Since 2014 as a former teacher, I have been raising concerns about failings in the UK Government Safeguarding systems that should be in place to protect every child in the country from harm. The immediate concerns related to bullying, physical and sexual violence in UK schools including rape and the harm, suicides and deaths that have occurred as a consequence. This led to the launch of an official Safer Schools campaign, originally made up of more than 150 families across the UK, that have lost children to suicide or had them seriously harmed or killed in relation to these issues.
Since 2020, the campaign had been consistently calling on the UK Government for an inquiry into those failings, as well as an alleged cover up of the issues involving almost every MP (Member of Parliament) and yet to this day, no investigation has ever taken place.
The failure of MPs to investigate has led to concerns expressed by the European Commission’s Head of Human Rights, High Court and Court of Appeal judges, as well as a case review by the United Nations. Moreover, a recent assessment of criminal allegations made against the Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch in relation to the failures, which played a significant part in the Southport Murders, one of the UK’s worst ever atrocities, has also led to similar concerns. The assessment was conducted by the Specialist Crime Unit of the London Metropolitan Police, who importantly concluded that while the alleged misconduct of both may not have crossed the criminal threshold, the matter may indeed warrant further examination and Parliamentary scrutiny.
Even more concerning, a recent terrorism review evidenced that the failings which had already led to a number of other tragic events, would likely lead to further atrocities including planned school massacres, if the issues continue to be covered up by MPs. More widely, the evidence shows that these issues are not just related to UK schools but schools across the globe. Critically, evidence shows that the same systemic issues that allow bullying and violence in schools to be covered up by government, are the same issues that allow abuse and violence against children to go unaddressed in many settings and in numerous countries worldwide.
As a consequence, as part of an ongoing dialogue with the UN, correspondence was sent to them last year calling for an international review of the systems that governments and institutions worldwide have in place, to ensure the prevention of violence and abuse of children in schools and more widely, exploitation, violence and abuse of children in every area of society. The aim is to now ensure that those reviews and any necessary investigations take place as soon as possible and the evidence made available, to ensure that further unnecessary harm, deaths and atrocities can be avoided.
Asylum Application denied and departure from Switzerland
Recently, as a consequence of the aforementioned issues and the criminality alleged against numerous individuals within government, including the UK Prime Minister, I was forced to leave the UK and apply for asylum in Switzerland. Having recently had my asylum application and appeal denied, I have been ordered to leave Switzerland and given the option to return to the UK, after having been held in full time detention by the Swiss authorities since my arrival.
The order though presents a serious dilemma, having come to Switzerland and the UN not only to seek refuge but more importantly to save lives. In more than twelve years of requesting that global institutions, human rights organisations and numerous individuals in positions of authority act on the evidence, in order to protect children from harm and death, no one has ever done so or given any indication that they intend to. It is evident that if I fail in my assignment, then millions of children in the UK and around the world, including many in Switzerland will be left at risk. As a consequence of this, I am determined in the stance and position I have taken, in that I will not leave Switzerland voluntarily, unless I am guaranteed that reasonable steps will be taken in relation to the protection of children globally and the prevention of further harm and death.
I am aware that a refusal to leave Switzerland could result in me being imprisoned in much harsher conditions and ultimately being returned to the UK through the use of physical force. I would hope that in this specific case, such extreme measures would not be necessary and if at all possible could be avoided. With this in mind, in order to encourage my cooperation in departing from Switzerland and returning to the UK voluntarily, I am requesting that in the first instance the following conditions be met for the benefit of all children:
(Conditions to be met by the UN)
- The UN to commit to a basic global review of the systems that governments and institutions worldwide have in place to ensure the prevention of bullying physical and sexual violence in schools.
- The UN to commit to a basic global review of the systems that governments and institutions worldwide have in place to ensure the prevention of physical and sexual violence and abuse of children in other settings.
- The UN to meet with me to fully understand the reasons for the proposed global reviews in light of the evidence I have available.
(Conditions to be met by the UK Prime Minister and UK Parliament)
- The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to commit to an independent investigation into the failings and allegations.
- The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to guarantee for his part, that I will not face reprisals from the authorities on return to the UK, as a result of the criminal complaints and allegations made against the Prime Minister and the UK Government.
- The UK Parliament through the Education Select Committee, to commit to an immediate public review of the evidence I hold, that demonstrates how children being harmed and lost to suicide or killed due to bullying, physical and sexual violence in schools, can in most cases be easily avoided and the risks reduced.
I see no reason why in order to ensure my cooperation and voluntary return, these requests cannot be accommodated. On the part of the UN, the requests aim to benefit the international community and children across the globe, while the benefit to the UK, of the Prime Minister finally taking this opportunity to fully investigate these issues and protect millions of children from the risk of unnecessary harm and death, should be obvious.
On the part of the Swiss authorities, the requests aim to benefit the Swiss population and nation as a whole and especially Switzerland’s children. Numerous media reports show that Switzerland is not immune from the consequences of bullying and violence in schools leading to harm, suicides and death. I offer an opportunity to prevent many Swiss children and their families from having to go through unnecessary suffering and tragedy and demand only the right to have my evidence heard, considered and thereafter appropriately acted upon by the UN.
With this in mind, I have now sent the requests to all relevant parties and have asked the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) to consider a short extension of the deadline for departure, to allow the UN, the UK Prime Minister and the Education Select Committee time to respond.
Jason Barnett
Safer Schools Campaign lead