Having been convicted on what the court deemed insufficient evidence, Melanie was given a “probationary” sentence by the probation service, after which she was subjected to prolonged harassment by Nottingham Police.
Melanie Shaw is still incarcerated in Peterborough Prison. She has been in custody since February 2015, and has spent all but three days of that time in solitary confinement. She says it is cold and she has no sunlight. On Saturday, June 13, 2015, a kind member of the public was finally able to visit her. As a prisoner in custody, she should receive visitors every day. But Sodexo, the company that runs Peterborough and profits from the suffering of people like Melanie, had previously blocked visits. So this was her first visit, and it was only 10 minutes long. For Melanie, it was heaven. Suddenly, she knew she had not been forgotten by her supporters or by thousands of others around the world.
Just a few days before the visit, Paddy Tipping, chairman of Nottingham's Police and Crime Commissioner, said at a meeting with the public that Melanie Shaw had been released and the charges dropped. This astonishing statement turned out to be untrue. Mr Tipping was simply reporting what he had been told. Whilst it may be of some comfort to members of the public, it is a clear indication that the Police Commissioner has not verified his information or that Police Commissioner officials have lied or attempted to deceive him and the public.
Either way, Melanie Shaw is in prison for the crimes she accused of. She believed she had a trial which would include a “dependency evaluation” on 1st and 2nd July 2015. Court enquiries to date have shown that no such “trial” has been scheduled for that date, nor have any other hearings been scheduled for her. Could the real plan for Melanie be a secret “Star Chamber” which could “dispose” of her within the prison system or one of the UK's growing number of psychiatric hospital concentration camps?
The planned trial is yet another sham and an utter disgrace to our system of “injustice”. It is a chilling display of the Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, Home Secretary Theresa May MP and Director of the Crown Prosecution Service Alison Sanders' readiness to further abuse victims in order to silence their cries for justice and contain child abuse by the upper echelons of the political establishment.
Melanie Shaw is a victim of child abuse. She is known to many supporters in the UK Constitution Group and UKColumn because we have been campaigning for her and reporting on her plight for many months.
For those who don't know, Melanie was sexually abused at home as a toddler and was then placed under the “care” of Nottingham Social Services at Beechwood Children's Home. Her care consisted of further sexual and physical abuse. Years later this brave woman came forward to speak out against the abuse of herself and other children at Beechwood. Nottingham Police launched “Operation Daybreak” where up to 150 children were allegedly abused at Beechwood. Melanie discovered Nottingham Police had lied about conducting their investigation and shortly afterwards her own children were taken into Social Services' care and she was involved in a case of arson and property damage.
Having been convicted on what the court deemed insufficient evidence, Melanie was given a “probationary sentence” by the Probation Service, and after returning home in accordance with the terms of that sentence she was subjected to prolonged harassment, including phone calls from Nottingham Police, being followed by police cars and a police search of her home.
For Melanie, the harassment was particularly hard to bear, as she was already suffering from PTSD from the abuse. Having been refused any form of care in the community by Nottingham's mental health services, Melanie was arrested and subsequently charged with several offences, including “falsely imprisoning a paramedic”.
Melanie was then put through a series of secret trials in which no jury was present and she was denied the lay legal advice she desired. In what many saw as a blatant disregard for legal process, Judge Head appeared to order her to use a law firm he recommended. The judge found Melanie guilty of “falseful imprisonment” and called for a psychiatric evaluation, but not from Melanie's doctor of 20 years, but from someone believed to be a local psychiatrist, Mr Connell Jones. Judge Head was quoted as saying he “wishes to close this matter in order to pass sentence”.
Jones appears to have made his diagnosis without consulting Melanie's psychiatrist; in fact, Melanie's psychiatrist disagreed with Jones' diagnosis, stating that he “did not remember the patient.” Jones, of course, was the same person who made the diagnosis in just 50 minutes when Melanie first got her period in Peterborough Prison.
Sources say the head of healthcare at Sodexo's private for-profit prison Peterborough has also been asked to prepare a report. Significantly, the healthcare director has no medical training and may also be responsible for serious medical neglect when Melanie was first imprisoned, particularly the serious leg ulcers.
As if that wasn't enough, Melanie Shaw has been denied the welfare benefits she is entitled to for months, Nottingham Social Services have refused to provide any help to improve her situation and Melanie has fallen behind on her rent payments. Nottingham Homes are now trying to repossess her home, despite her full right to welfare and to keep her home while in detention.
The blatant, systematic and ongoing abuse and intimidation of this child abuse victim by the Conservative-led UK Government is an outrageous act for which politicians and the Home Secretary must be held to account. Yet this case is one of many similar cases where the justice system has failed to hold child abusers to account, protecting itself at the expense of its victims. We, the people, are at risk for allowing this brutal Third World dictatorship that calls itself British democracy to continue. Now is the time for people to stand up, speak out and take action. What will you do to free Melanie Shaw before your child becomes the next victim?
