Thursday 28 August 2014

“We Mustn’t Lock Up The Chiiiildreeeeennnn!”

Fiona Bawdon weeps for the little ones:
Although still only 17, Kesia Leatherbarrow had a long history of self-harming and mental health problems when she was arrested by police in December 2013 for having a small amount of cannabis.
She was kept in the cells all weekend, where she became distraught, banging her head and pulling out her hair, before being sent to court on Monday morning. The court bailed her to come back the next day but a few hours later she was found dead in a friend’s garden.
I'm tempted to say we didn't lose a potential brain surgeon.
Dr Sarah Wollaston MP highlighted earlier this week the “scandal” of vulnerable children and young people being given mental health assessments in police cells for want of anywhere more suitable to take them.
Except she didn't hang herself in her cell, but when she'd been released...
Kesia was the third 17-year-old from the Manchester area in three years to die soon after being arrested on minor charges. Neither of the previous two, Eddie Thornber who died in 2011, or Joe Lawton who died in 2012, had any history of mental vulnerability. Both boys had been popular and high achieving.
Like Kesia, Joe was kept overnight in the cells before being released, Eddie was held for a shorter period – but both boys’ parents believe their sons killed themselves because they were traumatised by their arrests and thought their futures were ruined.
So...the police shouldn't have arrested them?I wonder just what those 'minor charges' were..
What is needed is greater investment in this area and a fundamental shift in thinking that recognises that whether they have been arrested or detained because of mental health concerns, in the words of Brincat Baines: “The police station is no place for any child.”
Except when they've been suspected of committing crimes. And a 17 year old is, increasingly, no 'child'.

22 comments:

Ted Treen said...

God God, Julia - yet again you're suggesting the unthinkable, viz that people are responsible for the consequences of their own actions, instead of searching for someone to blame (followed no doubt, by a profitable lawsuit)

What a good job we don't live in bygone times - the establishment would be preparing to burn you at the stake for heresy...

Anonymous said...

I considered myself an adult at the age of seventeen. When I think about it now, this was probably because I had by then left school and started work. At the time, without really giving the matter very much thought, that was how I drew the line between childhood and adulthood, being at school or being at work.

Stonyground

Bucko said...

Sounds like another apologist for delinquent children and the muppets who raised them

Hubert Rawlinson said...

This is a difficult comment for me to post, as I suffer from, or as I prefer to say 'live with' a psychotic illness myself, namely 'Bipolar Affective Disorder' to give it it's PC name. I still call it Manic Depression, which it was called back when I was diagnosed in the early 90's.

I hope you will understand why I don't wish to go into any great detail about my personal experiences, but what I would like to say is that my experiences with the police regarding my mental health issues have been almost entirely positive and on a couple of occasions I would go as far as to say 'above and beyond' what might reasonably be expected of them. Perhaps I've just been lucky in that respect.

I only wish that I could say the same for some of the so called 'Health Care Professionals' not to mention some of the ironically titled 'care workers' in the 'Secure Mental Health Facilities' that it has been my misfortune to come across.

Probably said too much already, sorry! I'll go lay down in a dark room for while! :)

Lord T said...

Plod are a bit prone to arresting people for no reason.

So not all people face the consequences of their actions, Plod don't.

This latest one though seems like she should have just gotten used to it. After all it's simply a night in the cells, a judge saying that she should face jail, but it was only her 73rd time so she walks and then out into the world.

I think that she has done us a favour. We should be grateful rather than critical methinks.

Anonymous said...

Maybe it's the parents who should spend the night with plod? Their failure to teach said sprog to be responsible for their actions is the root cause.

MTG said...

There are cases on record of attractive, vulnerable women, wrongly arrested and placed in dirty cells for exploitation by plod perverts. I do not doubt that the former who suffer mental illness in combination with a highly abusive experience, might be tempted to resolve that degradation with suicide.

Ian Hills said...

Why didn't you bold the "Kesia" bit?

Ed P said...

Kesia - what a name! Any potential employer would have got a good idea of the potential just from the name - no need to check for tattoos.

Anonymous said...

Funnily enough Melvin the custody Sergeant only today asked me to fit up a cute blond with big whammers so he could grope her in the cells! You really are a supreme cock.
You should be more concerned about the huge sexual abuse scandal by your fellow Yorkshiremen that was allowed due to lefty liberals like you calling everyone racist who dared to point out the obvious.
Jaded

Anonymous said...

Here's another great story about the CJ system 'working'?
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/police-hunt-attacker-who-punched-22096/

This incident had the perps's mugshot published a couple of weeks ago and two months after the attack. Commenters named him - and the result?

Anonymous said...

What on earth could be wrong with your Sergeant to look down on your cleavage, Jaded?

Anonymous said...

Oh good Melvin's awake,he should have a vested interest in mental health posts.
Jaded

Anonymous said...

Still barefoot, nursing a terrible hangover and in my hospital gown, Jaded. They pump Midazolam into both thighs here.

tomrat said...

Who would you rather meet in a dark alleyway on a lonesome night; a youth from a rough area who had been through somewhere like the Norwegian prison system or the same from one of ours?

From a purely pragmatic point of view I would prefer to treat our prisoners better but be consistent in what they are denied, unlike our current system which seems to be all over the place.

JuliaM said...

"At the time, without really giving the matter very much thought, that was how I drew the line between childhood and adulthood, being at school or being at work."

I can see why we have so many childults in the UK then...

"Sounds like another apologist for delinquent children and the muppets who raised them"

Spot on!

"...what I would like to say is that my experiences with the police regarding my mental health issues have been almost entirely positive and on a couple of occasions I would go as far as to say 'above and beyond' what might reasonably be expected of them. "

Given the tender mercies of the NHS, that doesn't seem as surprising as you might think.

"You should be more concerned about the huge sexual abuse scandal by your fellow Yorkshiremen that was allowed due to lefty liberals like you calling everyone racist who dared to point out the obvious."

So you're scared of a bit of name calling? Scared out of upholding the law?

Then....what good are you?

Anonymous said...

you all disgust me! i am the devastated mother of my beautiful angel kesia who was far better in soul spirit and intellect than anyone on this site. she said the world was a bad place and looking at these comments i see how right she was. you should all be ashamed of yourselves and i can only hope you never experience the pain and heartbreak such narrow minded views cause

Anonymous said...

im sure you will not publish my comment as you won't have the guts shame shame shame on you! do you have any idea of the pain these disgusting comments cause a bereaved parent? you probably don't even care if you did you wouldn't say such cruel things

Anonymous said...

you cruel heartless individual my beautiful daughter was a former UK accordion champion and was named after one of jobs beautiful daughters if you know your bible? she also served at Sunday mass how dare you!

Anonymous said...

you disgust me juliam i am the devastated mother of my beautiful daughter who said the world was a bad place and she was right with judgmental scum like you in it when all we are trying to do is prevent more tragedy! i only hope you never experience the tragedy of this kind of loss

JuliaM said...

"im sure you will not publish my comment..."

Got that as wrong as everything else, didn't you?

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure there are any words. He without sin and all that. To the grieving mother who has had the misfortune to stumble across this silo of hate, I feel for you. It appears that just as there are those who will stand up and fight for the vulnerable (especially when they are unable to do it themselves) there are predatory others waiting to pounce at every turn. Your battle will clearly be a difficult one. Don't let it put you off... May this hate give you the determination you need to make a difference, I'd like to hope it will. Don't waste your breath in trying to convince those who are blinkered and instead consider those that you might help.

There is too much hate in this world. Too many too quick to dive in for their pound of flesh. May you all escape the torture of mental illness. Problem is people, it's indiscriminate in chosing it's victims. I'll remind you of this later shall I?!