Cure our sick jails

We see people bullied online, in the workplace, in all kinds of ways. There is bullying based on race, size, gender, sexuality.

But one of the most horrible is when children are bullied. Because they are vulnerable.

Their knowledge of the world and how it works has not developed. And they don’t have the coping strategies adults do.

Thankfully, schools, parents and peers are being taught to recognise the signs of bullying.

And as we learn more about the importance of mental health, people are being encouraged to speak up.

Today we bring you the story of a ten-year-old boy bullied so badly he thought of killing himself. His ordeal is horrifying.

The bullies threatened to ruin his life by making false rape accusations against him.

This went on for ten months. The family had to move schools, homes, as his life fell apart. His mum says he is a different little boy. Incredibly, police investigated the allegations made against him. They spent four hours questioning him.

And the decision to drop the charges took months.

In fact, that only came after one of the bullies admitted the whole thing had been “a joke”.

Of course the police had to investigate. But they could also have applied common sense.

It doesn’t take long to work out there wasn’t a case to answer. In the meantime, a little boy and his family went through almost a year of torture.

The police should look at how they treated this case.

They should also look again at these bullies and see if the actual case to answer here is wasting police time. VIOLENCE, overcrowding and drugs are all rife in our prisons.

The boss at HMP Swaleside wrote to his inmates to tell them he felt “personal upset” at their bad behaviour.

Heartfelt letters won’t help the crisis in our jails.

And the Government’s pledge to inject £10million to beef up security is a drop in the ocean.

Only when prisons are properly resourced and staffed will they be fit for purpose.