CALEDONIAN COMMENT

British police violated a paedophile’s human rights when they told his employers about a 20-year-old conviction for sexually molesting a 3-year-old boy, a UK judge ruled yesterday. Mr Justice Nicol said the disclosure of the 1987 conviction – which led to the man being sacked from his job – was “unnecessary.” Northumbria Police failed to take into account Home Office guidelines before unlawfully disclosing the “historic” and “spent” conviction to his bosses, the High Court (pictured above) ruling added. It amounted to a breach of Article 8 of the Human Rights Convention, which enshrines every citizen’s right to respect for privacy and family life (apart from the victims and the families of victims of paedophiles of course), said Mr Justice Nicol. But the paedophile, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had his claims for compensation (bloody cheek) rejected after the judge said that police had been entitled to disclose to the man’s employers his 2007 arrest on suspicion of abusing his daughter.

So let me get this straight – the judge reckoned that police were wrong to tell this perv’s employers about a 1987 conviction – but right to tell his employers about a 2007 arrest on suspicion. I suppose in the rarified atmosphere and unreal world of the High Court, that makes sense. But perhaps the learned judge, so breathless with enthusiasm to ensure the “rights” of convicted paedophiles aren’t violated, might consider this : if the Police had said nothing and the man had gone on in the course of his job to sexually abuse a child, would the learned judge have got so enervated about the “rights” of the violated child needlessly attacked because a paedophile was given free rein ? Or would the resultant whitewash enquiry have prattled on as usual about the need to “learn lessons” and “promote efficiency by means of procedures subsequently put in place”?  Welcome to Britain 2009 – human rights and handouts for paedophiles, Islamic terrorists, inept social workers, geriatric judges, corrupt politicians, incompetent bankers and religious nutcases. Responsibilities (with bills for endless politically correct nonsense) for the rest of us. The sooner this type of New Labour insanity is removed, the better.

 

And while the powers that be in the UK are concerned about people’s human rights, they may care to look at the emerging evidence in connection with the death of an innocent man during the G20 disturbances in London last week. The footage, a still of which is reproduced above, shows that the man who died was attacked from behind and thrown to the ground by a baton–wielding police officer in riot gear. Moments after the assault on Mr Ian Tomlinson was captured on video, he suffered a heart attack and died. It sheds new light on the events surrounding the death of the innocent newspaper vendor, who was on his way home from work when he was confronted by lines of riot police near the Bank of England. The footage reveals that as he walks, with his hands in his pockets, he does not speak to any police officer or offer any resistance. A line of aggressive officers, some with dogs and some in riot gear, are close behind him and try to urge him forward. An over eager police officer (above right) appears to strike him with a baton, hitting him from behind on his upper thigh. Moments later, the same policeman rushes forward and, using both hands, pushes Mr Tomlinson in the back and sends him flying to the ground. If this film is genuine – and there’s no reason to think it isn’t – the officer concerned should be identified and charged with murder. You can see the disturbing footage, courtesy of the UK’s Guardian newspaper, at web address:   http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2009/apr/07/g20-protest-death-police-assault

  

US President Barack Obama (pictured above, getting up close and personal with members of the US military) made an unannounced visit to Baghdad yesterday, marking a new chapter in his strategy to wind down the unpopular war in Iraq and shift American military focus to Afghanistan. The White House said that Obama would meet US commanders and troops. He would also speak to Iraqi leaders, but would call by telephone rather than see them in person because poor visibility prevented helicopter travel around the capital. Flying secretly from Istanbul at the end of the President’s first major international tour, Air Force One touched down at Baghdad International Airport a day after a string of seemingly coordinated bombings across the Iraqi capital killed 37 people. So hats off to the American security people – fly the President to Iraq from adjacent Turkey – I’m sure no Iraqi insurgents would have anticipated such a move. I don’t think.

 

In the UK Police seized Tamil Tiger flags and made a series of arrests outside the Houses of Parliament yesterday as officers struggled to control a growing demonstration over alleged human rights abuses in Sri Lanka. Scotland Yard warned it might have to make “a huge number of arrests” – though thankfully didn’t predict any deaths this time -  as the size of the Tamil rally swelled beyond 1,000 after the demonstration seemed to have been quelled in the morning. Protesters were forced into the centre of Parliament Square by lunchtime as police finally pushed the unauthorised Sri Lankan demonstration off Westminster’s busy roads after almost 24 hours of disruption. Which prompts me to ask a question : if these Sri Lankans are so bothered about human rights abuses in their country, why don’t they get off their arses, stop lazing about in the UK claiming social benefits and instead piss off over to Sri Lanka and do something about it ?

 

The postman delivering letters on his bicycle has been a been a familiar sight of British life for years – but it could be all change thanks to the French. An egg-shaped vehicle (pictured above) - with a top speed of just 25 mph – is being trialled in 2 areas and could lead to a mass order by the Royal Mail. And in a move which could upset traditionalists but please saddle-sore postmen, the odd-looking buggies could put an end to the use of bicycles within the postal service. So there you have it folks – no more postmen on bikes, now they’ll be riding about in things that resemble pregnant roller-skates. Interestingly though, no-one in the Royal Mail was prepared to express an opinion as to whether the new mode of transport would actually improve the postal service. Why are we not surprised ?

  

Veteran UK television personality Sir Michael Parkinson has launched an extraordinary attack on cancer victim Jade Goody (pictured above), a reality TV “star” who died recently, calling her “ignorant and puerile.” Just days after Goody’s funeral, for which thousands of well-wishers lined the streets, Parkinson has spoken out to say she represented “all that is paltry and wretched about Britain today.” Writing in the BBC magazine the Radio Times, he said Goody, who was only 27 when she succumbed to cervical cancer, should not have “martyr” status and was instead a poor role model who was exploited by the media. “Jade Goody has her own place in the history of television and, while it’s significant, it’s nothing to be proud of,” Parkinson said. “Her death is as sad as the death of any young person, but it’s not the passing of a martyr or a saint, or Princess Diana. When we clear the media smokescreen, what we’re left with is a woman who came to represent all that’s paltry and wretched about Britain today. She was brought up on a sink estate, as a child came to know both drugs and crime, was barely educated, ignorant and puerile.” I couldn’t agree more Michael – and well said. Except Diana was actually paltry and wretched as well. 

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Tags: afghanistan, air force one, baghdad, barack obama, bbc, france, g20, high court, home office, houses of parliament, human rights convention, ian tomlinson, iraq, istanbul, jade goody, michael parkinson, mr justice nicol, new labour, northumbria police, princess diana, radio times, royal mail, scotland yard, sri lanka, tamil tiger, uk, us, white house

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