NationStates Jolt Archive

I wanted to put some hinting of young girls being stripped in the title but that would make me feel naughty, so I wondered what the women of NS might think! :p

anyway it looks like American recession won't be saved by tourist shopping not that I want to poke America with a stick or anything but those ads about visiting the US can go stuff themselves now:)

Anger over girls' strip searches

Two British girls were sent to an orphanage for 30 hours and strip searched after their mother became ill during a holiday in the US.

Gemma Bray, 15, and her 13-year-old sister Katie also had their clothes taken off them and were asked if they had been abused or were suicidal.

Their mother Yvonne Bray of Appledore, Devon, says their human rights were infringed by the authorities.

She was hospitalised with pneumonia during a trip to New York.

The Administration for Children's Services in New York has declined to comment on the matter.

"What should have been the trip of a lifetime turned out to be a complete disaster from start to finish," Ms Bray told BBC News.

"I was going to give the girls money for their Christmas, but with the exchange rate being so good, I decided to book the trip to New York.

"This was their Christmas present and it was totally ruined."

The family flew out to New York on 27 December. When Ms Bray began coughing later that day, she initially put it down to her asthma and the air conditioning on the flight.

The following night, she became more unwell with laboured breathing and was admitted to the Queen's Medical Centre in Harlem.

But Ms Bray was told her daughters could not stay with her at the hospital as they were minors.

"A doctor told me they would make the arrangements, then a few hours later a social worker arrived and said they'd try to find a foster family for the girls," she said.

"Instead of that they were taken to a orphanage and subjected to the kind of treatment you wouldn't even expect criminals to go through."

The frightened teenagers had their clothes, including their underwear, removed and were issued with a uniform of T-shirt and jeans before being spilt up and given a medical examination.

"Being away from Mum when you are alone in New York in an strange place with people you don't know - it's just scary," said Katie.

"At first it was so shocking - it was as if it wasn't happening but then it hits you.

"You didn't know how long you'd be there or if Mum would get better."

Photographs were taken and the girls were told they would not be allowed to visit their mother in hospital.

When the duty social worker told Ms Bray her daughters could not leave the orphanage, she discharged herself from the hospital against medical advice.

She said: "I was so cross. I didn't sign anything saying they could be examined or interrogated - they even asked them if they had been raped.

"They had to shower in front of strangers. What they went through would be a breach of anyone's human rights, let alone two girls on holiday."

here is lots more but I hate large blocs of text so click here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7206570.stm) if you want more juicy details of young girls being abused

anyway this is odd whats with the stripping especially past underwear, doest his normally happen in orphanages :confused:

The guys who did this need to be put on trial for...

Being megajerks and possible pedophiles.

Err, great. What sort of sickos run the place!

I predict chaos in this thread.
Oh dear.
I wonder why some orphanages would do something like that, why did they take the children to an orphanage?

Being megajerks and possible pedophiles.

well to be fair they got a free T-shirt and jeans

I wonder why some orphanages would do something like that, why did they take the children to an orphanage?

because clearly its all good to kidnap children and separate them so they can have a glorious new life in America!

WTF!!! this isnt really helping my conceptions about american buracreats

Well, with the only adult care-taker incapacitated, something had to be arranged for the children. While the mom was in the hospital, the two girls might as well been orphans for a time. And social workers always ask children if they have been abused or mistreated, its they're job. The medical examination was also justified because the mom did have pneumonia. If this had happened in another less developed country, there is a good chance the girls would have ended up on the streets with no one to help them. This situation is unfortunate, but it could have been seriously worse.

but they should have been allowed to stay at the hospital with their mom. Thats kinda messed up that they got separated.

Well, with the only adult care-taker incapacitated, something had to be arranged for the children. While the mom was in the hospital, the two girls might as well been orphans for a time. And social workers always ask children if they have been abused or mistreated, its they're job. The medical examination was also justified because the mom did have pneumonia. If this had happened in another less developed country, there is a good chance the girls would have ended up on the streets with no one to help them. This situation is unfortunate, but it could have been seriously worse.

I see where you're going with this, but you're missing a lot of important details.

Firstly, they said they would find a temporary foster family, not send them to an orphonage.

Secondly, the children were not treated with the respect and decency they deserved. They were strip-searched rather than being treated like human beings.

Thirdly, they were not allowed to visit their mother in the hospital, which goes against all common sense.

Fourthly, and finally, they only needed the temporary care because their mother was in the hospital, and wouldn't have needed it at all otherwise because they were on holiday!

Really, this was utterly ridiculous. In my opinion they should be refunded every cent the mother paid on the entire vacation and be given a new chance at the vacation in the future.

I live in a third world country. if this had happened here there would have been literally hundreds of volunteers from amongst those working at the hospital, hotel, tourist agency etc. to take care of the girls until their mother recovered. There is no way that they would have ended up on the streets. It is only in the first world that bureaucracy and fear of litigation prevent people from demonstrating their humanity.

*claps*

Well, with the only adult care-taker incapacitated, something had to be arranged for the children.

True, a good start.

While the mom was in the hospital, the two girls might as well been orphans for a time.

Try understanding what the term orphan means. It means a child with no living family members that are old enough or willing to be responsible for them. This is not the case here. They were not, in any way, orphaned.

And social workers always ask children if they have been abused or mistreated, its they're job.

The job of a social worker is to assist those whose immediate social conditions are problematic in one way or another. This does not in any way imply that they should automatically assume that anyone in a difficult situation has been abused or mistreated. It is one enormous presumption to make without any indications that it may be the case.

The medical examination was also justified because the mom did have pneumonia.

A strip search to detect pneumonia - what form of barbaric medical system is this?

If this had happened in another less developed country, there is a good chance the girls would have ended up on the streets with no one to help them. This situation is unfortunate, but it could have been seriously worse.

I live in a third world country. if this had happened here there would have been literally hundreds of volunteers from amongst those working at the hospital, hotel, tourist agency etc. to take care of the girls until their mother recovered. There is no way that they would have ended up on the streets. It is only in the first world that bureaucracy and fear of litigation prevent people from demonstrating their humanity.

I see where you're going with this, but you're missing a lot of important details.

Firstly, they said they would find a temporary foster family, not send them to an orphonage.

Secondly, the children were not treated with the respect and decency they deserved. They were strip-searched rather than being treated like human beings.

Thirdly, they were not allowed to visit their mother in the hospital, which goes against all common sense.

Fourthly, and finally, they only needed the temporary care because their mother was in the hospital, and wouldn't have needed it at all otherwise because they were on holiday!

Really, this was utterly ridiculous. In my opinion they should be refunded every cent the mother paid on the entire vacation and be given a new chance at the vacation in the future.

yes, points taken. But America should not be held responsible for a crappy vacation. I mean, I didn't have a very good time when I went to England, should I expect the government to refund my trip?

yes, points taken. But America should not be held responsible for a crappy vacation. I mean, I didn't have a very good time when I went to England, should I expect the government to refund my trip?

There's a difference. You simply failed to enjoy your trip. The mother became ill on this one and her children were treated in a most horrible manner because of their vacation.

In essence, we are at fault and ought to make it up to them.

There's a difference. You simply failed to enjoy your trip. The mother became ill on this one and her children were treated in a most horrible manner because of their vacation.

In essence, we are at fault and ought to make it up to them.

totally, sorry I misunderstood.