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JUSTICE AFTER 1696 DAYS COURT OF APPEAL 16TH OCTOBER 2006

Today Justice was finally done to Anver Sheikh when the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction and  finally released Anver back to his family from whom he has been cruelly separated for most of the last 4 years.

Lord Justice Hooper, Mr Justice Aikens and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones heard concerning features of the case in particular the loss of certain key documents which prevented a fair trial , the withholding of medical records by the Crown and errors by the Trial Judge .

The Court quickly decided the conviction should be quashed and reserved its judgement to be delivered in due course. The Crown had the good sense not to seek a re-trial.

We of course await the full reasons for this appeal decision and will return to the Court of Appeal to receive the judgement.

What is clear however is that the appalling case of Anver Sheikh demonstrates the real dangers which former carers and teachers face of unsupported allegations made decades ago.

The time has come for recognition that the search for the truth of such allegations which should always be investigated requires a fair and independent investigation.

The time has come for the Government to accept that there are now serious misgivings concerning theses cases and the many men and women’s convicted for these offences.

Society abhors child abuse and rightly so but it should abhor even more the prospect that we may have wrongfully convicted many of our citizens with all the consequences that brings.

The time has come for a proper response to this great care home scandal.

We will comment further once the Judgement is released

ENDS

Legal Team :

Leading Counsel : Patrick Cosgrove QC , Broadchare Chambers , Newcastle Upon Tyne

Junior Counsel : Mark Barlow , Garden Court North Chambers  , Manchester

Solicitor : Mark Newby , Director of the Historical Abuse Appeal Panel C/o Jordans Solicitors LLP , 4 Priory Place Doncaster

Tel 01302 365374 / Mob 07768 556070

ENDS

Link to the original BBC Story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3460799.stm

Link to the new BBC Story :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/6055760.stm

Contact HAAP

Historical Abuse Appeal Panel

 

Historical Abuse
Appeal Panel

4 Priory Place
Doncaster
DN1 1BP
Tel 01302 309831
Fax 01302 327521