ANECDOTES AND ANTIDOTES

Sunday 22 June 2014

FGM. CLASS IN SWEDEN WHERE EVERY GIRL UNDERWENT PROCEDURE EXPOSED.

The harrowing tales of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (Photo credit: DFID - UK Department for International Development)

School health services in Norkopping, eastern Sweden found that 60 girls returning to school after holidays to their parents country of origin had been subject to FGM (female genital mutilation). The 28 girls from the same class had been subjected to infibulation, the most extreme form of FGM where the clitoris and labia are completely cut away and the genitals are sewn together leaving just a small opening of the vagina. FGM has been punishable by a prison sentence in Sweden since 1982 but was updated to include FGM performed outside the country in 1999. Considered by communities to be allowed for religious,social and cultural reasons as well as necessary for developement of females into adulthood and marraige FGM comes along with mental illness, chronic vaginal and pelvic infections, abnormal periods, persistent urine infections, possible kidney failure and infertility according to UK NHS. "We're working to inform parents that they could face prison if they come back and their children have undergone female genital mutilation,” said Petra Blom Andersson, student health coordinator in Norrköping. FGM is also a problem in the UK, where, it is estimated that over 20,000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk, and that 60,000 women have been operated on. As in Sweden girls in the UK are most at risk in the summer months when taken abroad and mutilated at the hands of the girls relatives making prosecution of the parents difficult to prove. The law can only prosecute the main perpetrators of FGM. UK Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Keir Starmer, unveiled plans to increase convictions under existing legislation, the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act, which creates an offence of causing or allowing a child or vulnerable adult to die or suffer serious physical harm. The World Health Organisation predicts that 125 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to FGM in the 29 Africa and Middle Eastern countries where it is most frequently performed Related articles

Wednesday 21 May 2014

PREGNANT WOMAN GIVEN DEATH SENTENCE IN SUDAN FOR BEING A CHRISTIAN.

A women has been sentenced to death in the sudan for not denouncing her christian faith. Meriam Ibrahim was born to a muslim father but was brought up to be a christian by her mother. At present she is kept shackled to a wall although she is 8 months pregnant and with her is her 20 month old son Martin The court sentenced her for refusing to recant her Christianity and marrying Christian Daniel Wani - a Sudanese man with US citizenship who lives in New Hampshire. They found her guilty of apostasy - leaving Islam - even though miss Ibrahim testified that she was never a muslim, and was brought up as a christian by her Ethiopian born mother. The case was brought to the authorities attention in august by Miss Ibrahims fathers family who said that she had been born a muslim and renounced Islam. Fatih Al_Deen, Sudanese parliament speaker, said Miss Ibrahims brother had denounced her. "I was never a muslim" she told the court " i was raised a christian from the start" Her husband who was in the US at the time of the verdict said " I am so frustrated. I don't know what to do. I'm just praying". He was only allowed to see her on monday and found her shackled to a wall and her legs were swollen. Miss Ibrahim;s sentence of death by hanging will not be carried out until after the birth of her child. Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, said " I am truly appalled that a sudanese court has sentenced Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag to death for apostasy. This barbaric sentence highlights the stark divide between practices of the Sudanese courts and the country's international human rights obligations"

Edit: 23/6/2014 Meriam Ibrahim has been freed, her lawyer tells the BBC. http://bbc.in/1szat6m new edit:Meriam Ibrahim re-arrested lawyer tells CNN news http://cnn.it/1iuDMms

Wednesday 30 April 2014

STRIP SEARCH NAKED MAN TASERED WHILE IN POLICE CUSTODY.

A 23 year old man was tasered while in his cell after he flicked a police officer with his wet underpants. P.C Lee Birch fired at 23 year old Daniel Dove hitting him in the chest. A Bristol crown court jury on Tuesday cleared the officer who fired the Taser, PC Lee Birch, of assault causing actual bodily harm and misconduct in a public office.

CCTV coverage , which was shown in open court, shows PC Birch ( pictured) hiding the taser behind his back and then shooting Dove who then writhed on the floor in agony. At the end of the trial media organisations asked the trial judge for the CCTV coverage to be released as it would be in the public interest for it to be published. The judge agreed, the defense ,prosecution and Dove himself had no objections to the footage being released. After taking instructions from Patrick Geenty, chief constable of Wiltshire, police representatives said they would be asking the crown prosecution service for the footage not to be released.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating five officers in connection with the incident and is also looking at why the Wiltshire force did not inform it about what happened. IPCC associate commissioner Guido Liguori said "We will examine how the professional standards department at Wiltshire Police handled matters following the incident. The IPCC has particular concerns around the use of Taser in confined spaces including police cells, and has asked all forces to notify us where a complaint involving Taser is made. The investigation will consider why the use of Taser wasn't brought to our attention earlier." The IPCC has carried out a review of Taser use in England and Wales which is expected to be published shortly. The Crown Prosecution Service discontinued a prosecution against Dove for assault and being drunk and disorderly on the basis that PC Birch's credibility was under question. Edit: Friday 2nd May 2014. Video of Dove being tasered, http://bit.ly/1pWWMwN

Friday 11 April 2014

DEADLY EBOLA OUTBREAK IN WEST AFRICA.

English: Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever fistribution map of outbreaks in Africa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus has killed 101 people in Guinea and neighbouring Liberia. One of the worlds deadliest viruses Ebola has a fatality rate of 90% resulting from haemorrahagic fever and organ failure. Medicins San Frontieres (MSF) who are attempting to stem the spread of the virus say it could be months before they can halt the spread of the pathogen. Ebola is spread through contact of sweat and other bodily fluids of infected people or animals, although this is not understood in many remote villages where some people believe the virus is caused by witchcraft. Initial symptoms resemble those of the flu or malaria: Between two and 21 days after becoming infected, patients start to feel weak and experience headaches, muscle aches and chills. They develop high fever paired with diarrhea and nausea. The infected die of severe internal bleeding, in particular of the gastrointestinal tract, spleen and lungs. It's the first Ebola outbreak in West Africa which is proving to be a challenge for international aid organizations. "This time, in Guinea, we have cases reported from several localities inside the country which means that we need to put measures in place not in one place that was quite often the case but in several locations" said Tarik Jasarevic spokesman for the World Health Organisation. "It was difficult to come up with enough resources and mobilize partners" he added. Hiccups, say doctors, are the final tell tale sign of infection. Patients can be discharged from isolation units soon after their clinical symptoms, such as fever and diarrhoea, disappear.

Friday 4 April 2014

NEW BAILIFF LAWS COME INTO FORCE.

Under new laws restrictions will apply when bailiffs come to your door. From the 6th of april bailiffs will be banned from calling at night and entering premises using physical force. When children are the only people at home enforcement agents will be prevented from entering premises. They will also be prevented from taking essential items such as cookers,fridges,freezers, microwaves and washing machines.Bailiffs will now have to be trained and certified to practice so as to put an end to the bullying and aggressive behaviour of agents attempting to seize property. Chris Grayling, the justice secretary said "People will still have to face up to their debt but they will no longer need to fear their home being raided at night,the threat of violence or having their vital household equipment seized. "We are stamping out bad practise and making sure bailiffs play by the rules. Those who don't will be banned." Other changes mean landlords will not be able to use bailiffs to seize goods for rent debt without going to the courts first, the bailiffs would then also have to go court to explain their means of entry and the amount of force that may be needed before any warrant is granted. Bailiffs will also have to give 7 days notice before taking possessions unless they have been given specific permission from a court.

Jo Salter, researcher at the think-tank Demos, said its research had shown "aggressive" behaviour by bailiffs played a big part in the emotional harm caused to families by debt.

"Council tax arrears is an example of one type of debt that many said resulted in bailiffs getting involved. The actions of bailiffs could often overwhelm people's rational ability to deal with the debt itself. As a result our research showed that arrears can often be just as harmful to people as payday loans."

The Citizens Advice chief executive, Gillian Guy, said: "We help with 1,000 bailiff problems a week. People have reported bailiffs giving debt letters to their children and threatening violence. These new rules reflect just how out of control the industry is and are a welcome step towards protecting people in debt.

"What is missing from these changes is accountability for bailiff firms. We'd like to see a licensing system that means firms are struck off if bailiffs break the rules."

Tuesday 25 March 2014

THE REALITY OF PRIVATIZATION OF ROYAL MAIL. 1600 JOBS TO BE CUT.

Royal Mail MX55YKC (Photo credit: didbygraham)

The reality of privatization of the Royal Mail Group Plc kicks in again today with the announcement that 1600 administration jobs are to be axed as the company seeks to streamline its operations. The cuts are estimated to deliver £50 million pound savings including £25 million in the 2015 fiscal year The company narrowly avoided strike action last year when members of the Communication Workers Union threatened to walk out. Unite, which represents 7,000 Royal Mail managers, said today it will consider a ballot for industrial action. "Unite is demanding a commitment to no compulsory redundancies on fair terms and an effective method for redeployment within the restructured organization" Brian Scott, a Unite officer for Royal Mail, said in a statement. "First the Government sells off Royal Mail on the cheap and now the newly privatized service is ruthlessly sacrificing jobs. We do not believe that its a coincidence that this announcement has been made just before the company prepares to announce its first full set of accounts since privatization. Its more proof that Royal Mails primary reason for existing is more about profits than about serving the nation." After the botched privatization, by Vince Cable, when the shares where valued at 330p they have regularly traded above the £5 mark, the figure dismissed by Vince Cable as "froth" the value of the company has soared on the FTSE index of the top 100 London-listed companys and closed last night with shares at 584p.