CHILD ABUSE BY THE STATE.

Use an inverted knuckle into the sternum and drive inward and upward.

Drive fingers into groin.

Continue to carry out alternate elbow strikes to the young person's ribs until a release is achieved.

Drive straight fingers into the young person's face, and then quickly drive the straightened fingers of the same hand downwards into the young person's groin area.

Nose distraction" techniques – sharp blows to the nose –

Ram knuckles into ribs and rake shoes down the shins.

        Sounds like training for the SAS but the term “young person” should perhaps give a hint. These are some of the government sanctioned child abuse techniques in an instruction manual used in privately run prisons for young offenders. We are talking about youngsters from 12 to 17 years of age, and this treatment being inflicted by adults.

         Carolyne Willow, national co-ordinator of the Children's Rights Alliance for England (CRAE), which led the campaign for disclosure of this manual following the deaths of two teenage boys in secure training centres, said: "The manual is deeply disturbing and stands as state authorisation of institutionalised child abuse. What made former ministers believe that children as young as 12 could get so out of control so often that staff should be taught how to ram their knuckles into their rib cages? Would we allow paediatricians, teachers or children's home staff to be trained in how to deliberately hurt and humiliate children?"

           Phillip Noyes, director of strategy and development at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said: "These shocking revelations graphically illustrate the cruel and degrading violence inflicted at times on children in custody. On occasions these restraint techniques have resulted in children suffering broken arms, noses, wrists and fingers. Painful restraint is a clear breach of children's human rights against some of the most vulnerable youngsters in society and does not have a place in decent society." What Phillip Noyes doesn’t mention is that these techniques have also caused death. A child being killed while in the care of an adult, would that be murder?

         Of course the perpetrators of these acts of child abuse are aware of the possible damage as the manual does give some warnings of the possible effects of such treatment by stating that the techniques risk giving children a "fracture to the skull" and "temporary or permanent blindness caused by rupture to eyeball or detached retina". The manual also acknowledges that the measures could cause asphyxia. One passage, explaining how to administer a head-hold on children, adds that "if breathing is compromised the situation ceases to be a restraint and becomes a medical emergency".

         One thing the state is good at is brutalising those who don’t fit into its grand plan, in the case of privately run young offenders institutions, the state hands over the responsibility for the degradation and humiliation to a private company who proceed to make millions of pounds from the process. As they say, "busines is busines"

          It is not often that I agree with a Sir anything but I’m inclined to agree with Sir Al Aynsley-Green, the former children's commissioner for England and emeritus professor of child health at University College London, when he said: "It's time the whole country knows what is going on under their noses. This is just part of a brutal system, and we welcome the fact this is finally in the open."

       It is finally in the open, but will it change? Well that is up to you and I.

THE REBEL

Rebel rebel break the rule,

What does it matter that a “wise” man sees a fool.

Not for you the herd’s dull beat

Making tomorrow, yesterday’s repeat,

Living out the life of a clone

Marching with the crowd but always alone.

Shaping your life from some dusty tome

Playing it safe, staying at home.

 

Rebel rebel break the rule

Swim in the sea, never the pool.

Live your emotions, feel the surge

Follow your dreams, chase the urge.

Make life though short, an exciting game

Not a mad march for fortune or fame.

Capture the moment, live it now

Being alive your only vow.

Rebel rebel break the rule

In the end,          you’re humanity’s jewel.

ann arky's home.