The Ashya King case

 

Several constituents have written to me to say the King parents should not be locked up in a Spanish jail, but should be free to be with their sick son. I agree.

It is good news that the UK authorities have now removed the claim for a European Arrest warrant and said they wish child and parents to be re-united. The Prime Minister confirmed  that was his view in a meeting Conservative MPs had with him yesterday, when this matter was of course raised.

9 Comments

  1. Cliff. Wokingham.
    September 3, 2014

    I think the whole episode is very sad.

    It worried me to see the state appearing to put on it’s jackboots and jumping all over this family. The hospital, the CPS, the police, the local council and the BBC all appeared to gang up on this family.

    In my opinion, it was fortunate that the older son was computer and social media savvy; I wonder whether the back tracking by the state machine would have occured, had the family not been able to get their side of the story out into the public sphere?

    It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the bullies change their mind and backtrack, once the disinfecting light of publicity is turned onto them. It is also interesting to see all the top politicians jumping on the passing bandwagon.

    I think this story illustrates why so many governments wish to assume some kind of control over the internet. In the modern world, ordinary people with very limited means, can get their story out to a large number of people world wide very quickly and very easily and with very little real expense.

    I wish the family well.

    1. outsider
      September 5, 2014

      How right Cliff. But as you probably know, the family courts can and often do forbid any form of publicity ( including the internet) on pain of Contempt of Court. It can only be a matter of time before all NHS cases go the same way.

    2. alan jutson
      September 5, 2014

      Cliff

      Agreed

    3. David Price
      September 6, 2014

      Agreed.

  2. Bob
    September 3, 2014

    A rather muted response and statement of the obvious Mr Redwood. I hoped you would have had more to say about the way the EU Arrest Warrant was used against two innocent loving parents desperately trying to find a cure for their terminally ill child.

    Next you’ll be telling us that Rotherham Council should improve their child protection procedures and ISIS should stop the decapitations.

  3. Lifelogic
    September 4, 2014

    Indeed what odd priorities the state has, with so many far more important issues to address.

    Such as all the many avoidable deaths, caused by NHS mistakes or inaction. Or the Rotherham type situations all over the place or social services inaction in baby cases in Harringey and similar.

  4. Chris
    September 4, 2014

    Apparently there is still a Court Order on the child. That should have been removed immediately, and why aren’t politicians mentioning that? They should see the case through instead of just taking enough action to quell the huge public anger.

    I suspect the ensuing legal action will be interesting and I sincerely hope the family have the energy to see it through. They will be supported in spirit, and with money in many cases, by so many. The whole situation has demonstrated in a nutshell the gross shortcomings and also the dangers of too much power being concentrated in the hands of the state and related organisations. Once that power gets into the hands of mindless bureaucrats who seem to lack basic common sense and who seem not to be that intelligent then there is trouble of the sort we have just seen. The silence until very late on from Cameron and Clegg and apparently the local MP is of grave concern. At least the UKIP MEP Janice Atkinson had approached T May early on and made the case clearly, as well as putting the case on Radio Solent, and has taken steps to raise this in the EP apparently. Diane James, another UKIP MEP, took a very principled stand, again early on, making her views quite clear. See article also on website.

  5. Chris Arnell
    September 4, 2014

    I cannot understand how the Aysha King has been handled by the authorities in such a heavy handed way. I am a father, about hopefully to become a grand father and have nothing, but sympathy for the whole King family.The parents have behaved with dignity and restraint and shown nothing, but the love of naturally responsible supportive parents.If the doctors at Southampton are in any way to blame, it is because of their overweening arrogance. They may be “scientists”, but they are certainly not infallible.Who decided that a European Arrest Warrant should be issued should be subject to severe censure. In any case I thought these could be issued for conducting a criminal prosecution and NOT merely an investigation.

    1. outsider
      September 5, 2014

      Yes Chris, I am afraid that the NHS has developed a culture of arrogance. For all its many virtues, it has become Britain’s most dangerous over-mighty subject, much as trade unions did in the 1970s. and as the City perennially, but usually vainly, tries to do.

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