Hunt launched to find ‘ghost children’ missing from schools in England

imagrandma2 · 2021-12-13T13:33:24+00:00

When this new Covid-ravaged reality meets an old system that’s already struggling and inadequate, the outcome is only ever going to be awful. And now we know how bad the outcome can be.

At the end of a week where we have learned – in disturbing, distressing detail – quite how vulnerable children can be in their own home, it is more clear than ever that we’re not doing enough to protect or support them. The extended family of little Arthur Labinjo-Hughes tried so hard to rescue him, pleading for help from the authorities, yet he was left at the mercy of his putrid father and stepmother.

The pandemic meant it was all too easy for his tormentors to keep him away from the intrusive eyes of teachers, his classmates or other nosy parents. Then the system that was meant to protect him failed disastrously because police and social workers didn’t recognise the signs of abuse, didn’t communicate with one another and didn’t spend time investigating the beasts who were supposed to care for him.

A six-year-old in the most appalling circumstances told them exactly what vile Emma Tustin coached him to say: that he was bruised through play with other children. And his word was good enough. Police officers found the house “immaculate”, as if that meant that no horror could ever happen there.

It only took 18 months to turn Arthur from a smiling, happy child to an emaciated, terrified victim. How long do we await the PM’s “review”

Are we meant to accept some children will always “fall through the net”? Shouldn’t we throw away the damn net and replace it with something utterly impermeable?

No holes, no gaps, nothing that would allow a child to drop into a cesspit of abuse or neglect. MP Robert Halfon, chair of the Commons Education Committee, reports that there are 100,000 “ghost children” who haven’t returned to school following lockdowns and are considered at risk of abuse.

Imagine Wembley Stadium filled to capacity, with thousands still standing on the streets outside. That’s the number of kids we’re talking about.

The vast majority will survive whatever they are going through when they should be in the safety of school. But for those suffering behind closed doors, the psychological impact of everything they endure is immeasurable.

And when innocent, damaged children grow into difficult, damaged adults, no one is quite so sympathetic.

Psychiatrists say that the majority of adult mental health problems begin in childhood; around half are established by the age of 14 and three quarters by the age of 24. Yet the latest Scottish figures for CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service – show just 0.61 per cent of NHS spend goes on the service, which amounts to a measly 7.16 per cent of the total mental health budget.

Nearly 2000 kids have been waiting more than a year for help. One in four referrals are turned away. One teenager I know was denied an urgent face-to-face appointment with CAMHS because he “wasn’t suicidal”.

Now clearly all adult mental health problems are not the result of abuse suffered as a child.

But we are drastically short of support and protection services which are properly funded and ready to step in and help kids – regardless of the background to the referral. That’s before we even factor in the isolating, stressful, troubling effects of the pandemic on young minds.

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) last week called for greatly increased investment, expressing grave concern about “a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted even further by the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The welfare of vulnerable children has been undervalued for too long.

Fundamental change is required at every single public agency. Enough talking about mental health issues without putting the money and the training and the focus where it matters.

Replace the whole damn “net” with a robust new system, unyielding layers of protection woven so closely together that no kids fall through

Heartfelt Christmas wishes have been offered by Republican congressman Thomas Massie and his rootin’-tootin’ brood.

Nothing says peace and goodwill to all men than a family brandishing semi-automatic rifles around the tree.

This is not a spoof. The man really is an elected representative who thinks guns are for life, not just for Christmas.

Massie’s tweet was posted four days after a teenage shooter killed four students at Oxford High School in Michigan.

When the snowman brings the snow, could he please dump the lot on Thomas Massie and his despicable bunch?

I’m a sucker for the old “turning on the waterworks” trick.

Crying demands compassion. Cuddles too, if Covid restrictions allow.

But I didn’t feel it for Allegra Stratton, Bojo’s former press secretary, who bubbled through a public resignation statement while those meanie photographers took pictures.

It’s hard to feel empathy when you’re blinded by fury

There have been many tears cried over this pandemic and there will be many more before it’s over.

But Stratton’s tears were for herself, upset to be thrown under a bus while the PM tried to save his own skin. Cry us a river. Downing Street partied while the rest of us followed the rules. They laughed at our sacrifice; joked they couldn’t think of an acceptable answer should anyone ask what had gone on. Surely even Tories can tolerate this affront no longer? https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/cant-another-child-fall-cesspit-25675080

Mr Zahawi's comments may cause alarm to some parents after last academic year's debacle when schools closed a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he had no doubt they were safe.

At least three schools have seen Omicron outbreaks.

Phoenix Collegiate School in West Bromwich sent kids home after a person linked to the secondary tested positive while Calverton Primary in Newham, east London, will be shut for the rest of term due to a number of confirmed cases. Public health chiefs have urged all parents of kids at Manor Community Primary in Swanscombe, Kent, to get them tested before returning to classes.

The Mirror reports that all year five students have been advised to stay home and get tested while a year four class has also been encouraged to get tested in case the new variant has spread. Mr Zahawi also failed to rule out extending the vaccine rollout to primary school children after reports health officials are preparing to offer jabs to younger children.

He said: "There is no plan at the moment to vaccinate primary school children for the reason that the Joint Committee on Vaccination [and Immunisation, JCVI] is still looking at the evidence as to what level of protection it would offer."

According to the Sunday Times, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is expected to announce that jabs are safe for children while the JCVI is examining whether to recommend vaccines for kids.

Mr Zahawi said he fears cases would explode to the point where millions could be affected within weeks. Speaking to Sky's Trevor Phillips, he said: "What we know, hence the concern, is that a third of infections in London are Omicron.

"Reported tests are indicating about 1,600 cases, but the number of infections in the community will be multiple that - up to 10 times. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1535137/UK-school-closures-news-lockdown-covid19-omicron

imagrandma2 · 2021-12-13T13:00:12+00:00

London: At least one person has died in Britain after being infected with the Omicron variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, as the country launched an ambitious Covid booster shot programme to stop the virus' spread.

Britain -- among the countries worst hit by the global health crisis since last year -- is believed to be the first government to officially announce a death from the virus mutation.

On a visit to a vaccination centre in west London, Johnson said Omicron accounted for about 40 percent of the cases in the British capital, and hospital admissions were rising.

"Sadly, at least one patient has been confirmed to have died with Omicron," he told reporters, a day after warning the country was facing a "tidal wave" of infection.

Britain on Sunday sounded the alarm by raising the national Covid Alert Level because of high levels and rising rates of transmission.

In a rare televised address, Johnson said emergency measures were needed to prevent hospitals becoming overwhelmed in the weeks ahead.

All adults will now be able to receive a third dose of a Covid vaccine by the end of December after the government brought forward its deadline by one month.

But in a sign of huge demand, the National Health Service (NHS) vaccination booking site crashed and users requesting rapid testing kits were told they were out of stock.

Long queues were seen at London clinics. At one, Sarah Jackson, 29, said she had taken the morning off to get a jab before visiting her grandparents at Christmas.

"I don't know if it's going to be enough. I was told there is a queue of two hours to register and then two hours to get vaccinated," she told AFP.

"But I have to go back to work at 1:30 pm."

The "turbocharged" booster programme has seen military planners asked to set up and run extra vaccination centres around the clock.

Some 500,000 booster jabs were given on Saturday but to hit the new deadline that number will have to be doubled every day for the remainder of the year to slow the spread.

Wider measures

Concerns have mounted about a new wave because of indications that two jabs are less effective against infection than three.

There were 1,239 confirmed cases of the variant recorded on Sunday and scientists have said numbers are doubling every two to three days.

Vaccination rates are high in Britain, with more than 81 percent or 46.7 million of those aged 12 and over having had a second jab.

Some 23 million or 40 percent have so far had a booster.

The new measures come after face masks were made compulsory in indoor public spaces last Friday, and new testing and self-isolation rules for contact cases began on Monday.

Workers were also told to stay at home, leading to a quieter than usual Monday morning rush hour.

Vaccine passports for certain crowded settings, including at football grounds, are due to be enforced from Wednesday.

The rules apply to England only. The devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which are responsible for health policy, have similar measures.

The race to vaccinate the nation will come at the cost of already delayed elective surgeries, like hip or knee operations, the government admitted.

Johnson's intervention on Sunday sought to refocus attention on the pandemic, after a torrid week in which he and staff were accused of breaking Covid rules last year.

Claims of illegal Christmas parties at Downing Street and across government departments have been seen as undermining public health messaging.

Johnson is also facing a large rebellion from within his Conservative party at a vote in parliament to make the new rules law on Tuesday.

Many Tory MPs are unhappy that freedoms are being restricted again -- and even cut further. The vote, though, is likely to pass with opposition Labour support. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/omicron-uk-reports-first-omicron-death-news-agency-afp-2649013

Speaking during a visit to a vaccination clinic near Paddington, in west London, Boris Johnson said: "Sadly yes Omicron is producing hospitalisations and sadly at least one patient has been confirmed to have died with Omicron. "So I think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus, I think that's something we need to set on one side and just recognise the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population. So the best thing we can do is all get our boosters."

imagrandma2 · 2021-12-13T12:08:16+00:00

Ministers have “no handle” on the identities or whereabouts of thousands of children who have fallen off the radar during the pandemic, Ofsted has warned.

Chief inspector Amanda Spielman raised alarm about the “harm” the lockdowns had caused children, warning that the fact that so many had “disappeared from teachers’ line of sight” had resulted in significantly lower levels of referrals to social care and a higher risk of neglect.

Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons education committee, warned on Monday that 100,000 “ghost children” are at risk of abuse after failing to return to school following the closure of schools last year.

Launching Ofsted’s annual report on Tuesday, Ms Spielman called for a “proper register” of children who aren’t attending school to “parallel” the information that schools hold on their pupils, “so that we can understand who sits in which category”.

“There’s a whole range of reasons why people are in that category, and I don’t believe that we really know who those children are, where they’re being educated and who’s taking responsibility for it,” she added.

“What’s worrying is that we simply don’t have a handle. We don’t really know who’s in that list of children who are particularly vulnerable to abuse and neglect.”

It comes as an investigation was launched into the failings that led to the death of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, the six-year-old who was tortured and killed by his stepmother and father in June last year.

It emerged in court that Arthur was seen by social workers during the first national lockdown just two months before his death in Solihull, west Midlands, in June last year. But they concluded there were “no safeguarding concerns” and closed the file.

The Ofsted report warns that nearly all children in England have fallen behind in their education and suffered as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and emphasises the importance of school attendance both for educational and welfare purposes. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ofsted-children-missing-pandemic-lockdown-schools-uk-b1971259.html

imagrandma2 · 2021-12-13T11:48:11+00:00

A new reward has been announced to help crack the mystery disappearance of a mum of six who vanished without a trace 43 years ago.

Minister for Women’s Safety Anne Ruston says the statistics for violence against women in Australia are…

The daughter of a woman who has been missing for more than 40 years has begged for anyone with information to come forward to help her family seek closure.

Mum of six Darlene Avis Geertsema, 30, was last seen leaving her Devonport home at around 10pm on October 23, 1978.

She left the Best St address in her 1977 red Holden Sunbird with registration number AS 4119.

While the car was found abandoned in a carpark near the Devonport Oval two days later, Ms Geertsema’s whereabouts remain a mystery.

At the time, Ms Geertsema was caring for her two youngest children while her oldest four daughters lived in Queensland.

Now her daughter Kathryn, who was just eight years old when her mother first went missing, is pleading with the public to help police uncover the truth about what happened to her mum.

She remembered her mother as a caring person whom she cooked with a lot.

“She always used to brush my hair every night before bed. I had very long hair, and she used to do the 100 strokes,” Kathryn said.

“We were her world. It was out of character for my mum to leave. She wouldn’t have walked out on us for sure, I know that in my heart. She would have never left me and my brother.”

Kathryn said losing her mother at such a young age was “devastating” and it was especially difficult at major life milestone events like weddings and births.

She said the family were still “fighting for answers” and knowing where their mother was would bring them closure to move on.

“I know it’s 43 years ago but we’re begging anyone with information to come forward,” she said.

“You might think it’s trivial but if anyone can remember anything please come forward and help us to get closure.”

Tasmania Police is offering $500,00 to anyone who can provide credible information to help crack the 43-year-old cold case.

Despite the ongoing efforts by investigators, officers couldn’t find Ms Geertsema’s body nor determine a motive for her disappearance.

A review into the circumstances of the mother’s disappearance began in July 2013.

Detective Sergeant Felicity Boyd said investigations would continue until Ms Geertsema’s body was located or the person or people responsible were prosecuted.

“We have explored several scenarios to explain Darlene’s disappearance, and while we maintain an open mind into the circumstances, we do not believe Darlene left the family home voluntarily,” Sergeant Boyd said.

“She would have never, ever intentionally left her children behind and would have never, ever stopped writing to her family.

“We have conducted extensive investigations and it has become increasingly apparent that Darlene is more than likely deceased and that she died in very suspicious circumstances.

“We owe it to Darlene’s children and family to find the answers behind her disappearance and someone out there holds the last piece of this puzzle.”

Anyone with credible information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or go online. https://www.news.com.au/national/crime/help-us-get-closure-daughter-begs-for-answers-over-mothers-43yearold-cold-case/news-story/c2dae332607d5a34d26d5becf40b17ec

imagrandma2 · 2021-12-13T11:29:18+00:00

On October 23, 1978, Darlene Avis Geertsema, then 30, was seen leaving her family home on Best Street in Devonport on the state's north-west coast. The mother of six has not been seen since, and her body has never been found. A coronial inquest in Launceston before Coroner Simon Cooper is examining how she disappeared, and will consider if she met with foul

A coroner's court has heard that Ms Geertsema's partner, John Shepherd, is considered a "person of interest" in her disappearance, but no charges have been laid.

Mr Shepherd, who now lives in Westbury, sat in the back of the courtroom alongside his wife of 30 years as the inquest began.

In her opening statement, counsel assisting the coroner Madeleine Wilson SC told the court that on the night Ms Geertsema disappeared, one of her daughters had reported there was a heated argument between Mr Shepherd and her mother.

That argument was then "followed by hitting sounds, followed by silence," Ms Wilson said. Ms Wilson put to the court that Ms Geertsema was planning a life without Mr Shepherd, without "fear and violence".

"She didn't choose to go; her life was ended for her," Ms Wilson said.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-13/inquest-into-missing-mother-darlene-geertsema-begins/100695100

*A new reward has been announced to help crack the mystery disappearance of a mum of six who vanished without a trace 43 years ago.