Thursday 30th April 2026
Blog Page 1777

House of Lords reform: end it, don’t mend it

Tom Beardsworth
-
0
House of Lords reform: end it, don’t mend it

‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is generally a sound rule for democratic institutions, as with most things in life. So why on earth the mantra is applied to our second chamber I do not know.

The House of Lords used to encapsulate everything odious about Britain, especially its entrenched elites. Gone mercifully are the days when aristocrats could dictate policy in taxation and spending. Yet work is still to be done. There remains a rut of about 90 hereditary peers and offensively, in one of the most irreligious societies on earth, 26 Church of England bishops — placing us comfortably amongst Burkina Faso, Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia in the democratic premier league. Though I confess to a soft spot for Archbishop Rowan Williams (his voice is ready-made for audiobooks, no?) the good nature of these men (exclusively men, of course) is not a price worth paying for our inclusion with Iran as the only other country to let unelected clerics make the laws we must obey.

In 1997 most inherited seats were rescinded in favour of appointed peerages. This prerogative has been used and abused by Prime Ministers for blatant patronage, packing it full of dodgy donors and personal cronies, exerting a massive corrupting influence throughout the highest echelons of business and politics. The ‘Cash for Honours’ scandal that dogged Blair’s last days in office poisoned his legacy almost as much as Iraq. The reforms merely changed the Lords from an aristocratic institution to one predominantly inhabited by the nouveau riche. As it is constituted today its members are either born into it, or they have bought into it. It remains a tool of the privileged, ‘perhaps the most potent symbol of a closed society’ says our Deputy PM. Quite so. The Lords is a ridiculous anachronism that cannot be made good. It has long been indefensible in theory; it is also defunct in practice.

Cue Nick Clegg’s proposal to transform the Lords into an 80% elected Senate of 300 strong. There are clear merits to such a plan. In austerity-ridden times, not the least of these is cost; last year the 800 peers billed us £150 million for their upkeep. By more than halving its size, we’d be able to return a big chunk of that to the taxpayer. But why stop there? Do we really want a bicameral legislature; that is a divided legislature where the upper house reviews and competes with the lower one. A second elected chamber would inject into Westminster the kind of deadlock and sluggishness that characterises America’s imperfect democracy. Such a dispersal of power between two bodies of equal legitimacy would lead to a paralysis of much the same fashion that confronted Lloyd George a century ago when he tried to pass the ‘People’s Budget’. Two chambers. Two mandates. Twice the carnage.

Many sincere liberals contend that we need the Lords in some form due to its role revising, improving and challenging legislation from the Commons that would otherwise pass unimpeded. The concern is understandable, but surely we can dismiss it? We have a strong, independent judiciary — ensuring the government can’t do anything illegal. We have a free press that is hardly deferential to those in power. And we have a strong civil society; experts and interest groups are unafraid to petition those in power and the electorate, if necessary, can boot them out when the time comes. New Zealand, Sweden and several US states all manage just fine without a second chamber. So can we.

Abolition of the House of Lords would complete the centuries-old business of bringing unelected parliamentary interests to heel. The current upper house is simply an embarrassment and proposals to augment it would undermine the efficient, unitary nature of our system. Ministers should not overlook the simple, yet radical, solution at hand.

Review: The Master and Margarita

Archive
-
0
Review: The Master and Margarita

I’m supposed to be revising for Finals. I have post-it notes dripping from the walls, and piles of textbooks arranged like a little tower-block metropolis on the floor. Weblearn, alarmingly, is beginning to seem like Second Life. But today – just this once, Senior Tutor – I’ve escaped, to watch one of the most extraordinary theatrical events of the year. Finals or not, you need to see this play.

Let me first say this. Simon McBurney, the artistic mastermind behind the Complicité group, can apparently do no wrong. I’ve been hooked by his oblique style since A Disappearing Number, a many-layered and completely baffling exploration of infinity. The idea is to pursue “complicated simplicity”: seize some absurd, disorienting aspect of human life (as McBurney points out, there are many), and ruthlessly distil it through theatre to a sort of visual perfection, crystallising the paradox into an elegant, if somewhat disturbing, series of beautiful self-contradictions. It’s always hallucinatory, unsettling, distressing – and completely addictive.

The Master and Margarita (for those who, like me, might have suspected it was some kind of new deal at Pizza Hut) is Complicité’s phantasmagorical staging of Mikhail Bulgakov’s Soviet-era novel, a brutal exploration of faith and the individual in an impersonal society. We’re drawn into the surreal, oppressive dreamscapes of straight-jacketed Muscovite society – and it turns out to be nightmarish, Satanic realpolitik. Like a dream, visions of traumatic, superficially-distinct scenes sear into your eyeballs: the hellish, Faustian pact of a lover (the eponymous Margarita) trying to resuscitate the past, the anguish of a spineless Pontius Pilate trapped by the dictates of the state, and the cryptic sneer of a leather-coated Satan stalking the streets.

So, you get the point. Bulgakov’s cold satire is acutely disturbed, and McBurney doesn’t back down. It’s a kaleidoscopic migraine of a play. It’s roughly like mixing the theological intensity of Dostoevsky with the electrifying incongruities of Damien Hirst, and injecting the weird concoction into the creative brain of one of Britain’s most exciting directors. Clearly, the results were always going to be bizarre.

“And now tell me,” smirks an imperious Pilate, “why is it that you use the words ‘good people’ all the time? Do you call everyone that, or what?”

In the breathless pause, a merciless visual projection traces the bloodied scars on the vagrant’s back.

“Everyone,” says Christ, “there are no evil people in the world.”

The Master and Margarita is a self-consciously fragmentary play. The narrative splinters into a thousand shards of interconnected thoughts, each refracting some small, penetrating ray of clarity. You can tell, oddly, that they must fit together into a coherent whole, but it’s as though Bulgakov and McBurney have cruelly thrown away the instruction manual. That is, of course, some kind of desperate point: we are not called to understand the human condition so much as to endure it.

Satan puts in a bewitching performance as the unfathomable Professor Woland (various actors), and the anguish of a hyperconscious writer, the Master (Paul Rhys), hideously confined to an asylum, is extraordinary. The bizarre puppet-cat was perhaps a step too far, and Margarita (Sinead Matthews) was, if I’m being brutally honest, perhaps less convincing, uncharacteristic for such a self-assured cast, but, then, who am I to complain? It’s a performance to rival Shun-Kin and A Disappearing Number, and that’s high praise indeed. See it. Now.

And so, back I go – a little shaken – to the post-it notes. But, for now, my mind’s still a world away, stuck in that grim Soviet purgatory with its little cast of victims. Finals, it seems, will just have to wait.

4.5 STARS

‘The Master and Margarita’ will be staged until 7th April 2012 at the Barbican, London.

Review: One Man, Two Guvnors

Ellie Halls
-
0
Review: One Man, Two Guvnors

One Man, Two Guvnors is a reworking of Goldoni’s Servant of Two Masters, by writer Richard Bean and director Nicholas Hytner, promising its audience ‘an evening of side-splitting delight,’ complete with comedian of the minute, James Corden. And it is: reminiscent of the classically British ‘Carry On’ films, the play is energetically vulgar and brilliantly entertaining.

Following Francis Henshall’s dismissal from his skiffle band, it follows his attempts to juggle two jobs in order to fund his partiality to a good pub lunch. The comedy lies in his attempts to make sure his two masters never meet, made more difficult by the fact that they are in fact romantically entwined. One ‘master’ is in fact dressed up as her dead brother in the aim of collecting a £6000 dowry from his fiancé’s father. Richard Bean’s script adheres to the basic plot line of Goldoni’s classic ‘commedia dell’arte’, but takes the setting from Italy to louche 1960’s Brighton. This allows the play a light hearted and modern familiarity, leading critics to aptly describe it as a ‘seaside postcard come to life’.

Bean also keeps to the characterisation of Francis, played by Corden, whose actions are driven by the whim of his continuously rumbling stomach. Luckily, Corden’s portly figure and comical crudity fit snugly into his intentionally hideous checked suit, as well as the original characterisation. This thankfully allows us to suspend his Gavin and Stacey image.

That said, the slightly pathetic and pitiful streak he adds to his character does sometimes jar with the fiery, thick-skinned nature we have come to know from the Brit Awards. It is also hard to continue to find his relentless joshing with the audience as humorous after the first half, or indeed to ignore Corden’s conspicuous esteem for his own wit. He takes this slightly too far when he ‘marvels’ for a good fifteen minutes at a member of the audience actually handing him a sandwich when he asks for one as part of the script onstage. Moreover, the magic of this ostensibly improvised interaction is dispelled once you talk to anyone who has seen the play on a different night; one of you proudly brings up the unique nature of the sandwich incident, which is promptly met by the other saying with incredulity that the same thing happened on the night they went as well.

The best moment of the play undoubtedly lays within the quivering hands of ‘Alfie’, an aged waiter, as he painstakingly serves a number of courses. He looks as if he ought to be long dead, and indeed spends his time on stage hurtling from one near-death experience to another.

Although the play’s key feature is its traditional buffoonery, all the actors are fresh and tirelessly funny. ‘One Man, Two Guv’nors’ is a vintage comedy brilliantly reupholstered for the 21st century.

OUP construction plans anger residents

Josephine Rabinowitz
-
0
OUP construction plans anger residents

Oxford University Press has recently submitted a planning application to carry out an extensive expansion upon its Jericho headquarters, amidst strong objections from residents and architectural groups.

The plans involve the demolition of the C wing of the Grade II* listed building, which was erected in 1895. This wing is set to be rebuilt and expanded into a new wing on the east corner of the site, in order to create more space for OUP employees, who currently total more than 1,800.

OUP has been keen to stress that these plans are still in their infancy, and that as yet there is no timetable for either the inception or completion of this work. They also emphasised that they were taking the views of residents and other groups into account.

Stewart Pegum, Director of Facilities and Estates at OUP, said, “We have been working closely with local residents, the Oxford Preservation Trust, and local councillors to ensure the plans are in keeping with our surroundings, and to minimise any possible impact on residents”.

However, despite these overtures, not all are satisfied with the proposed works, and the plans have provoked negative responses from various organisations.

The Jericho Community Association (JCA) has voiced its disapproval at the modern design of the intended building, and The Georgian Group has submitted an objection to the Oxford City Council, supported by The Victorian Group of the Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society.

The objection states that the proposed works “would be damaging to the setting of the historical Oxford University Press building and the character of the Conservation Area”.

The Georgian Group has taken particular issue with the proposed large glazed wall, which it deems “would be detrimental to the historically modest and suburban character of this part of Oxford”.

Pegum, on the other hand, said that “the scale, height and materials of the extension and new parts of the scheme have been carefully considered to compliment the neighbouring listed buildings and to fit in sympathetically with the character of the conservation era.”

However, some Oxford students have dismissed this architectural debate as unimportant, and have stated that OUP’s ability to function as well as possible should override any aesthetic considerations.

A student at St Peter’s College observed, “People shouldn’t look upon this as compromising what is already there, but as building upon the pillars on which Oxford stands, the pillars of knowledge and innovation.”

Don helps catch laptop thief

Gurpreet Narwan
-
0
Don helps catch laptop thief

A thief was apprehended by two men in a citizen’s arrest on Monday, following a dramatic chase involving an academic and porters from St Hugh’s College.

Aaron Gardner, 26, of Pegasus Road, had been spotted stealing a laptop from a student’s room in St Hugh’s.

The head of maintenance at Green Templeton College had seen him acting suspiciously. He watched as Gardner, with a woman standing nearby, loitered at the window and then snatched the computer. The Green Templeton staff member reported the crime and gave a description to the St Hugh’s porters and a tutor who was also present.

The don, who has chosen to remain anonymous, stated, “A gentleman in a van saw him and came into the porters’ lodge while I was in there and said: ‘Do you know someone’s nicked a laptop from one of the student’s rooms? He’s outside.”

The St Hugh’s don and porter then spotted the pair. After they were challenged, the male and female began to run away. The academic then gave chase down St Margaret’s Road, Banbury Road and Bardwell. It was only when Gardner jumped into a garden on Northmoor Road that the tutor lost him.

PC Jennie Hanks explained that at this point decorator Tony Thomas, 52, and electrician Marc Partlett, 34, who were renovating a property on Northmoor Rd, caught sight of Gardner garden hopping. They pursued and detained him. The police were called, and at 2.15 he was arrested. Partlett claimed that Gardner “was pleading with us, saying he would go back to jail.”

Gardner, who was already due to appear in court the following day for previous offences including a burglary on Tudor Close in Iffley in October, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and three counts of handling stolen goods and was sentenced to a prison term of 34 months.

In reaction to the theft, some college members expressed concern for their safety. Matilda Curtis, a first year English student at St Hugh’s explained, “It was scary and it did make me feel less safe and much less inclined to keep my door open because usually I feel totally comfortable leaving my door unlocked for long periods of time.

‘I do feel like the college is a safe, enclosed environment but when I think about it, it would be really easy for someone to get in.”

However, the porter who was involved in the arrest commented, “We feel very confident in the security systems, although obviously nothing is 100% secure.”

The Two Gentlemen of Verona: Actor’s Blog 2

Alice Fraser
-
0
The Two Gentlemen of Verona: Actor’s Blog 2

Acting is often said to be like stepping into someone else’s shoes.

Like wearing someone else’s shoes, it is normally quite uncomfortable at first: your feet pinch and every step feels difficult and painful. You are unsteady on your feet. So are actors. When presented with a new character to inhabit and become, each action and each decision you must justify feels challenging. You are unsure what motivates your character. But with time your feet and indeed your acting skills become adjusted and comfortable with their new abode, and after a while each step and every character action– a laugh, a head tilt, or a handshake– feels natural.

In The Two Gentlemen of Verona the characters make many difficult decisions, and it is difficult as an actor to make these decisions seem natural. Why does Julia dress as a boy and follow her unreliable fiancée? Why does Silvia give her picture to a man she despises? Why does Proteus betray his best friend for a newfound love?

As an actor normally cast as a whore or sultry maid, it was a great shock and huge excitement to be cast as a romantic lead in the upcoming Two Gentlemen of Verona. Many times this term I found myself feeling inexplicably happy or strangely sad, and had these odd moments when I realised that my unexplained emotions were actually due to being too caught up in the romantic side of my character, Julia. During the initial rehearsals, when we were working through the beginning of the play, I found that I would be inexplicably happy when cycling around or gazing out the window in the library, only to realise that it was in fact Julia who had such cause to be ecstatic.

Getting to know Julia, and figuring out how to portray her, felt like peeling back layers of maturity and jadedness, returning to my 16-year-old self. Trying to get into the mindset of a lovesick teenager was an enjoyable activity, but surprisingly difficult. There are so many moments in the play where I’ve been tempted to slap Julia for being so passionate and blind – it is frustrating and difficult to watch this girl set herself up for a huge heartbreak.

Towards the end of the play, where Julia’s emotional journey has led her to become quite bitter and dispassionate – this sorrow seemed to enter my mind and haunt me a bit. This sweet innocent girl has to witness a horrendous event. I won’t give too much detail for fear of ruining the ending, but as a result of what she sees (and as a result of some clever script-cutting), Julia has to come to a dreadful and brave decision. This emotionally climactic decision was, for me, difficult to reach, due to the many warring instincts that I felt Julia would have. When rehearsing this sad scene, I found her emotional progress incredibly frustrating.

But it was the moment that Julia makes her choice that I felt I had finally gotten to know her. A character that was represented as primarily headstrong and blindly in love, her nature was in fact much more nuanced. As my director beautifully put it, Julia will never be the same again; her life has changed and her outlook on the world has become much darker. How to portray this dramatic change in one silent moment will be difficult. Luckily there’s a lot of laughter, cross-dressing, attempts at singing, and love-struck dreaming to get one through in the meantime!

Alice Fraser will be playing ‘Julia’ in Barbarian Productions’ The Two Gentlemen of Verona to be performed May 2nd-5th in Christ Church Cathedral Gardens. Tune in next week for the music director’s perspective, and for more information about Two Gents visit their website, www.barbarian-productions.com, or follow them on twitter @twogentsox

Major spoils go to Cambridge at Henley Boat Races

Kyle Thetford
-
0
Major spoils go to Cambridge at Henley Boat Races

Oxford and Cambridge met on Sunday in a competitive clash that ultimately saw the Light Blues walk away with the chief prizes.

In the Women’s Blues race the Cambridge crew narrowly edged Oxford by quarter of a length despite squandering a convincing lead in the later stages. With only a few hundred metres to go the Light Blues’ two-seat, Caroline Reid, caught a crab and the Cambridge boat was stopped dead. The Oxford crew rapidly pulled level but an impressive recovery enabled Cambridge to hold on in a tense and hard-fought finish.

Cambridge was also able to pull out a victory in the closely contested Men’s Lightweight race. Capitalising on a strong start, Cambridge was able to fend off repeated pushes from the Oxford boat and maintain a slim lead until the finish, crossing the line ahead by 3/4 of a length.

OULRC President and Oxford’s four-seat James Thom recounted, “our start was pretty shaky and we gave away ground quite quickly”, and the crew only found a comfortable rhythm after the first minute.

Both coxes were aggressive and received warnings from umpire Sir Matthew Pinsent. The boats clashed in the last few hundred metres but a final drive from the Oxford crew was to no avail.

The Dark Blues had better luck in the Women’s Lightweight race and Oxford finished ahead by a margin of over one boat length. Cambridge fell behind early and was not able to recover; Oxford held a strong position and the Light Blues struggled in the choppy waters left by the Oxford boat’s wake.

Oxford also earned a convincing victory in the Women’s Reserves Boat Race, finishing ahead by over three boat lengths. The Cambridge boat, Blondie, jumped out to a slender lead at the start but by the halfway mark had been overtaken and were trailing the Oxford crew, Osiris. After clashes left the Light Blues dealing with a crab Osiris pulled away for good and secured the victory.

The inter-collegiate races were shared equally and in the first contest of the day Pembroke, Oxford defeated Emmanuel, Cambridge in the women’s race. It wasn’t to be a clean sweep for Pembroke though and Gonville and Caius, Cambridge won the men’s race by a tight margin of a third of a length.

Complaints jeopardise Mehdi’s licence

Lara Bryan
-
0
Complaints jeopardise Mehdi’s licence

Mehdi’s, the popular High Street kebab van, has been allowed to continue operating by Oxford City Council despite noise complaints made by Oriel College.

A council licensing committee met last Tuesday to decide whether Mr Mehdi Karrouchi’s licence would be renewed.

According to an Oxford City Council spokesperson, the renewal of Mr Mehdi Karrouchi’s licence has been granted. However, the licence, which was due to expire on March 31st, is being renewed conditionally.

The licensing authorities have said that by April 1st Mr Karrouchi must replace the current generator with a “quiet” one, leave his spot no later than half an hour after the end of his shift, and put up a sign reminding customers to be respectful of local residents.

The decision to renew Mr Karrouchi’s licence was under review after a complaint was made by Oriel College earlier in February.

The college said that the noise from the van caused “great stress” to student residents whose accommodation looks out on to the High Street.

In a letter to Oxford City Council, Dickie Bird, the Oriel lodge team leader, complained that “more often than not” the kebab van parked away from its allocated spot near Scrivens Opticians. Instead, according to Mr Bird, Mehdi’s van chose to park directly outside the gates to Brasenose. The noise from late-night customers and the van’s generator could then be heard inside Oriel students’ rooms.

Mr Bird added that Oriel College did not want to affect the trading of the van, but did “want the owner to abide by the rules of his licence and not just ignore them.”

One of the van’s operators, Mr Hussain, defended his position by saying that other cars are often parked in Mehdi’s allocated trading spot.

In response to the complaints made by Oriel College, two licensing officials paid a surprise visit to Mehdi’s on February 8th at 11pm. A council report stated that the officers found Mr Karrouchi to be in breach of a number of conditions of his licence. The two men serving behind the van were not registered employees and the licence was not on show nor could it be provided.

Local authorities then met with Mr Karrouchi before the Council Licensing Sub Committee meeting on March 20th to try and resolve matters.

Many students feel strongly about the importance of kebab vans in Oxford. Sam Ereira, a first year from Oriel College commented, “Each van plays an integral role in maintaining Oxford’s uniqueness.”

He added, “Without kebabs, there is no humanity.”

Ereira also expressed his view that if Mehdi’s lost its licence it was only fair “that Oriel accept the blame and have its college status removed so Mehdi can occupy it and turn it into the largest kebab shop in town.”

Mr Mehdi Karrouchi was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

It’s as democratic as you make it

Ben Deaner
-
0
It’s as democratic as you make it

So it’s done, it’s over, it’s passed. Well, almost. After a year and a bit of vehement opposition from doctors, nurses and the public, not to mention plenty of wrangling between the Lib Dems and Tories, Andrew Lansley’s controversial NHS reforms have made it through the Lords. The cabinet is said to have celebrated with traditional tabletop fist-banging, and the act will come into force shortly before Easter, once it is given royal assent.

We find ourselves in a situation where far-reaching reforms that were unmentioned in the Conservative campaign, and even implicitly rejected in the coalition agreement, will be passed without even a nod to widespread public opposition. To add further offence, the party pushing the bill failed to gain even a parliamentary majority. What, then, does this say about Britain as a democracy?

For their five-year term, the party we elect holds legislative power that is almost totally free from any formal constraints. Our system of cabinet government, our first-past-the-post electoral system, and in particular the powerful whip rules all serve to further concentrate party power in the cabinet, and even amongst a handful of individuals in the case of certain administrations, such as Thatcher’s or Blair’s. In the absence of any formal checks on power, all we are left with are informal checks. Our entire democracy rests on the flimsy assumption that our elected representatives will voluntarily act in accordance with our wishes. MPs may do so in order to secure re-election, since unpopular reform is likely to hurt them at the polls, though if we are optimistic we might put this down to a noble respect for vague principles of popular sovereignty..

These may well be a strong constraints on government behaviour much of the time, but for the NHS reforms, the resultant decline in popularity has proven an insufficient deterrent. The Conservatives are polling consistently behind Labour, despite the perceived lack of charisma that dogs its wobbly-faced leader, and it is easy to understand how they might think it wise to rush through as much reform as they can now, in case they lose the next election.

The surest way to prevent such failures of democracy would be constitutional reform. However, there is no complete constitutional change that would provide a silver bullet solution.The American system, for example, has a clear separation of powers, a strong emphasis on regionalism, and consequently endless disunity within its political parties. It does curtail the possibility of an elected dictatorship, but with the unfortunate side-effect of leaving the American government embarrassingly impotent.

Perhaps there is a happy medium. Lower caps on campaign spending would leave candidates less reliant on the support of their parties, as would preferential voting, which would place independents at less of a disadvantage. This would serve to weaken party discipline, and so help decentralise power away from the cabinet. An elected second chamber, with long terms and a full veto, could be less partisan and more open to public opinion. More radical would be a constitutional requirement for referenda on controversial reforms that fail to pass with a 2/3 majority.

This is just idle speculation, my point is that we need constitutional change. But while this is not forthcoming there is still a palliative to the problem at hand: outrage. We have grown used to governments abusing their mandates to force through reforms that hardly anyone actually wants; columnists talk of bills being passed ‘in the face of overwhelming public opposition’ as if this were somehow legitimate or even normal. Reactions both in the opposition and the press have tended to stick to grumbling about the reforms themselves; instead, the coalition’s wanton abuse of power should spark outrage in its own right, and above all that outrage has to be carried to the ballot box. If our political system creates elected dictatorships, then we must try as best we can to pressure those elected dictators to act like democrats.

13 arrested in child sex ring investigation

Jack Andrews
-
0
13 arrested in child sex ring investigation

Six Oxford residents have been charged for crimes relating to the exploitation of local girls aged between 11 and 16, after an investigation into child trafficking.

Operation Bullfinch, led by Thames Valley Police and assisted by Oxfordshire County Council, culminated in the arrests of members of what is believed to be a “criminal gang” that has groomed, drugged and raped vulnerable individuals over a period of six years.

Detective Superintendent Rob Mason said, “We believe we have uncovered an organised crime group who have been running a business of selling young girls for sex. We have also identified a number of customers who we have reason to believe have used the service.”

“We consider the girls to be very, very vulnerable and that’s why they have been targeted.”

The Detective Superintendent added, “It would be fair to say that at different times in their lives they have all come to the notice of children’s services.”

Twelve Oxford residents, from 21 to 37 years of age, were arrested in synchronised dawn raids on fourteen houses last Thursday, in an operation involving 150 officers. A thirteenth arrest was made on Thursday afternoon. Six men have so far been charged, whilst the other seven have been bailed until next month.

Both suspected gang members and customers were targeted. Officers launched the investigation after a number of girls were reported missing.

The arrests were for a variety of offences, including for the prostitution of females under the age of 18, trafficking, rape, administrating drugs for the purpose of rape, and grooming.

Louise Chapman, Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families in Oxfordshire County Council, stated on Thursday, “The council has assisted in what has been a complex investigation leading to today’s events. Its focus has been, and will continue to be, on the care for alleged victims.

“Thames Valley Police and the Oxfordshire County Council’s children’s social care team linked up swiftly when it became apparent that it would be dealing with an investigation that centred upon child exploitation.

“This prompt action allowed children’s social care workers to work in close partnership with Thames Valley Police, with officers from the county council being seconded to the police, working from police premises.”

Esther Davidson, from the group Oxford Community Against Trafficking, added, “We now have to face the fact modern slavery takes place in our community, and it involves children.

“Criminals are at work, but they are also exploiting demand. Demand for sex with under-age children is completely unacceptable.”

Zeshan Ahmed, who is unemployed and lives in Headington, faces ten charges of engaging in sexual activity with a child between January 2010 and January this year. The court heard that the offences relate to two girls who were under the age of 16 at the time.

Security guard and father of two Kamar Jamil, from Summertown, was charged with four counts of rape, two counts of arranging the prostitution of a child, one count of making a threat to kill, and one count of possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

Hospital porter Akhtar Dogar, from East Oxford, was charged with three counts of rape, one count of conspiring to rape a child, three counts of arranging the prostitution of a child, one count of making a threat to kill, and one count of trafficking.

His brother, Anjum Dogar, faces one charge of conspiring to rape a child, one charge of arranging the prostitution of a child, and a further charge of trafficking.

Unemployed Mohammed Karrar, who lives on Cowley Road, has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to rape a child, and one count of supplying a Class A drug to a child between July 2004 and 2009. His brother, security guard Bassan Karrar, who has no fixed address, faces one count of rape, allegedly carried out against a 14-year-old girl in November 2006.

The six charged men appeared before High Wycombe Magistrates on Saturday, but no pleas were entered. They were remanded in custody to appear at Aylesbury Crown Court on Friday.

After Thursday’s raids, more than 40 uniformed officers and community support officers handed out flyers to reassure the public and spread contact details for those seeking further information. Detective Inspector Simon Morton, who leads Operation Bullfinch, spoke on YouTube to reassure the community and explain the events.

1...1,7761,7771,778...2,581Page 1,777 of 2,581

Support Student Journalism

Cherwell is Oxford’s oldest independent newspaper, established in 1920. We are entirely student-run. By supporting us, you will contribute to keeping our paper in print and online. Every donation makes a difference.

Donate

Explore

Follow us

More

Oxford Student Publications Limited © 2025 - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy

Website by Jamie Ashley