Friday, December 05, 2008

Justice Secretary MacAskill turns his back on Scots injustice victims from Edinburgh ‘silent walk for justice’

What good is a Justice Secretary who turns his back on victims of injustice ? .. or let me put it another way .. what good in public life is a ‘powerful’ politician who wont even help his own people ?

These are certainly questions many will be asking today as Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill delivered a bitter blow yesterday against victims of injustice and the many ordinary Scots and people from across the world who took part in the "Silent Walk for Justice" in Edinburgh which began near Edinburgh Castle and ended at the foot of the Royal Mile at the Scottish Parliament.

The ‘silent walk for justice’ was arranged by Guje Borgesson, the mother of Annie Borgesson, who was found dead at Prestwick harbour in December 2005. Guje and Maria Jansson, Annie’s best friend have long battled for the Crown Office to give the family a Fatal Accident Inquiry in to Annie’s unexplained death, however the Crown Office have so far refused to do anything further in the case of Ms Borgesson’s death and also in a number of other unexplained deaths, some of which have been the subject of intense media scrutiny over the failings of various Scottish Police forces to property investigate what are suspicious deaths by any standards.

The participants of yesterday’s ‘Silent Walk’ expected & hoped that Mr MacAskill, or at least someone from his office would meet with them outside the Scottish Parliament at the end of their walk down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. However, that was not to be, and to make matters worse, a spokesman for the absent Mr MacAskill claimed the Justice Secretary was "unaware of the protest" which had been widely covered in the Scottish media beforehand.

Several people today condemned Mr MacAskill for failing to meet those who gathered outside the Scottish Parliament yesterday in freezing weather to make their voices heard on the many cases of injustice in Scotland which the Scottish Government so far have done little or nothing to address.

One of those attending said "What good is a Justice Minister who isn't interested in justice and wont even come out to meet people who his own colleagues in legal circles are actually causing the injustice to ?"

Maria Jansson, one of the organisers of the ‘silent walk for justice’ commented “I truly hope that the many people that participated yesterday received new hope and strength to go on with high spirit and the feeling that we are together in this. We have all the same focus, namely to get the truth out in the open so that Justice can be done.”

“We must not judge each other, or measure or weight each other we have already been judged or measured by the authorities, and also by people. Now is the beginning of something new, for us all and by coming together we have made injustice visible, there are so many different True stories behind the many cases. Those stories, are to often forgotten in the Media coverage”

Fortunately for the rest of us, there are people who put in the effort to campaign against injustice, and Guje, Maria, and all those who attended or supported the aims of the silent walk are to be commended for their input into what must be one of Scotland’s most pressing issues – the very high level of injustice attributed to our failed Scots justice system which sadly seems to be low on the priorities of the current Justice Secretary and others in the Scottish Government.

Maria continued : “We walked together as humans, we made injustice visible, and showed every one that there are gaps in the justice system that needs to be filled.”

Its a pity though, that Mr MacAskill couldn’t manage a little bit of humanity yesterday, feigning ignorance through his spokesman of a highly publicised protest which many ordinary Scots were well aware of.

From my own experience, and I'm sure everyone would agree - those who turn their backs on the abused, the weak and those victims of injustice - all injustice, are as guilty as the abusers who cause it, and to think that not one member of staff from Mr MacAskill's office even put in a small effort to come out and receive the marchers is disgusting.

I think we can conclude quite easily Mr MacAskill has turned his backs on ordinary Scots, on victims of injustice, on those with no voice ... preferring instead to sit in Parliament and make grand statements about who he will personally protect in the monied professions, than make a small human effort to be a part of the rest of society who hope for better and fairer treatment.

In the following two videos, Mr MacAskill can be seen attesting to a ‘great debt’ the Scottish Government owes to the legal profession. Mr MacAskill goes further to say he will always personally protect lawyers

Surely Mr MacAskill as Justice Secretary, you owe the victims of injustice and the rest of us in Scotland who are not lawyers, a debt of service & duty too ?

It’s all about money - Kenny MacAskill said he would personally protect the legal profession, so why not help victims of injustice ?

The effort and goals of the 'silent walk' must go on, and without a doubt, Scotland needs a more compassionate, more capable and more attentive Justice Secretary who will speak to and for the needs of all Scots.

Here follows the Herald's report on the Silent Walk for Justice in Edinburgh including their video coverage :

The Herald newspaper interviews the silent walk for justice participants :

Still looking for an end to injustice

JULIA HORTON December 05 2008

INJUSTICE and prison separated us, yet we are always with you, your family.' A heartfelt message displayed on one of several large, neat placards held aloft yesterday by the wife and children of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi.

Others with similar messages ended Your son, Khalid' and Your son, Ali', as the youngsters publicly demonstrated their devotion to their imprisoned father.

For the Libyans there is no doubt that Al Megrahi is the victim of a miscarriage of justice. But there are many more people across the country who also feel that their loved ones have been wronged by the Scottish justice system.

Around 100 friends and relatives gathered in Edinburgh yesterday to highlight their cases, marching solemnly down the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle to the Scottish Parliament.

Their posters were of varying sizes and styles but their message was the same - Justice for Kevin', Justice for Jason', Justice for Annie'.

Standing in the chilly winter's afternoon, Hugh McLeod explained that he was there to fight for his son, Kevin McLeod, who drowned in Wick Harbour in February 1997.

The police concluded that the 24-year-old electrician's death was accidental after his body was recovered from the water on a Saturday morning following a night out at a club in the town.

But his father Hugh and mother June are convinced that their son was the victim of foul play and died after being beaten up.

A fatal accident inquiry in 1998 returned an open verdict and the family has challenged the police's conduct in the case ever since. They eventually secured an apology over the way Northern Constabulary dealt with their complaints, but have failed to get the cold case review which they believe could bring justice.

Clutching a Justice for Kevin' poster, Mr McLeod said: "The justice system needs to be changed. We hope that a lot of people here will get some form of justice. For us, that would be convicting Kevin's perpetrators."

A lone piper heralded the start of the Silent Walk for Justice, as the McLeods fell into line, walking two by two with other families along the pavement.

At the front of the procession was Guje Borgesson, who organised the event after becoming convinced that she had not received justice over the death of her daughter, Annie.

Like Kevin, Annie was found drowned, in her case on a beach at Prestwick in 2005.

No criminal investigation was launched because police believed that the 30-year-old Swedish woman committed suicide. But her mother could not accept that Annie would take her own life, and bruises and DNA found on her daughter's body fuelled her fears that the case was a murder.

Speaking as she walked slowly down the street, holding on to a photograph of Annie smiling out through long blonde hair, Mrs Borgesson, 55, said she was heartened by the show of support at the march.

She said: "I feel great that there are all these people here who share the same goal to show our concern about the justice system."

It was the second such peaceful protest she has arranged, with the first in Prestwick last year, and she had high hopes that Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill would meet the group to accept a book of letters outlining their stories.

Arriving outside the Parliament as darkness started to fall, the campaigners gathered together and placed their placards on the ground along with candles.

The image of Al Megrahi in traditional Muslim dress rested beside pictures of other alleged victims of injustice, including cyclist Jason MacIntyre, who was killed when a car hit him on the A82 in January this year.

Corinne Mitchell, mother of Luke Mitchell, who was c onvicted of the murder of schoolgirl Jodi Jones, was marching with her dog and a poster of her son. Mitchell, 20, is serving at least 20 years for the 2003 killing of his 14-year-old girlfriend but maintains he is not guilty.

There was also a photograph of Michael Ross, the soldier recently convicted of the killing of Bangladeshi waiter Shamsuddin Mahmood in Orkney in 1994.

Ross's lifelong friend, Susan Robertson, was among the group yesterday. The 30-year-old from Dunfermline admitted that she didn't think the event would create any major change in his case, but she said: "I am here to support Michael and his family."

More positive was Sandra Brown, long-time campaigner for justice for Coatbridge schoolgirl Moira Anderson, who disappeared in 1957 and whose body has never been found.

She said: "The Vicky Hamilton case, where they didn't give up for 17 years, shows that justice is still possible.

As it became clear that no-one from the Scottish Government would be meeting the group outside, Mrs Borgesson made a speech imploring the Justice Minister to act.

As candles flickered or went out in the cold breeze she said: "We have come here to take part in the silent walk of justice with the expectation that you can offer us some help ... We come from a wide variety of backgrounds but have all experienced the co mmon sense of frustration and hopelessness that there does not seem to be a solution to our problems." She added: "I'm amazed by the number and variety of people who have joined here today because they too feel that justice has eluded them."

As a few curious passersby looked on, the piper launched into Flower of Scotland before a minute's silence was held in a final, hopeful gesture of solidarity and respect.

Kevin McLeod
He drowned in Wick Harbour in 1997 after a night out. His parents Hugh and June McLeod reject the police explanation of accidental death and remain convinced that their electrician son was the victim of foul play, dying after being beaten up in an argument with a man. A fatal accident inquiry in 1998 returned an open verdict and the family has challenged the police's conduct in the case ever since.

Annie Borgesson
WHEN the body of Annie Borgesson was discovered washed up on a Scottish beach in December, 2005, police concluded that she had committed suicide. But the 30-year-old Swedish woman's mother, Guje Borgesson, believes her daughter was murdered because bruises and unidentified female DNA were found on her body. Last year she demanded a fatal accident inquiry into the death of her daughter, whose body was found on a beach at Prestwick in Ayrshire.

Luke Mitchell
He was jailed for at least 20 years in 2005 for murdering his 14-year-old girlfriend, Jodi Jones. But Mitchell and his mother Corinne maintain he is innocent of the 2003 crime that shocked their home town of Dalkeith. He lost an appeal over the conviction and length of his sentence earlier this year but will appeal to reduce his jail term again next month. His family believe that evidence not heard at his original trial proves his innocence.

Michael Ross
DECORATED war hero Michael Ross was jailed for life earlier this year for the killing of waiter Shamsudden Mahmood at a restaurant in Orkney in 1994. The soldier, just 14 when the murder took place, denies he was the balaclava-clad killer who burst into a Kirkwall restaurant and shot the 26-year-old waiter dead. His father, Edmund Ross, has always maintained his son's innocence, and a businessman has offered a £100,000 reward to help clear his name. A school friend recently claimed that she could give him an alibi.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes quite right Peter.MacAskill will give his lawyer pals what they want but not the rest of us
Bloody disgusting I agree

Anonymous said...

You don't like MacAskill do you Peter ?

Well neither do I, and I am a solicitor myself !

His policy of stripping legal aid down to the bone is crippling access to justice and when people eventually need a solicitor they will find there are none around.

Anonymous said...

News Release - A Silent Walk for Justice...

Open public message for Kenny MacAskill and Alex Salmond et al...

http://shirleymckie.myfastforum.org/sutra2399.php#2399

Silent Walk for Justice News...

http://news.google.co.uk/news?hl=en&oe=ISO-8859-1&resnum=0&um=1&tab=wn&scoring=n&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Silent+Walk+for+Justice&btnG=Search+News

Annie Borjesson News...

http://news.google.co.uk/news?hl=en&oe=ISO-8859-1&resnum=0&um=1&tab=wn&scoring=n&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Annie+Borjesson&btnG=Search+News

Anonymous said...

Makes disappointing reading Peter,
but again, when was there ever compassion in any government recent or otherwise?
MacAsKill,and others like him will not last long in their priveleged posts, simply, if you live by the sword you die by it too.

May the candles burn long after MacAsKill!

Anonymous said...

Yes MacAskill could have earned himself a little respect by hearing out those people yesterday but as they say if the man has no respect for the people then the people should have no respect for the man, wouldn't you agree Peter ?

Anonymous said...

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2008/12/05/families-of-killers-hijack-silent-walk-for-justice-86908-20947187/

Families of killers hijack silent walk for justice

Dec 5 2008 By Amy Devine

FAMILIES of convicted murderers "hijacked" a candlelit vigil to highlight alleged miscarriages of Scottish justice yesterday.

The Silent Walk For Justice was organised by Jansson and Guje Borjesson, whose daughter Annie was found dead on Prestwick beach on December 4, 2005.

Police said she killed herself, though her parents maintain she was murdered.

But media attention at the march focused on the wife of terminally ill Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi.

Corrine Mitchell, mother of teen killer Luke, also joined the demonstration.

Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken MSP said last night: "I don't think the demonstrators did themselves any favours having these people at the march.

"I doubt if ordinary people think Luke Mitchell and Megrahi are victims of in justice and I don't think this demonstration has any credibility at all."

Megrahi, 56, is serving life for the 1988 Lockerbie atrocity which killed 270 people.

Last month, he was refused bail pending an appeal - despite having been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Lockerbie bomber's wife Aisha on the walk yesterday

In Edinburgh yesterday, his wife Aisha urged Scots to consider his suffering.

In a statement released by Megrahi's lawyer, Aisha insisted: "He is an innocent and very ill man who is suffering from psychological and physical stress. I ask people to raise their voices in his support."

Aisha was joined by her sons Khalid, Mohamed, Moutasim, Ali and daughter Ghana. Campaigners shielded Aisha as they marched down the Royal Mile.

Luke Mitchell, now 20, was ordered to serve at least 20 years for the 2003 brutal knife killing of his girlfriend Jodi Jones, 14.

He lost an appeal against his conviction in May this year.
Luke Mitchell's mother campaigns for his release

His mother Corrine carried a poster of him through the streets with the message "miscarriages of justice have no voice".

She said there was fresh evidence to launch an appeal to free her son and a new legal team had been appointed.

Susan Robinson joined the march to protest at the conviction of her childhood friend, ex-soldier Michael Ross - jailed for shooting an Orkney waiter.

The wife of cyclist Jason McIntyre, who died after being hit by a van while training near his home in Fort William in January, was present at the demonstration. The family of Kevin McLeod, who drowned in Wick Harbour in 1997, also took part.

The walkers had hoped to meet justice secretary Kenny MacAskill but he narrowly avoided the march. A spokesman said: "He has nothing to do with this."

Last night, Maria Jansson - Annie Borjesson's best friend - said she was happy that relatives of Magrahi and Mitchell took part. She said: "We are not judging anyone. Everyone was welcome."

Anonymous said...

Interesting tone in the Record.Perhaps Bill Aitken would like to face up Dr Jim Swire with all that bile he has stored in his torag belly for victims of injustice.

btw is Aitken saying the torags are against victims of injustice because it sure sounds that way !

Anonymous said...

Coward, quizling, not fit for purpose.....These are just some of the terms which suggest themselves as apt decriptors of Mr McAskill.

By contrast, a magnificent effort by all concerned with the March For Justice, time now to take this protest beyond the borders of Edinburgh and Scotland's little parish.

Anonymous said...

The media have their part to play in all of this as well. Many publications didn't fairly cover the event, focussing as they did on Mr Megrahi's family. That wasn't the family's fault, and I know no-one on the walk was aggrieved in any way that they had attended - in fact, most of us were delighted. But articles like this one from the Record are just shoddy headline grabbers. Nobody "hijacked" the walk, except those reporters who failed to properly inform the wider Scottish community as to what the walk was really about.
I'm not saying all of the reporters fall into this category - there was some good coverage as well, but it's the ones like Amy Devine who need to take a long, hard look at themselves.

Anonymous said...

Has Aitken got any kids of his own who have been washed up dead on beaches ?
oh wait his profile says he is single and 61.oh.

Anonymous said...

Too bad for your justice minister who sounds like a complete asshole anyway but good linkage with those clips of him saying stuff like he will protect bent lawyers !

Anonymous said...

dont you have any decent judges over there who can order an inquiry anyway despite what these no action politicians do just sitting around ignoring everyone ?

Anonymous said...

so not one overpaid politician could be bothered to venture out of the parliament building to meet the protesters ?

hope this wakes some people up about what the ***** really think of the rest of us

Anonymous said...

Clearly we are electing the wrong people who are treating this as a them v us issue so vote them out next time
Aitken's comment is just plain sick btw

Anonymous said...

Quite an indictment of Scotland that not one of those at the parliament even bothered to come out

Doesnt that tell you that Scotland doesnt need the parliament after all ???

Anonymous said...

a fairly good letter in the herald for you to look at -
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/letters/display.var.2473321.0.foreign_nationals_see_scots_justice_with_all_its_flaws.php

Foreign nationals see Scots justice with all its flaws

As someone who took part in Thursday's "silent walk for justice" in Edinburgh I would congratulate Julia Horton and The Herald for portraying fairly this event in the newspaper's video, online and print editions. Other newspapers and media missed the point about this event, which was organised by Maria Jansson and Guje Börjesson from Sweden to voice their dissatisfaction at the Scottish justice system's treatment of the death at Prestwick in 2005 of Annie Börjesson, and to give a platform to others who shared their sense of injustice.

The Herald pointed out that no-one from the Scottish Government would meet the organisers of the walk to accept a letter to the Justice Minister, Kenny MacAskill.

Other media were dominated by the presence of the Megrahi family, and while this family were perfectly entitled to have their say, most of the media concentrated solely on them at the expense of other families taking part.
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The organisers, Jansson and Börjesson, had made it clear that they welcomed anyone who had a genuine sense of injustice to take part in a silent and dignified walk. They also made it clear that they could not make a judgment on the merits of individual cases, but would take messages from anyone, together with their own, to Mr MacAskill, whom they had long asked to meet.

In the absence of Mr MacAskill, Ms Börjesson read out her letter to him to the crowd outside the Scottish Parliament, saying: "We who have walked here today are confident that the talent Scots have for innovation can be utilised to come up with a solution to our needs. One that would offer a human dimension to those who feel a cold and dispassionate justice system has passed them by. Where there is a gap in legislation, we ask you to fill it, and where legislation for appeal exists, we ask that this be carried out speedily. Justice delayed is justice denied."

I wish that I shared her confidence in our justice system, but her message carries some weight, coming as it does from a stranger from a foreign land. We Scots who criticise our justice system are often labelled as the "usual suspects" and dismissed accordingly. This is not so easy to do when the critic is an intelligent and articulate Swedish lady who views things from a fresh perspective, having no personal axe to grind other than a wish to see a proper investigation into the circumstances of her daughter's death.

I found the following observation on how we are affected by the presence of outsiders in our midst appropriate to Ms Börjesson's comments to Mr MacAskill: "Sociologists have a term for what an outsider does to a society just by being there. The stranger conducts a commonsense inventory'. This is not a conscious act, but just because the outsider has not been socialised into that system they have an effect of making everyone there consider what is the accepted wisdom."

Let us hope Ms Börjesson, by her observations and commonsense comments can cause Mr MacAskill to try to see ourselves as others see us.

Tom Minogue, Dunfermline.

Anonymous said...

MacAskill,

As Mr Sweet says,

YOUR FIRED!

Anonymous said...

So we have 129 msps including MacAskill each taking home about 100k a year in salary & expenses and probably a bit on the side and not one of those bastards could spare what 10 minutes to speak to the families ?

I'd say much more but you probably wont publish the comment

Good think we have the Herald and you around though

Anonymous said...

Yes I find it quite shocking no one bothered to come out and meet up with the group but when it comes to lawyers Mr MacAskill can do anything he wants as you point out.

Wave some money at him and see what happens ?

Anonymous said...

Not very inspiring this MacAskill guy is he ?
Is that why he has the position to gum up justice instead of deliver it ?