Latest news with #corrupt
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Now five victims of Rotherham grooming gangs claim police officers also sexually abused them at the time
Girls exploited by Asian grooming gangs in Rotherham allege that they were also preyed upon by police officers, it emerged today. One says she was raped from the age of 12 by a serving South Yorkshire Police officer in a marked car, the BBC reports. He would threaten to hand her back to the gang if she did not comply, she says. The woman is one of five who allege that as children they were exploited by corrupt police as well as grooming gangs. Among officers alleged to have preyed on girls is PC Hassan Ali. He died in 2015 having been hit by a car on the day he was suspended over alleged misconduct during the abuse scandal. At least 1,400 girls in Rotherham were abused by gangs of men - mainly of Pakistani heritage - between 1997 and 2013, Prof Alexis Jay concluded in a landmark report in 2014. South Yorkshire Police's major crime unit is currently conducting the inquiry into the involvement of police officers in the Rotherham grooming scandal under the 'direction and control' of police watchdog the IOPC. Three former South Yorkshire officers have been arrested on suspicion of historic sexual offences including attempted rape, indecent assault and misconduct in a public office while they were on duty. None has been charged. Written accounts by grooming gang survivors collected by specialist child abuse lawyers allege years of abuse by serving police officers in Rotherham from the mid-1990s to early 2000s. Most were girls in their teens at the time but some were as young as 11, according to the shocking report. One reports hearing a police officer having sex with girls in exchange for drugs and money. Another says she witnessed one supplying class A drugs to a grooming gang. Three describe being beaten up by officers as children, including in a police cell. One victim given the pseudonym Willow told the broadcaster she was sexually abused by hundreds of men over five years after first being targeted aged 11 - two of them police officers. 'He knew where we used to hang out, he would request either oral sex or rape us in the back of the police car,' she said. 'In a world where you were being abused so much, being raped once [each time] was a lot easier than multiple rapes and I think he knew that.' According to Willow, after she was pressured into an illegal abortion by the grooming gang, a youth worker contacted social services and the police. But she says one of the officers who had been abusing her turned up to interview her, leaving her 'destroyed', later ripping her statement up and throwing it in a bin. According to the BBC she named PC Hassan Ali as having raped her. He died in January 2015, a week after being hit by a car. On the same day he had been put on restricted duties because of an investigation into alleged misconduct in the abuse scandal. He was never arrested. Another victim, 'Emma', who was in care in the late 1990s, said she would be raped by a police officer in a squat. 'He knew we wouldn't be missed, he knew we wouldn't be reported,' she told the BBC. 'He knew we wouldn't be able to say anything.' Amy Clowrey from Switalskis, who has been collecting the testimony, said the accounts of alleged police were 'beyond belief'. 'There has been no accountability in the town - and without accountability, there will continue to be a distrust of South Yorkshire Police,' she added. Prof Jay today said she is 'shocked' that the force is investigating its own former officers. She told the BBC there were 'legitimate' reasons for victims to feel 'a total lack of trust' in the force. Calling for an outside force or the Inspectorate of Constabulary to be brought in to investigate, she told the BBC that there was a risk of institutions prioritising 'protecting their reputation' over 'the welfare of children'. Today South Yorkshire Assistant Chief Constable Hayley Barnett insisted that victims and survivors were 'at the heart of this investigation and all of our actions continue to be made in their best interests'. She added: 'We have a dedicated team of detectives working on this case who have worked diligently to explore all lines of enquiry. This has led to three arrests. 'One of those former officers remains on police bail pending further enquiries. The other two have been released from bail while the investigation continues. 'The investigation is overseen by the IOPC, which has directed South Yorkshire Police to investigate on its behalf.' In addition the force is 'working closely' with the National Crime Agency, she added. The force told the BBC that PC Ali had faced 'allegations of persistently asking a victim on a date, sharing information and failure to safeguard victims'. The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it was informed by South Yorkshire Police of allegations of historic abuse by its officers last year. It subsequently instructed the force to carry out an investigation 'under our direction and control'. A spokesman said: 'We have been in contact with solicitors representing some of the victim-survivors regarding further reports of offending to ensure that any new complaints are investigated. 'The investigation has since widened to involve complaints from six women. 'We want victim-survivors to feel confident that all complaints will be treated extremely seriously and sensitively. 'We encourage any victim-survivors or any witnesses to come forward if they have not already done so.' It told the BBC it was 'satisfied that there is no conflict of interest' and that it had been assured by South Yorkshire Police that none of the investigating officers worked with those currently under investigation.
The Hindu
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congress seeks CBI probe into infrastructure projects executed under AINRC-BJP government
The Congress has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into major projects undertaken by the All India N R Congress - Bharatiya Janata Party government in Puducherry. Talking to reporters after inspecting the reconstructed Rajiv Gandhi Bus Terminus along with Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and Pradesh Congress Committee chief V. Vaithilingam, former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy said the bus stand has been opened without providing any facility for the passengers. While the shops inside the commercial complex have not been opened yet, there have been complaints from the commuters about lack of other amenities as well inside the bus terminus, he said. 'We have been complaining about the huge expenditure involved in the construction of the bus terminus. There are also complaints about other infrastructure projects implemented by the present government. An inquiry by the CBI only will bring out the truth,' he said. Mr. Vaithilingam said the Congress would approach the investigating agency demanding a probe into various infrastructure projects undertaken by the AINRC-BJP government. If the CBI failed to initiate inquiry, the party would certainly approach the High Court, he added. In a separate press briefing at the Pradesh Congress Committee office along with the AICC media in-charge Dolly Sharma, Mr. Vaithilingam said the recent election of the BJP president in Puducherry was just a 'sham.' 'The new president V. P. Ramalingam was earlier a nominated legislator of the BJP. His elevation as president of the party was also a nomination by the leadership. Mr. Ramalingam has never faced an election. No election was conducted at the party level. There is no internal democracy in the BJP,' the PCC chief said. The AICC media-in charge said the BJP central leadership was controlling Chief Minister N. Rangasamy. 'The AINRC-BJP government is involved in corrupt practices and even a ruling party member was involved in the encroachment of a temple land. The ruling combine has failed to obtain Statehood for Puducherry,' she said.
Perth Now
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Big court win for Lehrmann inquiry chair
Claims parliamentary privilege would prevent a report that found the head of an inquiry into the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann engaged in 'serious corrupt conduct' from being tendered in court have been rejected by a court. Former Queensland judge Walter Sofronoff KC led the 2023 board of inquiry into Mr Lehrmann's prosecution. An investigation into Mr Sofronoff's conduct during that inquiry, in particular his decision to send a copy of the board's report to two journalists from the ABC and The Australian prior to its official release by the ACT government, was launched by the ACT Integrity Commission. The commission in March found Mr Sofronoff had engaged in 'serious corrupt conduct'; however, he is seeking to have the commission's Operation Juno report overturned in the Federal Court. Walter Sofronoff KC led the 2023 board of inquiry into Bruce Lehrmann's prosecution. NewsWire/Tertius Pickard Credit: News Corp Australia Lawyers for the Speaker of the ACT Legislative Assembly in May submitted the proceedings should be dismissed over claims the report was covered by parliamentary privilege, meaning it couldn't be tendered in court. Therefore, the retired judge couldn't seek judicial review. Justice Wendy Abraham said she allowed the Speaker to make the submission but ultimately dismissed it on Wednesday morning during a brief case management hearing in the Federal Court. 'I am not satisfied that the conduct of the proceedings on the material on which the applicant seeks to rely involves an infringement of Section 16 of the Parliamentary Privilege Act,' Justice Abraham told the court. 'I'll provide reasons for that in my final judgment.' The matter is scheduled for a final hearing on July 21 and 22. Mr Sofronoff is attempting to overturn a report by the ACT Integrity Commission that found he engaged in serious corrupt conduct during the 2023 inquiry. Supplied. Credit: Supplied Documents filed by his legal team claim that Mr Sofronoff was given the ability to do 'whatever (he) considers necessary or convenient for the fair and prompt conduct of the inquiry' as head of the inquiry, and he considered it necessary or convenient to engage with journalists 'for the fair and prompt conduct of the inquiry'. The documents also claim Mr Sofronoff's actions were 'incapable of amounting to corrupt conduct' and the findings were 'seriously illogical, irrational and/or unreasonable'. The Federal Court has found that Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins on the civil standard of the balance of probabilities. A criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct and a charge against him was dropped. Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegation and is appealing the Federal Court's finding.
Perth Now
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Lehrmann inquiry boss's win before corruption appeal
A former Supreme Court judge has had his path cleared to fight a finding he engaged in corrupt conduct during his inquiry into Bruce Lehrmann's criminal prosecution. Walter Sofronoff KC is asking the Federal Court to toss out the ACT corruption watchdog's March decision, which stemmed from leaks to a journalist. But lawyers for the ACT parliament's Speaker claimed the appeal should be dismissed because the Integrity Commission's report on Mr Sofronoff's inquiry is protected by parliamentary privilege. Parliamentary privilege is designed to allow parliament to go about its business without outside interference, such as from the courts. Mr Sofronoff's lawyer, Adam Pomerenke KC, argued parliamentary privilege did not extend to the report published by the watchdog on their website. Justice Wendy Abraham on Wednesday granted leave for the ACT parliamentary Speaker to make submissions about privilege but warned she wasn't persuaded by their argument. "I am not satisfied that the conduct of the proceedings on the material on which the applicant wishes to rely involves an infringement of section 16 of the Parliamentary Privileges Act," she said. Justice Abraham will hand down her reasons at a later stage. The decision cleared the way for Mr Sofronoff's appeal against the corrupt conduct findings, which will be heard in late July. Mr Sofronoff chaired a board of inquiry into the ACT's criminal justice system after controversy plagued the prosecution of Lehrmann, accused of raping then-colleague Brittany Higgins in a ministerial office at Parliament House in 2019. A 2022 criminal trial was abandoned without a verdict because of juror misconduct. The Sofronoff inquiry found the ACT's top prosecutor, Shane Drumgold, had lost objectivity over the Lehrmann case and had knowingly lied about a note of his meeting with broadcaster Lisa Wilkinson. The ACT Integrity Commission found the majority of the inquiry's findings were not legally unreasonable. But it found Mr Sofronoff's behaviour during the inquiry gave rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias and he might have been influenced by the publicly expressed views of journalist Janet Albrechtsen. Mr Sofronoff repeatedly messaged the News Corp journalist and eventually leaked her an advance copy of his probe's final report. That leak led to the Integrity Commission's "serious corrupt conduct finding" in March. Mr Sofronoff's appeal comes as Lehrmann is making his own bid to clear his name after he was found to have, on the balance of probabilities, raped Ms Higgins inside Parliament House.
Broadcast Pro
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Golden Apricot Festival to screen two MAD films in Regional Competition
Following their world premieres at Un Certain Regard – Cannes 2025, both films are now heading to Yerevan. The Golden Apricot International Film Festival has announced that two MAD films titles will compete in its Regional Competition as part of the 2025 edition, taking place in Yerevan from July 13 to 20. Among the selections is Once Upon a Time in Gaza, the latest work by Palestinian filmmakers Tarzan and Arab Nasser. Fresh off winning the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival, the Nasser brothers bring their dark comedy-drama to Armenian audiences. The film tells the story of Yahya, a young student in Gaza who forms an unlikely friendship with Osama, a kind-hearted yet streetwise restaurant owner. As they deliver falafel sandwiches, they begin secretly dealing drugs, only to find themselves entangled in conflict with a corrupt police officer. The film's narrative blends humor and sharp social commentary, painting a vivid portrait of life under pressure. Once Upon a Time in Gaza is an international co-production involving France, Palestine, Germany, Portugal, Qatar and Jordan. The Nasser brothers co-wrote the screenplay alongside Amer Nasser and Marie Legrand. The film was produced by Rani Massalha and Marie Legrand of Les Films du Tambour, and Muriel Merlin of Lyly Productions, with additional co-producers including Rise Studios, Made in Palestine Project, Red Balloon Film, Riva Filmproduktion, and Ukbar Filmes. Executive production was provided by Jordan Pioneers Multi Media and Slate Films Services, along with several international partners such as A. A. Films, Cocoon Films, and Radio e Televisao De Portugal. Also selected is Egyptian filmmaker Morad Mostafa's Aisha Can't Fly Away, a drama set in Cairo's marginalised Ain Shams neighbourhood, where a significant African migrant community resides. The film tells the story of Aisha, a young Sudanese woman whose job as a caretaker leads her into danger, forcing her to turn to Zuka, a local gang leader, for help. The film is a multi-national co-production with backing from Egypt, France, Germany, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Sudan. It has attracted major international support, including grants from the Doha Film Institute, Cultural Resource Fund, El Gouna Film Festival, Locarno Academy, Cannes' Cinéfondation, La Fabrique des Cinémas du Monde and Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole.
