Source: Ministry of Justice published on this website 15 May 2024 by Jill Powell

This consultation paper seeks views on options for the reform of the law of limitation in child sexual abuse cases in England and Wales.

Specifically, it considers the recommendation by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (‘the Inquiry’) on limitation law.

It also examines the law of limitation in child sexual abuse cases in other jurisdictions examined by the Inquiry and seeks views on options, other than removal of the limitation period, for reform of limitation law in child sexual abuse cases.

Lord Bellamy KC Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Forward to the consultations writes:

“The Government recognise that child sexual abuse is completely abhorrent and I want to pay tribute to the victims and survivors who came forward and told the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse about the abuse they had experienced. I also want to thank Professor Alexis Jay and the other panel members for the very thorough work they carried out on behalf of victims and survivors. At present child sexual abuse cases in the civil courts are normally subject to a three-year limitation period. This means that claims must be brought within three years of the abuse happening or the victim having knowledge of the abuse or alternatively, when the victim attains the age of 21 if they were under 18 when the abuse occurred. The law does also enable the courts to grant extensions to time limits where there are legitimate reasons for a delay in bringing a claim, and a significant number of historic child sexual abuse claims will involve applications for such extensions. In evidence to the Inquiry the Government recognised that some child sexual abuse claims were rejected because they were outside the standard three-year limitation period and there may be potential to assist in those cases by changes to the law of limitation. However, it was also recognised that changes to limitation law in child sexual abuse claims may have an impact on other groups and that ultimately our key focus is that a fair trial should be able to take place. The Inquiry made a number of recommendations for the law on limitation. These were focused on legislative reform to remove the three-year limitation period for personal injury claims brought by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in respect of their abuse while also reflecting the importance of the right to a fair trial. In our response to the Inquiry, the Government accepted the critical issue this recommendation seeks to remedy (that a significant number of claims about child sexual abuse are rejected on grounds of the limitation period having passed) and agreed to consult on options for reform of limitation law in child sexual abuse cases. This consultation fulfils our promise to consult and the Government is keen to hear views on how limitation law can be reformed to protect the interest of victims and survivors while ensuring the right of defendants to a fair trial are maintained. The Government will consider all responses carefully and publish a response setting out the way forward in due course.”

Source: Metropolitan Police published on this website Monday 13 May 2024

A criminal network who conducted extreme body modifications and illegal surgeries have been jailed after Met detectives uncovered their horrendous crimes

Specialist Met officers leading a unique investigation into the extreme body modification of men have seen seven men jailed today, Thursday, 9 May for a total of 79 years after a hearing at the Old Bailey.

Met detectives launched an investigation into the illegal surgical procedures after a victim was first identified by Devon and Cornwall Police in November 2020 after it was established the offending had taken place in North London.

Marius Theodore Gustavson, 46 (7.12.77), of Haringey was identified by detectives as being the primary offender following a lengthy and complex investigation. Alongside the six other men, he was jailed for life today with a minimum tariff of 22 years for:

Conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm

Five counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent

One count of making an indecent photograph of a child

One count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child

Possession of extreme pornographic images

Distributing indecent pseudo images of children

The court heard how Gustavson used the internet to seek out and manipulate vulnerable people, coercing them to take part in the procedures.

Detective Inspector Amanda Greig, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “I would like to highlight the excellent work of the Met’s investigation team, who have examined thousands of hours of horrific material seized from the suspects. Their diligence and professionalism have ensured no one else will suffer at the hands of these men.

“This lengthy and complex investigation demonstrates that we are determined to protect Londoners from harm and bringing those that threaten the safety of our communities to justice.”

Following the court hearing today, DI Amanda Greig also thanked the victims for their bravery throughout the investigation. She acknowledged their immense suffering – with many victims having profound mental health issues as a result of the group's brutal actions. The victims were supported by specialist officers and signposted to support services by the LGBT+ anti-abuse charity GALOP.

Detectives worked closely with partners from a number of UK police forces, NHS, London Ambulance Service, the General Medical Council and the Midwifery Council to help identify and support victims.

They discovered that Gustavson owned and managed the website ‘Eunuchmaker.com’ where he advertised extreme body modification services, including castration and penis removal. He also owned a production company, where he would record all the illegal mutilations and upload them to his site, which captured an international audience.

Officers interviewed and obtained statements from victim-survivors, who had been assaulted between February 2017 and January 2020.

In at least three cases, the injuries inflicted on the victims were life threatening, with one victim coming close to losing his life due to blood loss.

Officers sought the expertise of Consultant Urological Surgeon, Mr Chris Dawson, who stated “The procedures performed in these cases have highlighted the dangers involved in 'back street surgery'.

"To become a highly qualified surgeon takes a number of years, and these procedures should not be carried out by anyone without the necessary experience or expertise as it risks serious complications such as significant bleeding, or sepsis. When performed in hospital, these procedures are performed under general anaesthesia in a sterile environment, with the surgeon wearing sterile gown and gloves.

"The consent process is a very important part of any surgical procedure, and surgeons are held to very high standards about this. It is imperative that patients are aware of the potential complications of any surgical procedure."

A search of Gustavson’s address found various items, including

Boxes of medical needles and syringes,

Local anaesthetic packs,

Surgical tools,

A wooden chopping board and a mallet,

A body board with leg and arm restraints attached,

Disposable skin staplers,

Numerous medical procedure videos linked to Gustavson’s digital devices.

As Gustavson’s pattern of offending began to unravel, detectives were able to piece together that he was not working alone.

Following an interrogation of more than 120 digital devices the remaining offenders were identified by video footage, as well as phone communication with Gustavson. Ashley Williams, David Carruthers, Peter Wates, Janus Atkins, Ion Circuir were arrested at addresses in London, Scotland, Birmingham and South Wales. Stefan Scharf, a German national, was arrested whilst in transit at Heathrow Airport.

The majority of the offences occurred at Gustavson’s former home address, as well as a rented hotel room in London.

Anyone who has further information should contact police on 0208 785 8267 quoting Op Vicktor. Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

We encourage anyone who has had similar experiences to seek medical advice from their local sexual health clinic or GP. GALOP supports all LGBT+ victims and survivors of abuse: If you need advice or support, but aren't sure where to start, you can call them on 0800 999 5428.

Source: The Insolvency Service published on this webpage Monday 13 May 2024 by Jill Powell

The director of a company which made millions of cold-calls has been banned from running a business for eight years. 

Duncan Paul, 51, of Glenorchard Road, Balmore, Glasgow, was the director of CRDNN Limited, which rang homes and businesses with unsolicited sales calls in 2018. 

Many of the calls were about window scrappage, debt management, window, conservatory and boiler sales while others falsely claimed to be working with Scottish and UK government energy saving schemes. 

In one case, calls made to a Network Rail control centre near Fort William clogged up the line, creating potential safety problems. 

The firm, based in Clydebank, Dunbartonshire, was fined the maximum £500,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office in 2020 but went into liquidation without paying the fine. 

Paul’s co-director Stephen Foote, 44, was also banned as a director for eight years in January 2023. 

Mike Smith, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: 

Duncan Paul’s company plagued homes and businesses with nuisance cold-calls, disrupting the lives of millions of people.

The calls were persistent, totally unsolicited, and to add to people’s frustration, they received further calls when they attempted to opt-out of receiving them.

Paul and Foote were the directors of this firm and we have taken robust action to prevent them each from running or managing any company for eight years. 

More than 63 million automated calls CRDNN made from June to the start of October 2018 connected. 

The Information Commissioner’s Office received almost 3,000 complaints from people during that period via its online reporting tool. 

A further 411 complaints were received via the online reporting tool of the Telephone Preference Service. 

CRDNN provided no evidence that recipients had given their consent to receive the calls. 

Trevor Callaghan, the ICO’s Director of Enforcement and Investigations, said: 

The directors of CRDNN knowingly operated their business with a complete disregard for not only the law but also public safety. They harassed millions of people, causing disruption, annoyance and distress and recklessly affected important services potentially putting the wider public in danger. That’s why their conduct called for the maximum fine possible under the law.

The ICO is committed to building strong partnerships with other agencies, including the Insolvency Service, to ensure our work has long term, tangible impact.

Disrupting the activities of these rogue companies and their directors ensures they can’t easily resurface under a different name and continue to cause further harm to people.

CRDNN was fined £500,000 for contravening regulation 19 and 24 of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 relating to the use of automated calling systems. 

The company went into liquidation in January 2021 with the fine unpaid. 

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a disqualification undertaking from Paul, and his ban started on Thursday 2 May. 

Foote, of Meadow Rise, Newton Mearns, Glasgow, signed a disqualification undertaking which began in January 2023. 

The undertakings prevent the two from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.  

Source: Action Fraud published on this site Friday 10 May 2023 by Jill Powell

WhatsApp group chat members are being warned they could be targeted by criminals, as Action Fraud reveals it has received 636 reports from victims of the messaging app this year.

The fraud often begins when a member of the group receives a WhatsApp audio call from the fraudster, pretending or claiming to be another member of the group. This is done to gain the individual’s trust, and often the scammer will use a false profile picture and/or display name, so at first glance it would appear to be a genuine member of the group.

The fraudster will tell the victim they are sending them a one-time passcode which will allow them to join an upcoming video call for group members. The criminal then asks the victim to share this passcode with them so they can be “registered” for the video call.

In reality, the criminal is asking for a registration code to register the victim’s WhatsApp account to a new device so they can take over their account.

Once the fraudster has access to the victim’s WhatsApp account, they will enable two-step verification which makes it impossible for the victim to regain access their account. Other members of the group, or friends and family in the victim’s contacts, will then be messaged asking them to transfer money urgently as they are in desperate need of help.

Detective Superintendent Gary Miles, Head of the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau at the City of London Police, said:

“WhatsApp remains an integral mode of communication for many people across the UK, however fraudsters still find ways to infiltrate these platforms. Sadly, anyone can be become a target for fraud.

“With more than 630 reports already this year, we are urging users, and in particular those in big group chats on WhatsApp, to be on their guard and monitor who joins the chats.

“To keep yourself safe from fraud, never share your account details or any passcode or verification codes with anyone. If you think you are being targeted, report the message and block the sender within WhatsApp. To make your account more secure, we advise setting up two-step verification to provide an extra layer of protection.”

A WhatsApp spokesperson said:

 “All personal messages sent on WhatsApp are protected by end-to-end encryption, but we can all play a role in keeping our accounts safe.

“We recommend that all users set up two-step verification for added security and advise people never to share their six-digit PIN code with others, not even with friends or family.

“If you receive a suspicious message (even if you think you know who it’s from), calling or requesting a voice-note is the fastest and simplest way to check that someone is who they say they are.”

According to Action Fraud data, reports suggest the top three most frequently impacted group chat types are Islamic religious groups (63), Christian religious groups (56) and work chats (50)

What can you do to avoid being a victim?

Set up two-step verification (2SV) to give an extra layer of protection to your account.

Tap Settings > Account > Two-step verification > Enable.

CALL. If a family member or friend makes an unusual request on WhatsApp, always call the person outside of WhatsApp to confirm their identity.

Report spam messages or block a sender within WhatsApp. Press and hold on the message bubble, select ‘Report’ and then follow the instructions.

If you live in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and have been a victim of fraud or cybercrime, report it at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, victims of fraud and cybercrime should report to Police Scotland on 101.

Find out how to protect yourself from fraud: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk