28 June 2011

Other News In Brief

Parents Jailed In Derry For Cruelty To Daughters

The parents of two daughters have pleaded guilty to charges of neglect and mistreatment at Londonderry Crown Court on Monday. The parents of the girls, both aged under three, were sentenced to jail terms after the court head the young children were found locked in a room in their Derry home. During the trail, PSNI officers testified that the girls were naked and soiled when police called at their home in August 2009. Their parents pleaded guilty to child cruelty by neglect. The children's father, who cannot be named to protect his daughters' identities, was jailed for nine months while their mother was jailed for six. The case of neglect was brought after police officers called at the house to execute a court summons on the father. A police officer described an "overbearing" smell coming from the room when he opened the door and when he looked down he saw two small children who were naked with faeces on their legs, arms and bodies. The children are now in foster care awaiting adoption proceedings.

Three Charged With Burglary Offences

Three men aged in their 20s have been arrested by police investigating reports of suspicious activity in the Tempo Road area of Enniskillen. As a result of information received from a member of the public, police arrested the men on suspicion of burglary shortly before 2am on Saturday. The 22, 25 and 21-year-old men were each charged with theft, burglary and receiving stolen goods. The 21-year-old was also charged with going equipped for burglary. All are to appear at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on July 18. A police spokesman said the arrests were the result of vigilance by members of the public. “Local people can play a vital role in keeping in helping to protect their communities from the activities of criminals by reporting suspicious activity to police immediately they see it,” he said.

Sinn Fein Push For Lowered Voting Age

Sinn Féin have tabled a motion in the Stormont Assembly to reduce the minimum age of voting in elections and referendums to 16. The party has been known for its focus on youth membership for some time, with a teenage member of the party, Charlene O'Hara, becoming one of Northern Ireland's youngest ever councillors at the age of 19. However the party caused outrage in recent weeks after Councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile took the post of mayor at the record breaking age of 26 under salvos of criticism from fellow councillors. Phil Flanagan, who is the youngest MLA in the Assembly, said: “As elected representatives, we make decisions every day that impact heavily on young people and many of these decisions will have a long term effect on their future, yet they have no say in who represents them in fora such as [sic] the Assembly or local Councils. “As the youngest MLA, I am keen to ensure that young people are given a greater say in our decision making process. At the minute, there is a huge debate going on regarding tuition fees; yet many of the people that this decision will impact most on over the term of this Assembly have been denied the opportunity to take part in a democratic process to elect decision makers."

(DW/KMcA)