Slashdot Mirror
UK Authorities Ban 'Lonely' People From Working With Children
A UK government organization, The Independent Safeguarding Authority, has started a new anti-paedophile database that takes into account lifestyles, relationships and beliefs when assessing the backgrounds of applicants, instead of just the usual criminal record check. The new guidelines allow the agency to consider unproven allegations made in newspaper reports, allegations from members of the public, as well as monitoring internet chatrooms and websites such as Facebook for evidence to use against applicants. Anyone judged to be a danger because of things like having no friends, or having a complicated private life, is banned from working with children, the homeless, or the elderly.
Since this is in Idle and only three poeple are gonna read it I can't be bothered to find a reference, but I read an interview a while ago with a head teacher who was well liked and generally respected - that is, until someone made an allegation of sexual indecency or some such against him. They later admitted it was a complete fabrication, and so the guy went to court to have the whole thing wiped from his record so he could work with kids again. The judge basically said that it was clear he was innocent, the allegations had made no sense, there were witnesses who saw them in different places at the time it was meant to have happened etcetera, but that innocence has nothing to do with it. The law says that suspicions must be logged, and that means that any school that hired him would be liable to all sorts of lawyering, and probably lose its liability insurance and stuff.
Fascinating extra fact: children (and adults, for that matter) are much more likely to be sexually assaulted, kidnapped and murdered by close relatives or family friends than random loners. By the logic most people seem to use these days, that means children should be removed from their parents at birth, and rotated between foster carers every fortnight.
Be smart, help people!