F.A.C.T.

Thousands reported to vetting agency but only 4% barred

2012-05-10T17:11:18Z

The following article written by Martin Beckford, Home Affairs Editor appeared in the Daily Telegraph on 8th May 2012. Thousands of people are being reported for investigation by the Government’s vetting agency but only a handful are banned from working with children as a result. Official figures show that managers at councils, care homes and churches referred… [Continue Reading]

Claims of Innocence: An Introduction to Wrongful Convictions and how they might be challenged

2012-05-08T20:03:32Z

Claims of Innocence: An Introduction to Wrongful Convictions and how they might be Challenged is now available on the INUK website as a free-to-download PDF here

Clarke asks top judges to probe disclosure sanctions

2012-05-08T18:35:57Z

This is an excerpt from an article which appeared on the Law Society Website on Thursday 03 May 2012 written by Catherine Baksi Justice secretary Kenneth Clarke has asked two senior judges to review sanctions for disclosure failures in criminal trials, to ‘mitigate the resource burden’ imposed by disclosure. Lord Justice Gross and Mr Justice… [Continue Reading]

Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 published

2012-05-09T13:01:52Z

The Protection of Freedoms Act has now passed Royal Assent and will come into force on the 9th May 2012. Part 5 will be particular interest to falsely accused carers and teachers. Chapters 1 and 2 amends the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and Police Act 1997 with regards to carers and Criminal Records Bureau checks. The Bill also… [Continue Reading]

The Mysterious MAPPA

2012-05-03T11:36:39Z

There is a very good article by Emma Davies and Lucy Batten, solicitors from Hine Solicitors in this months Insidetime issue. The mysterious MAPPA… MAPPA applies to a large number of inmates in England and Wales and you may therefore have previously heard the term or seen it referred to in reports compiled by the Probation… [Continue Reading]

Teacher falsely accused of paedophilia in “Ku Klux Klan-like” internet campaign

2012-05-03T11:08:45Z

This article has been extracted from the Daily Telegraph 3rd May 2012. Neil Carr, 25 – who is heterosexual but celibate – was placed under investigation after a colleague overheard two young boys say to each other: ”Mr Carr is gay” during a conversation in a corridor. When asked about their comment both boys claimed… [Continue Reading]

Judiciary of England and Wales to review sanctions for disclosure failures in criminal trials

2012-04-27T19:55:35Z

Excerpt from Judiciary of England and Wales Press release – 26 April 2012. Review of sanctions for disclosure failures in criminal trials. The Lord Chief Justice has asked Lord Justice Gross and Mr Justice Treacy to conduct a review of sanctions for disclosure failures. The review will consider whether the sanctions for disclosure failures, together… [Continue Reading]

Names of staff members who dealt with complaints are not necessarily personal data, Tribunal says

2012-04-27T13:14:55Z

Excerpt from Out-law.com published 18th April 2012. The names of three junior members of staff who had handled complaints made to the financial services regulator should have been disclosed as part of a freedom of information request as disclosure “did not adversely affect their privacy”, a tribunal has ruled. In its decision (10-page / 49KB PDF) the… [Continue Reading]

Former police officer awarded over £800,000 compensation

2012-04-27T12:51:17Z

Excerpt from the Guardian published on 16th April 2012 An Asian former police officer who was racially abused by colleagues at Cleveland police then set up and jailed for a crime he did not commit has accepted compensation from the force of more than £800,000. It is believed to be one of the largest claims… [Continue Reading]

Pressure mounts for reform of CCRC

2012-04-27T16:08:01Z

Excerpt from The Times 12 April 2012 – report by Mark Gould. Is the justice system’s safety net failing?; Experts demand improvements to how Britain corrects wrongful convictions, Nobody can understand the desperation of injustice – it’s all-consuming and never goes away,” Susan May said, concluding a speech detailing her near-20-year battle to overturn her conviction for… [Continue Reading]

Mother jailed for falsely reporting her daughter had been abducted from her backyard

2012-04-27T11:01:03Z

Excerpt from the Guardian 12 April 2012. A mother of four has been jailed for six months for falsely reporting her daughter had been abducted from her backyard. The bogus account of how her two-year-old child was snatched from her home in Blackpool, Lancashire, led to a 13-day police manhunt and the arrest of two… [Continue Reading]

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 – implications for listing bodies

2012-04-27T09:52:51Z

The Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. The Act will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State. Changes for the regulation… [Continue Reading]

Employment reforms doubles the time an employee has to work before being able to make unfair dismissal claim

2012-04-10T17:10:46Z

Excerpt from the Guardian The amount of time an employee has to work for an organisation before he or she can make an unfair dismissal claim against the employer has doubled to two years, in a move the government says will boost growth but unions say will result in a “hire and fire” culture. Anyone… [Continue Reading]

Millions paid out to teachers for classroom assaults and accidents

2012-04-10T17:01:13Z

Excerpt from The Guardian NASUWT sees 20% rise in claims on previous year while NUT warns of huge stress now placed on staff Assaults, accidents, injuries and discrimination in the workplace have seen teachers collectively secure millions of pounds in compensation claims, according to figures released by three teaching unions to coincide with annual conferences over the… [Continue Reading]

‘Make them pay’: Pupils who make false claims against their teachers should be dealt with by police, says union

2012-04-10T08:52:21Z

As reported in the Daily Mail 9th April 2012 Pupils who make malicious allegations against teachers should face criminal charges, a union said today. The NASUWT said false claims remain ‘an enduring problem’, blighting the lives and careers of accused teachers, and called for urgent action to make sure that those responsible face punishment. The… [Continue Reading]

FACTsheet on How to Appeal

2012-04-07T14:09:23Z

There is new FACTsheet on the website on How to Appeal in Criminal Cases. You can find it here

Irish broadcaster discontinues program that falsely accused priest

2012-04-06T21:02:14Z

From: Catholic News Agency (CNA) Dublin, Ireland, Apr 4, 2012 Irish broadcaster RTE has ended its current affairs series “Prime Time Investigates” after a news report last year falsely claimed a missionary priest raped and impregnated a minor in Kenya. The move is part of a “full restructuring” to help program makers at all levels accept… [Continue Reading]

IPCC criticise police for failure to disclose evidence

2012-04-06T20:35:12Z

From: The Guardian IPCC finds a collective responsibility for failure to disclose undercover officer’s recordings to activists Police have been criticised for their role in withholding crucial surveillance recordings made by undercover policeman Mark Kennedy. The tapes were kept from activists who were being prosecuted for planning to occupy one of Britain’s largest power stations. The contents contained… [Continue Reading]

Latest edition of SAFARI newsletter out

2012-04-06T19:43:37Z

In this issue: CHRISTINE JORDAN (25) has been convicted of perverting the course of justice, and was jailed for two years, after falsely accusing Kevin Percival of raping her; Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) demanded to know why the South Wales police had falsely claimed evidence had been destroyed; KELLY ATKINS (20) HAS BEEN JAILED… [Continue Reading]

All FACT submissions now on-line

2012-04-05T22:02:31Z

All FACT submissions to Government Bodies have recently been updated in a new pdf format Submission to Leveson Inquiry 2012 Submission to CRB Review 2011 Submission to the Independent Safeguarding Review (ISA) Working Party 2009 The All Party Group Abuse Investigations 2008 Submission to Home Affairs Select Committee re Workings of the Criminal Cases Review… [Continue Reading]

Book page updated

2012-04-04T21:10:40Z

The book page on this website has been recently updated. Please take a look. Also if you wish to suggest a book which should be included please email us.

Novel explores issue of false teacher abuse claims

2012-04-02T10:24:23Z

A former lecturer at the University of Bradford has written a book highlighting the issue of false accusations made against teachers and the “devastating” impact on their lives and careers. Colin Neville drew on several cases for his novel, Millstone, about a male teacher who falls victim to pupils’ unfounded allegations and is labelled a… [Continue Reading]

Plans to ease Criminal Records Bureau checks defended

2012-03-31T16:51:08Z

Parents should teach their children about the risk of paedophiles, a minister has said as he defended plans to ease Criminal Records Bureau checks. Lord Henley said the current system was “disproportionate” with “unnecessary red tape and discourages volunteering”. Ministers plan to drop the checks for adults if someone who has been cleared, such as… [Continue Reading]

Jersey compensation terms outlined

2012-03-30T20:20:20Z

Up to £60,000 compensation is to be made available per person for the most serious cases of abuse for those in care in Jersey. To be eligible under the historical abuse redress scheme people will have to have been resident in a Jersey care home between 9 May 1945 and 31 December 1994 and suffered… [Continue Reading]

Drs misconduct charge overturned by Court

2012-03-30T19:00:07Z

This report relates a case in the Administrative Court in which Dr Rakesh Aga (“the Claimant”) successfully challenged the decision of the General Medical Council (“GMC”) on 10 December 2010 to the effect that he was guilty as misconduct. He judge stated that could not see any rational basis for the “misconduct” finding and that in… [Continue Reading]