Met rape unit encouraged woman to drop case
Independent Police Complaints Commission's Deborah Glass, reports that victims have been encouraged to drop rape charges in order to improve the Met's sex crime squad's performance results is ‘a sorry indictment of the performance culture.' This most recent case reported by the IPCC said: ‘There is no doubt from the evidence that a woman made an allegation of rape at Walworth police station which should have been believed and thoroughly investigated.’ The IPCC said the Southwark Sapphire squad's approach of ‘failing to believe victims’ was ‘wholly inappropriate’. It also said it was ‘underperforming and over-stretched’. Deputy chairwoman of the IPCC Deborah Glass said: ‘There's no doubt this was an incredibly serious and shocking incident. We know with all the cases that we've dealt with that the consequences of not dealing with allegations of rape can be extremely serious. This case is yet another tragic illustration of that.’
Pray: that all reported rapes would be investigated thoroughly and that the Police would be given training to enable them to be sensitive from first contact and throughout their investigations. (Dt.13:14)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-21586786
Join Fairtrade Fortnight’s new campaign
Fairtrade Fortnight 2013 (25 Feb – 10 Mar) has now begun! This year we are being asked to sign Fairtrade’s petition to urge David Cameron to champion a better deal for the world’s smallholder farmers when the UK hosts the G8 summit in Northern Ireland in June. This year, F arairtradee ramping up the pressure. It is nothing short of a scandal that half of the world’s hungry people are the smallholder farmers who produce 70% of the world’s food, as our new report Powering Up Smallholder farmers to Make Food Fair makes clear. The fact that so many hungry people are food producers shows just how unbalanced our global food system has become. It’s madness that we allow hunger, poverty and exploitation to continue to scar the lives of millions of food producers, while in the UK it is reported we throw away one third of the food we buy.
Pray: that this challenge by Fairtrade will have the desired effect in raising awareness at the G8. (Pr.31:9)
Italy election: Nation in 'dramatic situation'
The words ‘Italy ungovernable’ appear in large black letters on the front of one of the country's bigger newspapers. The headline pretty much sums up the mood in the aftermath of this inconclusive election. Centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani says Italy is in a ‘dramatic situation’ after election results that leave the country in political stalemate. Stock markets and the euro have fallen amid concerns the deadlock could re-ignite the eurozone debt crisis. But Mr Bersani, whose coalition won most seats in parliament, did not identify a preferred partner in government. He said all political parties should take responsibility for the country. Centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi said earlier that fresh elections should be avoided, and called for a period of reflection. Other European countries have urged Italian politicians to create a stable government as soon as possible - with France and Germany urging continued reform and Spain describing the result as a ‘jump to nowhere’.
Pray: for a speedy resolution to this political deadlock. (Mal.2:2)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21594836
Italy election: Nation in 'dramatic situation'
The words ‘Italy ungovernable’ appear in large black letters on the front of one of the country's bigger newspapers. The headline pretty much sums up the mood in the aftermath of this inconclusive election. Centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani says Italy is in a ‘dramatic situation’ after election results that leave the country in political stalemate. Stock markets and the euro have fallen amid concerns the deadlock could re-ignite the eurozone debt crisis. But Mr Bersani, whose coalition won most seats in parliament, did not identify a preferred partner in government. He said all political parties should take responsibility for the country. Centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi said earlier that fresh elections should be avoided, and called for a period of reflection. Other European countries have urged Italian politicians to create a stable government as soon as possible - with France and Germany urging continued reform and Spain describing the result as a ‘jump to nowhere’.
Pray: for a speedy resolution to this political deadlock. (Mal.2:2)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21594836
