.....re the Baby P case and others like...

[JimJammum]

I realise that, as the death penalty is no longer in effect, and assuming someone doesn't get hold of those scums and d the job we all want done....Is is unreasonable to expect that anyone male or female found guilty of child abuse should be sterilised??? At least then they wouldn't be able to have any more kids themselves to neglect, seeing as SS are unable to protect them.

While I'm ranting on the subject, I give money every month to NSPCC and have been called today by fundraisers for Save the Children....where are these charities and their support in cases such as this?? Can't SS use them and their funds/workers/whatever to assist them if necessary? Am I being too simplistic?

but if their remit is to strive for the truth, then the verdict lies in the hands of the barrister

so when they think they've found the truth, they stop there

noone is interesting in looking for other possibilities

only one side of the coin gets represented

I imagine a system like that must have more miscarriages of justice

A barrister is not allowed to defend a client as 'not guilty' if he has admitted his guilt to his legal team. If this happens the entire legal team will withdraw, and the case will adjourn for the defendant to get a new legal team.

The rules governing expert witnesses make it very clear that the duty of a witness is to the court and not to the party instructing them. Expert reports contain specific disclaimers to this effect, including an undertaking not to withhold any information that might affect the expert's opinion. They are not hired guns for either side -- good ones never were, sharp operators have had their wings clipped by changes to the rules governing expert evidence post the Sally Clarke case.

The Defence barrister's job is not to let guilty people go free, her job is to highlight for the jury any actual or potential shortcomings in the Prosecution case. However hideous the crime, if the Prosecutino cannot prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, then the defendant should be found not guilty.

In response to a much earlier post where someone wondered why the baby P case has got so much coverage, I agree that it has. Without oversentimentalising the issue I think it was to do with the fact that the baby was so young hence vulnerable. Also details like the snake, the filth, the nazi obsession, the location etc were bound to make waves. This case preys on my mind. I hope that maybe the publicity will bring about positive changes that actually mean something. If nothing else at least there is hope for the surviving kids in the house now.
Since, there have been other hideous cases with v young children and I can't help feeling that you become desensitised after a while which is not a good thing.
Take the paedo ring on the news last night, this type of thing is now becoming a regular feature of the news and in some ways I think if people out there have paedo tendencies this will make it appear more normal/mainstream to them. Especially since some of the men were so respectable apparently.
I'm not sure if I'm making much sense so I'll have a glass of wine and retire.

Don't they forcibly sterlise in India or China? Sorry have not read the thread but am without TV as builders messed up my aerial {angry}

Kidowner, a fulltime masters degree often doesn't require much attendence....possibly one a week...it's more about work put in selflearning....also, have you looked into BSc Social Work (think it is a BSc, sorry if I am wrong...could be BA, I suppose...well,hopefully you know what I mean)....this is 3 years and maybe a nearer University would offer this course...also, if you didn't have a Bursery for your first degree, you are very likely to get the course itself paid....Social Work degree does offer similar bursery to NHS Burseries for Nurses and OT's etc...

Anyway, to OP you are being very simplistic...and as it has been said, sterilsation isn't going to solve anything....or maybe we should jsut sterilise everyone after they had their maximum of 2.1 children....might solve some problems....

I do feel sorry for Social Workers at the front line....I could not do it, the responsibility you carry, you are doomed if you do and doomed if you don't, the case loads are completely unrealistic, if you consider the importance of their role, they are underpaid and overworked and hat up to anyone who does it....oh, and I forgot all the red tape and all teh paperwork and all those legislations and....well, you get the drift...

I think it is worth looking deeper into the issue, looking into the reasons why child abuse happens, what leads to it, etc....and addressing those problems...and of course emply more SW's and pay them better and respect them....etc....we might just be getting somewhere...because SW's wouldn't be burned out so quick and possibly stick longer with their job and therefore with their caseload, etc....I could go on...

Thanks Fair, the admissions lady at Southampton basically said the MA was full time, had to live near and for me to 'sort my private life out' then come back to her!

Impossible for me to as dc schools are miles away. Ox Brookes has BA but I already have BA and D.Phil (not in sw though).

Tried to get opening as 'SW assistant' but nothing in my area!

Told 10 Downing St my frustration at this situation where there are no openings for well educated mums who want to retrain to fill these sw vacancies, told they are looking into it.

Meanwhile nothing happens.

can you not do a BA anywya, though, or do you just not want to do another BA (this sounds really rude, I don't mean it that way...can't think on how to put it)
Also, depending on your BA and D. Phil....could you not maybe start say, at the 2. year od a bA SW course?

I have a social science BA so would want lots of practical exp, don't want to do purely theoretical (that's the easy bit)or OU so would rather 'train on the job' as an assistant sw job with ongoing training.

Last thing I want is to sit in some ivory tower for 3 years (sorry I'm aware ox brookes is nothing of the kind)Wish the 1 year Cert in Social Work was still available, like PGCE for grads who want to do teaching.

I wish I had done it now (ironic as I would not have been suitable).

kid...not sure how practical the course in the Uni is where I am...but I have a feeling that you do do Placements in the BA course......no idea how many though...because in OT we only get like 3 Placements over 3 years, which doesn't seem much...
but can see why the MA would appeal more...

The tabloids didn't rush to support Karen Matthews. There was a lot of criticism, in fact, from people saying she wasn't getting as much positive coverage as the McCanns.

What those people didn't realise was the papers had caught on very quickly to the fact this wasn't a simple 'missing child, distressed family' narrative. I think the police were quietly briefing to that effect very early on.