BBC 'Fix It Culture' Enables More Irish Child Rape than Catholic Church

international | public consultation / irish social forum | opinion/analysis Tuesday October 16, 2012 09:08 by BrianClarkeNUJ - AllVoices

Referendum

The BBC dominates the airwaves in Ireland, with Irish national broadcaster RTE still unavailable in most parts of British Occupied Ireland. Despite a peace process, the propaganda of the BBC still pollutes Irish politics and life. With the leader of the British Labour party, Ed Miliband calling for an independent inquiry into "horrific allegations" rather than a planned BBC internal cover-up of allegations on a BBC culture, of enabling child rape for decades. Many believe that the BBC's influence on the rape of children, to be of an even greater scale, than the Catholic Church.

Arise! Sir James

The BBC dominates the airwaves in Ireland, with Irish national broadcaster RTE still unavailable in most parts of British Occupied Ireland. Despite a peace process, the propaganda of the BBC still pollutes Irish politics and life. With the leader of the British Labour party, Ed Miliband calling for an independent inquiry into "horrific allegations" rather than a planned BBC internal cover-up of allegations of a BBC culture, of enabling child rape for decades. Many believe that the BBC's influence on the rape of children, to be on an even greater scale, than the Catholic Church.

David Nicholson, who worked as a director on Jim'll Fix It, claimed to have caught Savile, having sex with a girl in his dressing room, but was laughed away, when he voiced his concerns. Further reports of abuse emerged, relating to Stoke Mandeville hospital, Leeds General Infirmary, Broadmoor secure hospital, Haut de la Garenne children's home in Jersey, Tayside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Yorkshire. British police say they have received allegations of abuse dating back to the 1960s, '70s and '80s. BBC director general George Entwistle dropped a Newsnight investigation into the Savile scandal.

Currently a referendum is happening in the Unfree Irish State, to draw a line in the sand with regard to the abuse of children, after a long struggle on children's rights. Irish children have not been well served by their country. The mistreatment of some of the most vulnerable children, still goes on at epidemic levels in both parts of the island. The island is generally still emotionally detached from the suffering, abuse and daily revelations of child torture with rape.

Savile was knighted in 1990, having already received the OBE in 1971. The BBC and British High society stand accused of covering up a "scandalous culture" that existed within the dark corners of Britain's Offiicial Secrets Act. The extent of the probem is said to be far greater than the scandal of the Catholic Church in Ireland.In 1990 Savile was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and pope John Paul II, for services rendered.

Meanwhile the changes proposed in the Unfree Irish State to the Constitution are steps to systemic change, like creating a new Child and Family Support Agency with constitutional change, that is broad and significant. The Constitutional change proposed in the up coming referendum is about making a clear statement from the people, to legislators, judges and society as a whole about how children should be treated.

So what does the referendum change propose, well according to the Irish Times;

"It says: we believe that children, if they are mature enough, should be able to express their views in legal proceedings that affect them. For instance if a judge is making a decision involving a mature 16-year-old that judge will be required to ask what the 16-year-old’s views are.

It says: we believe all children are equal. At present the laws relating to adoption are different depending on whether the child to be adopted is born “out of wedlock” or not. That’s an anachronism left over from a past century. All children should be equal.

It says: we believe that when a child is being starved, or beaten, or burned or physically or sexually abused social workers should be able to intervene to stop that.

It says: in essence, that children in Ireland have rights. That the State will recognise those rights. And that we will do everything we can to protect those rights.

Will that change the lives of Irish children? It is an important symbolic change with strong, practical impact. Change also comes from legislation, administration and resources.

What this referendum also does is draw a line in the sand. It allows us to leave behind us a legacy of failure. It allows us to say as a nation that we believe children have rights, just like everyone else. It allows us to set the legislature and judiciary on a different path than that which has pertained for decades.

It is unsurprising to some extent that the debate around the referendum is tending to focus on the legal and on the extreme because, shorn of semantics and sensationalism, the debate hinges on one central issue; do we, the people of Ireland, believe our children have rights we should protect?

I believe we do, NGOs like Barnardos, the ISPCC, the Children’s Rights Alliance and EPIC believe we do.

If you believe that, then vote Yes. We can argue about funding, we can argue about process, we can argue about systems, we can argue about services. Those are arguments for legislation. They are the arguments that are the stock-in-trade of the political system and they are arguments that will continue forever as the Dáil balances the needs of the people with the resources at hand.

The Constitution is not part of those arguments. Rather it defines the parameters of them. So if you want future generations of politicians and judges to be guided by a constitutional imperative to recognise the rights of children, the equality of children and the voices of children in decisions they make in relation to children, then vote Yes.

The decision to hold the referendum was agreed unanimously by all members of both Dáil and Seanad Éireann – a rare moment of consensus in Irish politics! That consensus tells us that on this very particular issue – the best interests of children – we share a common commitment and want to set the standard which will inform future policy and decisions."

This referendum takes place on Saturday, November 10th, and it will be an important opportunity to taste a form of genuine Irish democracy, at long last attempting to protect its most vulnerable. Oh that we could apply this across the board on other issues, in the small island of Ireland.