End all punishment attacks

Created by Una Crossen

Status Ongoing

- Started Campaign
  
  4th Dec 2011
- Update
  
  progress
  
  I got onto the radio!
  
  7th Sep 2011
- Update
  
  progress
  
  Policing Board
  
  6th Oct 2011
- Update
  
  progress
  
  On Talkback Today
  
  11th Oct 2011
- Update
  
  Going to the Policing Board
  
  11th Oct 2011
- Update
  
  progress
  
  WIMPS.tv mentioned in Assembly Debate
  
  12th Oct 2011
- Update
  
  progress
  
  Political Support
  
  19th Oct 2011
- Update
  
  progress
  
  Policing Board against Punishment Attacks!
  
  19th Oct 2011
- Target
  
  50 Supporters to end Punishment Attacks
  
  24th Oct 2011
- Update
  
  progress
  
  Nolan gets tore into Chief Super Intendant!!!
  
  2nd Nov 2011
- Target
  
  200 Supporters to end Punishment Attacks
  
  10th Nov 2011
- Update
  
  setback
  
  Yet another attack!!
  
  25th Jan 2012
Now
- Target
  
  Present campaign to the Policing Board
  
  10th Apr 2012

All of Northern Ireland

Our Goal

To end all so-called punishment attacks

Why support my campaign?

WIMPS is campaigning to end these brutal so-called ‘punishment’ attacks.

Many of the victims are young people, and this is a huge human rights issue.

According to Police statistics, there were 272 attacks between 2008 and 2010 and almost half of these have been attacks against young people under the age of 24. The rate of attacks have been rising, and they have been happening mostly in west and north Belfast, and south-east Antrim.

The Police ‘clearance rates’ for these crimes is only 4 percent. This means the number of cases that have been investigated - not the number of convictions.

Politicians rarely raise the subject.

Media rarely talk about the subject

Yet punishment attacks happen almost every day. Not all are reported.

Our Targets

Present campaign to the Policing Board within 6 months
200 Supporters to end Punishment Attacks within 1 month
50 Supporters to end Punishment Attacks within 2 weeks

Campaign Updates

Yet another attack!!
25th January
Nolan gets tore into Chief Super Intendant!!!
2nd November
Policing Board against Punishment Attacks!
19th October
Political Support
19th October
WIMPS.tv mentioned in Assembly Debate
12th October
Going to the Policing Board
11th October
On Talkback Today
11th October
Policing Board
6th October
I got onto the radio!
7th September

Yet another attack!!

Posted on January 25th, 2012

Over the past 6 weeks there have been a spate of attacks, with the most recent of these being in Derry/Londonderry.

At 7.30pm on Tuesday evening a man was abducted in a car from Ferguson Street. He was then shot in the lower right leg.

He is now in a stable position after receiving surgery at Altnagelvin Hospital.
Nolan gets tore into Chief Super Intendant!!!

Posted on November 2nd, 2011

On Monday 1st November a Police spokesman appeared on the Nolan Radio show on BBC Radio Ulster to talk about using 15-17 years to purchase alcohol to catch businesses selling to underage children.

Throughout the interview it was highlighted by Nolan and listeners that using these tactics would leave the young people vulnerable and open to ‘punishment’ attacks. Nolan then got tore into the spokesman about the current clearance for punishment attacks.

Chief Super Intendant said it makes no difference and it is “child abuse”.

Listen to the full interview on the link below and let us know your thoughts on this ... Will this increase young people’s risks of falling victim to ‘punishment’ attacks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007cpsh
Policing Board against Punishment Attacks!

Posted on October 19th, 2011

The Northern Ireland Policing Board have just released a statement saying they are against any form of Punishment Attacks.

This statement has come after Campaign Leader, Una Crossen, appeared on Talkback last Tuesday to highlight the issue of Punishment Attacks and also our campaign to end them. Whilst on the radio Una highlighted an interview done with Alex Maskey back in May in which he states that he believes that Punishment Attacks were at one point acceptable and ‘empowering’ to communities. At the time of this interview Alex Maskey was still on the Policing Board and was also unaware that the clearance rate for punishment attacks is only 4%.

Watch the full interview here:
http://wimps.tv/video/alex-maskey-sinn-fein

Debbie Waters who is currently on the Policing Board was also on Talkback and assured Una that this was not the view of the present policing board and stated that she seen these attacks on young people as child abuse. In light of these event the Policing Board has released an official statement saying that they are against punishment attacks.

Committee Chair Conall McDevitt MLA said:

“Almost half of these vile attacks are carried out against young people in our communities. This is a serious human rights issue and the victims of these crimes have exactly the same right to justice as anyone else.

Lets hope that they will take action on this and work with WIMPS.tv to end Punishment Attacks altogether.
Political Support

Posted on October 19th, 2011

Just emailed all Politicians and Councillors in the Greater Belfast area ... Let’s see if any of our politicians or councillors are willing to support our campaign to end ‘punishment Attacks’!!! :)
WIMPS.tv mentioned in Assembly Debate

Posted on October 12th, 2011

In a debate in the Assembly yesterday Basil McCrea MLA mentioned WIMPS.tv. It’s on the Assembly’s Hansard report. You can read it here.
Going to the Policing Board

Posted on October 11th, 2011

If you’re going to start a campaign, you might as well start at the top. I’ve decided to go to the Policing Board’s meeting. The Chief Constable is going to be there and I want to ask about Punishment Attacks.
On Talkback Today

Posted on October 11th, 2011

It’s all arranged - I’ll be on Talkback with Wendy Austin at 12.00 today.
Policing Board

Posted on October 6th, 2011

I’m not sure if this is progress or not. I asked the Chief Constable about the clear-up rates for Punishment Attacks at the Policing Board this morning. He said he supported this campaign, but was very vague about what he thought about a 4% clear up rate.
I got onto the radio!

Posted on September 7th, 2011

The Talkback programme sent us a Twitter message asking if someone would appear on the programme. Wendy had seen the interview Shauneen had done with Anna.

What do you think?

Hi Fiona, Would it be possible at all for WIMPS to interview you about your experiences?
Posted by UnaCrossen on 2012-01-26 19:26:57 Ok, as an ex vol off the P.I.R.A, i never have and never will support punishment attacks. We were in an era of troubled times. There were children who were deeply troubled due to social and economic depravation... and political injustice. i always thought there was a better way to deal with these kids, as opposed to shooting them. And to be honest i alway found that positive reinforcement was the way forward.... The movement knew this also.... they reacted to pressure from within the community to "ATTACK ", as it opposed the majority, without whom they could not exist...... I deter these attacks, most of these kids were not parented properly and had no positive role models.... time for change indeed......
Posted by Fiona on 2011-12-10 01:19:35

Your campaign looks like it is going well. Congratulations. The police just don’t seem to have an answer to the question on punishment beatings. To be honest it’s not something I’d ever thought about before. Then I read the stuff you have here. If this was happening anywhere else in the UK there would be outrage. I can;t understand whey there isn’t more here. Good for Nolan for picking it up. Keep up the good work.

Dessie

Posted by Dessie on 2011-11-10 13:00:09

to support this campaign

Tell your friends

Tell policitians this matters

1 person has so far

Dear [Politician's name],

I am writing to show my support for the "End all punishment attacks" campaign on WIMPS.tv.

This campaign wants to put an end to all so-called 'punishment attacks' within 2 years.

This is an important issue because the police clearance for these attacks is currently only 4% and more than half of these attacks are on young people under the age of 24. Through a Freedom of Information Act WIMPS have found out that from 2008 - 2010 there were 272 'punishment' attacks of which only 12 were investigated.

I am asking you to give it your support by sending a letter of support; logging on and supporting the campaign on the website; raising the matter in council, Assembly, Westminster or European Parliament.

Thank you.

Read full letter

Yours sincerely,
[your name]

Please

to send this lobby letter