ABUSING THEIR POWER
Famous and prominent people accused of historical sex abuse
S IX people are identified as victims of historical sexual abuse every day, new figures have revealed.
Data from the National Police Chiefs’ Council shows some 2,076 victims were added onto the Operation Hydrant register in 2017.
Operation Hydrant is an ongoing investigation into allegations of non-recent sexual abuse, first launched in 2014.
The allegations recorded include those against celebrities, politicians, and sporting figures, with 338 people of public prominence accused of sexual abuse since the investigation began.
Some 139 are from the world of TV, film or radio.
A further 81 are local or national politicians, while 49 are from the music industry and 25 are from the sporting world.
There are 44 other people of public prominence on the register whose job sector is unlisted.
Overall, there are 3,867 alleged suspects who remain subject to live investigations.
Investigations only become closed when suspects are acquitted, convicted or cautioned, or where no further action is taken by the police or Crown Prosecution Service. Of the victims added to the database in 2017, nearly threequarters (1,543) were male. There were 522 females added, and 11 cases where the sex of the victim was unknown. Chief Constable Simon Bailey, NPCC lead for Child Protection, said: “The statistics show reports of non-recent child sexual abuse continue to rise. “These cases are complex and challenging to investigate but the increase in reporting of them is a sign that victims of abuse continue to have confidence that police will take their allegations seriously and investigate thoroughly and impartially.
“While a very small number of high profile cases about famous people receive most attention, these make up just over seven per cent of non-recent allegations being considered.
“The majority of police caseload is reports of abuse at schools, children’s homes, clubs or religious institutions - places where children should expect to be safe. “Every week across the country juries are hearing evidence from police investigations into allegations of child sexual abuse, some into abuse that happened many years ago, and are making decisions about guilt and innocence. “Regardless of when the offence took place, victims and survivors can report to the police with the knowledge that they will be listened to and taken seriously.”
WE all had a fantastic day at the Classic Car & Bike Show last Sunday, despite the slightly damp weather, and will let you know how much was raised once we have the final figure.
Our shelters have seen a huge increase in orphaned kittens and young, pregnant queens arriving needing round-the-clock care. Running costs for the charity have increased dramatically due to this and we need your help.
Your donations will provide for special formula milk for kittens, extra kitten food for nursing mums, heat lamps for our newborns and extra staff to give orphaned kittens the 24-hour care which they need.
With running costs now reaching well over £1million a year, we need your help to keep us in operation.
To help raise funds for the charity, our events team will be at Friends of Wallsend Parks Annual Dog Oscar’s this Saturday, August 25 which is taking place at Richardson Dees Park from 12.15-3pm.
After you’ve popped along to Richardson Dees Park, take a stroll along to our charity shop on Wallsend High Street as our big summer sale will be taking place this Saturday too. All items will be reduced to 50p so don’t miss out. We also have a charity shop on Chillingham Road in Heaton.
Animals for homes
Twiglett, cat number 552, is approximately seven years old and arrived with us in April. This gorgeous boy can be a little shy when first approached but he does come around the more time you spend with him.
He does like to be stroked on the top of his head but only for a short amount of time until he moves on to doing something else. Twiglett is looking for an adult-only home with experienced cat owners who will be patient with him while he comes out of his shell.
Rita and Sue, dog numbers 189 and 190 respectively, are approximately 10 years old and they arrived with us in June. These gorgeous girls are looking for a home together where they can retire in comfort and enjoy being given a few treats.
They are both very sweet, Rita loves human contact or to be with Sue. Sue is at her happiest when she is sitting on your lap. They are two lovely, friendly girls who will make fantastic companions.