Secret child data found in the street

[Jon Turner <jjturner () gmail com>]

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/03/28/secret-child-data-found-in-the-street-91466-23251188

THE Vale of Glamorgan council is at the centre of a second major controversy
after a computer memory stick containing confidential child protection
information was found on the street.

The stick, which also allegedly contained medical records and details of
court cases, was not encrypted or password-protected and its loss was only
revealed after the person who found it took it home and recognised a man
named on it.

That man – who had in the past been cleared of child abuse allegations –
spoke of his “horror” at the discovery, and an investigation into how the
memory stick was lost is being carried out by Vale council.

The man named on the stick, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “I am
disgusted by it.

“I would have expected an apology when it happened to say they had lost the
stick with information regarding my young son, but they didn’t even bother
to say it had been returned safely.

“I have been paranoid for the last couple of weeks.

“When I see people walking down the street or past my house they will think
I am a child abuser, even though we were cleared.

“It’s horrendous. I was paranoid I might even be blackmailed.”

In February, the man was approached by an acquaintance who told him he had
seen his name on the memory stick, found by the council offices in Barry.

He said: “I was on the platform at Cardiff train station and there was a
person there I hadn’t seen for five years.

“He said to me: ‘You’ll never guess what I found the other day. I was
walking down Holton Road and I found a memory stick from a computer.’

“He was able to tell me details of medical notes and about cases I hadn’t
told him about to do with my family. I was pretty shocked.”

Vale AM Jane Hutt said: “I am extremely concerned to hear this data may have
been lost and I have contacted the Vale of Glamorgan council to ask for a
full explanation.

“I have also written to the Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda
Thomas AM, to express my concerns.”

A council spokesperson said: “We are carrying out an investigation into this
matter. The incident happened some time ago. Since then, the council has
significantly improved security measures relating to the use of memory
sticks.”
The council will meet on Monday, after which a further statement will be
released

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