Magda Hassan Wrote:Unbelievable. What planet do they live on? How has this 'man' still got a job let alone not been charged for his criminal negligence in the job. Didn't Jan post some blog from or about the Yorkshire (North, South, East, West?) police? A professional whistle-blower outlet for the plods?
From Buter-Sloss to City of London Lord Mayor Fiona Woolf.
I know far too little about Graham Wilmer of the Lantern Project, but hope that he might bring some form of independence to the inquiry. Ditto Barbara Hearn of the National Children's Bureau.
Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf has replaced Lady Butler-Sloss as head of the UK government inquiry into historical child abuse. Ms Woolf is a City lawyer and former president of the Law Society. She will head an inquiry panel including child abuse experts and at least one victim of abuse. Retired judge Baroness Butler-Sloss quit as head of the inquiry in July, saying she was "not the right person" for the job. She stood down after child abuse victims raised concerns that she is the sister of the late Sir Michael Havers, who was attorney-general in the 1980s when abuse is alleged to have happened. The inquiry, which was set up in July, was prompted by allegations that figures in Westminster and Whitehall were implicated in covering up child sex abuse, and that police and other authorities did not properly investigate prominent offenders such as Jimmy Savile and Cyril Smith. 'Shaken confidence'Announcing Ms Woolf's appointment, Home Secretary Theresa May said: "In recent years, we have seen appalling cases of organised and persistent child sex abuse which have exposed serious failings by public bodies and important institutions. "These failings have sent shockwaves through the country and shaken public confidence in the pillars of society in which we should have total trust. "That is why the government has announced that an independent panel of experts will consider whether such organisations have taken seriously their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse. "We are absolutely clear that we must learn the lessons of past failures and the panel will be instrumental in helping us to do this." Ms Woolf, 66, is an expert in energy markets and has advised many governments and the World Bank on privatisation and energy reforms. 'No time to lose'As the Lord Mayor of London, she acts as ambassador for the City of London and Britain's financial services industry around the world. She said: "Ensuring lessons are learned from the mistakes which have been made in the past and resulted in children being subjected to the most horrific crimes is a vital and solemn undertaking. Labour MP Simon Danczuk called for a sense of urgency "I was honoured to be approached to lead such an important inquiry and look forward to working with the panel to ensure these mistakes are identified and never repeated." She will be assisted as head of the inquiry by Graham Wilmer, a child sexual abuse victim and founder of the Lantern Project, which helps victims of sex abuse, and Barbara Hearn, former deputy chief executive of the National Children's Bureau. Prof Alexis Jay, author of the recent report into abuse in Rotherham, will act as an expert adviser to the panel, said the Home Office. Their first tasks are to finalise membership of the panel and agree terms of reference for the inquiry, said the Home Office in a statement. Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, who led calls for an overarching inquiry into alleged abuse, backed the appointment of Ms Woolf but called on her to bring "a sense of urgency" to the investigation. 'Victims' voices'He said the inquiry had lost momentum due to delays after the resignation of Lady Butler-Sloss. "I'm pleased the Home Secretary has finally got this moving," said the Labour MP. "Although I would not have looked to high office in the Square Mile to find someone to challenge the establishment, Fiona Woolf is a smart and capable woman and she has my support. "Britain is in the middle of a child abuse crisis and this inquiry has to be a watershed. It must go to the heart of the establishment and challenge why crimes have been swept under the carpet for so long." Mr Danczuk added that there was "no time to lose", as some alleged abusers were now very elderly and could die before facing justice. Matthew Reed, chief executive of the Children's Society, echoed Mr Danczuk's call for no further delays to the inquiry but said it must be "thorough and comprehensive" and the voices of victims must be heard. "This is a critical opportunity to eliminate the obstacles that have denied these children justice in the past and to stop this horrific crime from happening again," he added.
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.
Magda Hassan Wrote:Good grief, took them long enough to find somebody to head it. What is the response from victim groups?
I'm waiting to see what response they give...
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.
It was all fairly predictable. You didn't have to have special powers to recognise that whoever was appointed to chair the abuse inquiry would come under intense scrutiny and that some would excavate some tenuous reason why that person might be unsuitable.
For some, this is not a serious attempt to uncover the truth about child abuse over the last 50 years and the culpability of the authorities but a conspiracy theory, a game and to perpetuate that game anyone who was appointed as chair would have to be undermined.
But it's not a game and many of those that are trying to make it into one are not survivors of child abuse themselves. They are just the empty vessels making the loudest noise.
Most survivors of child abuse don't want their entire life to be overshadowed by their experiences in childhood. Most want closure and that can only happen if they are listened to now because survivors felt voiceless at the time they were abused and they want recognition and where possible, justice.
The Home Secretary was wise enough to announce the appointment of Graham Wilmer and Barbara Hearn as panel members. Frankly, the composition and balance of the Inquiry panel as a whole was always more important than who chaired it.
The announcement that Prof Alexis Jay, author of the recent report into abuse in Rotherham, will act as an expert adviser to the panel should also reassure. More important than the composition and balance of the Inquiry panel will be the Terms of Reference and I await their publication.
But that didn't stop people digging. So, here are the rather tenuous reasons I've seen the conspiracy theorists suggest should disqualify Fiona Woolf from chairing the Inquiry.
1) Fiona Woolf is Lord Mayor of London (one year term) and therefore an establishment figure.
2) In that capacity (not as an individual) she has been appointed as a member of a committee that Leon Brittan is on.
3) She is a tax lawyer and Jersey is a tax haven.
4) She once sponsored Lady Brittan £50 for charity. Can we please give Fiona Woolf a chance ? This is not a game!
It most certainly is not a game, but I remain cynical. For example, when we hear that the Met has delayed its prosecution of approx 200 charges of child sex abuse linked to politicians (Exaro News 1st September 2014) because of "presentational reasons", then clearly the police do treat the subject as a "game". Likewise, the number of inquiries held in the past and which have all resulted in a cover-up is not a good track record to engender too much hope that the leopard has now changed its spots.
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.
I thought I saw of Exaro that she has connections to Brittain. I'll see if I can find the article.
Edit...
Not Exaro but here is something. Not in the same league as being the sister of some who has clearly been part of the cover up but.... I do't know that she has the support of the victims. Seems there is a call for Michael Mansfield but don't know if he is available anyway. Terms f reference will be the most important aspect
Quote:
Revealed: New boss of investigation into VIP child abuse claims is linked to Leon Brittan: The Mail On Sunday exposes family friendship of SECOND inquiry chief with the ex-MP accused of abuse file cover-up
Fiona Woolf, the Lord Mayor of London, appointed to carry out role of investigating claims of an Establishment cover-up of VIP paedophile rings
The previous chairman Baroness Butler-Schloss stood down because her brother, Michael Havers, tried to dissuade a Tory MP publicly naming a paedophile
Home Office last night refused to answer questions about what it had known about Mrs Woolf's links to Lord Brittan
The new chairman of a long-awaited Government inquiry into historic child sex abuse was facing calls to resign last night after The Mail on Sunday discovered her astonishing links to Leon Brittan a key figure embroiled in the scandal.
Fiona Woolf, the Lord Mayor of London, was appointed to carry out the important role of investigating claims of an Establishment cover-up of VIP paedophile rings on Friday, two months after the original chairman was forced to step down over conflicts of interest.
But this newspaper has found that the top corporate lawyer is also closely linked to Lord Brittan who is likely to give evidence to her inquiry. It can be revealed that she:
Sits on the board of a City of London conference with Lord Brittan, who is accused of overseeing an Establishment cover-up when he was Home Secretary;
Judges an annual City award scheme alongside Lord Brittan's wife, Diana;
Gave Lord Brittan's wife a £50 donation and a friendly good-luck message when she took part in a charity fun run last year;
Has been a neighbour of Lord and Lady Brittan in the same exclusive London street for the past decade;
Is a governor of the elite Guildhall School of Music where pupils are said to have been abused;
Is a patron of a body for female lawyers along with Labour's Harriet Harman, whose National Council of Civil Liberties once had links to a notorious paedophile group
Scroll down for video
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Lord Brittan is accused of overseeing an Establishment cover-up when he was Home Secretary
Last night Labour MP Simon Danczuk who has led calls for a public inquiry into historic child sex abuse in the wake of revelations about high-profile figures such as Sir Jimmy Savile questioned Mrs Woolf's appointment. If it's found that Fiona Woolf is close to the Brittans, her position is untenable and she needs to be clear about what her relationship is with Leon Brittan, who is one of the most significant figures in terms of suggestions of a cover-up,' he said. Surely the Home Office was aware of this before they suggested appointing her?'
Peter Saunders, the chairman of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said: It would once again seem to be incredibly inappropriate that she would even be offered the appointment.'
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Chairmen past and present: Baroness Butler-Schloss (left) stood down because her brother Lord Havers was Attorney General during the 1980s, when he tried to dissuade the Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens from revealing that senior diplomat Sir Peter Hayman was a paedophile; Fiona Woolf, the Lord Mayor of London, replaced her but she, too, has links to Leon Brittan
Home Secretary Theresa May, who personally appointed Mrs Woolf after her background was checked by officials, was also facing questions about her judgement. Last night it was not clear if she had been made aware of Mrs Woolf's close association with the Brittans.
Labour MP John Mann said: If Fiona Woolf is friends with Leon Brittan, that is a problem. If that's the case, she shouldn't have accepted the job. She needs to move straight away to clear the air it would be a catastrophe to lose a second chairman.
The Home Office also needs to clear the air and demonstrate that it did due diligence.'
And Labour MP Keith Vaz said that he would call Mrs Woolf to give evidence before his influential Home Affairs Select Committee, adding: I am sure she will want to be as open and transparent as possible.'
The public inquiry was announced in early July, following months of pressure from MPs and campaign groups as more and more claims emerged of secret VIP sex rings across Britain and child abuse in schools, hospitals and churches, dating back more than 30 years, with the perpetrators spared justice by an Establishment cover-up.
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It suffered a massive setback within weeks when the chairman, former High Court judge Baroness Butler-Sloss, was forced to quit over conflicts of interest.
Over the summer, the Home Office has been searching for a suitable replacement whose experience and background would command respect from victims and Westminster, while also having the required distance from the individuals and institutions they will have to scrutinise.
On Friday, it was announced that Mrs Woolf had been appointed, with the aim of publishing an interim report before next May's General Election.
Mrs Woolf said she was honoured' and added that learning from the mistakes of the past was a vital and solemn undertaking'.
LESSER LINKS THAT FORCED OUT FIRST HEAD OF THE INQUIRY INTO HISTORIC CHILD ABUSE ALLEGATIONS
Baroness Butler-Sloss was originally appointed to lead the inquiry into historic allegations of child abuse but stood down because of concern over potential conflict of interest.
Now, however, her links may be seen as less concerning than those that have put Fiona Woolf's appointment in doubt. Lady Butler-Sloss's brother, Lord Havers, was Attorney General during the 1980s, when he tried to dissuade the Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens from revealing that senior diplomat Sir Peter Hayman was a paedophile.
But Mr Dickens, who handed a dossier on alleged child abusers to then Home Secretary Sir Leon Brittan, used parliamentary privilege to name Hayman as a member of the Paedophile Information Exchange.
Hayman was given a police caution for possessing child abuse images.
The baroness had chaired the Cleveland inquiry into child abuse and was once the highest-ranking female judge in Britain and president of the Family Division of the High Court. But despite her expertise, critics still said she should resign because of her brother's history.
On quitting, she said she had never put the reputation of an institution before justice for victims.
But MoS research soon suggested the Home Office had not learned from its own mistakes. Publicly available documents revealed that Mrs Woolf, 66, has several close links to the former Home Secretary Lord Brittan and his wife.
It calls into question her ability to run the inquiry because earlier this year Lord Brittan was at the centre of a storm over an alleged cover-up of child sex abuse and a missing list of alleged VIP paedophiles.
He admitted he had received the so-called Dickens dossier' from campaigning MP Geoffrey Dickens in 1983 but insisted he had passed the papers on to Home Office officials.
[URL="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2746370/Revealed-New-boss-investigation-VIP-child-abuse-claims-linked-Leon-Brittan-The-Mail-On-Sunday-exposes-family-friendship-SECOND-inquiry-chief-ex-MP-accused-abuse-file-cover-up.html#v-3655247839001"] Labour MP Simon Danczuk urges inquiry into abuse (Archive) [/URL]
It then emerged he had recently been questioned by Scotland Yard over allegations that he raped an 19-year-old in 1967. He denies the claims and has not been arrested or charged.
The Home Office last night refused to answer questions about what it had known about Mrs Woolf's links to Lord Brittan.
The Brittans yesterday refused to answer questions from The Mail On Sunday as they drove away from their home.
Mrs Woolf could not be reached.
"The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it." Karl Marx
"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
“I think it would be a good idea” Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilisation.
No wonder it took a couple of months to find a replacement of Butler-Sloss --- they had to root around Lewd Leon Brittan's telephone book to find someone he knew that they could appoint...
I liked this statement in the above:
Quote:Lord Brittan is accused of overseeing an Establishment cover-up when he was Home Secretary
To which I might respond that is the least thing he is accused of.
Not least his name appears on the list of "guests" (top) at the now infamous Elm House paedo brothel. For all we know he was there decorating the place on his "relaxing" night off from the rigours of being a Tory MP, or possibly just dropped by this seamy place for a cup of tea, to dunk his floppy Digestive or have a good old chin-wag with friends. It may all have been perfectly innocent. But the media just refuses to mention this connection at all. It remains off limits, and that surely, must be worrying?
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.
Exaro's latest provides some insights into Fiona Woolf's appointment and suggests there is hope that this inquiry will be an honest one. Fingers crossed then. Hope for the best, but expect the worst. Interestingly, it looks like the appointment of Woolf's predecessor, the now resigned Butler-Sloss was made by Cameron (Downing Street). I guess Cameron ultimately gave way on the understanding that Woolf's report won't be made public before the next election.
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.
Tom might have confidence in Woolf but the victims certainly do not. They have confidence in Tom and are trying to discuss their issues with him. Not sure how things will pan out. Cameron was behind the Butler-Sloss nomination. Who is behind choosing this woman?
"The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it." Karl Marx
"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
“I think it would be a good idea” Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilisation.
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Labour MP Simon Danczuk called for a sense of urgency![[Image: 3b494d00ef10014cdccfb9cc0ed82326.jpg?w=500&h=334]](https://theneedleblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/3b494d00ef10014cdccfb9cc0ed82326.jpg)
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