Network Rail ‘liars’ escape justice – the Olivia Bazlinton and Charlotte Thompson case
NETWORK Rail is run by ‘liars’. So says Chris Bazlinton, father to Olivia Bazlinton, 14, who along with her friend Charlotte Thompson, 13, were killed at Elsenham village level crossing, Essex, way back in 2005. It has taken six years and a huge fight to get any kind of justice. For years, the accident was blamed on the girls.
Olivia Bazlinto and Charlotte Thompson haf opened unlocked picket gates and stepped into the path of an express train. An alarm and warning lights were still sounding after the passage of an earlier train.
After six years, District Judge John Woollard told Basildon Magistrates’ Court that network Rail was culpable. Network Rail will be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on March 15. How can you sentence a privately owned public-funded organisation that sucks up £4bn of public money? Well, you might look for the emplyees who ignored earlier warnings of a disaster waiting to happen and who failed to present it to the coroner’s inquest and the Government.
In court, Network Rail accepted three charges of health and safety breaches between May 2001 and December 2005. It did not assess the risk. It did protect the public.
Chris Bazlinton, who has been a composed and compelling presence ever since his daughter died on a day out, addressed media outside court:
“I am glad that Network Rail has pleaded guilty to what after all are criminal charges. It proves that we have been lied to over the years. I have no doubt Network Rail will change its procedures to ensure that action is taken when problems arise and to avoid a cover-up happening again.”
But someone must have the made the decision not to act on two earlier reports to Network Rail that the crossing at Elsenham was dangerous? Who? It’s not corporate failure – it’s human failure…
Posted: 31st, January 2012 | In: Reviews Comments (14) | TrackBack | Permalink
