Ashya and Rotherham - The extremes of UK agencies.

Ever since I became a mum, every time the media presents news concerning children I tend to pay extra attention. I am not sure if you are aware of the whole Ashya King or Rotherham situation. Both situations left me completely appalled. Shocked. And so much more that I lack words to express how I am feeling. How is it possible for state agencies display this lack of judgment, in both cases, and let the situation escalate this way? In the first case by being overzealous and in the second by completely overlooking the children?

Of course, as the Hampshire Constabulary mentioned, it is far better to be criticized for being proactive than to be answering a tragedy that could be avoided. But still, I don´t understand how is it possible for a situation to escalate this way, in both cases. 

For the Ashya case, at the moment, I am completely sympathetic towards the parents. I have no idea what transpired in  Southampton General Hospital that made the parents remove Ashya this way, but it is clear now (or so it seems), that they had the best interest of their son at heart. If you ever contacted any NHS trust, it’s quite easy to feel that you might not be receiving the best health care in the world. Of course it always depends on the consultants that you get, you might find the most caring consultant, or you might be unlucky and get one that simply couldn’t care less. I have to say that I already crossed both. But it’s unfortunate that this case escalate to the point where the parents were treated as vile criminals, and that Ashya now is a ward of the courts. And all due to the fact that the parents where seeking the best possible care for their son. How is it possible that communication between parents, hospital and police could fail this way? Was it really necessary for the police to get an european arrest warrant? 

In the other hand we have the Rotherham case, where senior managers and police where ignoring and covering up reports of child abuse. It’s hard to believe that both situations are happening in the same country. Why didn’t the police act in this situation? Even worse, the police was disproving the abuse rather that investigating it. It´s absolutely appalling! So in one hand we have innocent parents jailed, in the other we have perpetrators running free to continue to cause terror. How is this even possible?

This clearly shows that agencies are showing no common sense at all. The lack of judgement, the disrespect for the citizens is simply appalling. And in both cases the innocent, the children, are the ones who most suffer. I am hoping that with this cases coming into light contribute to a change greatly needed.