OK, I'm not some softie do gooder that sees the positive side in everyone. But by latching onto every word of the red top papers, gossip and rumour, it seems the bad side of the people is being picked to bits, so opinions are making them guilty and guiltier by the minute.
Let's take the whole case back to the foundations, and find some good points (if possible) on those under the spotlight, or other facts about their personalities.
SH - OK, banged up for supplying crack in 2003, and wielding a machete in 2008: he would have been watched very carefully, and if thought a danger to children, it would/SHOULD have been on the radar. I'm still feeling a bit taken in by the interview, and took his twitchiness to be years of drug misuse. He has probably been in Tia's life for, say 5+ years. Tia probably had enough streetwise nouse to know if anything was "wrong", unless pocket money was her sole measure of worth.
CS - Holds down a job (whether this has been declared along with benefit claims is another issue); drives - so can't be that stupid as she's passed her test. May have grown up from the age of 30+ which is why she saw her daughter (NS) repeating her own earlier "mistakes" regarding being a young mum, and I say mistakes, not so much as an unwanted child, just an "I don't know to cope with it child". Smokes too much (says me a smoker). May have thought she'd never find love again, so took SH in, as not her 100% perfect find, but a bit of affection is better than none.
NS - had Tia at a young age, it happens, split with the dad, and as usually happens Mum gets the kiddie, which usually suits the errant father just fine at the time. Found new bloke, 2 more children, Tia is on the heap as Tia can now look after herself and is not part of the NS/DN partnership. (still think the whole phone thing is fishy though).
SC - Tia's biological dad, seems quite normal, and kept in touch and also his mum had access, albeit infrequent, he seems unwelcome by the New Addington clan - probably nothing sinister, but I can see them using Tia as a pawn, and often if he gets too much, you just sort of keep away, but on the other hand he has a new relationship with young kids, so again Tia is a bi-product of a previous fling.
New Addington estate - the majority hate the Police, the law, living by the book, contributing to society etc. However, the majority will not see any harm come to a child, if there were any dodgy goings on, they would squeal, unless they had been threatened if they did. A sad state of affairs, as those with some moral aptitude still in place are threatened by those that don't: and are probably more upset by the fact the Police presence has prevented them going about their "normal daily tasks".
PM - even if I was asked by my very best mate to say I'd seen something I didn't, I wouldn't do it..........hypothetical....as my mates also know that I wouldn't so I'd never be asked.
DS. All mouth, no trousers. The most coherant of the bunch, but went surprisingly quiet after the SH arrest. Wonder if he just had to protect "the family", and is now feeling a bit of a twit. Not saying he didn't care, but the whole episode shows that no-one really cared until it all went pear shaped, despite the outpourings, everyone thought that someone else was looking out for Tia.
I'd love to know how looked after Tia felt, but guess we will never know, unless a close friend shares their schoolgirl secrets.
I would love to give kids like Tia a break from their lives, so they can breath and relax without having to be on edge all the time, but that would take about 6 years to pass in this country. Totally off topic, but after Chernobyl our neighbours had a Russian girl to stay for 1 month each year, part paid for by family and part by Russia, it was to get fresh air into the lungs of the Russian youngsters. If only our at risk/inner city kids could do the same without all the red tape.
