1 March 2013
'From Agatha Christie to Esther Rantzen: The British Response to Child Abuse Tragedies' - Saturday Evening Lecture on 9th March
How Britain responds to child abuse tragedies and the ways which these responses have driven social change will be explored at the next Saturday Evening Lecture to take place at the University of Dundee.
Alyson Leslie, from the University's School of Education, Social Work and Community Education (ESWCE), will look at how the UK public and press have reacted in the aftermath of child abuse tragedies since the very first Public Inquiry was held following the death of Dennis O'Neill in 1945.
She will ask whether we have learned from the tragedies of the past, and whether public engagement and opinion can really shape the political response to child abuse tragedies at the Dalhousie Building from 6-7pm on Saturday, 9th March.
A history of the UK inquiry system will touch upon some of the cases which have hit the headlines over the years and ask whether our faith in the Inquiry system is justified. Alyson will also look at some of the individuals who have directly or indirectly shaped the child death review process.
"There are questions we need to ask about the British response to child abuse tragedies, such as the high profile cases involving Dennis O'Neill in 1945, Maria Colwell in 1973 and, more recently, Peter Connelly," she said.
"The first reaction of the public and press is to call for an Inquiry, but are these processes actually having any impact and do they bring about changes that protect other vulnerable children?
"It's worth considering whether people outside the field of child protection, such as Agatha Christie and Esther Rantzen, have actually had more impact on the public response to vulnerable children than decades of official inquiries. It's not just celebrities who have made a difference. Members of public have made huge contributions to keeping children safe."
Alyson Leslie is an expert in child care inquiries and reviews and has investigated the deaths of children and harm to children across the UK for over 20 years. She worked with Haringey Council in the aftermath of Baby Peter's death to see how the lessons learned from the tragedy had been implemented.
She is also jointly leading a pioneering partnership between ESWCE and the University's Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) to explore the potential for collaborative work between forensic anthropologists and social work staff undertaking child death reviews.
'From Agatha Christie to Esther Rantzen: The British Response to Child Abuse Tragedies' takes place at 6pm on Saturday, 9th March in the Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill. This lecture takes place in connection with Dundee Women's Festival and International Women's Day.
The Saturday Evening Lecture Series, which this year celebrates its 89th anniversary, is Scotland's oldest continuous free public lecture series. It attracts thousands of people each year to hear varied and thought-provoking lectures from prestigious, world-class speakers.
This tradition will be continued in 2013, with talks from an exciting line-up of leading figures from the worlds of art, academia, literature and science. Drinks receptions will follow each lecture, and where appropriate, book-signings will be held.
Overflow theatres may be in use, and the main lecture theatre will be filled on a first come-first seated basis on the night so patrons should be sure to arrive early if they would prefer to be seated in the main lecture theatre.
Free tickets for Alyson Leslie's lecture are available from the University's Online Store, www.dundee.ac.uk/tickets by emailing events@dundee.ac.uk, Tower Building Reception or from the events office on 01382 385564/385108.
For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head. Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07800 581902 |
