Letters: Why ‘historic’ abuse cases must not be dropped

These letters appear in the 28 January issue of The Independent

What Mary Dejevsky (“After Savile, it’s time to stop digging back into historic abuse”, 27 February) does not realise (and what I might not have realised had so many former pupils of the notorious Crookham Court School in Thatcham not contacted me over the years to disclose crimes committed there) is that sexual abuse can define a life. A criminal teacher jailed last year for abusing 24 schoolboys said of his victims: “Why can’t they get over it?” The fact is, they can’t.

“Encourage as many apologies as are needed,” writes Mary Dejevsky. The victims need convictions, not apologies.

They are left with little but the guilt dumped on them by their abusers. The justice they receive from a conviction can not only serve as a reassurance that they were the victim. It can also help them to start a legal claim for the compensation they need to arrange expensive counselling that will aim to put them back into the state they were in before the crime was committed.

A criminal is a criminal whatever the age. Not all are in their seventies. Some were young when the crimes were committed. A former teacher at Crookham Court was under 50 when he was jailed in 2012 for crimes committed 25 years earlier. Historic the offences may be, but the victims and perpetrators are in the here and now.

If delay in reporting the crime is caused by the effects of the crime, there is no time limit. No doubt the inquiry into child abuse will reveal how widespread this crime is, how it transcends time and how victims need to be helped to get their lives back.

Ian G Mucklejohn

Vacational Studies

Newbury, Berkshire

Media promotes Isis anti-heroes

Patrick Cockburn’s observation that Isis has “shown skill in manipulating its image” is amply borne out by the five pages devoted by The Independent (27 February) to “the unmasking of a British butcher”.

The Independent and other British media should reflect on the role their coverage plays in advancing the aims of Isis to “terrify and demoralise” those seeking to fight it on the ground by the publicity they give to their every act of brutality. In the promotion of the perpetrators of such acts to iconic anti-hero status with labels such as “Jihadi John”, they contribute to the recruitment of foreigners to the Isis cause.

Jeremy Sheldon

Dorking, Surrey

Bennett, a fallible, honest politician

I agree wholeheartedly with Patrick Cleary (letter, 26 February) about the fallout from Natalie Bennett’s interview on LBC.

Our choice appears to be between the few honest, human, fallible politicians or the many slick, slippery snake-oil salespeople. Most of the latter deal with difficult moments when facing people like Ferrari and Humphrys by going on the “media training course” that most politicians attend. Such courses would teach Ms Bennett important skills for those clawing their way to the top: avoidance, bluster, aggression, prevarication, deviation and, of course, blaming anyone but themselves.

On second thoughts, Natalie, save your money and put it down to experience.

Alistair Wood

Llanymynech, Powys

I am shocked that Natalie Bennett was unable to provide detailed answers on Green Party policies at the drop of a hat. I clearly remember that, in 2010, David Cameron was able to speak confidently and unprompted on Conservative policies:

“Yes, we back Sure Start. It’s a disgrace that Gordon Brown has been trying to frighten people about this.”

“We have absolutely no plans to raise VAT.”

“I like the child benefit. I wouldn’t change child benefit. I wouldn’t means-test it. I don’t think that is a good idea.”

“With the Conservatives there will be no more of the tiresome, meddlesome, top-down restructures that have dominated the last decade of the NHS.”

A truly passionate, committed and honest politician should always be ready to speak the fully-costed truth of their party’s policies from the heart.

Julian Self

Milton Keynes

Communities changed for the better

Amol Rajan lists community organisers among the failures of the Big Society. His assertion that Locality has been “ineffective” is quite wrong (Letter from the Editor, 7 February).

To say that “millions of pounds was given to Locality”, as if it was just handed to us, is misleading. Locality is contracted by the Office for Civil Society to deliver the highly effective Community Organisers programme.

In the four years we have been delivering the programme, 541 community organisers have been recruited and trained by Locality and a further 4,500 volunteer community organisers have been mobilised by senior community organisers, meeting the targets set by OCS. The community organisers have supported more than 1,500 new community projects and actions, making a difference to neighbourhoods all over the country.

They have brought together tenants and leaseholders on north London’s West Hendon estate to protest against plans to bulldoze their homes and build luxury flats. In Newcastle they have supported people to build local pride in their neighbourhood by cleaning up litter and persuading the council to employ more enforcers, and in Sunderland they have helped the community successfully campaign for increased oncology services at their local hospital.

It’s this grassroots approach that will change the world for the better, one neighbourhood at a time.

Tony Armstrong

CEO, Locality, London N1

Peacock males score an own goal

I feel so sorry for Jack Straw and Sir Malcolm Rifkind. We should forgive them and they should forgive themselves.

Mother Nature has groomed males of the entire animal kingdom without even having her own website. Attracting female admiration is the obsession throughout. Some are condemned to heave forests of antlers or unwieldy tail-feather trains around wherever they go; others exhaust themselves blowing out their necks like bubble gum or flashing other freakish attributes.

The human male is no exception. Condemned to demonstrate power and influence even if he doesn’t have very much of either, he often scores own goals.

In other cases it works like a charm. Nubile females drop their teddy bears at the first glimpse of a winner and fly into his arms even, or especially, if he turns out to be a murderous, sword-wielding sadist.

Let’s be grateful that Straw and Rifkind display their attractions in a gentler, and quite comical way, so late in their lives. I wish them a happy retirement and a sense of the ridiculous.

Claudia Cotton

London N7

What happens to worn-out wind farms?

Winners and losers have just been announced for wind farm funding contracts.

There is an estimate of £40bn to clean up North Sea oil, despite the fact that rigs can be floated and towed away. Offshore wind turbine bases are pile driven into the seabed. I recently emailed every offshore wind developer inquiring how they intend to remove them. I didn’t get a single response.

Often, corporations set up new companies to develop individual wind farms. When the subsides for renewables disappear, as inevitably they will, wind farms will be abandoned one by one as they wear out, with many of these companies declaring themselves bankrupt.

Vast areas of British waters will be off limits to shipping and fishing, and the public will face a huge clean-up bill.

Geoff Moore

Alness, Ross and Cromarty

Bold reform of healthcare

The very welcome plans to merge health and social care in Manchester are long overdue. Although the final details are yet to be announced, I believe that as well as benefiting increasing numbers of elderly patients, the joined-up care of babies and children with safeguarding issues or disabilities will undoubtedly also benefit.

Bold and risky, perhaps, but overwhelmingly common sense. Well done to all who made this possible.

Dr Michael A Reynolds

Retired consultant paediatrician

Buxton, Derbyshire

Good environmental intentions trashed

We have just moved house. The previous owners had in their kitchen a touchscreen “econometer” which told them things like how much energy they were using, and on the back proclaimed: “British Gas: looking after your world.” It was good to see a major energy supplier was concerned about protecting the environment.

We switched suppliers, so I rang British Gas to find out how to return their piece of expensive equipment. Their response: “Throw it away.”

Andrew Walker

Twyford, Berkshire