.


https://www.facebook.com/groups/302194089973223/permalink/970163473176278/

 

Censorship and cover-up

[From UK Column News 24 July 2018]

"The UK conservative government is now clearly operating beyond authority. We have a cabal running the country. Even backbencher MPs have no idea what`s happening in Westminster. So it`s simply the members of the Cabinet Office and the secretive P... Office. which is dealing with the global corporations and international banks with connections through to the Privy Council and this is all secret, certainly to other members of parliament but also to the public. So we have a cabal, many people would say a criminal cabal, running the country. Let`s remember that the fuel for UK politics is the abuse of children."

 

"Just an amazing headline here from the Daily Mail a few days ago. Forget the bit about the The `drink sodden world` of EU boss sneering at Britain, what we`re really looking at is the main headline. `What a cosy cover-up!`"

"And basically this was pointing out that MPs have voted for anonymity if they`re accused of sexual harassment and if there`s any hint of expenses fraud. And what the Daily Mail article pointed out was that minutes after this vote was taken a list of politicians under investigation vanished from Parliament`s website."

"Now I find this particularly interesting because a few weeks ago we actually made contact with the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner`s office to ask some questions about Mr Keith Vaz , but on that particular day back in June - I think it was the 22nd June - what we established was that this lady....Kathryn Hudson was going to step down as the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner and we were intrigued to see that she was going to be replaced by a new lady. This is Kathryn Stone; and her background is looking after children with special needs before becoming a qualified child protection social worker and mental health expert."

"And this just seemed a fascinating qualification to then move over to be Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. It just seems a little bit too interesting."
 

Keith Vaz

 

"Well at the time ... 22 June, we had a look at the Parliamentary Standards web page and one of the things we could see here was `under Investigation by the Commissioner`. We were interested in Mr Vaz; and apparently the Vaz inquiry is confidential. That`s what we were told. No information can be disclosed to the public in the interests of fairness. That is clearly fair to Mr Vaz. I don`t think it`s particularly fair to the public but of course the public doesn`t count. We were told that no comment could be made on whether the video of Mr Vaz forms the base of evidence. This is the video which appeared to show him in a room with some rent boys and there was a discussion of drugs. The inquiry, even though there`s video evidence, could take years."

Mike Robinson: "Was there any explanation as to why."

"No, except I have to say the lady I spoke to was unbelievably nervous as I asked some fairly reasonable and gentle questions. She did say that Mr Vaz had not been suspended and she was also happy to say the first police investigation had been dropped."

"But the important thing here is that even going to the government website I was able to find some information because I knew that something was going on. But now enter 2018. So there was that web page. It`s been replaced by this web page. And what`s significant? Well we have the same designator ... Sorry we`ve got `Complaints and Investigations` but on the original screen on the left we have names on the screen. On the right we just have the Complaints process. So all these names disappear and they`ve been whitewashed out Mike. And the other thing is the Current Inquiries bar has also disappeared from the government`s website. So the MPs clearly circling the wagons now to defend themselves when people come forward with allegations of sexual harassment or expenses fraud."  

 
"Well Mr Vaz seems to be doing OK because the probe, not investigation - it`s called a probe now, whatever that means - has already lasted two years and nobody knows when this is going to be completed. Now if we remind ourselves what happened: he stood down as Chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, looking at matters to do with vice after the Sunday Mirror reported he had discussed buying cocaine with a rent boy (male prostitute). So the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner launched a probe into whether he was guilty of a conflict of interest because he had been leading a review of vice laws at the same time as the allegations. So that`s a very difficult thing for them to establish Mike, even with a video. So years have gone by and we`ve still not got any result but now the whole thing has become totally secret." 

"Something that was quite interesting was that the UK Column had a report, and I would say from a source that we would say was reliable, and in that report it was alleged that one or both of the rent boys who were apparently present at the incident with Mr Vaz were attacked and badly beaten in Poland by persons as yet unknown."

"So that`s the allegation that those rent boys were attacked and beaten very badly in Poland but there isn`t any evidence at the moment who did it. That`s what we are being told. We`ll see whether we get more reports on that."

"So here we are, a report in the Sun: police drop initial investigation, into the Leicester East MP 18 months ago and the new Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone has told MPs she is referring the case back to the Met. But at the same time they`re apparently also looking into the fact people are not too sure where all his money is coming from."

"So what can we see? We can see our parliament becoming increasingly secretive, to the extent it`s not even worth making an allegation because this will simply stay undercover and you have no idea whether any investigation takes place."

Cliff Richard

"So couple it with Cliff Richard, and we`ve pointed it out before, but basically as a result of incompetence or possibly a planned action by the BBC, we can now see the law rapidly moving towards a position where you cannot make any public allegation against anybody because this will come back on you, in order to protect the identity of these individuals."

"So at least Ian Murray here of the Society of Editors said it had worrying consequences for Press freedom and the public`s right to know ... But of course Tory MP Nigel Evans dismissed those concerns over Press Freedom saying: they [the journalists] are worried that they can`t trash people`s reputations."

Prince Charles and Peter Ball

"And that brings us nicely to the so-called independent child abuse inquiry because in the last few days it`s emerged that Prince Charles`s lawyers have been arguing with the inquiry`s legal team over the manner in which he produces evidence in relation to Bishop Ball who was imprisoned as a result of sexual abuse. So we`re not going to find out really what Prince Charles has got to say but interestingly enough one of the lawyers working for survivors said this: `We wish to register our surprise and concern that the Prince has chosen to put his evidence to the inquiry in the form of a letter as opposed to a witness statement verified by a statement of truth in the normal way that survivors giving evidence to this inquiry have done`. So one rule for the survivors. Totally different one for Prince Charles. And he goes on to say: `Concerns around Charles`s letter include that it may be `less than entirely frank about his personal relationship with Peter Ball and that it contains matters to which he is reluctant to attach a formal statement of truth`. And this lawyer, Richard Scorer, also retweeted this little report by a lady called Linda Woodhead. She said: `IICSA today on the Peter Ball scandal hears of the extraordinary lengths to which Prince Charles`s lawyers went to wiggle out of complying with IICSA`s request that the Prince give a witness statement to the inquiry like everyone else. Even invoking European convention on Human Rights`."

"So obviously Prince Charles desperate that he does not have to give evidence in the same way that survivors or members of the public would. Why would he be so shy?"

"Well this tweet was sent through to me. And I`ve got to say I think the gentleman`s comments fit. So it`s a Brian P Willmot and he says  `Any person who is Not prepared to stand and tell the Truth has something to hide` and it certainly seems that this is the case on this one Mike."

Melanie Shaw

"And perhaps this leads us nicely into Melanie Shaw. And let`s remind ourselves that Melanie Shaw`s local MP is a gentleman called Chris Leslie. Several people contacted me to point out that here was Mr Leslie getting very excited about the standards in prison. So we`re going back to January here, but he said: `Shocking `urgent notification` from Chief Inspector into `fundamentally unsafe` Nottingham Prison, echoing concerns I raised in Commons debate last year: eight suicides recently; 200 assaults in past 6 months; 30% positive for drugs. New Lord Chancellor David Gauke must act now`. But remarkable that this gentleman Mike doesn`t want to act for Melanie Shaw who`s been brutalised by these very failings in other prisons."

Mike Robinson: "And he was even her employer at one point."

"Yes he was her employer at one point and there is a photograph ... where he`s sat next to her on a sofa holding her hand to show his level of support for child abuse victims. But it appears like many MPs Chris Leslie is duplicitous when it comes to actions to protect Melanie Shaw."

"Now I`d like to just look at this excellent letter that Robert Green sent to Christ Leslie and let`s read through."

"`Dear Mr Leslie,

I have contacted you, as have many others over the years, about the disgraceful ongoing plight of your constituent Melanie Shaw.

I do not propose to go through the details of this case, as I feel confident that you have been fully informed about the state`s unrelenting persecution of this poor, defenceless and acknowledged victim of multiple sexual abuse, committed whilst in the supposed `care` of the Nottinghamshire authorities. Indeed, one local authority employee, Andris Logins, has been convicted of  multiple rapes committed at the very care home in which Melanie was placed and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. His wife, Helen Logins, another Nottingham council social worker, has also been convicted for aiding and abetting her husband.

I and others have been in regular contact with Amnesty International as the evidence suggests that Melanie, during her controversial imprisonment has been the victim of torture, administered by the UK state. The case is, I am told being currently considered by that international organisation...

We now know, due to recent revelations, that the British government is perfectly capable, not only of being complicit in torture, but also even prepared to publicly lie about it, as demonstrated by the misconduct of Jack Straw. At least one excuse, weak though it is, was that such torture was used on suspected foreign terrorists operating outside the United Kingdom.

Melanie Shaw, on the other hand, is a Nottingham woman and UK national who has apparently been tortured in British prisons because of the evidence she is prepared to put before the IICSA, in providing details of serious crimes committed at Beechwood Home that may implicate high-ranking public individuals, including, I understand, a person formerly a colleague of the current Prime Minister.

As Melanie is clearly an absolutely crucial, high-profile witness in the IICSA investigation into widescale child sexual abuse in the Nottingham area, I found it shocking that the inquiry has not already interviewed her, regardless of the incarceration that can only be explained rationally as a means of silencing her.

I have therefore sent key details to the IICSA`s current head, Professor Alexis Jay and her deputy, Liz Long, has written to me to confirm that these details have indeed been read by Professor Jay. There can now be no further excuse for the failure to interview Melanie.

And he ends by saying,  As her elected parliamentary representative, what are you going to do about it?

Yours sincerely,

Robert Green.`"

"So a truly excellent letter from Robert and I think this should provide a lead for many other people to write to Chris Leslie with that key question: what are you going to do to help Melanie Shaw, Chris Leslie?"

"Well if we remind ourselves that IICSA itself still refuses to take evidence from Melanie Shaw or even communicate with her, despite the fact that Melanie has said publicly she wants to speak to the inquiry, despite the fact that contact has been made with the inquiry on her behalf, including, it`s alleged, by Mr Chris Leslie himself, IICSA says `can`t act unless Melanie calls us` but of course Melanie can`t call them because she`s denied phone calls in prison."

"And we`ll finish the section by reminding people, of course, of the untimely haste with which Beechwood Children`s Home was sold off and demolished after Nottingham police fail to carry out a full and proper forensic investigation and, more recently, UK Column has informed people that reports about Beechwood have been pulled from mainstream media sites and the BBC as a result of collaboration between Nottingham City & County Council and Nottingham police."

"So censoring of the news there Mike in order to help silence and cover up abuse of children."

 

"So we`ll come back to Robert here because this was such a wonderful statement. Robert said this: So Melanie Shaw is desperate to give evidence to IICSA and it has so far refused to take it.  Meanwhile Prince Charles is desperate to avoid giving evidence to IICSA.... What is going on?"

IICSA and NSPCC

"Well there can only be one answer. We`re witnessing a cover-up by the British government. And if we come back to the inquiry itself, a very big thank you to the person who pointed this out to us. The inquiry commissioned this report. It`s called A Rapid Evidence Assessment: What can be learnt from other jurisdictions about preventing and responding to child sexual abuse. And ... the University of Lancashire has been commissioned to carry out this piece of work by the so-called independent child abuse  inquiry."

"What did they do? They looked at information on the internet Mike."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So we have these people: Lorraine Radford, Helen Richardson Foster, Christine Barter and Nicky Stanely. They carried out this work for the so-called independent child abuse inquiry. Fascinating report. I would encourage people to see it online. Here`s the Executive Summary."

"This Rapid Evidence Assessment was commissioned by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales which is investigating  whether public bodies and other non-state institutions have taken seriously their duties to care for and protect children and young people from child sexual abuse and exploitation. The question for the review was: What can be learnt from jurisdictions outside of England and Wales, about the role of institutions, including accountable state and non-state organisations with responsibility for children in preventing and responding to child sexual abuse and exploitation?"

"What they seem to have done here, Mike, is to produce the answers for a whitewash. `No jurisdiction has everything right. While overall robust research on what is effective is limited, there is plenty of promising evidence that can be developed further to inform work in England and Wales`."

"So we got it wrong. but don`t worry because in the future we can put it right. `Adequately resourced, comprehensive, multi sector approaches that aim to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse and exploitation are likely to be the most effective approaches.` But these are the approaches that have failed. We`ve got a nice circular argument."

"What`s special about the research team? Well I did a little bit of an investigation and I find by an amazing coincidence they`re all linked to NSPCC and in their own report of course they`ve then used a lot of NSPCC information saying how NSPCC is apparently stopping the abuse of children. This is all independent you understand."

Mike Robinson: "And there`s no possibility that the NSPCC could ... be criticised by the independent public inquiry if the independent inquiry was doing their job properly."

Brian Gerrish laughs. "eh Yes And we remember that it was NSPCC that was first of all taking phone calls and there was such outrage amongst the abuse survivors and others that they had to drop the contract."

"Right. So they were running the call centre for the independent inquiry at the beginning and whereas many of the survivors were saying, `well hold on`, the NSPCC was involved in the abuse, or at least helped cover it up in the past; so what are they doing taking phone calls off of us?"

"Yes. ... Well this is what independence is about Mike. But it gets better because I did a little bit of research before the news today on IICSA`s site and here we`ve got their own documentation showing that in Rochdale going back into 1974 - 1989 we`ve got NSPCC taking over child protection from the local authorities. So seemingly here NSPCC must be implicated in the very failings that the independent inquiry is now asking an NSPCC experienced team to report on."

"Good stuff."

"But it`s not a cover-up."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH4A4UL1KDY

Nottinghamshire councils under scrutiny ?

"The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) is looking at whether Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottingham City Council could have done more to prevent child abuse in children's homes, foster care, and in adoption."

"It will establish the extent of any institutional failures to protect children in the care of the two councils from sexual abuse and exploitation."

"At a preliminary hearing in London on Wednesday (January 31), it was revealed that some of the full hearings - which will take place over three weeks in October this year - will be held in Nottingham..."

"The full hearing had been scheduled to be held entirely in London, but at a previous preliminary hearing, in May last year David Hollas, advocate for the Nottinghamshire Child Sexual Abuse Survivors Group, had made a request that they be moved to Nottinghamshire..."

"The hearing today is also looking at which particular case studies will be considered in the October hearings. There are 83 different complainants who are identified as core participants in those hearings, but only some cases will be looked at in detail..."

"There are four case study areas which have been proposed: Beechwood children's home in Mapperley, Wollaton House children's home in Wollaton, foster care, and peer-on-peer abuse."

"However, Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC, who represents 46 of the complainants, said this would be too narrow a focus.

"She told the hearing: `There were decades of abuse on an industrial scale of children in the care of Nottinghamshire councils`."

"We say that the proposals which have been made do not deal with the extent or the scale."

However, Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC, who represents 46 of the complainants, said this would be too narrow a focus.

She told the hearing: "There were decades of abuse on an industrial scale of children in the care of Nottinghamshire councils.

"We say that the proposals which have been made do not deal with the extent or the scale..." 

http://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/part-child-sexual-abuse-inquiry-1145285#ICID=sharebar_facebook


There is no mention of Melanie Shaw who still languishes in prison and is in her cell  twenty three hours out of every twenty four. It appears likely that the establishment is ensuring that her testimony about child sexual abuse and murder at Beechwood care home is not available for the independent public inquiry

===============

Here is Beechwood children's home survivor Joni Cameron-Blair talking to Clare McDonnell about the child abuse cover-ups in Nottinghamshire. 

 
Joni: "It wasn`t until about 18 months when I started documenting people`s behaviour towards children and I was going back maybe a year later or two years back to that same home - because it wasn`t always happening annually - sometimes it could be two, possibly three years - and I would go back and I would see the same members of staff still working there despite me feeding back my concerns and complaints."

"And then I also noticed that my reports would also be doctored and manufactured and my verbatim would be removed.  And I began to question this practice."

Clare McDonnell: "What was going on do you think?" 
 
Joni: "I think there were lots of contributing factors to be honest... I think a lot of it was about reputational protection; a lot of it was about protection for the insurance company policy; a lot of it was about the hierarchical protection of their own personal ... pay and pensions. It certainly wasn`t about the protection of children. I certainly didn`t see any protection of children despite the numerous concerns and complaints that I was taking to the inspectorate."
"I then took my concerns away from the inspectorate because I realised that no action was taking place. So I then took it to the panel. The panel consisted of the chief executive of Nottingham City Council, the director of Social Services and the assistant director of Social Services and a lot of other, you know, top people; and it was during these meetings that I ensured that my concerns were minuted."

"I needed documented proof that I was sharing my concerns and still no action was happening. And when I challenged that action and when they said to me and announced to me on that panel that they would be having investigations, I would no sooner get home and within days of addressing the panel they would cancel those meetings and cancel those investigations. And it was just quite staggering. I was just banging my head against a brick wall and for the life of me even today I don`t know why; I don`t know why they were preventing me from following my duty of care to protect children..."

[BBC Five Live Fri 14 Aug 2015 with Clare McDonnell]

Melanie Shaw moved again

Melanie Shaw, child abuse survivor and whistleblower, has been moved to another prison. For details listen to Brian Gerrish on UK Column News. (about 8 minutes)

Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPAZrojvsCI

Melanie Shaw`s new address:

A4126DE
HMP Styal
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 4HR

Here is testimony from another whistleblower about Beechwood care home where Melanie stayed and witnessed abuse.

Invitation to write to Mr Bob Neill MP

Yesterday Brian Gerrish informed UK Column viewers that Melanie Shaw, the whistleblower for child abuse in Beechwood home in Nottingham, is still in prison.

"She is weeks into prison. She badly needs our help and support because essentially now she`s a political prisoner. Still in prison to make sure her evidence can`t actually damage MPs who are being named by various witnesses in relation to child abuse. So the government doesn`t want to talk about this. Now we`ve go Keith Vaz, selected for the Justice committee. This would be a committee that should be working to make a judgement on what is happening to Melanie Shaw. I`m going to say I received a letter from Melanie - this is one of two letters I personally received from her over about 24 weeks and Melanie has been saying that her mail has been interfered with and withheld."

"I`ll read this. This is part of a letter:"

"I feel I cannot take my foot off the pedal, so to say, on such a sensitive issue as lives are at stake here, innocent children`s lives, despite my own circumstance, which are abysmal as I`m held in segregation still. Justice, care and the prevention of child abuse remain my main concern."

"Love and blessings to you and your small army of helpers. Thank everyone for their love and support please as it gets me through my ordeal."

"So here is this immensely brave woman who spoke out about the abuse of children in Beechwood children`s home Nottingham. She discovers that Nottinghamshire constabulary were lying in their conduct of operation Daybreak. They said they were investigating her evidence. It was proven that that was absolutely not the case and when Melanie flagged this up, very quickly she`s being harassed by Nottinghamshire police. She`s eventually put in prison on an arson charge. She`s released, she`s bullied, harassed. She`s lost her son, she`s lost her house and now the British state under the hand of Theresa May, home secretary, puts her back in prison where we do not even know whether she`s been charged or sentenced or is on remand and that is the case for Melanie herself. No idea why she`s in prison but she`s still kept in solitary confinement."

And of course according to the UN and our very own Guardian solitary confinement is torture...See Solitary confinement isn`t punishment. It`s torture.

 

"What can we do? Well have a look at this man. You can go on to the parliamentary site and have a look but we`ve got Bob Neill chair of the Justice Select Committee - so he`s going to be boss for Keith Vaz presumably Mike. And he says that Select committees are one of the ways that `we as MPs hold Government to account` ... Don`t believe a word of that but I think we can do something through this. `We look into the workings of the ministry of Justice and the various agencies that are accountable to that... the Attorney General who`s the Government`s chief legal advisor and also oversees the work of the Crown Prosecution Services ... We are taking evidence from people who want to give us their experience, their view... you can suggest topics ... where the system hasn`t worked... we send out a call for evidence... the public can contribute... some will be invited before the committee... issue report submitted to government.... can be debated on the floor of house`..."

"I felt this morning that perhaps our viewers might like to take on Mr Bob Neill MP. You might like to present the case of Melanie Shaw or indeed any other child abuse cases to this man and let`s put the ... committee now including Keith Vaz on the spot because I think in Keith Vaz`s professional career he was the legal officer for one of the London inner city boroughs where child abuse was taking place. So he would surely have a deep interest in exposing what was actually happening then and there."

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3mpEnxn2_s

Uncovering child abuse cover-up in Nottinghamshire

Mickey Summers talks to Brian Gerrish about the campaign to uncover the truth about child abuse in Nottinghamshire.

Melanie Shaw is the Beechwood children`s home whistleblower who has been hounded, victimised and bullied ever since she blew the whistle by the very authorities who allowed the abuse to be committed in the first place. She is currently in prison.　

Note: It was Melanie Shaw`s testimony that was responsible for the instigation of operation Daybreak.

Former social worker on trial for rape and indecent assault at care home

"A former social worker used his position at a `brutal` children's care home to carry out a string of sex attacks in the early 1980s, a court has heard."

"Andris Logins is said to have carried out four rapes and 10 indecent assaults on two girls and a boy he was caring for at the Nottingham home."

"The 57-year-old worked at the Beechwood Care Home in Mapperley between 1980 and 1985 and abused children `who he knew were extremely vulnerable and who had no one to turn to`, the prosecution said as his trial began at Nottingham Crown Court."

"Logins, of Stiles Road, Arnold, Nottinghamshire, denies the charges and a further charge of child cruelty."

Read more: http://www.nottinghampost.com/Nottinghamshire-Social-worker-carried-string-sex/story-28875930-detail/story.html#ixzz42MhPg2mG

`Nothing to hide, nothing to fear` should apply to FOI

From the UK Column News: Nothing to Hide, Nothing to FearThe relationship between the individual and the state is being changed. Theresa May's new investigatory powers bill is one aspect of that. It's alright, though, because if we have nothing to hide, we have nothing to fear. But how does that apply to government?You can watch the full UK Column News here: https://www.ukcolumn.org/ukcolumn-news/uk-column-news-5th-november-2015If you like the work we do, please consider joining us: https://www.ukcolumn.org/community/membership-options/
Posted by Mike Robinson on Thursday, November 5, 2015

UK Column (22.10.15) reports on Goddard Inquiry

 

The Missing Files 

"There were two files that Geoffrey Dickens gave to Leon Brittan in 1984, this is the second file and the person who gave it to Geoffrey Dickens has now given a copy to me," Mr Mann said.

"Two questions now arise. Firstly, why were the contents of the file not investigated? Secondly, why was the Prime Minister unable to find this file when he instigated the Wanless Review last year?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/child-protection/11946177/Missing-dossier-on-alleged-paedophile-ring-handed-to-MP.html

Mike Robinson asks: "Is this dossier complete. Is it as it was when it was passed to Mr Dickens or has it been sanitised? "

"This is the question, isn`t it?" says Brian Gerrish.  "Because miraculously this document suddenly pops up.. and I thought to myself has it been doctored to remove any real incriminating information? And then of course after the Leon Brittan put down by BBC Panorama we can presumably have the BBC crowing that there was no substance in that dossier either."

 

Goddard Inquiry on child abuse

Brian Gerrish says: "Over a number of months I have been asking Justice Goddard what she is going to do to protect child abuse whistleblowers and we have been citing the case of Melanie Shaw. Melanie Shaw of course is the Beechwood Children`s Home whistleblower and ever since Melanie has blown the whistle she has been hounded, victimised, and bullied by the very authorities who allowed the abuse to be committed in the first place."

"So we wrote to the Inquiry and we asked for a simple reply pointing out that under Justice Goddard`s own Terms of Reference she had a duty to care for people who were coming forward. Well we could not get an answer from the Judge. We kept getting an answer from a member of the Information and Engagement Hub... What did she have to say? "

"In this latest letter of course we`ve got exactly what we need because she says ... that the chair has read my letter. Now this lady never refers to Justice Goddard in person; it`s always done as the chair. So is Justice Goddard a chair? Well we assume she is; we assume it is this chair, but we don`t know. But finally the chair has read the correspondence. And here`s the reply:"

"I understand your concerns but unfortunately the inquiry does not have the express duty of care to individuals to which you refer, although of course we understand the need to engage sensitively with victims and survivors and other members of the public."

Brian Gerrish continues: "Now the letter at the beginning says something like you may be disappointed with this response but actually I am not disappointed because here the inquiry is telling us in no uncertain terms that of course the thing is a scam. So they are investigating the police; they are investigating local authorities; they`re investigating charities supposedly for their failure to protect children from abuse and when you report to them a case where day by day that abuse has continued, all the inquiry says it is going to do is refer the case back to the very police system that is conducting the victimisation of the child abuse whistleblower in the first place."

"So this letter I think is absolutely key. It shows that the Goddard Inquiry is a scam. And we have now the fact that of course all of that information and team around Justice Goddard is provided by Theresa May and the Home Secretary`s department itself. So there is absolutely no independence. And then we have NSPCC acting as the big fishing net, taking the calls coming into this independent inquiry. So there we have it: if you are a child abuse victim; if you`re a whistleblower and you come forwafd with evidence, do not expect the Goddard Inquiry to protect you because they will simply refer your case back to the very authorities who`ve failed you in the first place."

"It`s outrageous Mike. I can`t think of any other word to express it. But slowly and surely the truth is coming out and let us just remember that the Goddard inquiry is not yet fully set up; they`re still arranging themselves and they have still to answer the question: Who was directly responsible for the IT systems from which the evidence was miraculously lost or destroyed. We believe the Home Office was responsible for those systems but to date there is no reply from the inquiry itself. "

New chair for deaths in custody review

"Following the tragic and brutal death of Sheku Bayoh in Police Scotland custody what is the Home Secretary doing? ... She announced a new chair  for deaths in custody review and who would you choose to do this? Well we cannot make this up. Here we`ve got Dame Elish Angiolini, the woman who refused to get involved and engaged in the investigation of the abuse of Hollie Greig, massive attack on Robert Green for trying to expose the failure of Grampian police and others to investigate that child abuse case. Then this is the lady brought in to advise the Met Police on their rape policy . We`ve now got a brutal death in custody. Who do you bring back in ? Elish Angiolini. I get a mental picture here of the cowboy wagons drawn in around the plane and they are now so desperate to protect the establishment they have to bring in a safe pair of hands at every opportunity."

 

"Indeed," says Mike Robinson. "Here`s the cover-up queen."

See the full programme http://www.ukcolumn.org/ukcolumn-news/uk-column-news-22nd-october-2015

Peter Ball is sentenced to 32 months

"The partner of a man who killed himself after being abused by a Church of England bishop is calling for the decision not to prosecute him 22 years ago to be investigated by the Goddard inquiry into institutional child sex abuse."

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/09/bishop-peter-ball-case-goddard-child-sex-abuse-inquiry

There may already be an answer:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3265742/Jimmy-Savile-Prince-Charles-close-friendship-sex-abuse-bishop-Peter-Ball.html

 "A senior judge, MPs and a member of the royal family intervened to stop former bishop Peter Ball being prosecuted for historic sex abuses, the Old Bailey court heard on Wednesday as Ball was jailed for his crimes. "

"Ball, the former bishop of Lewes, East Sussex, was jailed for 32 months after admitting sexually abusing 18 young men between 1977 and 1992. He will serve half the term before being released on license."

"The judge, Mr Justice Wilkie, said he had taken account of the harm Ball had caused to his victims but also considered testimony of many who wrote in support of his character."

"When he was first accused by a victim in 1992, Ball was supported by prominent public figures and given a caution instead of facing prosecution."

"The police report that accompanied the papers sent to the CPS in 1993 after the police had done their work stated they had received telephone calls supportive of Ball `from many dozens of people – including MPs, former public school headmasters, JPs and even a lord chief justice,` Bobbie Cheema QC said for the prosecution."

"Cheema said members of the Queen’s family and cabinet ministers had also sent letters of support."

https://www.rt.com/uk/317915-bishop-ball-sex-abuse/

Do the dozens of people who supplied a character reference for Peter Ball have a public school background ?

"As more and more ex boarding school pupils come forward, it appears momentum is gathering, and the number of complainants could reach into the hundreds. The past 12 months have been a turning point; there had been scandals before, but it's the concentration, number and coverage of allegations that have caught attention. At Slater and Gordon, child abuse solicitor Liz Dux says she has seen `a huge increase in claims against schools, the vast majority of which are independent`."

"If enough civil claims are brought, schools could suffer major financial losses, whether or not they are insured. .."

"Nine schools that have experienced either the conviction of former teachers for sex offences, or are currently embroiled in criminal investigations were contacted by Newsweek for comment. None of the proposed areas of questioning would have required detail about the ongoing criminal cases, yet all but one – St Benedict's in Ealing – either refused to be interviewed or failed to respond despite repeated requests. They were Caldicott in Buckinghamshire; King's, Rochester in Kent; Wellington College, Berkshire; Beeston Hall, Norfolk; St Paul's and Colet Court, west London; Downside, Somerset; and Ashdown House, Sussex."

"Crisis management advice is generally to be open and honest in response to enquiries, so this refusal to engage may offer some insight into the mindset of schools grappling with the dilemma of how to deal with a rapidly escalating scandal. Schools' reluctance to comment is all the more surprising because to date, it seems that parents have not been put off. At St Benedict's, the roll has been on the up for the past eight years and, overall, there are about 1,700 more children boarding in the UK this year compared to last."

" `My view is that the various abuse convictions and scandals have done absolutely no harm to schools in terms of their waiting lists," says Tom Buchanan, media consultant to a number of independent schools. "I can't think of any school I've advised that has had a drop in numbers. This speaks to a generalised acceptance of there being a risk that goes with the territory. And of course parents always think it won't happen to their child.` "

http://europe.newsweek.com/britain-elite-boarding-schools-facing-explosion-abuse-allegations-267201

Or maybe they`ve already been damaged by the same system and don`t know any better.

Melanie Shaw Sky Diving for The Brux Trust, with exclusive interview

Melanie Shaw talks to Anna Bragga about Beechwood

Mickey Summers on the campaign trail

Mickey Summers, a child abuse survivor of Nottinghamshire care, looking for justice, who put himself forward as a candidate in Nottingham was not given much of an opportunity to question the electioneering panel, as shown above. Tokenistic support was portrayed by some members of the panel.

It is a pity that Mickey Summers makes child abuse a party political issue. It is not. Child abuse is rampant across all political parties. Having said that, any particular party, or group in power, who turns a `blind eye` to child abuse should be thoroughly vilified. It is vested interests, no matter what those are, which govern corrupt people`s behaviour. .

There was no mention of Melanie Shaw, another child abuse survivor,  who blew the whistle on child abuse in Nottinghamshire  and who is still in a private prison without proper representation or support from her MP, Chris Leslie, seen below with Melanie who  once said he would stand by her.

 

These pre-general election days, when questioned by supporters of Melanie Shaw, Chris Leslie refuses to acknowledge their concerns.

 

He does not see it as in his interests to do so I would think.

Child abuse in the police state

Whilst the Westminster CSA Inquiry continues to flounder, campaigners and victims of child abuse are being given a particularly hard time.

It has been reported by UK Column that Aberdeen court, where Robert Green attended this morning, has been turned into a star chamber. The sheriff ejected the public from the court who were warned that if there was any filming of people entering or leaving the court, they would be arrested. Proceedings were then moved to the smallest chamber in the building.

Robert Green who has campaigned for several years for a proper and thorough investigation into Hollie Greig`s allegations of sexual abuse by high establishment figures in Scotland has twice been imprisoned and has spent the past 295 days under what amounts to house arrest. He faces another possible term of imprisonment for charges that are still not clear. (violation of a non-harassment order ?)

At the same time, it was reported that Melanie Shaw, child abuse survivor and whistleblower, is now back in police custody after experiencing harassment by Nottingham police over the past few weeks.

Brian Gerrish reminded viewers that access to the records of all children`s homes in the UK has been restricted for 75 years or more, and that includes Beechwood care home where Melanie, and up to a hundred other children, were allegedly abused.

Why would the Government want to hide these records ?

See  http://www.freerobertgreen.co.uk/roberts-trial-will-go-ahead-21st-january/

Police harassment of Melanie Shaw

It has been reported by UK Column that Melanie Shaw, child abuse survivor and whistleblower, continues to suffer police harassment since her release from prison.

Melanie has suffered a catalogue of abuse throughout her life, beginning with abuse by her own family as a toddler. She was also abused in foster care and then was badly physically and sexually abused in Beechwood children`s home. It was her testimony of abuse that allowed other victims to come forward. She has testified that some children at Beechwood committed suicide or were murdered.

The authorities were not pleased with Melanie and warned her that if she continued with her allegations Nottingham social services would remove her child. She continued with her allegations, and true to their word, her child was removed. There was then a trumped up arson charge made against her and she was imprisoned in Peterborough prison for three months. Now out of prison but on probation for three years the harassment continues.

She has received no benefits, no support worker and is followed by police and gets late night telephone calls from them that frighten her. Recently four heavily built police officers, in paramilitary uniforms, broke into her home by the back door, breaking the lock and door handle in the process. She was taken to a unit, strip searched, and threatened with being sectioned but released at seven in the evening, the same day.

Meanwhile Nottinghamshire police give themselves glowing reports on their website and rank themselves a ten for customer satisfaction.

No proper investigation of abuse at Beechwood has taken place.

See http://alicemooreuk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/melanie-escapes-jail-after-mysterious.html

Melanie escapes jail after mysterious shed blaze

　

Melanie Shaw with her MP, Chris Leslie who supported
her throughout her prison ordeal.

 

This article from Neon Nettle provides a bit more information.

The sentence, for starting a shed fire and throwing paint on a neighbour’s home, came as a welcome surprise to supporters lining the gallery at Nottingham Crown Court. Some, having observed irregularities in the October trial, had been convinced of a secret agenda to silence the witness to a high ranking paedophile ring.

For Melanie Shaw, who is still fighting to clear her name through the High Court, it was the best result she could have hoped for, except for one unpalatable condition. She had to agree to a mental health diagnosis that she’s never had before. 

Speaking exclusively to Neon Nettle, she said: "I was told by my legal team to admit you’re delusional and paranoid schizophrenic, otherwise you’re going to jail. And when I got in the dock, that’s what Judge Pert said: ‘If you hadn’t been mentally ill, I’d be jailing you’. Now this is the same judge that stated Operation Daybreak is a conspiracy theory." 

"I’ve been diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from all the rapes as a child. But I’ve not ever been described as being delusional paranoid schizophrenic, ever."
 
"I’ve done time in prison on remand and on tag – and now I’ve got a three year probation order. There has been a miscarriage of justice."
 
The firm of solicitors acting for Melanie Shaw claimed there were no grounds to appeal the arson conviction, but the legally trained advocate who has been at Melanie’s side throughout her ordeal says she identified several.
 
"The prosecution barrister maintained that the fire service took two hours to get the blaze under control but no one came [to the trial] from the fire service to substantiate that," she said.
 
^{http://www.neonnettle.com/news/1330-victory-at-last-as-whistleblower-melanie-shaw-escapes-jail\}

The last paragraph is particularly interesting  because it was reported in the Nottingham Post that there were two gas cylinders inside the shed at the time of the blaze, but they did not explode. If it took the fire service two hours to get the blaze under control that is something which is difficult to believe.
 

See also http://www.neonnettle.com/news/1304-paedophile-ring-whistleblower-melanie-shaw-sentenced-without-evidence-

Melanie Shaw sentenced to 3 years probation

"A woman convicted of arson after a family of five had to flee their home when she allegedly set fire to their shed will serve her sentence in the community. Melanie Shaw ... was found guilty of starting a shed fire and throwing paint on a Sherwood family’s home last month."

 

"Despite denying the charges, she was convicted by a jury’s unanimous verdict of arson, being reckless as to whether life was endangered on February 1, and damaging property at the same house on June 26."

 

'Returning to Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday, December 11, she was given a community order for three years with supervision from the probation service. Judge Michael Pert QC was satisfied Shaw suffered from mental illness and told her: "Because you are ill, I’m not going to send you to prison."

"She was banned by a five-year restraining order from contacting the victims of the arson attack or going to their address. Shaw thanked the judge for his time as she left court as her many supporters, who attended her trial, clapped as she left court."

Read more: http://www.nottinghampost.com/Sherwood-woman-Melanie-Shaw-serve-community/story-25653432-detail/story.html#ixzz3LjtGVHlK

           http://www.ukcolumn.org/


Brian Gerrish from the UK Column who attended the court gives a different version of the case.

Melanie Shaw is a child abuse survivor who was a whistleblower in connection with her own and other children`s abuse at the Nottinghamshire Beechwood care home. She reported that as well as physical and sexual abuse some children were suicided, or murdered, on site.

Nottinghamshire police began an investigation called operation Daybreak and more victims came forward. The council paid out compensation to some victims but through civil, not criminal action, which meant no perpetrators were brought to book.

Then Melanie Shaw was given a friendly warning that if she kept speaking out, the council would remove her son. After a report from one of Melanie`s neighbours social services got involved and put her son into foster care. After that they attempted to brand Melanie as mentally ill and have her sectioned, an attempt which failed at that time.

Melanie Shaw was not convinced that operation Daybreak was a proper investigation and she believes that police lied about doing certain interviews when she knew it was not possible. The grounds of the care home were never searched despite the allegations of murder and the council sold off the site.

It was then that Melanie was charged with arson and throwing paint at a neighbour`s wall; yet 999 police calls have no record of the event, nor does the fire service. The police got mixed up with the date of the fire and there are other discrepancies in the evidence. Let out on bail one of the conditions was that Melanie must stay away from her neighbour. When this neighbour appeared at her door Melanie Shaw called the police. It was then that Melanie was arrested and held in secret until the UK Column tracked her down.

Whilst on remand in Peterborough prison Melanie Shaw was examined by a psychiatrist for an hour, at a point in her life when Melanie was having her medication withheld and was very vulnerable, who said she was mentally ill and delusional. Her own longterm psychiatrist who has a different view was not called on to testify about Melanie`s mental health.

The judge at the trial, who was reported to have been napping during some of the proceedings, said that operation Daybreak was a `conspiracy theory.` This is despite the fact there were 90 victims who came forward and some of them were paid compensation by the council. The sentence of three years probation has the effect of silencing another whistleblower of child abuse and the psychiatrist`s report means that Melanie has lost her credibility as a witness.

See also http://alicemooreuk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/melanie-shaw-found-guilty.html