Police are appealing for information following a hit and run involving a car and a pedestrian. A man was waking within Lochend Park, around 8.15pm on Sunday, 2 April, 2023, when he was struck by a black Audi. Emergency services attended and the 21-year-old man was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment. The car left the scene prior to police arrival. Around 8.45pm on Sunday, 2 April, 2023 a black Audi was found on Maplewood Park, with an attempt made to set it alight. There were no reports of any injuries and the vehicle was uplifted. Officers believe this vehicle may be linked to the earlier incident. Acting Detective Inspector Steven Gray from Gayfield CID said: “Our enquiries into both these incidents, which we believe are linked, are ongoing. “We are appealing for anyone who witnessed the initial crash or a vehicle leaving the scene, who has not already spoken to us to get in touch. “I would also appeal to anyone with any information on the car in Maplewood Park or who has dash cam footage which may assist us to get in touch.” Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 3398 of 2 April, 2023. Alternatively, information can be passed to Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.
Evil grooming gangs who target children and young women will be stamped out under new plans unveiled by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today
Evil grooming gangs who target children and young women will be stamped out under new plans unveiled by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today (Monday 3rd April).
A new Grooming Gangs Taskforce will see specialist officers parachuted in to assist police forces with live child sexual exploitation and grooming investigations to bring more of these despicable criminals to justice.
Led by the police and supported by the National Crime Agency, the taskforce will be made up of officers with extensive experience of undertaking grooming gang investigations. They will provide crucial support to forces across the country to root out grooming gangs and put more perpetrators behind bars.
Data analysts will work alongside the taskforce using cutting edge data and intelligence to identify the types of criminals who carry out these offences, helping police forces across the country catch offenders who might otherwise be missed. This will also include police recorded ethnicity data to make sure suspects cannot evade justice because of cultural sensitivities.
This will include better data on the make-up of grooming gangs, including ethnicity, to make sure suspects cannot hide behind cultural sensitivities as a way to evade justice.
The Prime Minister will launch the taskforce later today. To mark this, he will be in Leeds and Greater Manchester to meet survivors, local police partners and members of the new taskforce.
Speaking ahead of this, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “The safety of women and girls is paramount. For too long, political correctness has stopped us from weeding out vile criminals who prey on children and young women. We will stop at nothing to stamp out these dangerous gangs.”
Alongside the new taskforce, the Prime Minister has pledged to make sure grooming gang members and their ring leaders receive the toughest possible sentences.
Legislation will be introduced to make being the leader of or involved in a grooming gang a statutory aggravating factor during sentencing. This reflects the Government’s unwavering commitment to make sure these offenders face the toughest sentences for their crimes and the longest time behind bars.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, said: “Grooming gangs are a scourge on our society and I want to send a clear message to anyone who exploits vulnerable children that they will face the full weight of the law.
“This builds on the extensive action this Government has already taken to introduce tougher sentencing, and the reforms introduced last week in the Victims and Prisoners Bill to keep the most dangerous offenders behind bars, while making sure victims get the support they need at all times.”
Today’s announcement follows on from the Home Secretary’s commitment to bring in mandatory reporting for adults working with children if they suspect or identify that child is being abused. By ensuring people speak out if they have concerns, authorities can stop the abuse, put perpetrators behind bars and get victims the support they need much sooner.
Mandatory Reporting was one the key recommendations in the important Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which gave a voice to thousands of courageous survivors. Today’s announcement shows how seriously the Government is taking the Inquiry’s recommendations.
Speaking in response to the Government’s announcement on mandatory reporting, Professor Alexis Jay OBE, Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, and Author, Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham, said: “The Prime Minister’s statement today places a renewed focus on tackling the sexual abuse and exploitation of children by organised networks.
“I welcome these announcements, some of which reflect the recommendations of the Inquiry’s own report on child sexual exploitation in 2022. The commitment to Mandatory Reporting is very encouraging, and I look forward to working with the Government to ensure that the full package of the Inquiry’s recommendations in its Final Report is taken forward to better protect children from sexual abuse in the future.”
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “Child sexual abuse is one of the most horrific crimes facing our society, it devastates victims, families and whole communities.
“The protection of children is a collective effort. Every adult must be supported to call out child sexual abuse without fear.
“And the despicable abusers must be brought to justice. They should not be able to hide. And they must face the full force of the law for their crimes.
“That’s why I’m introducing a mandatory reporting duty and launching a call for evidence. We must address the failures identified by the Inquiry and take on board the views of the thousands of victims and survivors who contributed to its findings.
“I would encourage everyone to engage with the process once it starts – it is important to have a national conversation about this to shine a light on this terrible – but too often hidden – crime.”
Alongside the mandatory reporting duty, we are bolstering support for the NSPCC’s whistleblowing helpline, as well as their public helpline, giving professionals and members of the public a voice to raise concerns about children, or about child grooming in their community.
Online safety is increasingly important, even for popular platforms like WhatsApp. With over 2 billion users worldwide, WhatsApp has become a favourite target for fraudsters and tactics have become more ingenious and effective than ever.
The majority of users are vulnerable when online, making it an irresistible platform for scammers. Cybersecurity experts from VPN Overview have compiled their top tips on how to recognise WhatsApp scams and how to prevent them:
What is WhatsApp fraud (friend or family emergency scam)?
WhatsApp fraud is a form of fraud in which cybercriminals pretend to be a victim’s acquaintance and then ask them for money. Currently, most of those criminals pose as a friend or family member and ask for financial help because “they urgently have to pay a (high) bill” or “they have an emergency and urgently need some money”.
Usually, the perpetrators pretend to be in a hurry, most likely to entice their victims to take immediate action. That is why this type of fraud is also referred to as a friend or family emergency scam. Sadly, on average victims loose thousands of dollars to WhatsApp scams. Age also seems to be a factor, with most of the victims being over 50 years old.
In most cases the phone number used by the criminal to commit WhatsApp fraud is unknown to the victim, yet the attached profile picture is familiar. Consequently, the victim thinks that he or she is indeed communicating with a friend or family member.
However, criminals can easily copy a photo from other social media platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram. The same applies to other information that can be used to mislead the victim. Like the vocabulary an individual may use, or certain events the individual may have posted about online (“Should’ve asked you for help when we were in that bar yesterday…”).
What are the tell-tale signs of WhatsApp scams?
Scammer creates a sense of urgency and pressures you to pay quickly.
Scammer contacts you from an unknown number.
Scammer informs about a number change and quickly talks about money.
Poor English is used in their messages.
Scammer does not want to be called.
Scammer asks for money to be transferred to an unknown account or uses an app that hides account numbers.
Tips to prevent WhatsApp fraud
Check if the number is correct if someone asks for money.
Check the language and communication style of the message.
Call the number or contact the person in a different way to verify the story.
Do not let the fraudster pressure you; think logically.
Ask the scammer a question only your friend or acquaintance would know the answer to if suspicious.
Secure voicemail with a personal code.
Never send a verification code without questioning.
Set up “2-Factor Authentication” on WhatsApp.
Remember that the tips provided above are not only important to protect yourself. If criminals manage to hijack your WhatsApp account, they can easily scam your contacts and possibly take over the accounts of your friends and family as well.
I’ve been a victim of WhatsApp fraud, what can I do?
If you have been a victim of WhatsApp fraud, it is important to remain calm and report the incident to your bank and the police.
Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to reverse the payment, but individuals must act quickly. Wire transfers are harder to recover, and online payment services or apps can complicate the process.
Even if a refund is not issued, the bank will investigate the fraud claim to protect customers and prevent future fraud. Reporting scams to WhatsApp and AnyScam is also recommended, and national help groups for victims of fraud can assist individuals in dealing with the process and preventing future fraud.
Stop It Now! Scotland and NSPCC Scotland are calling on the Scottish Government to develop a national strategy to tackle child sexual abuse that focuses on prevention to make the country a safer place to grow up.
The two charities hosted an event in partnership with the Scottish Parliament this week (Wednesday, March 15) with leading experts in the field.
They discussed the devastating harms and long-lasting impact that sexual abuse can have on victims, that punishment alone will not eradicate this problem and what we can do to prevent children being abused in the first place. They also talked about the next steps we need to take to guarantee Scotland is the safest country for children to grow up.
They are urging the Scottish Government to develop a comprehensive and coordinated national approachto prevent child sexual abuse, which involves health, police, education, community safety, children’s services, social services, housing and the wider community. The child protection charities say it is vital that everyone understands what child sexual abuse is and knows how they can be part of preventing it.
A review of UK data revealed that 15 per cent of females and 5 per cent of males will experience some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16.
This means at least 80,000 children in Scotland will have been affected by this issue before they leave high school. Although this is thought to be an under-representation of the scale of the problem and the actual number of children who have experienced sexual abuse in Scotland is not known.
The charities say that to understand the numbers of children in Scotland affected and the scale of the suffering it is crucial that a prevalence survey is conducted.
Professor Elizabeth Letourneau, Director of the Moore Centre for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, School of Public Health, John Hopkins University, said: “Child sexual abuse affects about one in nine children – 12 per cent of all children – globally. Victims are at risk of immediate harms, such as fear, injury, and pregnancy, and a broad array of serious health problems can emerge and last across the lifespan.
“Only one in five cases of child sexual abuse are ever reported to the authorities. This means that we miss at least 80 per cent of cases, so punishment will never be enough if we are to effectively address this public health problem.
“I believe our failure to focus on prevention stems from a general misgiving that child sexual abuse really is not preventable. That people who are at risk of perpetrating abuse are monsters and their behaviour cannot be predicted or prevented, and they will only respond to punishment.
“But we know this is not true. We already have good evidence that we can effectively prevent child sexual abuse perpetration.”
Pat Branigan, Assistant Director of NSPCC’s Together for Childhood, said: “One of the most important messages from today is that child sexual abuse is preventable and not inevitable.
“The ultimate goal is to develop a framework, based on evidence of what we know already works, which can be used to support agencies and organisations to work together and prevent child sexual abuse in communities.
“We need to create strong local partnerships between social care, schools, health, voluntary groups, the police and communities that focus on preventing people from offending, and empower and educate children and adults to recognise the signs of abuse and how they can report their concerns.
“Ultimately it will not be governments, experts or professionals who eradicate child sexual abuse, it will be individuals, families and communities.”
Stuart Allardyce, Director, Lucy Faithfull Foundation / Stop It Now! Scotland, said: “Last year we helped 7,000 people across the UK through our Helpline. Not all were adults worried about their own sexual thoughts, feelings and behaviour, but around half of them were.
“We also had adults who were worried about another adult, or because they had found evidence their partner has been seeking out child sexual abuse material online.
“We believe that if you build prevention initiatives, people will come – professionals, protective adults, but also those who worried about the risk that they may present to children. We can no longer say that people won’t use self-help prevention resources, because the evidence is that they can and do and that prevention works.”
Childlight, based at the University of Edinburgh, also launched the first comprehensive global data repository this week, which will look at all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA), with the aim of being able to show the scale and nature of this abuse.
Children and young people can contact Childline for free, confidential support and advice 24 hours a day online at www.childline.org.uk or on the phone on 0800 1111
Anyone with concerns about a child’s wellbeing can contact the NSPCC Helpline on help@nspcc.org.uk. The NSPCC practitioners provide free and confidential help and advice and can take appropriate steps to help keep children safe. If a child is in immediate danger, please call 999.
The NSPCC also has advice and resources for parents, carers on how to have simple, age appropriate conversations with children to help prevent sexual abuse through their Talk PANTS campaign. This helps children understand that their body belongs to them and to recognise when something is not okay and how to tell someone.
Police have released images of a man that they wish to speak to as they believe he may have information that can assist with an investigation into a high value theft.
The incident took place around 10am on Wednesday, 1 February, 2023, at Omega Boutique, St James Quarter, Edinburgh.
The man shown in the images is described as being white, about 5ft 8in, average build, 40-50 years old, shaved head, wearing thick dark framed glasses, British accent, wearing a dark khaki green Barbour jacket with hood, dark blue trousers and dark navy trainers.
Police Constable Katherine Mackenzie, from Edinburgh Central Initiative Team, said: “I am asking that the man pictured in the images to make contact with police in order that further enquiries can be conducted. I am also asking members of the public that if they recognise this individual to contact police.
“Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting incident 0858 of 1 February, 2023. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, if you wish to remain anonymous.”
POLICE in Edinburgh have issued images of a woman they believe may be able to assist with their investigation into a serious assault that took place in Leith on Monday, 5 December, 2022.
The serious assault took place around 1.25am within the Spey Lounge on Leith Walk.
The woman is described as white, 40-50 years-old, around 5 ft 6ins in height and of slim build with long, dark-coloured hair that was tied in a ponytail. She was wearing a black padded coat and white trousers.
Detective Constable Lyndsey Singer of Gayfield Police Station said: “We are keen to talk to the woman in these images in connection with this incident and would urge anyone who may recognise her to get in touch as soon as possible.”
Any witnesses to the incident can contact officers via 101. Please quote incident number 0143 of 5 December 2022. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The 18-year-old, who can be named as Lewis McCartney, was found with serious injuries on Viewcraig Street around 3.45am on Sunday, 12 February. He was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh but died a short time later.
A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death. He is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today (Wednesday, 15 February).
Detective Inspector George Calder, of the Major Investigation Team, said: “Our thoughts are very much with Lewis’ family and friends. They’ve asked their privacy be respected at this very difficult time.
“I would like to thank the public for their assistance with our investigations.”
An urgent case review into the management of a transgender person in custody has found that at no point were any women in the care of the prison service at risk of harm.
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) review also confirmed the person did not come into contact with any other prisoners during their time at HMP&YOI Cornton Vale and that SPS policy was followed during each decision making process and risk assessment.
The review makes four key recommendations into the management of transgender individuals:
the creation of a shared justice process for admitting transgender people to prisons in Scotland – to help improve decision making at admission and subsequent case conferences
better communication between justice partners to ensure a clearer approach to the transfer of transgender people from court to custody
for the wider SPS Gender Identity and Gender Reassignment (GIGR) Policy Review to consider improvements to ‘admission’ and ‘placement and management’ and for SPS to consider the weight of a person’s previous offending history to be considered as part of the case conference process
to strengthen the balance around the risk of harm with an individualised approach as part of the admissions process to prison, allowing for someone to be located in secure isolation for the sole purpose of a risk assessment based on known and unknown risks
In addition to the recommendations, SPS is also undertaking a full multi-disciplinary case review for each transgender person in custody. The Service is also continuing to progress, in dialogue with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders, a review of the management of trans prisoners as part of its GIGR Policy Review.
Until these reviews are complete any transgender person in custody who has a history of violence against women – including sexual offences will not be relocated from the male to female estate. Additionally, any newly convicted or remanded transgender prisoner will initially be placed in an establishment commensurate with their birth gender.
Justice Secretary Keith Brown welcomed the findings in a letter to the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee.
The Justice Secretary said: “Firstly, I want to acknowledge my concern for victims of crime and the distress caused to them. It is important that consideration of issues relating to the management of prisoners is measured and does not retraumatise victims or risk unintended consequences for transgender people or individuals in the care of SPS.
“All recommendations from the review have been accepted by Ms Medhurst as Chief Executive and will be progressed by SPS in collaboration with others as needed. As confirmed in the letter, SPS will factor the learning identified from this review into its Gender Identity and Gender Reassignment (GIGR) Policy Review, which is ongoing.
“Pending the outcome of the GIGR Policy Review, measures to provide reassurance as set out in Ms Medhurst’s letter will remain in place.
“I would like to acknowledge the work SPS has done in continuing to fulfil its operational responsibilities while completing the lessons learned review. SPS has considerable expertise in managing complex, high-profile and challenging individuals within their care and keeping people safe; and I commend their professionalism.”
In her letter, the SPS Chief Executive Teresa Medhurst reiterated that the SPS remained firmly committed to providing person-centred care to their entire population, including managing and identifying risks, which are not exclusive to transgender people in their care.
She added: “Staff in our establishments have demonstrated their long-standing expertise and strong track record in the management and care of an increasingly complex prison population.
“My priority remains the health, safety, and wellbeing of all people in our care, many of whom are the most marginalised in our society, and that of staff.”
POLICE are appealing for information following a high-value house breaking in the Liberton area on Thursday, 2 February 2023.
Between 5pm and 5.30pm a house on Greenpark was broken into and a five-figure sum of cash and a four-figure sum of jewellery stolen.
There was no one in the house at the time of the break-in and officers are keen to trace two men seen at the time. They left on foot in the direction of Burdiehouse Burn.
The first suspect is described as white, aged in his 40s, with grey hair. He was wearing glasses, a dark coloured jacket, blue jeans and dark trainers.
The second is described as white, aged in his 20s. He was wearing a baseball cap, black Puffa style jacket, black jeans, black trainers and was carrying a dark coloured rucksack.
Detective Constable Scott Lynas, of Corstorphine CID, said: “Officers have been carrying out extensive enquiries, including checking CCTV.
“We believe the property was targeted and we are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen these men, or anyone else acting suspiciously before and after the break-in. It is near an area popular with dog walkers so anyone with information is asked to get in touch.
“In addition, if you have private CCTV or dash-cam footage that could assist with our investigation then please also contact us.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police via 101, quoting reference number 3009 of Thursday, 2 February 2023. Alternatively, details can be passed anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Scotland’s trust in Crimestoppers sees anonymous information play vital role in catching murderers, fugitives & drug dealers
Over the past year (1st April 2021-31st March 2022,) independent charity Crimestoppers Scotland and their youth programme Fearless received over 16,000 contacts from the Scottish public.
As a result of anonymous information from communities across Scotland, over 350 (357) people were arrested and charged, including five with murder. Contacts about drug supply, manufacture and dealing continue to rise and the charity passed on information to the police which helped recover a ‘street value’ of drugs worth over half a million.
Fearless, the youth programme of Crimestoppers, saw over 58,000 young people from all across Scotland visit the charity’s youth website Fearless.org and reported crime – 100% anonymously – more than ever before.
Information from the public has achieved the following:
16,328 pieces of anonymous information were sent to Police Scotland & Law Enforcement. Whilst the headline figure is slightly below last years (a small decrease of 1%), this followed a record high year. 2020-21 saw the most disseminations (16,515) from the charity to Police Scotland in 34 years of Crimestoppers.
Dangerous criminals and wanted offenders were thwarted. Over 350 (357) criminals were arrested and charged by police due to Crimestoppers information in Scotland. This was a fall of 35% on previous year.
Five people were arrested and charged with murder/unlawful killings
Three people, who were on the wanted list, were caught and charged
Nearly 50 (48) disqualified and uninsured drivers were arrested and charged
54 drink/drug drivers were arrested and charged
Over a dozen (13) charged with hate crime
Firearms: Two were arrested for firearms offences, with one firearm and three hauls of ammunition were recovered
‘Street’ value of drugs recovered over half a million: £541,901
Value of property and cash recovered: £192,856
Over the past year, 12,709 pieces of information were recorded as `actionable intelligence’ by law enforcement. This means that 78% of all Crimestoppers anonymous information sent to Police Scotland was high-quality information.
Thanks to police action after receiving Crimestoppers reports, nearly a thousand positive outcomes followed (935). This was a 20% increase on the previous year and included 163 vulnerable and safeguarding issues.
Angela Parker, National Manager for Crimestoppers Scotland, said: ‘We are continually grateful for people across Scotland who come forward and trust us with their information.
“From drug dealing to child harm and neglect, we heard from thousands of people concerned about crime in their communities. We are so encouraged and grateful to those who contacted our charity – thanks to you, life is better for many and communities across Scotland are safer.”
Police Scotland’s Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie said: “The annual report makes it clear that our communities remain confident in using the service provided by Crimestoppers. The information provided anonymously helps Police Scotland’s officers tackle crimes that affect our citizens.
“We also want to acknowledge the support that Fearless provides to our young people, in schools and our communities which undoubtedly helped their resilience during the past few difficult years and understand that we can also play a part in keeping everyone safe.”
“We continue to work in partnership with Crimestoppers to encourage those who may be concerned about getting in touch with us directly to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit its website to make a report anonymously.”
Minister for Community Safety Elena Whitham said: “The clear, significant impact that the information provided to Crimestoppers has had on tackling crime shows the power we all have to help keep our communities safe.
“It is extremely encouraging to see so many young people through the Fearless campaign play their part to help tackle crime. The information they have provided along with many thousands of others who have come forward has resulted in more than 300 less criminals on our streets last year.
“I would like to thank Crimestoppers, Police Scotland and members of the public for their support and efforts. The Scottish Government is backing this with £3.4 billion for justice system in the next financial year to fund vital front-line services, provide continued support for victims and witnesses, and to tackle the causes of offending.”
