Seven men used two teenage girls as 'sex slaves' in Rochdale
Their trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard evidence in relation to 53 sexual offences, believed to have been committed between 2001 and 2006, over 72 days.
One of the victims, who is now in her 30s, told the jury that s he was labelled a "prostitute" by social services in Rochdale when allegations against the men first came to light.
Their trial was told she and the other victim were groomed from the age of 13 and forced to have sex with the men "whenever and wherever" they wanted.
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
How social media is helping the far-right spread fear and hate
At around 5.30pm on 7 July, Essex Police officers were called to the High Street in Epping after receiving reports that a man was behaving inappropriately towards a teenage girl. Hadush Kebatu, 38, an asylum seeker from Ethiopia, allegedly tried to kiss a schoolgirl as she ate pizza and he has since been charged with three counts of sexual assault. But news that he had only arrived in the UK eight days earlier via a small boat quickly took hold on social media, sparking a series of protests that turned violent and thrusting the historic Essex town into the heart of an anti-immigration row. What started as a group of locals voicing their grievances outside the Bell Hotel, which is believed to house asylum seekers, has now escalated into what has been described as a 'powder keg situation', with fears it could prompt a wave of riots across the country, similar to those seen last summer. In the past two weeks, prominent leaders in neo-Nazi groups and far-right organisations have been accused of exploiting the situation by pivoting demonstrations towards violence, with some demanding a 'national call for action'. Their weapon of choice? Social media, which the far-right have long been known to harness as a tool to spread fear and hate. Several right-wing activists have rebranded themselves as citizen journalists or political commentators, helping them accrue millions of followers in the UK and across the globe. Joe Mulhall, of the charity Hope Not Hate, said that is dangerous at a time when misinformation online spreads quickly and can whip up tensions. 'It's deeply concerning that a rumour or allegation can spread so quickly and take hold. Last year in Southport, misinformation from influencers like Andrew Tate spread like wildfire about the ethnicity and nationality of the perpetrator of the awful murders. 'When misinformation spreads, it can legitimise existing biases and as a rumour or allegation takes hold, things can quickly move offline.' Among those who have set up the private Facebook page Epping Says No, which advertises the protests, are three members of the group Homeland. Founded in 2023 after splitting from neo-Nazi group Patriotic Alternative, it has been described as the largest fascist group in the UK. This week, one of its prominent members has shared several videos of the protests on social media, and has called for future action, urging: 'If you live in an area that has a hotel occupied by asylum seekers, start organising.' Members of other groups, including former neo-Nazi terror group Combat 18, the British National Party and the Patriots of Britain, have also been spotted at the demonstrations. Mr Mullhall warned that with over-worked and over-stretched police forces, racist and anti-immigration rhetoric online can often fall under the radar. He said the UK 'needs to be ahead of the curve' to clamp down on this activity. 'Tracking these comments and the individuals responsible is tricky,' he said. 'The far-right are no longer divided into neat groupings but are instead thousands of people posting videos outside migrant accommodation, posting rumours and making comments online. 'Gone are the days when the police or social media companies can simply deplatform a particular group to resolve this issue.' Since Elon Musk 's takeover of X, formerly known as Twitter, the platform has changed significantly, with the Tesla founder reportedly tweaking its algorithms and removing its fact-checking mechanisms. This included turning the platform into a pro-Maga Trump echo chamber in the run-up to last year's US presidential elections, and reinstating previously banned figures such as Tommy Robinson and Katie Hopkinson. For Hope Not Hate, it has become a visible and concerning trend to see US figures commenting on UK politics and societal issues, boosting far-right voices, such as those of anti-Islam activist Robinson, who has hinted he will be in attendance at an Epping protest on Sunday. Mr Mullhall said: "The far right has changed dramatically and ironically, knows no borders. What we're seeing now is key figures emerging online. We're no longer looking at organisations but key people who emerge during a time of crisis. 'The far right is international, they move around and they move in pacts and trying to find any weakness. They have no formal leader; there's no single leader, it's like they're a group of fish that move around the internet exploiting situations. 'It is no surprise that we've seen a rise in far-right activity in the UK, US and Europe – these groups and ideas are interconnected.' Dr Karen Middleton, from the University of Portsmouth, who has been an expert witness in the UK government's inquiry into social media, misinformation, and harmful algorithms, said the recent protests in Epping were 'in many ways, a continuation of the riots from last year'. She said: 'Sensationalist and polarising content gathers more clicks, gathers more engagement, so there is a systemic incentive for spreading misinformation online.' She urged large social media platforms to go much further in addressing the spread of misinformation, but warned this was not about limiting free speech. 'This is about taking responsibility for published information that is online that goes to a large number of people, and is very often spread by people with high profiles,' she said. A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs Council (NPSCC) said communities had a part to play in halting the spread of misinformation and urged people to 'carefully consider' what they read, share, and trust online to avoid stoking tensions. 'We would encourage the public to access formal authorities for accurate information. The spread of disinformation and misinformation by individuals or groups can significantly contribute to community tensions and has real-world implications. We all have a responsibility in this respect, and relevant criminal law applies to online actions,' they added. They also called on social media companies to be vigilant to the spread of false information and to 'ensure harmful content is detected, challenged and removed in a timely manner'.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Spacey told actor ‘don't worry about it' after alleged assault, documents claim
Kevin Spacey allegedly sexually assaulted a young actor at a party at The Savoy hotel and then told him 'Don't worry about it', court documents for the High Court legal claim suggest. Ruari Cannon is suing Mr Spacey as well as two organisations connected to the Old Vic Theatre in London, claiming he suffered psychiatric damage as a result of sexual and emotional abuse. The 33-year-old has waived his anonymity in the claim. In court documents seen by the PA news agency, Mr Cannon alleges that Mr Spacey, who was a 'powerful figure and a world-famous actor and celebrity' at the time, assaulted him in about June 2013, when he was 'a very vulnerable young man'. Oscar-winning actor Mr Spacey has previously denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour and wrongdoing, and details of his defence are not yet available. According to the documents, filed in June, Mr Spacey was working as artistic director at the Old Vic Theatre at the time of the alleged assaults on a production of a play by Tennessee Williams known as Sweet Bird Of Youth, and Mr Cannon was a member of the cast in this production. They claim that Mr Spacey 'took a particular interest' in Mr Cannon for 'reasons of sexual interest' and sent him a 'lavish' gift of a framed poster of the 1985 production of the play directed by Harold Pinter. After the press preview of the show on June 12 2013, Mr Cannon attended a party at The Savoy in London organised by The Old Vic Theatre Company (The Cut) and The Old Vic Theatre Trust 2000. It is claimed that one of the alleged assaults took place at the event. Setting out the allegations, Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel KC, for Mr Cannon, said: 'Kevin Spacey pulled the claimant towards him, turned him around through 45 degrees and placed his left hand on the claimant's buttocks and lifted up the recess material of his suit.' It is alleged that Mr Spacey then pushed Mr Cannon's underwear 'as far up' into his bottom as possible, 'so as to cause pain and distress'. Ms Gumbel added: 'Mr Kevin Spacey pulled the claimant closer to him and whispered into the claimant's ear 'Don't worry about it'. 'Mr Spacey made more uncalled for and unwelcome advances to the claimant during the evening.' The following day, Mr Cannon reported the alleged assaults to his stage manager at the Old Vic Theatre, but no action was taken. According to the documents, it is accepted that Mr Cannon did not ask for any action to be taken, and was scared about how any further action might affect his career. Later that year, during the run of the show, Mr Cannon saw Mr Spacey at the Old Vic bar. Mr Spacey allegedly said to him, 'I hear you have a dirty secret', and then said: 'Open up.' Ms Gumbel said: 'Kevin Spacey then forced open the claimant's mouth with his fingers and thumbs and commented 'quite a bad boy' before the claimant could pull away. 'The claimant then left the bar. The forcing open of the claimant's mouth was another assault for which Kevin Spacey was responsible and for which the second and/or third defendants were vicariously liable. 'Further in 2017 when the Old Vic set up a confidential complaints email on October 31 2017 the claimant reported the above complaint again to the Old Vic.' She added that the alleged assaults were carried out by Mr Spacey in the course of his work for the organisations connected to the Old Vic, and they are 'vicariously liable' for the alleged assaults carried out in the context of a theatre production.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Kory McCrimmon's family meet John Swinney to discuss efforts tackling youth knife crime
"The main purpose of this meeting was to do everything possible so that Kory's death was not in vain." The First Minister has met with the family of a teenager killed by a gang rival in Glasgow to discuss youth knife crime in Scotland. John Swinney promised Kory McCrimmon's family a follow-up meeting to discuss ways to solve youth knife crime in Scotland. The 16-year-old was stabbed in the heart at Greenfield Park in the city's east end in May last year following a feud with a member of a rival gang. The High Court in Glasgow heard that the pair had fallen out over £50 which led to an argument and threads over social media. The youth was convicted of culpable homicide and was sentenced to five years' detention in May. Kory's death was followed by two further knife tragedies just less than 12 months later. Amen Teklay, 15, died after he was found seriously injured on a street in Glasgow's Maryhill on March 5. Three teenage boys, aged 14, 15, and 16, were arrested and charged in connection. Just weeks later, 16-year-old Kayden Moy died following a disturbance at Irvine Beach in Ayrshire on May 17. Two boys, aged 16 and 17, have since appeared in court charged with his murder. All three tragedies have taken place amid the Record's Our Kids ... Our Future campaign, which has repeatedly called on the Scottish Government to invest in children to keep them safe from harm. Our Kids ... Our Future was launched over two years ago in response to a youth violence epidemic. On Wednesday, the First Minister and Justice Secretary Angela Constance met with the teenager's family to discuss youth knife crime. The McCrimmon family called for the meeting to ask the First Minister what could be done to tackle the issue of knife crime, especially amongst young people, and what preventative measures could be put in place. It was requested by the McCrimmon family after they organised a ' Parents Against Knives ' march in Glasgow last month. Around 200 people turned up for the event, which left from outside Rangers' Ibrox Stadium and ended at Celtic's home ground, Celtic Park. During the meeting, the First Minister promised the family, who were joined by Victim Support Scotland, a follow-up meeting to look into the potential solutions in more detail. The family said in a statement: 'The main purpose of this meeting was to do everything possible so that Kory's death was not in vain. 'We really appreciated the chance to meet with the First Minister and Justice Secretary yesterday to talk about their plans to tackle youth knife crime. 'They really listened to our concerns and ideas, and the First Minister suggested having another meeting soon to look at possible solutions in more detail. 'We will hold the First Minister to this promise and to hearing in more detail about what the Scottish Government plans to do to stop more needless deaths caused by knife crime. 'Lasting positive change is our goal.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Kate Wallace, chief executive of Victim Support Scotland, added: 'We welcome the First Minister's commitment to a follow-up meeting with the McCrimmon family. 'This will be vital for solidifying the Scottish Government's commitment to addressing knife crime, especially amongst young people. 'The McCrimmon family took the opportunity yesterday to question the First Minister and Justice Secretary about this issue and what they are doing to stop more preventable deaths. 'We look forward to a swift response from the First Minister in regards to a follow-up meeting with the family. 'It is crucial that action focuses on a joined-up approach to preventing young people from being involved with this type of crime in the first place. 'Everyone has a right to feel safe in their communities. We will continue to advocate on the McCrimmon family's behalf, and on behalf of everyone impacted by knife crime in Scotland.'
