The front page of today's Telegraph newspaper runs with the headline, "Jail for those who ignore child abuse." The sub heading lets us know that 'those' are social workers, teachers and local councillors.
Wow!
Did someone sit in their plush office, surrounded by luxury before they popped off to their country estate for the weekend and think, "Oh dear, this child sex abuse might be a problem now that it's in my constituency, better find someone to blame before the general election." ?
What complete and utter crap! (Sorry, I did warn you I was angry). It's bollocks.
Society has just noticed that something awful happens to certain vulnerable teenage girls (occasionally boys too) in that they become easy targets for men who want to have sex with very young women (or men). This isn't particularly new but society has noticed an is outraged. I say it's not new because I remember a girl called Clare at school, who was picked up by her 35 year old boyfriend, Simon in his car. Many girls were impressed and asked Clare if Simon had any friends, which he was more than happy to provide. All the girls who met these men were sort of happy. They didn't really remember the sex because they were too drunk but they were convinced that they were loved, often for the first time. As a listener, I knew this was wrong. I knew they were being exploited and as someone who had been loved unconditionally by parents who gave me books I knew that this wasn't love. Did I report it? Of course not. Should I have gone to jail? Actually, that's irrelevant because I wasn't a social worker, teacher or local councillor at the time.
Social workers are working with vulnerable children and their, often manipulative, parents in conditions where they often don't have time to pee. They are paid quite a small salary. They spend their working hours talking to children and their weekends and evenings writing up reports, documenting every horrific thing that was said to them. They want to help but are chronically under-resourced, tired and unsupported. If they do get enough evidence to go to court then some fancy lawyer gets Simon off on a technicality because he has a flash car and lots of money and is able to argue that Clare was more than happy with the situation. (Clare by this point is hooked on heroin and is pregnant with a child she won't know how to love).
Teachers work with all sorts of children to try to make them learn stuff in conditions where they hardly have any time to pee. They are paid quite a small salary. They teach them all day and write reports in the evening and at weekends. They want to help but they are chronically under resourced, tired and unsupported. If a child tells them something they are not happy with it will go through the beaurocracy of child protection and it might end up in court, where Simon's fancy lawyer will argue that Clare was more than happy with the situation.
Local councillors rarely see children. They have a day job in something completely unrelated and give up their evenings and weekends to attend boring meeting and write long reports. They are not paid.
I'm seeing a pattern and many of these professionals are women.
For Gods sake!!! How about we send Simon to jail? How about we send the Prime Minister to jail for allowing these professionals to work in conditions where they are under resourced, tired and unsupported? Stop picking on the wrong people.
The worst of it is that any teacher or social worker I know who missed something that lead to a child being harmed would never forgive themselves. Aren't they suffering enough already?
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