Saturday, February 17, 2007

Declan is punched twice in the face

This morning in the Whitechapel Mission Declan was punched twice in the face by a homeless guy, while I was taking a shower. We know this homeless well because his girlfriend gets lavished with good clothes and toiletries by both the Whitechapel Mission and the Dellow Centre – in total contrast to me, I might add.

Declan actually took the two punches with his hands down by his side because he knew that if he defended himself, which he was entitled to do, he could very well have been the one arrested by the police. Neither of us is under any illusion that Declan would not have had one single witness – homeless or staff – going with him. It was only after the second punch that the worker standing by made a move to put a stop to it.

When the police arrived this homeless just took off out of the building, but not before taking off his jacket and leaving it behind him. Are some of these homeless used to running off or what?

Declan is of course pressing charges, just in case he is now perceived as a punch bag for any of the homeless that visit the Whitechapel Mission. So, he has to give the police a statement and the police then take it from there. I don’t think this homeless guy has much to be concerned about though.

PC Stephanie Tann (737 FH), who was supposed to phone Declan in relation to the assault on him in a WLCHC rolling shelter, never bothered getting back to him one way or another. How could the WLCHC find that assault an “accident”, if there were not witnesses and the assailant identified?

With some homeless you just can’t win. If you point out that he has sat in your chair – with your coat hung on the back of it and half your belongings underneath – he takes exception to the tone you have taken with him. When you tell him he can have the chair and you attempt to move your belongings, you get punched.

When Declan complained to the manager of the Whitechapel Mission about how long it took the worker to move in his defence, she told him that staff don’t get involved in fights and that people enter the mission at their own risk … wouldn’t it be anarchy if public institutions operated this policy?

I think the Methodist Whitechapel Mission ought to be informed that they owe a common duty of care to visitors to their establishment. This is to ensure that the visitor will be reasonably safe in the premises for the purposes for which he has been invited or permitted.

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