Fake CSA victims get to keep victim money
Team sets up to help real victims get redress
Brit arrested in India for sex assault on 3 blind boys
Gov't takes over Croydon child services after failure
Wrexham CSA survivor getting no help from Gov't
Brit child rapist to be extradited from Philippines
Family weeps for paedophile guilty of CSA of step-daughter
Sextortionist gets 16 years for rape, CSA of over 100 kids
'Fantasist' behind VIP abuse ring claim is allowed to keep £50,000 payout despite the fact his claims were false
By Sam Greenhill and Fionn Hargreaves For The Daily Mail
The 'fantasist' who triggered Scotland Yard's disastrous VIP paedophile ring inquiry has been allowed to keep his compensation, it emerged yesterday.
A man known only as 'Nick' pocketed £50,000 as a victim of crime which he has not had to repay even though his claims were fake.
He is one of several claimants to have been let off without having to repay taxpayer-funded handouts from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
Ministers promised yesterday to investigate why no attempt was made to claw back the cash, and to reform the system if they found wrongdoing.
Nick is already under investigation for perverting the course of justice and for fraud. His false accusations against Field Marshall Lord Bramall (left) and former home secretary Lord Brittan (right) of involvement in a child sex abuse ring sparked Operation Midland
Nick is already under investigation for perverting the course of justice and for fraud.
His false accusations against Field Marshall Lord Bramall and former home secretary Lord Brittan of involvement in a child sex abuse ring sparked Operation Midland.
Officers tasked with 'supporting' Nick even helped him with his application to CICA.
Former MP Harvey Proctor (pictured) lost his home, job and reputation after 'Nick' made bogus accusations against him
Former MP Harvey Proctor, who lost his home, job and reputation after 'Nick' made bogus accusations against him, said last night: 'The CICA should not be giving money to people just because they say they are victims. It is a nonsense and an affront to justice, and an insult to real victims of crime.'
Nick received compensation even though nobody was ever charged over his allegations.
Fantasists who have kept their compensation payouts include Jemma Beale, who made a string of false rape claims and pocketed £11,000 from the CICA.
The 25-year-old from Middlesex made claims against 15 men and later admitted to her partner she made the whole thing up for money. She was jailed for 10 years (6th story on link) last month.
A friend of Lord Brammall told the Daily Telegraph: 'Nick has been exposed as a complete fantasist ... The whole thing is completely mad.'
CICA claimed it had a team to investigate fraudulent claims, but critics said there was no easy mechanism to recover money that had already been paid out. Justice minister Phillip Lee said: 'It is vital that the public can have absolute confidence in the system. We will investigate these claims fully.'
Child abuse team sets up consultation on redress
Mike Wade
The Times
The Scottish child abuse inquiry has identified 100 places where abuse is alleged to have occurred. GETTY IMAGES
Adults who suffered physical and sexual abuse as children in residential care are being urged to participate in a consultation that could win them financial compensation.
Information gathered during the three-month exercise will be used to develop options for redress to potentially hundreds of victims, who suffered abuse dating back over decades.
The findings of the research will be presented to the Scottish government for consideration and any compensation package will be developed while the historical Scottish child abuse inquiry continues. Established in 2015, the inquiry is due to report in 2019.
Helen Holland, chairwoman of In Care Abuse Survivors, said that the initiative gave everyone who had experienced abuse in the Scottish care system the chance to share their views.
“This allows all of us the opportunity to have our voices and opinions heard as we continue to work forward towards redress and reparation,” Ms Holland said.
Some survivors believe the Scottish government has dragged its feet, fearing a compensation bill that could run to hundreds of millions of pounds.
One man, who asked not to be named, pointed out that John Swinney, the deputy first minister, acknowledged in February that financial redress could play a part in Scotland in the future. He said: “That was eight months ago — by the time this consultation comes together, another year will have passed.
“Some of the people involved in this are old and frail. Since 2015, at least 14 survivors have died. What we have here is another year of delay.”
100 institutions where CSA occurred
The Scottish child abuse inquiry has identified 100 places where abuse is alleged to have occurred.
The consultation has been designed by the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland (Celcis) with representatives of survivors. The questionnaire will be sent to survivor and victim groups, and can be accessed on its website.
Joanne McMeeking, head of improving care experiences at Celcis, said: “Completing this consultation questionnaire gives survivors a way to have their ideas about alternative forms of financial redress seen and heard.”
As well as gathering survivors’ views through the consultation, Celsis will review compensation schemes implemented elsewhere.
In January a report by Sir Anthony Hart on historical child abuse in Northern Ireland concluded that victims should receive up to £100,000 each.
British man held for sexual assault
of three blind boys
Express News Service | New Delhi
A 54-year-old British national was arrested Monday for allegedly sexually assaulting three visually impaired minor boys at a school for the blind in South Delhi. Police said they are probing if any other children were sexually assaulted. Police said the accused, Murray Denis Ward, has been in India since October 2016. DCP (South) Ishwar Singh said Ward started going to the school about 10 months ago, and used to “donate things like books, etc” to children there.
“We received a call from the school on Sunday afternoon, following which we arrested Ward. In their complaint, it came to light that the children are 14-15 years old. A case has been registered under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. Ward was produced before a city court Monday, which sent him to police custody for two days,” he said. Police said the British High Commission has been informed about his arrest.
According to the complaint filed by the school, on Saturday, Ward “came to the school and stayed there for two-three hours”. The school alleged that he “took the boys to the hostel and sexually assaulted them”. In a statement, the school said: “On Saturday, September 2, evening, our staff spotted a regular volunteer sitting in an objectionable position with a few children. Our staff asked the person to leave immediately and informed the management on phone, since the office had closed. The senior management… met on Sunday morning and, after verifying all facts, immediately informed the police. The police have since arrested the accused for child sexual abuse.”
Singh said the children had complained to a staffer about the alleged sexual assault, and a medical examination was conducted. He said Ward’s cellphone and laptop have been seized and “objectionable videos” have been found on them.
He said experts would be brought in to counsel the children, following which their statements would be recorded. The school said that the “safety and dignity” of students is its “top priority”.
“Being a charitable organisation, we depend on donors and volunteers for sustaining our activities… We trusted this volunteer, Mr Murray Dennis Ward, to do constructive work with our children. This person had offered to help our children with their studies and in improving their English communication,” said the school, adding that Ward used to visit “few times a month and had been doing good work with the children”.
According to Singh, Ward hails from Gloucestershire in the UK, and was working with a Gurgaon-based firm till April this year. “In February 2017, he suffered a paralytic attack. Since then, he has been under treatment,” he said. Police said the accused used to live in a rented accommodation in South Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area.
Government takes over Croydon child services
after 'serious failures'
Weak management and overworked staff among the widespread shortcomings revealed in Ofsted report
The council has apologised for its services ‘not being good enough’ Photograph: O'Hallora/PYMCA/REX/Shutterstock
The government has taken control of Croydon’s children’s services after an Ofsted report revealed “widespread and serious” failures were leaving youngsters at risk.
It blamed weak management at all levels of the south London borough for failing to ensure social workers followed protocols for missing children and those at risk of sexual abuse. Too few young people who ran away were spoken to by a social worker when they were found, inspectors reported, so the council had little data on the other risks they might be facing.
Children were also forced to wait for unacceptable periods of time for help, the report said, leaving them at risk of greater harm.
Inspectors also found many social workers were saddled with unsustainable caseloads, meaning they were unable to give enough time to each child and leading to high staff turnover. Foster carers also complained they were not being properly supported by the local authority and that fostering was not being properly regulated.
The report said: “When circumstances for some children do not improve, the local authority is either too slow to take action or reduces the level of support without evidence of demonstrable progress. This means that some children remain in harmful situations for too long.
“Too many children wait too long for a decision to be made as to whether they need to be looked after, or they return home without sufficient support. This has left them at risk of significant harm from neglectful parenting.”
The government has appointed Eleanor Brazil – who worked with Haringey council following the Baby P scandal – to improve children’s services in the borough.
Robert Goodwill, minister for children and families, said: “Keeping children safe is vital, and we take tough measures when councils are failing them.
“We have appointed a commissioner in Croydon to conduct a three-month review before we determine the best next steps to ensure improvements are made for vulnerable children and families.”
Barbara Peacock, executive director of people at Croydon council, said: “We accept the findings of this report and are committed to making sure that we provide better support for our children and young people. I’m sorry that our services have not been good enough.”
Croydon said it has set up an action plan and an improvement team, along with an improvement board with an independent chair to oversee changes.
It has also launched a recruitment drive to boost staff numbers, as well as offering improved IT equipment and smartphones to all social workers.
As of June, Croydon had 1,789 children identified as being in need of specialist children’s services, down from 1,839 the previous year.
It had 399 children and young people subject to a child protection plan, up from 360 on 2016, while 760 children were being looked after by the local authority.
It also had 364 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children out of a total of 485 in care.
Child sex abuse victim criticises Operation Pallial
A man who gave evidence to a historical child abuse investigation has criticised the "lack of aftercare" for victims.
Operation Pallial began inquiries into allegations of abuse in the north Wales care system five years ago.
Keith Gregory said he was one of the first people to speak but was left to "fend for himself" afterwards.
The Home Office said it had funded specially-trained officers to provide victim support.
Waiving his right to anonymity, Mr Gregory said he was sexually, physically and mentally abused while at Bryn Estyn home in Wrexham.
British child rapist to be deported
By: Julie M. Aurelio Philippine Daily Inquirer
A British national would be sent back to the United Kingdom where he had been convicted of sexually molesting a girl more than 10 years ago.
The Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) fugitive search unit arrested Robert Evans, 63, on Thursday in the town of Mahaplag, Leyte province.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said Evans was hunted and arrested upon the request of the British Embassy in Manila, which informed the BI of the suspect’s record as a convicted child sex offender.
“We will immediately deport him to protect Filipino children from being victimized by him while he is in the country,” Morente said in a statement.
Evans is now detained at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, and is awaiting deportation to his home country.
Bobby Raquepo, BI fugitive search unit chief, said Evans first came to the Philippines in January 2010. He married a Filipina whom he met over the internet, the BI said.
Authorities in United Kingdom sought Evans’ arrest upon seeing that his Facebook accounts and that of his wife showed him having child contacts and photos which showed young girls sitting on his lap.
“He violated an order from the UK court prohibiting him from having contact with minors,” Raquepo said.
Aside from having sex with a minor, Evans was also convicted of befriending a child with the objective of sexual abuse and taking indecent photographs of children.
Morente said Evans had been issued a permanent visa by the BI because of his marriage to a Filipina.
Tears shed for child abuser as man found guilty
by LUCY SMITH, Townsville Bulletin
FAMILY members of a Burdekin man burst into tears yesterday after he was found guilty of maintaining a sexual relationship with his stepdaughter, but not guilty of two counts of rape.
The man had faced trial in Townsville District Court after pleading not guilty to a string of sex offences. His wife, friends and other family members supported him in court during the week-long trial.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Walklate said the man molested his stepdaughter, touching her breasts and genitalia, when she was aged 13 to 17.
The abuse allegedly began on a night in January 2010, when the girl's younger siblings were asleep and her mother was out for the evening.
The Townsville Bulletin wants money for the rest of the story.
Burdekin, AU
Man who used fake Facebook profiles to sexually abuse children jailed for 16 years
Paul George Leighton, from England, blackmailed children into sending him recordings of them committing sexual offences
A MAN WHO used multiple fake Facebook profiles to blackmail children into sending him recordings of them committing sexual offences has been jailed for 16 years in England.
Paul George Leighton (32), from Seaham in Durham, was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court today after pleading guilty at earlier hearings to numerous charges – the majority of which were in relation to the coercion of children on social media.
These included three rape charges, which the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was able to prosecute even though the offending, which Leighton instigated online, took place in a different country.
Oh, well done CPS! You guys are heroes!
In December 2016, Leighton was arrested by Northumbria Police after they received information he had been exchanging indecent images over Facebook.
During an interview, he admitted to officers that he had created 30 to 40 fake profiles on the social media website, through which he had persuaded children to send nude images of themselves.
Up to 100 children victimized in Canada & USA
An examination of his phone revealed further abuse of as many as 100 children in the US and Canada.
And that's just by one man. Think of how many a call-centre can abuse - 100 a day?
2-year old raped
Leighton had succeeded in persuading young people to perform sexual assaults and rapes on younger relatives, including the rape of a two-year-old girl by one victim.
He had threatened to expose the children in question to friends and family if they did not send him videos of themselves committing these offences.
He also admitted to two sexual assaults of a child under the age of 13. He committed these offences in the UK.
Gary Buckley of the CPS said: “The offences unearthed during the investigation of this case will be chilling reading for any parent. By using fake Facebook profiles, Paul Leighton preyed on the vulnerabilities and insecurities of younger children, coaxing them into increasingly extreme forms of sexual activities.
This case perfectly illustrates the very real risks to children of sharing images of themselves online and I would encourage anyone who believes they are being targeted in this way to report it to police at the earliest opportunity.
“Taking swift action may well prevent others from falling victim to similar crimes.
“It is difficult to overstate the damage caused by Paul Leighton, but it is our sincere hope that the sentences passed today bring a measure of comfort to all of his victims.”
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