| PANORAMA - ASSAULT ON JUSTICE - TONIGHT, 9 NOVEMBER 8.30PM ON BBC ONE
Hi there,
ASSAULT ON JUSTICE
Half of all criminal cases brought to justice in England and Wales are now dealt with out of court. It makes the process much faster, but is it fair?
The government says out-of-court punishments like cautions and fines are helping to unclog the overburdened courts system and deal swiftly with antisocial behaviour. Critics say it's letting some serious criminals off the hook and crucially denying victims their day in court.
A Freedom of Information request by the programme has found that 39,000 cases of ABH were dealt with as a caution.
Shelley Jofre meets the people who say they have been victims of the system. A man given a beating in his own home. A young woman bitten and punched by a man. A bottle smashed onto the head of an innocent bystander in an argument.
All three were violently assaulted, but their their attackers escaped prosecution, receiving cautions instead.
A good way to help speed the system up, or is this justice on the cheap?
Panorama: Assault on Justice tonight, BBC One at 8.30pm
THE CHILD PROTECTORS
After the tragic case of Baby P, questions were soon asked about the safety of vulnerable children and the ability of social workers to protect them.
In last week's programme, Panorama gained exclusive access to Coventry social services to look behind the scenes of a front-line operation.
Following the city-wide emergency response team and a local neighbourhood team, the programme revealed how social workers are identifying at-risk children, assessing parents' capabilities and, if deemed necessary, separating families.
It's a tall order in a vocation with low pay and a staffing crisis.
You can read more about The Child Protectors on the Panorama website.
This particular programme is only available on the iPlayer until 9pm tonight. However, most Panorama episodes broadcast in the last 12 months can be viewed via our website.
That's all from us for now. Remember, you can keep up to date with Panorama on our website where you can watch Panorama programmes from the last 12 months.
You can e-mail us anytime at panorama@bbc.co.uk
 bbc.co.uk/panorama
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