being cautioned

[m1]

I am currently a working parent in the teaching profession. I have a nine year old daughter who has on occasion let herself out of our home and gone to school with the next door neighbor when i have left for work. The other day my daughter misplaced her key and panicked, phoning the police informing them that she was locked in. I was cautioned by the police and will have cruelty to children stated on my crb. I am a very caring mother and my children are my life.I am devastated and feel that my career is over before it had a chance to begin. I was told that this will be shown on my crb for the next 10 to 20 years. Is this so, and how long will i have to declare this mistake.

[bednobs]

it will alwyas be on your crb

[mrs_overall]

Exactly what was the offence?

You can only be cautioned for a criminal offence if you admit to it. Did you admit to it?

Sorry to be vague but your question raises more questions.

[spacechimp]

God, did you accept the caution?

[m1]

Yes i accepted the caution as I felt under pressure to accept it. They made me feel as if i what of had my daughter taken into care and that was all i could think about.
I'm sure that i'm not the only working parent who has done this on acassion and feel like it will ruin the career which i love.

[bednobs]

what do your employers say?
tbh it probably WILL ruin the career you love because lets face it, who is going to want a person who has a cnviction for child cruelty teaching teir children?

[spacechimp]

She does not have a conviction, bednobs. It's a caution.

m1, I can't find much about expunging police cautions, other than that it's next to impossible. From the IPCC web site:

"If you would like to challenge a police caution
or fixed penalty, or contest an ASBO you should contact
your local Citizens Advice Bureau or seek legal advice"

and

"Any disputes regarding the
information on your Criminal Record Disclosure should
be raised directly with the Criminal Records Bureau."

It seems a pretty hopeless situation, sadly. If you think you can provide absolute proof that you did not do what you tacitly confessed to in accepting your caution, then you might conceivably be able to have it overturned, I should imagine, but other than the word of your daughter, who presumably could be coerced into giving evidence via threats of putting her up for adoption, I can't really imagine any way of proving it.

[bednobs]

caution, conviction, its thesame thing, just a different punishment. rather than being taken to court, m1 has in effect pleadd guilty to what thye put before her. on an enhanced crb (which you will have to have to work with children) it will show up whether it's a conviction or a caution

[Suzyboo]

Is there a basis to challenge it anyway when the 9 year old was in fact locked in a house alone?

[brenda]

This may or may not help------in today's Sun.Express magazine,25/01/09,there was an article by a Rachel Carlyle
entitled "When is it safe to leave a child home alone?"

In the article it states and I quote--------
There is no set minimum age for leaving a child on their own at home.But under the Children and Young Persons Act of 1933,parents can be prosecuted for wilful neglect if they leave a child unsupervised " in a manner likely to cause unecessary suffering or injury to health"

I think you should take advice on this caution as soon as you possibly can.
I fully understand your daughter panicking , and for that you are responsible.However the fact that your going to work arrangements are some what loose,will not help you much.
But please take advice as soon as.

[spacechimp]

It wasn't exactly cruelty to children though, was it, Suzyboo?

It was a little absent-minded, perhaps.

[Suzyboo]

I wasn't calling her anything. I just thought that those were the relevant facts that led to the caution and that they could not be disputed.

[kitesurfer]

it just goes to show how turd brained our police are

[m1]

Thanks for ure replies especially Space Chimp. I agree, definately absent minded, as i said it was not a regular thing and only wish i'd thought things through properly. I just feel so upset that i have been put in the same bag as people who intentially try to harm and hurt their children and i absolutely love my job and have wanted to teach since i was around 6 years old. Just trying to provide my children with a better quality of life. I had tried for mths to find a breakfast club but had no luck in finding somewhere that also dropped children back off to school. Oh well, i can only hope that my career isn't over.

[bednobs]

what doe your bosses say? You may find that in the circumstances they may allow some lenience

[mrs_overall]

I don't think you have anything to worry about.

A teacher at my son's school had a 2 year suspended sentence and she was allowed to keep her job.

[bednobs]

suspended sentance for what mrs o? And how come the parents know about it?

[mrs_overall]

bednobs, she stole �32K from someone. All the parents knew cos it was all over the newspapers!

[Nannyjill]

Stealing though wrong is in a different category than cruelty to children.

Still think if you explain the circmstances you may be looked on favourably - let us hope so