Star Hobson murder and Bradford Council leader’s pitiful response to social services failings – Yorkshire Post Letters

BRADFORD is not the only part of the UK blighted by inhumane child cruelty. Equally, this has been going on much longer than the current leadership have been in post.

Star Hobson went to hell before going to heaven, why did Bradford Council not act? – Bill Carmichael

That said, Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe’s response to the Star Hobson verdict was pitiful, lifted straight from local government word speak. “It is essential therefore that lessons are learned from Star’s terrible death so that we can better protect our children.”

With that summary sentence she doubtless hopes to avoid any responsibility or scrutiny. Meanwhile she commits another £3m to her City of Culture vanity bid to laud a city that cannot protect its most vulnerable.

From: Barry Hough, Ossett.

I HAVE just read the article by Rob Potts (The Yorkshire Post, December 10) praising social services staff in the wake of the Arthur Labinjo-Hughes tragedy in Solhill. These people let this poor little boy down at every turn. The police and social services personnel should hold their heads in shame.

The reason there are cases like this is because there are never any dismissals, just do-gooders commenting that these failures are good professionals who take these jobs because they care.

From: John Notton, Kent Road, Harrogate.

AFTER the cuts imposed on social services by David Cameron and George Osborne, tragedies such as the recent ones involving children were inevitable, and one almost wishes they were in the dock with these appalling characters.

It was hard to imagine a poorer government than theirs, but the current crew of lightweights are doing their best to match it.

One bit of good Boris Johnson and co could do is insist that judges impose sentences of at least 40years before parole is considered on individuals responsible for the cruel deaths of defenceless children.

From: Peter Rickaby, West Park, Selby.

RECENT shocking events beg the question: are social workers being properly trained (The Yorkshire Post, December 16)?

Time after time it appears they are easily persuaded by the eventual cruel guilty parties that nothing untoward is happening.

During their training do they not undergo “role play” sessions, to give them an understanding of what happens in real life situations?

From: Tim Emmott, Harrogate.

THE Star Hobson murder is harrowing. But instead of looking to pass blame to our over worked and mostly hard-working, decent, committed social workers, is it not time to recognise that Yorkshire and this country has a large under-class of those whose behaviour does not conform to socially accepted norms?

No different from Victorian times.

From: Barry Foster, High Stakesby, Whitby.

IT is very easy to become emotional and upset about the recent killings of the two very young children, and to put the blame around. The first blame should be to those who took the lives of these poor children.

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