A few words on Winterbourne
Whilst the perpetrators of monstrous abuse should be punished, the program did provoke an even bigger question.
Surely there are certain institutions and public services that are to sacred to be put into the hands of private capital?
Anyone watching couldn't of escaped the crucial issue, why do we put the most vulnerable people into the hands of: HG Capital
Established in 2000, HgCapital is a leading investor in the European private equity market. It is the successor to Mercury Private Equity (founded in 1985), which was acquired by Merrill Lynch in 1997. In December 2000, Mercury Private Equity staff acquired the business from Merrill Lynch and renamed it HgCapital.
By design the company's first duty is to maximise profits, rather than care for patients, so it should be of no surprise when they have employed unskilled, bullies for sixteen thousand pounds a year. Seeing as some of the least well numerated jobs in the UK are caring for the elderly, infants, and the mentally ill, it's a telling albeit depressing indication of the value we place on protecting the most vulnerable members of society.
Many opinons on the right and the left are of the "well I don't have a child with Autism, so why should I have to pay?" type. This type of attitude also pervades issues on schools, university education and the NHS. It's a sorry state of affairs, but an ideological belief of both the Labour and Tory Governments, though at the moment it's being accelerated at rapid pace.
In any civilised society surely caring for the sick and vulnerable would be guaranteed, a collective responsibility of us all?
Finally, the BBC and Panorama team should be commended for showing how powerful and important undercover journalism is, this was it at it's best. Piercing the locked doors of an institution and exposing abuse which was almost unwatchable at times. The questions it asked, have and hopefully will prompt further needed action from the government and authorities. Resulting in the protection and life changing consequences for at least of some the victims.
