Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Police cover up alert: suspected sexual assault in Hatfield St

The reports are hazy and confused. People are openly calling it a cover up. Was she merely beaten? Was she sexually assaulted? There's a police lockdown on the whole thing. This is nothing new. See here.
I will update as and when information becomes available.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

you do know that most victims like to keep this sort of attack on the QT for a reason, you know the whole feeling of shame associated with sexual assault! you jackass!

belfast samizdat said...

Police cover-ups have nothing to do with concern for the victim. When a young woman was sexually assaulted in Palestine St last year the attitude of the Police was that she must have brought it upon herself. Of course this was a working class person targetted by middle class students. When a student was raped in Carmel St it was simply covered up in order to avoid bad publicity for the Universities.
Cover-ups involve more than just sexual assault, and it's widely beleived that what we know is only the tip of the iceberg here. Stabbings, beatings, attempted murder, you name it, they cover it up, by any means neccessary. So spare me your fake moral indignation Jackass.

Anonymous said...

US Schools Must Disclose Information About Crime on and Around Campus - (Clery Act USA): Is Similar Legislation Required in Northern Ireland?

http://www.phoblacht.net/schoolsmca.html


Sean Mc Aughey • 28 May 2004

The most recent yearly crime statistics released by the Police Service of Northern Ireland indicate that South Belfast has the highest crime rate in the country, recording 33,656 crimes since April 2002 to 31st March 2004 or about 46 crimes each day over the last 2 years.

South Belfast, which is also a home from home for about 12,000 students, is highest on the PSNI drugs seizures, drug arrests and racial incidents table and in the last 3 years over 9 murders (not paramilitary related) have occurred within a 2 square mile popular students' accommodation zone around Queen's University. Other crime within South Belfast's "student accommodation zone" includes assault; racist, homophobic and sectarian hate attacks, rape, burglaries, car theft and robberies and many of the victims of these crimes are students.

Colleges and Universities across America are required by law (Clery Act) to "forewarn and forearm" prospective students, current students and employees about crime on and around campus. All university applicants, students or employees can, on request, obtain the university's current 3 years crime statistics and a location map of where the crimes on or near campus are occurring. A University crime log must also be maintained, updated, and when requested by members of the public, readily available to them. But, are these measures necessary in Northern Ireland to protect and inform students and is a similar law required for local universities and colleges to enhance a "duty of care" for its paying customers - the students and their parents and all other tax payers?

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("Clery Act") is a United States federal law named in memory of 19-year-old Lehigh University Pennsylvania 'fresher' Jeanne Ann Clery, who was "tortured, raped, sodomized and murdered"in her dormitory room at the University on April 5, 1986. The Clery Act requires colleges and universities across the USA to disclose information about crime on and around their campus and to further notify the campus community about obtaining public "Megan's Law"information concerning registered sex offenders on campus.

The aftermath of a campus related crime for Jeanne's parents Howard and Connie Clery, demonstrates that an institutional response to such tragedies could involve "callousness, cover-ups and stonewalling" and that university and college campus crime was "one of the best-kept secrets in the country". The Clerys also quickly discovered that they were not alone in their grief. Because, across the United States, violent and non-violent incidents had been reported by victims and their families to campus authorities, but administrators failed to warn students about crime.

Despite Lehigh University's knowledge of more than 38 prior violent crimes on campus and 181 reports of propped-open doors at the students' halls of residence in the four months prior to Jeanne Clery's murder. University Officials 'publicly passed off Jeanne's torture and murder' as an "aberration"which was described by her parents as "an ill-conceived attempt (by the university) to protect its 'image' and unilaterally absolve itself", from the death of Jeanne Clery.

The Clery family then turned to the courts, suing the university for "negligent failure of security and failure to warn of foreseeable dangers on campus". The Clerys "were relieved, that the law did not tolerate wilful indifference to the personal safety of college students". Because, In 1988 Lehigh University settled with the family and agreed to materially enhance security on its campus.

The Clerys utilised some of the settlement to establish, in living memory of their daughter, "Security On Campus Incorporate"a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of criminal violence at universities and colleges and to students and parents, "right to know"about criminal activity on and around campus.

In Northern Ireland, a provision of safe after dark students' transport has remained a longstanding service by Students' Unions. Recently, the provision of 'attack alarms' has been introduced. Students are also advised to book a taxi home when going on a night-out but in reality, this is close to impossible. Because many if not all, taxi companies do not accept a pre-booking request at popular student establishments.

According to the web pages and archives of some universities and colleges in Northern Ireland the subject of crime occurring on or near any campus is almost non-existent. Local universities, colleges and the student's unions' World Wide Web sites do provide advice for students about matters of safety and victim prevention. But, reports about crimes near or on campus are rare.

Campus crime warning and reporting relating to areas of Northern Ireland where students live while attending college or university is far removed from the "Clery Model". Crime warnings for students rest more often with individual student victims of crime or a family member reporting the matter to journalists. Recently CCTV's and police phones have been installed at selected South Belfast locations where students socialise and live. Also, Some college and university authorities have endorsed the introduction of new anti social behaviour legislation and the employment of community civilian wardens to "police"and discipline students. No group is forewarning or forearming students about the exact nature of the danger to their safety in areas near, around or on Northern Ireland's campuses.

The Clery family and the organisation they founded and work for Security on Campus Inc, has spent the last 18 years protecting students and their families not only from criminals but from university "spin doctors". The Security on Campus Inc. is also developing a unique Peer Education Program to train college and university students to deliver campus crime awareness programs to high school students in the USA, (prospective college and university students). A program, that aims to bring greater awareness of students' rights and campus' danger to the American university students and parents of tomorrow. "Lest We Forget The Meaning of Her Death, That We Must Protect One Another, So That Her Life Will Not Have Been In Vain."

(Written on a memorial stone erected at Lehigh University to the memory of 1st year student Jeanne Ann Clery).

Anonymous said...

Didn't I see you at Mynt again last night? Do you still fancy big Michael McMahon? Later, darling xoxo

Anonymous said...

Although I do believe that the Holylands area/lower Ormeau Rd does have unecessary tensions. I also believe that you are perhaps exaggerating these tentions. Maybe your reporting of these 'conspiracy theories' is merely an exercise in self promotion. Are you trying to do a little bit of self promotion just to give yourself a little bit more worth in your own eyes? What you are doing is a very dangerous thing. Of course the area has a lot of bad elements but adding fuel to the fire with vigilante style reporting like you are doing no matter how well intentioned can prove to be unhelpful at the least and a green light for any self styled 'community representatives' who wish to dispense their own form of summary justice onto what may be innocent students.

You sir/madam are a very irresponsible person/idiot (delete as appropriate) who I think is on an ego trip of sorts ever since he/she worked out how to write a blog. Maybe you were the victim of a silly random attack in the past and you see that your new found skills on the web can somehow extract some kind of revenge on the faceless nameless idiots who possibly attacked you. I dont know but what I do know is that reporting fact is a duty of any responsible citizen who indeed wants to do something about it. But reporting, heresay and passing it off as the truth is an idiotic and dangerous thing to be doing.

Concerned ex-holylands resident (not a student BTW)

belfast samizdat said...

I love your pomposity. It reads like a letter to the Irish News. A Queens University student was almost beaten to death here in June. The police have covered it up quite thoroughly. the student in question was me. I know all about summary justice and have the scars to prove it. Your concerns are noted.