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He has to be jailed for justice to be done

SANTA ROSA Catholic bishop may face jail

John Coté, Chronicle Staff WriterSaturday, August 26, 2006

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office has recommended criminal charges be filed against Santa Rosa Bishop Daniel Walsh for failing to timely report evidence of sexual abuse by a Sonoma priest who has since fled the country. "Based upon our investigation, the evidence indicates that this case is worthy of district attorney review," Lt. Dave Edmonds said in a written statement released Friday. It is up to the Sonoma County district attorney's office to decide whether it can prove Walsh broke the law and whether there is "sufficient evidence and circumstances to sustain a conviction," Edmonds said. District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua could not be reached for comment. If prosecutors decide to charge Walsh, the case would appear to mark the first time a U.S. Catholic Church official has faced criminal prosecution for failing to properly report sexual abuse. It would also be the first case where a U.S. bishop was charged in the sexual abuse scandal that has marred the Catholic Church for more than a decade and seen priests from Massachusetts to California face criminal prosecution, a victims' rights official said. "The very root cause of this is because bishops aided and abetted or transferred priests they knew were molesters and perpetuated the abuse -- somewhere that's got to stop," said Mary Grant, the Western regional director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "I hope that law enforcement, for the first time, (charges a bishop) because this is the root cause." Walsh and an attorney for the diocese could not be reached for comment. In a statement posted earlier on the Diocese of Santa Rosa Web site, the bishop apologized for not immediately reporting suspected abuse by the Rev. Francisco Xavier Ochoa, 68, but said that his delay was "an error in judgment" and not intended to allow Ochoa time to escape. "The best way to renew the healing process and rebuild a spirit of understanding is to admit my own personal fault, and accept any consequences that may ensue," Walsh wrote. "If I am found guilty for not taking immediate action, I will accept whatever punishment is imposed." State law requires clergy, teachers and others to report suspected child abuse to a law enforcement agency "immediately or as soon as is practicably possible" and then follow up with a written statement within 36 hours. Failure to do so is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine. Walsh, in a letter to his parish, said Ochoa admitted in an April 28 meeting that he'd sexually abused a boy in Sonoma County and confessed to two other incidents with boys in Napa County and Mexico years earlier. Two other church officials were present at the meeting, Walsh wrote. The boy in the alleged Sonoma County incident was 12 years old at the time, and the boys in the other two alleged incidents were between the ages of 14 and 16 at the time, according to the district attorney's office. Walsh said in the letter that he consulted with the diocese's attorney the next day, on Saturday, April 29, and a decision was made that the attorney would notify authorities after the weekend, on Monday, May 1 -- three days after the initial meeting with Ochoa. Authorities have said they believe Ochoa fled to Mexico in early May. He is being sought on a warrant alleging unlawful flight to avoid prosecution on 10 felonies -- including lewd acts with a child, forcible sodomy and oral copulation -- and a misdemeanor charge. According to court documents, Ochoa acknowledged kissing the 12-year-old boy on the mouth and offering him $100 to do a striptease. Another alleged victim said Ochoa showed him gay pornographic videos, authorities have said. Walsh has said he immediately placed Ochoa on administrative leave, removed him from all ministries and barred him from serving as a priest. The bishop has said he is "deeply sorry" for not immediately reporting Ochoa's "reprehensible behavior" to authorities. "I waited from an excess of caution," Walsh wrote to parishioners. "In attempting to consult first with our diocesan attorney, I made a mistake. I failed to be guided by my own precepts for decisive action and for doing the right thing."

Sex and the church

Sex and the church

vSex in the churchDaddy Oh Tony RobinsonSunday, August 20, 2006Look, you get a prayer bookIn your hand,And stand between two churchmen,Good my lord.- Shakespeare, Richard 111Tony Robinson "WITH devotion's visage, and pious action, we do sugar o'er the devil himself," said Polonius to Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Pious action indeed.My good friend, Winston 'Bello' Bell has taken a bold move by penning a book titled Sex In The Church. Being of a curious nature whenever I see the word sex, I simply had to read it, and I was glad that I did, as it not only opened my eyes to the bright mind of Bell, but also verified what I have always thought and heard about what goes on in the church.Now I am not knocking the church, for at its best it can be a wonderful institution, but like all organisations made up of men and women, it is subject to the frailties and weaknesses that befall both sexes. Just put the two together and you spell crosses, and crosses usually means sex.Now the church is supposed to be above reproach, filled with those who are godly, divine, god-fearing and holier-than-thou, and there was a time when if you mentioned that you were from a good Christian background, it meant something positive. "What a good boy Trevor is, from a good strong church background, and his father is parson too." Now I'm not sure if that statement carries as much weight as it used to, as the scales have been lifted from the eyes of many, as the church has been exposed to be just as sexual, if not more so than the rest of society.From ancient times, the church has attempted to sweep sex under the carpet, keep it in the closet, with some even ordering their priests and nuns to take vows of celibacy. That means no sex for the rest of your life. I'm sure that many of them did, but interestingly, many of those churches also swore their order to vows of silence, a convenient combination I daresay, for if they did indulge, they couldn't talk about it.Now the whole concept is so unnatural and goes against all laws of nature and biology. As a result, many of those who took those vows failed to keep them. How could they, as with all those young horny priests walking around, plus those nuns in their habits, it was hard for those priests not to kick off the habit!Lord forgive me, but I do speak facts. Even recent history has unearthed many instances of nuns cohabiting with priests, with some gruesome stories of the discovery of discarded foetuses buried beneath many a convent.More and more it's being revealed how many altar boys were sexually molested by priests, with countless lawsuits being filed in the USA and even a few murders too, as the now adult altar boys, riddled with guilt and shame and emotionally-scarred for life, took the law into their own hands and blew away the offenders. Even recently in New York, a man shot and killed a priest because he made sexual advances towards him.So the church has always been a very sexually-charged institution, but if you listened to some of them, you wouldn't think so. Parsons, priests, fathers, reverends, deacons, call them what you may, are men of power that women look up to. Why, in many churches the parson is seen as next to God, in touch with the Almighty, and what he says goes. "Come my child, meet me in chambers later tonight and we'll discuss your problem."But with great power comes great responsibility, and that's where many parsons fall short. Standing up there and surveying his flock, it is so easy to succumb to the pleasures of the flesh, and even as he speaks of the spirits being strong, his flesh is stronger still.Coupled with the fact that many women flock to the church just to be with the parson, or pass on their daughters to said clergy, it's hard not to yield to temptation. But with confession, they can do almost anything and get away with it. It's like this young girl who gave in to this parson then confessed to him saying, "Oh father forgive me but I have sinned twice," to which he queried, "Twice? But we only did it once." She retorted, "But aren't we going to do it again father?"Yes indeed, many women view men of the cloth the same way as they view rock stars or dons, with lust in their eyes, and many a pastor has fallen to this temptation. Some even go into the ministry to get women, for nowhere are there more willing and able females than in the church."Man, just pitch up a tent and watch woman run come," said this lay preacher, giving new meaning to the word lay. In Bello's book, he recalls hearing these ladies saying, "Look here, you have a boy who have a church up the road, the boy cute, him cute, him cute, him cute, him cute. When the man come out in him pastoral garments, I could not keep my mind on the service."What is also revealing is the amount of women who declared that if they were to cheat on their husbands, it would be with the parson. As soon as a woman can't find a man, she joins church in the hope of landing one, and conversely, there are many men who specialise in bedding church sisters."I tell you, there is nothing like deconverting a church sister, and the good thing is, they shout out the Lord's name while doing it too." I also know of many sexually-frustrated women who, even though married, will suddenly take up with the church, not only for escape, but for sexual gratification. After all, it's easier to tell your husband that you're going to church, rather than to a nightclub, party or beach outing. "Where yu going dear?""Oh, to prayer meeting at church dear." I can count the number of church sisters who got pregnant at an early age. Years ago, in my youth, it used to shock me, as in my naivete, I would say, "Say what, Maureen pregnant, but she nuh strong church sister, she is the last person I would expect to do that." But now that I am older and wiser, I am aware that sex in the church is a reality.Apart from this, many churches breed ignorance amongst their flock and preach hellfire and damnation as they put labels on sex that even apply to married couples. "Sex is a sin, and must only be done for procreation, not pleasure," decree some churches.As a result, we have many frustrated and confused couples whose only vent is to stray outside and find someone who has no sexual hang-ups. So powerful was the church's influence on sex, that the missionary position is so named because of the practice of missionaries who only applied the man on the top position.I have never heard of a teacher's position, or doctor's, or plumber's. Imagine some women even refusing to let their husbands see them naked, because parson says it's not right. "Turn off de light, parson say we must turn off de light when we do it, you must not gaze on my nakedness" is the cry of many a church sister. As a result, the husbands 'bruk out', and another one bites the dust.Sex, sin, fornication, sin, adultery, sin, pleasures of the flesh, sin, and the joys of celibacy, are all terms that are spoken of in whispered tones in the church. Even the term for the sex act was coined by the church, as in ancient times it was decreed that sex could only be done with the king's consent, hence, fornication under consent (of the) king.Take the first letters of each word and see what they spell. So I'm told. Everyone's doing it but no one is admitting to it, at least up until now. Winston 'Bello' Bell has taken a bold step by writing about it, even though there are some who will raise their eyebrows at his revelations.Maybe in ancient times he would have been deemed a heretic and burned at the stake. But the veil of secrecy and hypocrisy is being lifted, and sex in the church is a reality. Pastor power is real, church sister sex is surreal, deacons are daring, adults do adultery, and the flock do fornicate. More time.

Judge hits out at early release of paedophile

Judge hits out at early release of paedophile

MICHAEL HOWIE THE system of automatic early release for convicted sex offenders came under fire yesterday from one of Scotland's top judges as he imposed a 16-year extended sentence on a paedophile. Lord Hardie also demanded sufficient resources to ensure prisoners undergo a thorough risk assessment before they are released into the community.

He spoke out after it was revealed that James Steele groomed a family while he was on licence for child abuse, so he could prey on their 12-year-old son. The 28-year-old, from Cambuslang, had been sentenced to eight years in September, 2000, for sexually attacking two youngsters. In addition, the then judge gave him an extended sentence of four years to be served in the community, while he was being monitored by social workers and police. Steele was released after serving four years and eight months in prison. Eight months later he befriended the family of his next victim under the noses of social workers and police, despite the fact he had agreed as a condition of release that he should never be alone with children. The High Court in Glasgow heard that the family had no idea that Steele was a convicted paedophile and trusted him implicitly until social workers warned them not to allow him near the boy. But the warning came too late because Steele had already sexually abused the 12-year-old two weeks before. The case yesterday prompted Lord Hardie to call for prisoners to be released early only after they had served a substantial part of their sentences and a risk assessment had been undertaken. Proposals to end the system of automatic early release, introduced in 1993, have already been put forward by the Scottish Executive and will be examined by MSPs. Lord Hardie said: "It is clear that any decision to release prisoners must be based upon an assessment of risk undertaken after the prisoner has completed a substantial part of the sentence imposed by the court. "Such decisions cannot be taken when sentence is pronounced. Moreover, adequate resources must be provided to any alternative system to ensure full risk assessments and proper monitoring following release to be undertaken. "The absence of such safeguards will result in the public being exposed to unacceptable risks from prisoners released prior to the end of the sentence imposed in them." Lord Hardie imposed the latest sentence on Steele - the 16-year extended term - to comprise six years behind bars and 10 years being supervised on licence. An Executive spokesman said: "Scottish ministers have made clear their determination to end the current system for automatically releasing offenders and to replace it with a new regime which has public safety at its heart." Related topics Legal Issues http://business.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=859

Paedophilia http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=684

This article: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1216842006

Judge hits out at early release of paedophile

Judge hits out at early release of paedophile

MICHAEL HOWIE THE system of automatic early release for convicted sex offenders came under fire yesterday from one of Scotland's top judges as he imposed a 16-year extended sentence on a paedophile. Lord Hardie also demanded sufficient resources to ensure prisoners undergo a thorough risk assessment before they are released into the community.

He spoke out after it was revealed that James Steele groomed a family while he was on licence for child abuse, so he could prey on their 12-year-old son. The 28-year-old, from Cambuslang, had been sentenced to eight years in September, 2000, for sexually attacking two youngsters. In addition, the then judge gave him an extended sentence of four years to be served in the community, while he was being monitored by social workers and police. Steele was released after serving four years and eight months in prison. Eight months later he befriended the family of his next victim under the noses of social workers and police, despite the fact he had agreed as a condition of release that he should never be alone with children. The High Court in Glasgow heard that the family had no idea that Steele was a convicted paedophile and trusted him implicitly until social workers warned them not to allow him near the boy. But the warning came too late because Steele had already sexually abused the 12-year-old two weeks before. The case yesterday prompted Lord Hardie to call for prisoners to be released early only after they had served a substantial part of their sentences and a risk assessment had been undertaken. Proposals to end the system of automatic early release, introduced in 1993, have already been put forward by the Scottish Executive and will be examined by MSPs. Lord Hardie said: "It is clear that any decision to release prisoners must be based upon an assessment of risk undertaken after the prisoner has completed a substantial part of the sentence imposed by the court. "Such decisions cannot be taken when sentence is pronounced. Moreover, adequate resources must be provided to any alternative system to ensure full risk assessments and proper monitoring following release to be undertaken. "The absence of such safeguards will result in the public being exposed to unacceptable risks from prisoners released prior to the end of the sentence imposed in them." Lord Hardie imposed the latest sentence on Steele - the 16-year extended term - to comprise six years behind bars and 10 years being supervised on licence. An Executive spokesman said: "Scottish ministers have made clear their determination to end the current system for automatically releasing offenders and to replace it with a new regime which has public safety at its heart." Related topics Legal Issues http://business.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=859

Paedophilia http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=684

This article: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1216842006

£60,000 compensation for victims who suffered at the hands of nuns

£60,000 compensation for victims who suffered at the hands of nuns

MICHAEL HOWIE

VICTIMS of abuse by nuns at Catholic children's homes in Scotland have been awarded state compensation totalling more than £60,000. The awards have been made to 18 former residents at orphanages run by the Congregation of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock and are likely to open the floodgates for criminal-injuries payments to scores of others. The victims come from all over Scotland and suffered a catalogue of abuse in the homes during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. About 100 people who attended the homes have applied to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) for payouts. Further payouts are now expected to the remaining claimants over the next few months. The decision to award money to the first applicants - who have received between £1,000 and £7,500 - is a major boost in a wider legal campaign for justice led by the former residents, who have taken the Roman Catholic order to the Court of Session to seek damages and an acknowledgment of guilt. The campaign suffered a major setback when the court ruled that the alleged abuse took place too long ago. But that "time bar" ruling has been appealed and will be reviewed by judges in January. One of those who was yesterday told she would receive compensation, Adeline Spence, 43, from Glasgow, said she was pleased with the award, but would not be happy until the Catholic Church admitted the abuse. "I'm really pleased that the criminal- injuries board has, at long last, acknowledged that we are victims. "The Catholic Church has admitted guilt in America, Australia, Canada and Ireland. It's like Scotland doesn't exist - they won't admit their guilt to us." Ms Spence, who was sent to the Glasgow home in 1966 when she was three, described the abuse she suffered at the hands of nuns as "horrific". She said: "It wasn't until I left that I realised you didn't beat people up, that you weren't forced to eat your own vomit, that your nails were not cut so close to the quick that your fingers bled. "If you wet the bed they would make you wear the wet sheet round your body and your wet pants on your head. After a while that stopped, but they made you jump into a cold bath every morning." She said the behaviour of the nuns had left her with deep emotional scars. "When you are subjected to these things you become very subservient and let people tread all over you. "It was only after I left when I was 16 that I realised that these things were not normal. It was the only life I knew." Ms Spence said that she would ultimately like to see criminal charges pressed against her abusers. So far only one member of the order, Sister Marie Docherty, has been convicted of abuse against children in Scotland. In 2000, Sister Marie, also known as Sister Alphonso, was found guilty of four charges of cruelty against young girls at Nazareth House children's homes in Aberdeen and Midlothian. She walked free from court after the sheriff delivered an admonishment. The victims' lawyer, Cameron Fyfe, said he hoped the CICA ruling would pave the way for the appeal judges to reopen the case. He explained that the CICA adhered to "time bar" rules which were more strict than those applied by the Court of Session, but that the body chose to use its discretion and hoped judges would follow suite and find in his clients' favour. The clients have never asked how much they were going to get. "What really boosted them was the acceptance from a government authority, for the first time, that they were abused. They thought that no-one believed them. People would ask, 'How could a nun do these things?' So this is a massive boost to them," he said. The order is being defended by lawyers from the Edinburgh firm Simpson & Marwick. No-one there could be contacted for comment last night. Two years ago the First Minister, Jack McConnell, issued a public apology to children abused while in Catholic Church homes. In a formal statement to the Scottish Parliament, he made a "sincere and full apology on behalf of the people of Scotland" to those who had suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse while in residential care. The Church has previously insisted that it has already apologised for the hurt caused to children in its care, and accused the Executive of "playing catch-up".

MY COMMENT ON THE ARTICLE ABOVE

WOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOO:)

AT LONG LAST WE HAVE A GOVERNING BODY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT INDEED ABUSE TOOK PLACE IN THESE HELLHOLES ABOUT TIME SOMEONE DID AFTER ALL OUR YEARS OF FIGHTING TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED MY FRIEND I AM SO HAPPY FOR THE SURVIVORS CONCERNED AND MY BEST WISHES TO THEM ALL THIS IS FROM THE 60'S ONWARDS NOT BEFORE SADLY IMO IT SHOULD BE FOR ALL THE YEARS OF ABUSE THAT WENT ON MY FRIEND THANKS AGAIN OUR SOLICITOR CAMERON FYFE NEVER EVEN HAD THE DECENCY TO WRITE ME AND TELL ME EVEN THO I AM ONE OF HIS CLIENTS SHODDY IMO INDEED HOWEVER THAT ASIDE I AM SO HAPPY FOR ALL THE SURVIVORS INVOLVED :)

Text helpline gives support to victims of school bullies

Text helpline gives support to victims of school bullies

ADRIAN MATHER AND SARAH HUNTER amather@edinburghnews.com

CHILDREN are being encouraged to report bullies by text message under a pioneering initiative in schools across Edinburgh. Under the Text Someone scheme, bullied pupils will be able to text any incident in confidence to a database teachers can access before deciding on any action.

Phone lines and e-mail addresses will also be set up in the hope pupils who would usually be put off from approaching a teacher face-to-face will come forward. Around 90 schools - the majority of secondaries and primaries in the city - are to have the system implemented when pupils return after the summer holidays. It has been devised by Truancy Call Ltd, the company behind a system that informs parents by text when their children fail to appear for school. It has been trialled successfully at Tynecastle High School and is set to be extended at the same time as the bullying service. A further service called Call Parents, which will be used to notify parents about school closures, exam dates and upcoming school events, will also be introduced. The city council hopes all three services will help provide better communication between teachers, pupils and parents. David Wright, the council's liaison officer co-ordinating the project, said: "It is really meant to act as an ice-breaker between pupils and teachers and will help provide an easier form of communication between them. "Some pupils who are getting bullied may have problems with approaching a teacher to talk about what is going on, so this system will provide an easier way of reporting bullying to the school. "All they need to do is text a brief description of what's happening to a special number and it then gets logged into a database, where teachers can look at the message and decide what, if any, action to take. "We're hoping it will be a preventative thing more than anything else. Some pupils don't report bullying and it eventually gets out of hand. We hope that they will use this service to text as soon as the first instance happens, so the problems don't escalate." After each claim is logged, teachers will be able to decide whether to address the problem internally - either by speaking to alleged bullies or calling parents - or, in extreme cases of physical violence, calling in the police or child protection agencies. Truancy Call Ltd added that each incident would be treated on a case-by-case basis, meaning that it would be up to each school to decide on how to deal with their pupils' claims of bullying. As well as physical violence and verbal bullying, the initiative is expected to deal with the rise in "cyber bullying", whereby pupils are targeted by bullies through text messages, e-mails and posts on internet sites. Truancy Call Ltd managing director Stephen Clarke said: "Edinburgh council is leading the way by recognising that technology can assist in the battle against truancy and bullying. "We are looking forward to telling schools more about how our services can help open the lines of communication with school pupils and parents." Nikki Kerr, from anti-bullying charity Kidscape, said: "I do think this is a good idea as it can be anonymous in a situation where kids could be worried about being seen. Also, kids are so much more adept at using that technology - it is second nature to them. "The only thing the schools would have to be careful about is that this sort of system can be abused by people pretending they are being bullied. "However, I welcome any initiative that makes it easier for children to tell somebody they are being bullied." Related topic Teaching http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=493

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/education.cfm?id=1109402006

Last updated: 31-Jul-06 11:28 BST

Pupils to be given text service to report bullying

Pupils to be given text service to report bullying

CHILDREN are being encouraged to report bullies by text message, under a pioneering initiative in Edinburgh schools. Under the Text Someone scheme, bullied pupils will be able to report any incident in confidence to a database that teachers can access before deciding on any action. Phone lines and e-mail addresses will also be set up in the hope that pupils who would usually be put off from approaching a teacher face to face will come forward. About 90 schools - the majority of secondaries and primaries in the city - will have the system implemented after the summer holidays. Related topic Teaching http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=493

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/education.cfm?id=1113932006

Last updated: 31-Jul-06 00:56 BST

Court denies bail to stalker dealt Scotland-wide ban

Court denies bail to stalker dealt Scotland-wide ban

RHIANNON EDWARD

A STALKER barred from contacting any woman in Scotland has failed in a plea to be released early from a four-month jail sentence. Robert Basterfield, 34, had his bid to be freed on bail pending an appeal against sentence thrown out at the High Court yesterday.

The bail appeal was rejected after a brief hearing yesterday morning, and Basterfield - who was branded a serious danger to women - will remain behind bars. He was locked up at the end of last month after he admitted terrifying two strangers by following them in separate incidents. Perth Sheriff Court was told Basterfield posed a "very high risk" of reoffending against women and showed no remorse for his crimes. John Vine, Chief Constable of Tayside, was granted an interim interdict banning Basterfield from having contact with any lone female. The extraordinary order - the first of its kind - was granted after Mr Vine told the court Basterfield was "capable of using extreme violence". This article: http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1186332006

Last updated: 15-Aug-06 01:54 BST

20 years in prison for 'wicked' paedophile

20 years in prison for 'wicked' paedophile

WESLEY JOHNSON

ONE of Britain's worst paedophiles was jailed yesterday after he admitted a 30-year campaign of rape and sexual abuse against young children. As he was jailed for 20 years at York Crown Court, Robert Smith, 65, was told by the judge he deserved to die in prison.

Smith, of Cross Street, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, admitted 42 sex offences, including rape, against 21 children, between 1954 and 1984. It was described as one of the worst sex-abuse cases ever to come before the courts. The Recorder of York, Judge Paul Hoffman, told Smith: "If the sentence that is passed results in you dying in prison, that's no more than you deserve." The judge said there was no case "that's as bad as this one". Smith had shown a "prolonged and insatiable depravity" and admitted to probation officers many more sex offences against children, the judge said. "Yours is the worst case of its type that I've ever encountered in nearly 42 years of criminal practice," the judge said. "It stands apart in its sheer scale of wickedness and your callous disregard for the victims' feelings. "For 30 years you abused the trust placed in you by parents and children alike to use [the children] as sexual playthings," the judge told Smith. "These children were terrified of you, and you abused them through fear." Smith admitted six counts of rape, 26 counts of indecent assault, seven counts of buggery, two counts of indecency with a child and one count of assault with intent to commit buggery. Web link ChildLine http://www.childline.org.uk/

Related topic Paedophilia http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=684

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=684&id=1128042006

Last updated: 03-Aug-06 00:39 BST

11 years' jail for couple who filmed rape of child, age 9

11 years' jail for couple who filmed rape of child, age 9

A COUPLE who filmed themselves raping a nine-year-old girl were yesterday jailed for a total of more than 11 years. William Duncan and Lisa Stuart, both 23, used a camcorder to record their assault, also making the child film them having sex on another occasion.

It was one of a series of attacks carried out by the pair, both of whom have learning difficulties, in Keith, Moray, in August 2003. Duncan also assaulted another child while she was aged eight and nine. At the High Court in Glasgow, Duncan was sentenced to a prison term of eight and a half years and Stuart was jailed for three years. At the High Court in Aberdeen last month, Duncan had admitted charges including rape, and lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour. He changed his pleas in relation to the nine-year-old on the video from not guilty after the footage was shown to shocked jurors. Jury members were excused jury service for ten years as a result of their ordeal. Stuart, of Elgin, also admitted rape, and lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour. She was given 18 months for the lewd behaviour and a concurrent three-year jail term for the rape offence. The judge, Lord Hodge, also ordered Duncan, formerly of Rothiemay, Aberdeen, to be placed on licence for five years after release. Both Duncan and Stuart were also ordered to be placed on the sex offenders' register. The court was told by experts that both were at risk of reoffending. Afterwards, Detective Inspector Ewan Strachan, of Grampian Police, said: "The damage caused to the young, innocent victim involved is incalculable." Related topic Paedophilia http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=684

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1188202006

Last updated: 15-Aug-06 01:54 BST

Disclosure of sex offenders rejected

Disclosure of sex offenders rejected

MICHAEL HOWIE

PAEDOPHILES and rapists should be kept in mainstream housing in their local area rather than in bed and breakfasts and hostels, a new government document recommends. The Scottish Executive's draft strategy on accommodating sex offenders also rejects the widespread disclosure of the whereabouts and identity of convicted sex attackers.

The paper, which has been sent to groups such as police and housing associations for consultation, last night sparked criticism from opposition MSPs who said it did not recognise the "rights" of communities to know the risks posed by sexual predators. There were also complaints that it preempted the findings of a parliamentary committee which is about to examine whether a disclosure policy should be introduced. The draft strategy deals with accommodation for sex offenders, including those who have been released from prison after serving a custodial sentence. It forms part of a series of reforms to the criminal justice system in Scotland and aims to strengthen provisions for the management of sex offenders. The new draft document argues that stable accommodation, with support, can help cut the risk of further offending. And while it says that there is no ideal location for housing such offenders, it rejects the use of both hostel and bed and breakfast accommodation. The strategy explains that using hostel accommodation runs the risk of bringing together a group sex offenders in one area, and also points out there are often vulnerable people - including children - in such places. It says "under no circumstances" should bed and breakfasts be used, as it is impossible to manage risk in them. Instead it recommends that sex offenders should normally be accommodated in mainstream housing in the local authority area where they come from. The strategy also warns that evicting sex offenders can heighten risk through offenders being "lost from the system" or not finishing rehabilitation programmes, and urges housing providers planning such a move to consult police and local authorities. The draft strategy also dismisses calls for the identity and whereabouts of sex offenders to be made public knowledge. This, it argues, will increase the likelihood of them going underground and no longer taking part in rehabilitation programmes. In June this year Home Secretary John Reid announced he was sending a junior minister to the US to look at how "Megan's Law" works. It allows parents to access information about paedophiles who may be living in their neighbourhoods. In Scotland the mother of a murder victim is calling for a similar scheme. Margaret Ann Cummings has been campaigning for parents to be told if there are registered sex offenders in their area following the death of her eight-year-old son Mark. He was killed and thrown down a rubbish chute by Stuart Leggate, a known sex offender who lived in the same tower block in Royston, Glasgow. But following the independent review by Professor George Irving, ministers in Scotland opted for a limited disclosure system - where certain people such as landlords, leisure centre bosses and employers can be given information about sex offenders if they ignore police warnings about their behaviour. However, the Scottish Parliament's justice 2 committee has set up a sub-committee to probe the extent to which communities should receive information about child sex offenders and the way housing is allocated to them. Kenny MacAskill, the SNP's justice spokesman, who sits on the committee, last night voiced anger at the draft strategy's rejection of a "Mark's Law". He said: "Given that we have got a committee investigating Mark's Law, this seems to be pre-empting what that may seek to consider. "I think the community has rights, not just individuals. The issue the committee is looking at is how we allow those rights to be expressed - whether it is direct information to individuals or more circumspect. "But the fact of the matter is that communities have rights and to suggest otherwise is not only arrogant but potentially dangerous." An spokesman for the Executive said: "The Executive has been working closely with a multi-agency group to develop a National Accommodation Strategy for Sex Offenders. "The strategy has public safety at its heart, and provides a clear national framework for the accommodation of sex offenders in the community in support of the wider aims of protecting the public and reducing re-offending. "The strategy will form part of the package of wider Executive reforms to strengthen the provisions for the management of sex offenders in Scotland." It is hoped that the final strategy will be published in the autumn. Related topics Rape and the legal system http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=53

Paedophilia http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=684

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1186202006

Last updated: 15-Aug-06 01:54 BST

Mountain of luggage left behind

Mountain of luggage left behind

LONDON (Reuters) -

Thousands of passengers leaving British airports on Tuesday were doing so without their luggage, which has been held up by security measures brought in after last week's alleged plot to blow up transatlantic airliners. British Airways said it was trying to clear a backlog of 5,000 bags at Heathrow and other airlines were experiencing similar problems.

"We've got articulated lorries going into cities in the UK and Europe and we are using Fed Ex to send bags to Europe and the US," a spokeswoman for the airline said. "We currently have around 5,000 bags waiting to be despatched to their owners." The airline has been forced to cancel 1,100 flights as a result of the heightened security checks and has said it may seek compensation from airport operator BAA. The BA spokeswoman said there were two main reasons why the bags had not got on the planes with their owners. "When the first set of hand baggage restrictions came in and everyone had to put a lot of things into the hold that they wouldn't have done before, it put a lot of pressure on the BAA baggage system which at times ground to a halt completely." She added people were also putting smaller items into the baggage system which were getting caught up in the machinery and blocking it. The bags would normally be taken onboard aircraft as hand luggage. (c) Reuters 2006. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world. This article: http://news.scotsman.com/latest_uk.cfm?id=1192112006

Last updated: 15-Aug-06 18:23 BST

Police chief warns city faces serious risk of terror attack

Police chief warns city faces serious risk of terror attack

MICHAEL BLACKLEY mblackley@edinburghnews.com

THE Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police today said Edinburgh faces a very serious threat of terrorist attack and warned that believing otherwise was "naïve and dangerous". Paddy Tomkins said Scotland needs to be alert to the threat and that the Capital has to make counter-acting terrorism a new policing priority for the foreseeable future.

But he warned that any racist backlash in the Lothians as a result of the new terror alert will not be tolerated, and said police would make it a priority to send offenders to the courts. His comments come after two mosques in the Lothians were targeted in racist attacks over the weekend. A 37-year-old man was arrested and charged in the early hours of Saturday morning for allegedly hurling racist abuse at someone within a mosque in Livingston's Craigshill Road. And racist graffiti was also found on the wall of the Shagalal Mosque on the city's Annandale Street Lane on Saturday morning. Mr Tomkins, who has warned before that cities like Edinburgh face as much a risk of terrorist attack as the major cities in England, called on the community to help and assist police in tackling the threat. The stark warning comes as airports slowly return to normal after a weekend of delays following the uncovering of the major terrorist plot to blow up US-bound flights from the UK last week. The foiled plot has prompted the Government to look at controversial new screening methods for passengers, including giving security staff the power to stop people based on their ethnic or religious background. Mr Tomkins said: "Some may think that there is no Scottish context to this threat but I am convinced that such belief is naïve and perhaps dangerous. Those who would carry out such acts make no distinction between parts of the United Kingdom and seem unlikely to spare us on other idealised or romantic grounds. "Furthermore the plot and its context within world events illustrates that this is a new policing priority for the foreseeable future. These alleged acts are criminal in their nature and are an assault on every community that makes up Scottish society. "The perpetrators of terrorism have always justified the carnage in the terms of whatever ideology they follow. If this is now done in the guise of a perversion of religious belief it does not hide the fact that this is murder and the perpetrators are criminals. "These issues are a major threat to our society and are on a scale that requires a co-ordinated response from us all. The police cannot do this alone but we can succeed if we maintain that active support and co-operation of our communities." Mr Tomkins also revealed that fears of a racist backlash, where attacks happen on minority religious groups as a result of the terrorist threat, had proved correct with a number of incidents at places of worship in Lothian and Borders over the weekend. He said that any racism will not be tolerated and offenders will be pursued and prosecuted through the courts. Mr Tomkins also called on any victims of racist attacks to report the crime to police or file a remote report on the police website at www.lbp.police.uk/takecontrol He added: "These are difficult times for us all but I would wish to reassure people of our determination to strongly fight the threat of terrorism, while defending the rights and freedoms of all the communities that make up our vibrant and diverse country. "While we have no intelligence of a threat against Scotland a great deal of work is in hand both within the force and in partnership with other forces and local strategic partners to safeguard us all. "Clearly many of the measures introduced are causing difficulty and frustration but I would ask that people remain focused on the nature of the threat and the need to protect human life. Working together in this way our society can defeat this peril and retain the quality of freedom we all cherish in Scotland." Web links Home Office - terrorism http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/

MI5 http://www.mi5.gov.uk/

Liberty http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/

Related topics London bombings http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1312

Terrorism in the UK http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=758

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=758&id=1189872006

Last updated: 15-Aug-06 13:38 BST

We cannot cope for much longer, says police chief

We cannot cope for much longer, says police chief

Armed police patrol Edinburgh Airport. Officers have been rearranging rest days and holidays, but this can only be sustained in the short term and more resources may be needed

IAN JOHNSTON Head of Scottish terrorist policing operation admits resources limited Long-term increased airport security would require additional funds Threat level lowered from 'critical' to 'severe' yesterday Key quote"[If the situation continues], we will be going back to the Scottish Executive in due course to underline how expensive it is and ask: do we re-prioritise, look for more resources or look for help from other organisations?" - IAN DICKINSON, POLICE OFFICER Story in full SCOTLAND'S police forces cannot continue to provide increased security indefinitely at airports and other potential targets, the country's leading anti-terror officer has admitted.

Ian Dickinson, the officer in charge of the Scottish policing operation following the terror alert, has told The Scotsman that while police forces were coping "at the moment" by using overtime and rearranging rest days and holidays, this could only be maintained in the short term. If the situation was to continue for more than a month, Mr Dickinson said they would need additional resources from the Scottish Executive, help from other organisations or be forced to give less priority to other areas of policing. The Scottish Executive, however, said it was "premature" to talk about the need for more funding, pointing out that forces were given more than £1 billion a year. The government announced yesterday that the threat level has been lowered from "critical" to "severe", relaxing some of the luggage restrictions on flights, after it was decided a terrorist attack was "highly likely" but not "imminent". However, the new regulations still leave Britain with one of the strictest pre-flight security routines in the world and much tougher constraints on the size of hand luggage. Police said the lowering of the threat level would not lead to a reduction in the significant number of officers deployed at Scottish airports, a move that followed last week's news of a terrorist plot to blow up aircraft flying to the United States from Britain. Armed officers will also continue to be stationed at Channel ports. The transport chaos caused by the security measures continued yesterday with 22 cancellations at Glasgow Airport, 16 at Edinburgh and seven at Aberdeen. Sixty-eight flights were cancelled from Heathrow while British Airways said 20 per cent of its flights were subject to delays. Police continued to question 23 people arrested last week and to search woodland at King's Wood in High Wycombe near the scene of one of last week's raids. There were unconfirmed reports that a handgun and a rifle had been found at two separate addresses. Police have until tomorrow before they have to apply for a warrant for further detention of those arrested. Last night CCTV footage was released of Tayib Rauf, one of these arrested in the anti-terror raids. He is believed to be the brother of Rashid Rauf, a man captured by police in Pakistan whose arrest reportedly set off last week's round-up of suspects. Meanwhile in Westminster, Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary, said the government and Muslim communities both had to do more as they step up the "battle of hearts and minds" against Islamic extremism. Across the UK, detectives are reported to be dealing with 70 live counter-terror operations, which are said to include 24 major terror plots. In addition to this workload, police numbers are being stretched by the decision to have a larger presence at airports, ports and other places where large numbers of people gather. Mr Dickinson, who is also deputy chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police, told The Scotsman that officers had been coming forward to volunteer for duty so they could help provide increased security. However, he added: "It would be a difficult operation to run for a considerable length of time and would be very expensive. "[If the situation continues], we will be going back to the Scottish Executive in due course to underline how expensive it is and ask: do we re-prioritise, look for more resources or look for help from other organisations? "We have got some flexibility by using overtime, moving rest days, moving annual leave. We can be fairly flexible on that in the short-term, for a number of weeks," he added. "At the moment, we are managing. We can sustain the present level of activity for some weeks, more than a month." Mr Dickinson said the quickest way to boost numbers would be to re-employ recently retired officers who are still able to carry out some duties. And he said in some situations - such as the protests at Prestwick Airport over flights carrying US-made bombs to Israel - police officers could be replaced by civilian security staff. Mr Dickinson said about a dozen Scottish officers have been sent to England and Wales to help with the anti- terrorist operation and praised the response of rank-and-file police. It is not clear how long the present situation will last but John Reid, the Home Secretary, yesterday emphasised Britain remained at danger of a major terrorist attack. "I want to stress that the change in the threat level does not mean that the threat has gone away," he said. "There is still a very serious threat of an attack. The threat level is at severe, indicating the high likelihood of an attempted terrorist attack at some stage, and I urge the public to remain vigilant." The US has also reduced its official threat level, suggesting the authorities believe the original plot to use liquid explosives to blow up US-bound flights has been thwarted. In his first comments since the arrests of the alleged plotters last week, Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said that similar and possibly greater threats still existed from a "significant" number of other terror cells. "What is so concerning is that those operations can turn from being what we think is preparatory to what is clearly active in a very short time," he said. "The difference between the international terrorists we are now facing and the IRA is the public risk they are apparently prepared to take - aiming, as has been said, at mass murder on an unimaginable scale. Faced with that, you have to take action." He added that it was "probably an over-expectation" to think that Muslim immigrants could integrate into British society within one or two generations. "The key issue is for the Muslim communities themselves to recognise the dangers of a slide into extremism. I've been criticised before for saying that there's nothing wrong with being fundamentalist. "The difference is whether you become extremist and contemplate violence. Every religion has had this spectre at one edge, of very violent people." Related topics Terrorism in the UK http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=758

Scotland's airports http://business.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=299

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1188122006

Last updated: 15-Aug-06 01:54 BST

Plan to improve cancer care and surgery by magnetising patients

Plan to improve cancer care and surgery by magnetising patients

SCIENTISTS hope to improve the effectiveness of keyhole surgery and cancer treatment by making patients magnetic. Giving tissue magnetic properties would allow better imaging before and during an operation, experts believe. Applied to tumours, it could also help surgeons avoid "spilling" cancer cells that may spread. The development of keyhole surgery has done much to reduce post-operative pain, scarring and the risk of infection, but surgeons are restricted in what they can see and feel, and in the range of instruments that will fit in the "keyhole". Researchers at Dundee University are investigating ways to make keyhole surgeons easier and more effective by magnetising tissue operated on. "If the tissue can be magnetised, this opens up therapeutic avenues in dealing with disorders such as small cancers," research leader Prof Sir Alfred Cuschieri told the Engineer magazine. Related topic Cancer research http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=115

This article: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1180622006

Last updated: 14-Aug-06 02:02 BST

Cold-care breakthrough hope for asthmatics

Cold-care breakthrough hope for asthmatics

RHIANNON EDWARD

A SCIENTIFIC breakthrough could benefit hundreds of thousands of asthmatics who suffer serious attacks when they have a cold. Around half of all asthmatics are believed to suffer an acute attack when a normal reliever inhaler or steroid preventative does not have the same affect as usual when they have a respiratory virus, usually a cold. New research, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, has discovered that asthmatics produce half the number of anti-viral proteins when fighting a cold as non-asthmatics. When infected with the common cold - caused by rhinoviruses - the lung cells of asthmatics produce far less of the proteins, which are generated by the immune system. This increases the severity of asthma symptoms as lung cells become more susceptible to infection. The researchers believe a new generation of treatments could be created to deliver anti-viral medicine directly to the lungs to help the body fight such viruses. This article: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1180162006

Last updated: 14-Aug-06 02:02 BST

Terrorism alert forces US orchestra to pull out of Edinburgh Festival

Terrorism alert forces US orchestra to pull out of Edinburgh Festival

TIM CORNWELL ARTS CORRESPONDENT

THE international terrorism alert has caused the Edinburgh Festival to suffer its first loss after a prestigious American orchestra had its flight cancelled. The Orchestra of St Luke's, from New York, has called off performances in Edinburgh and at the BBC Proms after it was unable to reach Britain.

But festival bosses are jubilant over a surge in ticket sales, with £2 million already taken, after losses of nearly £1 million last year. The box office bonanza, with sales up 20 per cent on 2005, came after departing director Sir Brian McMaster - leaving the job after 15 years - assembled an extraordinary mix of talent for his grand finale. The festival opened at the Usher Hall last night with the American soprano, Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet, singing the title role in Richard Strauss's Elektra. In the audience were Sir Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat leader, and Patricia Ferguson, the culture minister. Musical highlights of the next three weeks include an appearance by Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, and Claudio Abbado conducting Mozart's The Magic Flute. Apart from the American orchestra's problems, a security clampdown on cabin baggage is also making life difficult for festival organisers. Musicians typically take their instruments into aircraft cabins. Festival staff have been working to get clearance for the instruments, arrange flight-cases to carry them in the hold or have them shipped instead of flown. "It has caused a huge amount of additional work and worry," a spokeswoman said. "But there has only been one casualty, and it's a single concert. This is as a direct result of the terrorist alert." The festival is offering a full refund or a replacement ticket for the Opéra National de Lyon's performance of The Lindbergh Flight and The Seven Deadly Sins. This year's festival features a mix of well-known musicians, directors and conductors, together with younger new talent. Performances in the first 24 hours run from the Brazilian dance group Grupo de Rua de Niterói to pianist András Schiff performing Beethoven. Tonight sees two theatrical openings. One is Troilus and Cressida, directed by the legendary Peter Stein, Germany's most famous post-war director. He has directed Chekhov and Shakespeare at the festival in the past. The other is Realism, a new work by the Scottish playwright Anthony Neilson, whose production of The Wonderful World of Dissocia took the festival by storm in 2004. Realism marks the first time the National Theatre of Scotland has brought a play to the international festival. Reports of previews are mixed. But Black Watch, an NTS production, has become the talk of this year's Fringe. In a showcase of the young talent Sir Brian is proud of fostering, Elektra was conducted last night by Edward Gardner. He is now the musical director of the English National Opera. Asked whether he had any mixed emotions on the eve of last night's opening, Sir Brian said: "I haven't had a moment to think about it." He expects to see about 80 shows this festival. His successor, Jonathan Mills - an Australian composer and festival director appointed to the job earlier this year - is also going to a lot of them. "He's coming to see how not to do it," Sir Brian joked. The festival has already sold £2 million worth of tickets, two weeks earlier than usual. Last year it ran £850,000 in the red, after staging a series of expensive new shows. There are still tickets available for most productions, including the new series of Lloyds TSB Scotland Concerts, each lasting one hour and costing just £10. Sir Brian said: "We are budgeted to break even. But you don't know what's going to happen." Sales were up 17 per cent on last year, which was "pretty staggering", he said. For his last outing, he said: "I wanted to put on the best festival I could. It's not individual performances, it's the coming together of a number of different ones. "There are some fantastic performances on offer. Take a risk and turn up and we'll change your life. You have to be open and go in, and there are things that could really work." Web links Home Office - terrorism http://security.homeoffice.gov.uk/

MI5 http://www.mi5.gov.uk/

Liberty http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/

Related topics Terrorism in the UK http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=758

Edinburgh International Festival http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1104

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=758&id=1179982006

Last updated: 14-Aug-06 02:02 BST

Terror attack still 'highly likely'

Terror attack still 'highly likely'

JAMES KIRKUP POLITICAL EDITOR

IT IS "highly likely" that radical Muslim groups will attempt a deadly attack in Britain despite the apparent success of last week's high-profile anti-terror arrests, the government warned yesterday. As police continued to question 23 people accused of plotting to bomb US-bound airliners, John Reid, the Home Secretary, made clear that the arrests had not removed or even significantly reduced the terrorist threat to the UK.

In a BBC interview, Mr Reid also confirmed that, as The Scotsman reported on Saturday, MI5 and counter-terrorism police officers are monitoring dozens of cells believed to be at various stages of planning acts of violence. Ministers and officials are jubilant about the outcome of last week's operation - which followed months of surveillance - but they are also desperate to avoid giving the impression that the arrests have changed the wider security situation. Underlining that point, Mr Reid yesterday repeated earlier statements that at least four other major conspiracies have been disrupted in Britain since last summer, each with the capacity to cause mass casualties. MI5 estimates that there are more than 1,000 people in Britain who are prepared to engage in terrorism. "We think we have the main suspects in this particular plot. I have to be honest and say on the basis of what we know, there could be others out there," Mr Reid said. "So the threat of a terrorist attack in the UK is still very substantial - it is highly likely there would be another terrorist attempt and that is one thing of which we can be sure." The "nightmare scenario" being examined by MI5 and Scotland Yard is that the plotters detained last week could have been working with other, unidentified radical groups who could yet try to stage suicide bomb attacks on Transatlantic flights. The risk of attacks from new groups has helped persuade the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre to hold the official threat level at Critical - the highest possible - even though the main bomb plotters are now in custody. Mr Reid was asked about the "dozens" of networks the Security Service is tracking, and confirmed the scale of MI5's concerns. Bringing a successful criminal prosecution against the people arrested last week will be a crucial test of the government's credibility on security matters. Some lawyers are concerned that some of the public comment about those detained - including statements by Mr Reid and the Treasury's decision to name 19 of them when freezing their assets - could prejudice any eventual trial. Trying to allay those fears, Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General, yesterday insisted that ministers have not compromised the presumption of the suspects' innocence. The law officer also echoed a request from Scotland Yard for the media not to publish information about those arrested. Despite that request, the Sunday Times yesterday reported that one of those detained is effectively al-Qaeda's commander in Britain, a leading extremist also linked to other terror plots. • Mr Reid also confirmed yesterday that he and other senior government ministers want to make a fresh attempt to increase to 90 days the time during which the police can hold a terror suspect without bringing charges. But the Home Secretary said the immediate aftermath of an anti-terror operation was "not the right time" to have the debate. Related topic Terrorism in the UK http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=758

This article: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1180752006

Last updated: 14-Aug-06 02:02 BST

UK terror threat lowered to 'severe'

UK terror threat lowered to 'severe' JAMES KIRKUP POLITICAL EDITOR

THE threat to the UK posed by terrorism was today downgraded from "critical" to "severe". The announcement, posted on the MI5 website, means an attack is still considered "highly likely". But in a statement, the Home Office said: "The intelligence assessment suggests an attack is no longer imminent." The change was made by the Joint Terrorism and Analysis Centre, based on the latest intelligence. The threat level had been rated as "critical" prior to a series of raids last week into the alleged plot to bomb transatlantic airliners. However, John Reid, the Home Secretary, yesterday warned that he believed radical Muslim groups will attempt a deadly attack in Britain despite the apparent success of the high-profile anti-terror arrests. As police continued to question 23 people accused of plotting to bomb US-bound airliners, Mr Reid made clear that the arrests had not removed or even significantly reduced the terrorist threat to the UK. In a BBC interview, Mr Reid also confirmed that, as The Scotsman reported on Saturday, MI5 and counter-terrorism police officers are monitoring dozens of cells believed to be at various stages of planning acts of violence. Ministers and officials are jubilant about the outcome of last week's operation - which followed months of surveillance - but they are also desperate to avoid giving the impression that the arrests have changed the wider security situation. Underlining that point, Mr Reid yesterday repeated earlier statements that at least four other major conspiracies have been disrupted in Britain since last summer, each with the capacity to cause mass casualties. MI5 estimates there are more than 1,000 people in Britain who are prepared to engage in terrorism. "We think we have the main suspects in this particular plot. On the basis of what we know, there could be others out there," Mr Reid said. "So the threat of a terrorist attack in the UK is still very substantial." The "nightmare scenario" being examined by MI5 and Scotland Yard is the plotters detained last week could have been working with other, unidentified radical groups who may yet try to stage suicide bomb attacks on Transatlantic flights. Mr Reid was asked about the "dozens" of networks the Security Service is tracking, and confirmed the scale of MI5's concerns. Bringing a successful criminal prosecution against those arrested last week will be a crucial test of the government's credibility on security matters. Some lawyers are concerned that some of the public comment about those detained - including statements by Mr Reid and the Treasury's decision to name 19 of them when freezing their assets - could prejudice any trial. Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General, insisted ministers had not compromised the presumption of the suspects' innocence. He also echoed a request from Scotland Yard for the media not to publish information about those arrested. However, the Sunday Times yesterday reported one of those detained is effectively al-Qaeda's commander in Britain, a leading extremist linked to other terror plots. • Mr Reid also confirmed yesterday that he and other senior government ministers want to make a fresh attempt to raise to 90 days the time during which the police can hold a terror suspect without bringing charges. But he said the aftermath of an anti-terror operation was "not the right time" for the debate.This article: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1182342006 Last updated: 14-Aug-06 02:02 BST

Relief for air passengers as security rules eased

Relief for air passengers as security rules eased

ALASTAIR JAMIESON CONSUMER AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT TOUGH restrictions at Britain's airports were due to be eased today after the latest intelligence suggested a terror attack was no longer imminent. Passengers will now be able to carry one piece of hand baggage each, but liquids other than baby milk and prescriptions remain banned. However, people heading for destinations in the United States will continue to undergo a second security screening.

In a statement released early this morning, the Department for Transport (DfT) said it would work with airlines and airport operators "to keep disruption to passengers to a minimum". However, there were reports last night that a New York-bound British Airways flight from Heathrow was turned around part-way through the journey after a mobile phone was found onboard. None of the passengers claimed to have any knowledge of where it came from. Ministers had come under pressure yesterday to review the security restrictions at Britain's airports after another day of travel chaos in the wake of last week's bomb plot security alert. Dozens of flights between Scotland and London were cancelled again yesterday amid a row between airlines and airport operators over who is to blame for the continuing crisis. The shadow home secretary, David Davis, called for troops to be sent in to Britain's airports to help with security checks and ease delays. Meanwhile, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary said the "heavy-handed" measures were bringing the country's airports to the point of collapse. The checks, introduced by the DfT in the early hours of last Thursday, include body-searching of all departing passengers and very tight restrictions on what can be carried through security screening areas. Although the measures were described by the Home Secretary, John Reid, as "time limited", it is thought unlikely they will ever be completely lifted. Mr O'Leary said: "The government, by insisting on these heavy-handed security measures, is allowing the extremists to achieve many of their objectives. It is vital that the government works with the airlines to prevent the collapse of London's airports. "We believe the body-search requirement can be revised from 100 per cent to the normal 25 per cent of passengers without diminishing airport security. These numbers still allow any suspect groups or routes or individuals to be body-searched. More importantly, they will allow the main UK airports and the UK air transport system to return to normal, which is the most important message we can send to these extremists." Willie Walsh, the British Airways chief executive, accused the airport operator, BAA, of being unable to deal with the increased security, and said Heathrow's baggage system could not cope with the increased volume of luggage or the lengthy queues in the airport security search areas. BAA's chief executive officer for Heathrow, Tony Douglas, added to pressure on the government, claiming the DfT measures were "not sustainable". "If this is maintained we are likely to continue to see extremely long queues and regrettably even more flights cancelled," he said. "Quite simply, I don't know how long it's likely to go on, but it's clearly a set of measures that are unprecedented and by virtue of what they've come in to enforce, they're not sustainable measures." BA yesterday cancelled all its flights between Scotland and Gatwick, one third of its services between Scotland and Heathrow and most its services between London and Europe. It also cancelled ten flights to the US. It said it could not "rule out the possibility that flights will continue to depart without all their passengers because of ongoing problems with BAA's security search process and baggage operation at Heathrow Airport." Mr Davis suggested Britain should follow the example of the US and draft in the security forces to help out. "In America, for example, troops are being used to help with the searches and help with the security oversight, which accelerates it somewhat. It may well be that the smart thing for the government to do now is to see whether or not they can divert some resources to helping out BAA." Virgin Atlantic, however, said it was "supportive of BAA because they are having to do a very difficult job in extreme circumstances". BMI is currently operating all its 44 daily flights between Heathrow and Scotland as normal, but admits it will have to re-examine key shuttle services if lucrative short-haul business travel is rendered impossible by long-term security rules. The 234 flights between Scotland and London each weekday are likely to be worst hit by any continuing disruption, as airlines reduce frequencies in order to steer their operations away from collapse. In particular, BA's 86 weekday flights between Heathrow, Gatwick and Scotland are vulnerable to more cancellations today, forcing passengers to consider trains instead. GNER yesterday laid on extra services. There has also been concern that guidelines are inconsistent. Despite tight rules on what can be carried through security checkpoints, the DfT has imposed no restrictions on what passengers can take on board - creating a bonanza for shops in secure "airside" areas selling food and drink. Related topic Terrorism in the UK http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=758

This article: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1182312006

Last updated: 14-Aug-06 02:02 BST

Airlines warn stringent measures cannot be sustained as dozens more flights axed

Airlines warn stringent measures cannot be sustained as dozens more flights axed

ALASTAIR JAMIESON CONSUMER AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT MINISTERS are under pressure to urgently reduce security restrictions at Britain's airports after another day of travel chaos in the wake of last week's bomb plot security alert. Dozens of flights between Scotland and London were cancelled again yesterday amid a row between airlines and airport operators over who is to blame for the continuing crisis.

The shadow home secretary, David Davis, called for troops to be sent in to Britain's airports to help with security checks and ease delays. Meanwhile, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary said the "heavy-handed" measures were bringing the country's airports to the point of collapse. The checks, introduced by the Department for Transport (DfT) in the early hours of last Thursday, include body-searching of all departing passengers and very tight restrictions on what can be carried through security screening areas. Although the measures were described by the Home Secretary, John Reid, as "time limited", it is thought unlikely they will ever be completely lifted. Mr O'Leary said: "The government, by insisting on these heavy-handed security measures, is allowing the extremists to achieve many of their objectives. It is vital that the government works with the airlines to prevent the collapse of London's airports. "We believe the body-search requirement can be revised from 100 per cent to the normal 25 per cent of passengers without diminishing airport security. These numbers still allow any suspect groups or routes or individuals to be body-searched. More importantly, they will allow the main UK airports and the UK air transport system to return to normal, which is the most important message we can send to these extremists." Willie Walsh, the British Airways chief executive, accused the airport operator, BAA, of being unable to deal with the increased security, and said Heathrow's baggage system could not cope with the increased volume of luggage or the lengthy queues in the airport security search areas. BAA's chief executive officer for Heathrow, Tony Douglas, added to pressure on the government, claiming the DfT measures were "not sustainable". "If this is maintained we are likely to continue to see extremely long queues and regrettably even more flights cancelled. "Quite simply, I don't know how long it's likely to go on, but it's clearly a set of measures that are unprecedented and by virtue of what they've come in to enforce, they're not sustainable measures." BA yesterday cancelled all its flights between Scotland and Gatwick, one third of its services between Scotland and Heathrow and most its services between London and Europe. It also cancelled ten flights to the United States. It said it could not "rule out the possibility that flights will continue to depart without all their passengers because of ongoing problems with BAA's security search process and baggage operation at Heathrow Airport." Mr Davis suggested Britain should follow the example of the United States and draft in the security forces to help out. "In America, for example, troops are being used - probably National Guardsmen I imagine - to help with the searches and help with the security oversight, which accelerates it somewhat. "It may well be that the smart thing for the government to do now is to see whether or not they can divert some resources to helping out BAA." Virgin Atlantic, however, said it was "supportive of BAA because they are having to do a very difficult job in extreme circumstances". BMI is currently operating all its 44 daily flights between Heathrow and Scotland as normal, but admits it will have to re-examine key shuttle services if lucrative short-haul business travel is rendered impossible by long-term security rules. The 234 flights between Scotland and London each weekday - 117 in each direction - are likely to be worst hit by any continuing disruption, as airlines reduce frequencies in order to steer their operations away from collapse. In particular, BA's 86 weekday flights between Heathrow, Gatwick and Scotland are vulnerable to more cancellations today, forcing passengers to consider trains instead. GNER yesterday laid on extra services between Edinburgh to London to meet rising demand. There has also been concern that guidelines are inconsistent. Despite tight rules on what can be carried through security checkpoints, the DfT has imposed no restrictions on what passengers can take on board - creating a bonanza for shops in secure "airside" areas selling food and drink. Only travellers heading to the United States are prevented from carrying liquids or gels onboard. Meanwhile, one commercial pilot yesterday said he had been prevented from taking a pen through security at Gatwick, while ramp workers at one English airport had to leave vehicles unlocked in staff car parks because their electronic keys were not permitted in secure areas. A spokesman at the DfT said: "We understand the situation remains difficult. "The government is providing assistance on many levels and we are working intensively with airlines and airport authorities, in particular discussing with BAA how government can continue to work with them in dealing with the situation." Related topic Terrorism in the UK http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=758

This article: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1180742006

Last updated: 14-Aug-06 02:02 BST

Government loses 24,000 ID passes

Government loses 24,000 ID passes

JAMES KIRKUP POLITICAL EDITOR Whitehall internal audits reveals number of missing security passes Passes allow armed forces to access military sites and Whitehall offices Potentially embarrassing figures released during 76-day summer break Key quote"These figures are worrying in these days of heightened concern about security. The Ministry of Defence in particular - but other departments as well - should be concerned that so many official documents allowing entry to sensitive sites are lost or stolen" - SIMON HUGHES, LIBDEMS Story in full MORE than 24,500 government security passes giving access to military sites and sensitive Whitehall offices have gone missing in the past three years, fuelling fears about the British state's vulnerability to terrorism.

The startling number of government identity documents unaccounted for has been revealed in a series of internal audits conducted by Whitehall departments and seen by The Scotsman. Since last week's foiling of an alleged UK terrorist plot to bomb US-bound airliners, all government facilities have been placed at a high state of alert, and opposition MPs said the loss of so many security passes was deeply troubling. The majority of the missing security passes were issued by the Ministry of Defence to members of the armed forces. In all, the MoD has lost track of 22,731 forces passes since the start of 2004. More than 4,600 military passes have gone missing since the start of this year alone. The MoD's civilian staff are also understood to have lost hundreds of identity passes, but the ministry has admitted it does not keep a count of how many of its civilian ID cards have been lost. Official figures show that staff at several other major Whitehall departments have also mislaid identity passes. The passes have the legal status of official government documents and anyone finding them is obliged to hand them to the police, but many never are. The Cabinet Office, which houses several intelligence-related bodies and adjoins No 10, mislaid more than 50 passes in a single year. In all, the department's staff lost 20 passes during 2004 while another 31 were reported stolen. In less than three years, staff at Gordon Brown's Treasury headquarters have lost 62 passes. Another four have been stolen from officials on the Chancellor's staff. Among the other government departments that have mislaid passes according to official internal counts: • The Department of the Environment, Food Rural Affairs has lost 382 passes. Another 37 have been stolen. • The Department of Trade and Industry reported losses and thefts of 582. • The Department for Constitutional Affairs - lost 713, stolen 52. • The Department for International Development - lost 105, stolen five. The ministries were forced to tally and disclose their lost passes by Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat president, in a string of parliamentary requests. Illustrating the sensitivity of the figures, several of the departments chose to issue their answers to Mr Hughes' questions in the last days of the parliamentary session last month, when ministries traditionally try to slip out potentially embarrassing information. The MoD waited until parliament had actually begun its 76-day summer break before publishing its figures, meaning even MPs would have little access to the data until October. "These figures are worrying in these days of heightened concern about security. The Ministry of Defence in particular - but other departments as well - should be concerned that so many official documents allowing entry to sensitive sites are lost or stolen," Mr Hughes said. Patrick Mercer, the Tory homeland security spokesman, said: "Identity passes are a vital security tool and their loss is likely to compromise the efforts of the police and others to safeguard British national security." In a written statement, Tom Watson, a defence minister, downplayed the risk. "Identity cards carry a photograph of the holder and other features that inhibit their fraudulent replication," he said. Related topics British armed forces http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1034

Terrorism in the UK http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=758 This article: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1180692006

Last updated: 14-Aug-06 02:02 BST