Hammer Attack Trial and Computers For Africa

I wrote on Friday about my astonishment with various issues associated with the trial currently underway as a result of the Hammer Attack that took place at the Ridgeway School in Wroughton when Henry Webster was attacked and beaten by a gang of Asians. Well, yesterday this astonishment was even greater after I read the latest report on the case in the Swindon Advertiser. I was aware that quite a few people had been charged as a result of the attack but I was amazed that there are actually 16 Asian men on trial and the case has had to be split into two separate trials to make it easier to manage with the second trial being held in February. At this trial Kamren Khan, 19, Javed Khan, 20, Mizanur Rahman, 20, Roubel Meah, 20, Aqduss Rauf, 18, Bilal Yaqub, 18, and Mahbob Ali, 18, will be on trial accused of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm for their involvement in planning the attack on 16-year-old Henry!

But the most amazing part of the report is where it says that the trial is being heard in Bristol so that jurors will not have prior knowledge of the incident! Bristol is a short car ride down the M4 so it would be almost unbelievable that anyone there had not heard about the attack. But apparently not, so why is this? Is it not interesting enough to publish in the mainstream press or has it been hushed up? Now if this was the trial of 16 white men for an attack on a 16-year-old Asian there would have been blanket coverage of the incident. I can only compare this with how, even now, the name Stephen Lawrence is one that everyone in the country is aware of despite the fact his murder took place in 1993. I know Henry is still alive and Stephen is not, but the attack is no less horrific in that the aim of both attacks was to kill the victim. Henry was very lucky he was not killed, but if he had been, would anyone know about it?

I was recently debating with a local voter in Calne's Lickhill Ward about my stance on law and order and my belief that anti-social behaviour was greater now than ever before. Subsequent to that discussion I was out canvassing and was told a story regarding an incident that happened in Rochdale Avenue recently. The story-teller was driving home from work when he saw the car in front of him suddenly pull up at the side of the road. One of the occupants jumped out and grabbed a youth off the street and proceeded to assault him. The chap telling me the story was going to intervene only to realise there were several other people in the car so he phoned the police who advised him to leave well alone and drive off. They told him it was drug-related and actually seemed more interested in obtaining his details than they were of those involved in the assault. This was in Calne, not London or Bristol, in Calne. Where is this going to end? It seems that this sort of crime takes place because the perpetrators know there is no-one around to do anything about it and that if the police are called, they will be long gone before they arrive. How soon will it be before one of these incidents results in a murder?

Finally today I must express my confusion regarding the publicity given to the following charity

http://www.computers4africa.org/

who, say on their web-site "The mission of Computers for Africa (CFA) is promoting sustainable Information and Communications Technology (ICT) development in rural African communities."

So, does this mean that there is sufficient food, water and medical facilities available in Africa? I suppose it must, if it is now felt that providing computers is what the needy Africans now require. Oh well, obviously the solutions to the problems of the world have been more quickly addressed than I had previously thought. What next, Ipods for Iraq?