NYC Maintains its “Right to Silence”

NYC Maintains its “Right to Silence”

by TIM HICKS

~~~~~

Introduction

Over the years, the NYE has relentlessly investigated the abuse of children at Kirklevington Detention Centre (KDC) and Throxenby Hall Residential Care Home, and the abuse of female detainees in North Yorkshire Police Custody Suites.

It has also investigated the Peter Jaconelli/Jimmy Savile paedophile ring that operated openly in Scarborough with the full knowledge and consent of Scarborough Borough Council (SBC), North Yorkshire Council (NYC) and its predecessor Councils, and North Yorkshire Police (NYP).

The investigation into abuse of detainees at Kirklevington Detention Centre by Prison Officers is being led by Cleveland Police. KDC routinely received prisoners from North Yorkshire. It is additionally alleged that Officers from NYP, Cleveland Police and four other Police Forces witnessed the abuse at KDC while escorting prisoners there from court, but did nothing to prevent it or protect the children there from it. These crimes are also being investigated by Cleveland Police. Both investigations are codenamed Operation Magnolia which has run since 2014 and has not led to any convictions.

In this article we bring our readers up to date with the latest twist in this complex and interrelated series of scandals, corruption and official cover-ups.

North Yorkshire Council maintains its “Right to Silence”

In my last article on the Throxenby Hall scandal, I narrated how I had written to NYC asking for an apology from the Council for the sexual, emotional and physical abuse the boys suffered there at the hands of NYC Residential Care Officers. The Council responded through one of its press officers in the following terms:

“Hi

This matter should be addressed to the North Yorkshire Police press office.

Regards,”

(Name withheld by NYE)

I hoped that publishing this rather flippant and unprofessional response would lead to a change in policy, in accordance with the public assurances from Councillor Roberta Swiers about open government. So I wrote to Councillor Carl Les OBE, the Leader of the Council, asking for a media statement and an apology for the years of abuse pupils at Throxenby Hall suffered.

NYC Leader Councillor Carl Les OBE

I can now report that my request has been ignored.

NYC will not issue any apology or statement of regret for:

• The sexual, emotional and physical abuse of children at NYCs Throxenby Hall Residential Care Home by NYCs Residential Care Officers.
• The trafficking of children from Throxenby Hall to Councillor Peter Jaconelli’s paedophie ring in Scarborough, (which included Jimmy Savile) by NYC Residential Care Officers.
• The NYC Social Workers who protected the paedophile ring at Throxenby Hall, which allowed the abuse to continue with complete impunity for years.

The regime at Throxenby Hall was brutal. According to media reports, some former pupils later committed suicide.

Many of the NYC Residential Care Officers that committed these crimes – and the NYC Social Workers that protected them – are still alive. They could still face prosecution. Yet NYC will not initiate an investigation or issue any comment.

It would appear that NYC is still covering up the abuse its employees inflicted on children and protecting its former employees. As it did at the time these crimes ocurred.

The Wider Issue

NYC is refusing to respond to my correspondence, because I have executed my duty as a journalist to hold NYC and its employees to account. I have, in short, been proscribed, both for criticising NYC for lying in an official communication and exposing a paedophile ring that involved multiple NYC employees and at least one NYC Councillor who abused children.

North Yorkshire Police (NYP) is also refusing to comment on its investigation into the Throxenby Hall paedophile ring, codenamed Operation Manuka (which has been running since at least 2014), or the investigation into Jimmy Savile codenamed Operation Yewtree, or the later investigation into Peter Jaconelli and Jimmy Savile codenamed Operation Hibiscus – none of which resulted in any convictions in relation to these matters, despite extensive evidence from victims.

All six Police Forces that have Officers who are alleged to have witnessed crimes at KDC and done nothing and their six associated Commissioners or Deputy Mayors are refusing to comment to the NYE on Operation Magnolia.

So, in summary:

• After ten years of investigations, no Police Officer, NYC Social Worker, NYC Residential Care Officer, Councillor or Prison Officer has been convicted of abusing the children in their care or of covering up for it. This is despite evidence from hundreds of victims of the horrific crimes that were committed against them when they were children.
• The NYE investigation has met a wall of silence from NYC, six Police Forces and all six of the officials who are responsible for holding those Forces to account.
• Six Deputy Mayors/Police Commissioners are refusing to intervene to do anything about the complete and inexcusable failure of Operation Hibiscus, Operation Yewtree, Operation Manuka and Operation Magnolia.

All of the creatures that inflicted this abuse on innocent children in North Yorkshire are enjoying their retirement; secure in the knowledge that they are still being protected and that no action will ever be taken against them.

NYE Policy on Child Abuse

Some readers will ask: Why is the NYE pursuing these historical crimes now?

Child abusers knew their chances of being convicted were low. They were further diminished if they were some kind of an official like a vicar, teacher, prison officer, social worker or policeman, because their colleagues would not report the abuse and the management of the institution would protect them to prevent a scandal. Hence the reason that, historically, child abuse was so prevalent, particularly in the church, schools and various types of young offenders institutions.

The NYE believes it is essential that child abusers understand that if they abuse children, they will be looking over their shoulder for the rest of their lives. Because this has a deterrent effect. We should not forget that victims of abuse in childhood are still suffering the pain of those memories and the ongoing effect it had on their lives. It is therefore important that child abusers face justice, even if it is many years after the event.

Which is why the NYE raises the issue, despite the indifference and opposition of all the official bodies in North Yorkshire that are charged with investigating it.

The NYE also supports the recommendation by the Independent Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse that failure to report child abuse is made a criminal offence, which is currently being considered by parliament: Parliamentary Research Briefing: Duty to report child abuse.

Had this duty existed historically, it would have ensured the NYC Social Workers that protected the Throxenby Hall ring could now be prosecuted. This would have had a deterrent effect and encouraged them to report the abuse. In turn leading to the exposure of the ring and the prevention of many cases of abuse.

NYC and NYP were provided with a draft of this article and given the opportunity to comment on it.

Coming Next

The death of Martin Mennell at Throxenby Hall.

Operations Yewtree and Operation Hibiscus re-assessed.

NYE Appeal for Information

If you have had a bad experience of being strip searched, or if you were badly treated in an NYP Custody Suite, at Throxenby Hall, or at Kirklevington Detention Centre, please contact the NYE in complete confidence using the letters@nyenquirer.uk email address.

The NYE would particularly like to hear from:

• Anyone who knew Martin Mennel (who drowned in the Throxenby Hall swimming pool).
• Anyone who knew Graham Atkinson, who was a pupil at Throxenby Hall, who died on 23rd November 1975.

Right of Reply

If you are mentioned in this article and do not agree with the views expressed in it, or if you wish to correct any factual inaccuracy, please let me know using the letters@nyenquirer.uk email address and your views and a correction will be published if appropriate.