Latest news with #psychologicalabuse
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Tech billionaire Richard White is dragged into Mark Latham's AVO saga - after ex-girlfriend made shocking claims
Billionaire WiseTech boss Richard White has been served a subpoena by Mark Latham's legal team in the latest twist of the legal battle between the controversial NSW independent MP and his ex. The subpoena, served by Mr Latham's lawyer Zali Burrows, has requested the communications between Mr White and Latham's former lover Nathalie Matthews. Ms Matthews has claimed the politician inflicted 'a sustained pattern' of psychological, financial and emotional abuse against her for almost three years. She is seeking an apprehended violence order against the one-time federal opposition leader, alleging vile acts 'including defecating on me before sex and refusing to let me wash'. The businesswoman has further alleged his behaviour involved 'pressuring me to engage in sexual acts with others, demanding I call him "master", telling me I was his property, and repeatedly telling me that my only value to him was for sex to demean and control me'. Mr Latham has categorically denied he 'abuses women' and insisted all his dealings with Ms Matthews were entirely consensual. The subpoenas of Mr White and Ms Matthews' communication were filed in NSW Local Court in opposition of her case, The Daily Telegraph reported on Friday. The WiseTech Global co-founder and former CEO has not been accused of any wrongdoing. In an interview on 2SM, Mr Latham did not deny sending lurid texts to Ms Matthews from the floor of state parliament Sexually explicit WhatsApp messages between Latham and Ms Matthews became public this week, including some sent from the parliamentary floor. Some of the messages included references to Ms Electric, who was described by Latham as a 'good rooter'. 'Multi skilled. Comedian. Race lover. Keen rooter. Exactly our sort of person!' he wrote. In another text, he also joked if sex worker Carly Electric might want to be involved in a 'freak off', a another term used by infamous rapper Sean Diddy Coombs for a threesome. Latham is yet to address the latest claims. It is also not suggested the claims of abusive behaviour are substantiated, only that the allegations have been made. In an interview with Chris Smith on 2SM on Wednesday morning, Latham did not deny sending lurid texts to Ms Matthews from the floor of state parliament. 'The big news is I had a private life,' he said. 'I had a sex life and I've got to say it was fantastic.' 'If I'm the only person in Australia who in a work environment engaged in a bit of playful sex talk with their partner, then I'll buy everyone a lottery ticket tomorrow.' Latham noted the AVO case against him was being brought privately after NSW Police chose not to pursue the allegations. 'There is a court case pending because she's lodged a private AVO application,' he said. 'She tried to get an AVO with the police... I think that tells you a lot about the substance of the matter.'
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Mark Latham denies shocking abuse claims from former partner - including accusations he forced her into degrading sexual acts
Explosive new court documents allege NSW independent MP Mark Latham pressured his former partner into 'degrading' sexual acts, including making her call him 'master', as well as driving his car at her and 'defecating on her before sex'. A domestic violence order filed in the NSW Local Court accuses Mr Latham of subjecting ex-partner Nathalie May Matthews to 'a sustained pattern' of psychological, financial, and emotional abuse over almost three years, according to details seen by The Australian. Mr Latham denied the claims on Monday. 'Nothing has been served on me nor has anyone contacted me,' he told The Australian. 'I haven't had anything to do with her (Ms Matthews) since 27 May, so nearly seven weeks ago. I ended the "situationship" that night for very good reason.' He followed up his statement with a post on social media. 'The Australian newspaper has published a story based on allegations from Nathalie Matthews which are comically false and ridiculous. 'I have scores of documents to show that and will rely upon them to defend myself. As the old saying goes, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' Ms Matthews has applied for an interim order barring Mr Latham from coming within 100m, citing 'ongoing, reasonable fear of harassment, intimidation, and potential harm'. Her application accuses the former Labor leader of throwing a dinner plate at her, forcing her to call him 'master', and pressuring her to have sex with others. Ms Matthews' filing also alleges Mr Latham prevented her from cleaning up after 'defecating on me before sex' and 'telling me I was his property, and repeatedly telling me that my only value to him was for sex to demean and control me'. Ms Matthews also alleged 'physical violence' incidents, including 'pushing me against walls, forcing me out the door, throwing a plate at me during an argument, and driving at me with his vehicle, hitting me with the side mirror and causing a bruise'. Mr Latham is further accused of 'systematically undermining' Ms Matthews to 'control and isolate' her by comparing her 'unfavourably to other women, acting as if he would harm himself to manipulate me'. Ms Matthews accuses Mr Latham of forcing her to cover the cost of holidays abroad 'under duress', making her purchase expensive goods, and coercing her about her father's will for his benefit. She claims 'constant fear and hypervigilance' since her arrival home from a June trip abroad, alleging all past break-ups with Mr Latham featured a repeated 'pattern of harassment and intimidation'. She alleges: 'The defendant has held intimate photos and videos of me, and I have been afraid he would expose them to shame and control me if I attempted to leave or resist his demands.' Ms Matthews made the application herself, with NSW Police neither charging Mr Latham or seeking an order on her behalf. The matter will be up at heard at Downing Centre Local Court on 30 July.
ABC News
01-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Domestic violence victim-survivors share early warning signs of abuse
Told they couldn't go out with friends. Stopped from giving male friends a hug. Called crazy and gaslit when their partner did something wrong. They are just some of the early signs of intimate partner violence shared by victim-survivors in recent research from The University of Melbourne. The study explored timelines of abuse in relationships, including early warning signs, which research fellow and co-author Elizabeth McLindon says usually involved psychological and emotional abuse by the perpetrator, such as isolating and controlling behaviours. "Feeling as though there were subtle rules perhaps around who you could see and how much time you could spend with them," Dr McLindon, also from The Royal Women's Hospital, says for example. She says the authors interviewed 815 women, 75 per cent of whom had a male partner, given they are "disproportionately the victim-survivors of intimate partner violence". "It is a gendered crime as well as a gendered social issue," Dr McLindon says. The report mapped different types of abuse over time and identified behavioural patterns, which can help women, along with health workers and others in their lives, recognise early red flags and intervene before violence escalates, she says. "The psychological, emotional and physical health of women who are in relationships where there is abuse is worse than women who are not. "And those health impacts last long after the relationship is over." We spoke with victim-survivors independent of the research, including some from Advocates for Change with Engender Equality, based in Tasmania/Lutruwita, about the early warning signs they identified retrospectively since escaping violence. Some names and details have been changed to protect the identity of contributors. The experiences below may be distressing for readers. Looking back there were signs from early in the relationship, like him being jealous, controlling how long I should wear my hair, or him driving off dangerously during an argument. I used to think the first time he was physically abusive was the first time he was abusive. But I now realise that I had been scared of him and his reactions many times before that, and that was a huge red flag. — Rachel, 40s, Tasmania He was always wanting to be in control of where I was. He would be turning up at locations like where I was working, or if I was out with a girlfriend. He was always wanting to be with me. At the start you think it's amazing this person is so into you and wanting to spend every moment of the day with you. Really, they were early signs of love bombing, isolation and control. — Charlotte, 50s, Tasmania Source: The University of Melbourne study It's always easier in hindsight with these things, because it's so subtle. It can appear benign. Those early signs can come across as caring gestures, or concern, or even love. There was constant messages and phone calls. I just thought it was over-excitement about the relationship. I thought it would settle down with time. But it became obsessive and escalated to full-on stalking. — Hannah, 50s, Melbourne/Naarm I met him on a night out and the relationship escalated very quickly. It was quicker than I felt comfortable with, but he didn't respond well to me putting the brakes on in any way, and responded by sulking and withdrawing. He told me many lies, which led me to believe that he was a really similar person to me. He mirrored things that I told him about me. It soon became clear that many of these things were gross exaggerations, at the very least. He was extremely jealous of my male friends. If I spoke about them or ex-partners, he would be competitive, often making up things about himself to make himself sound better than them. — Carrie, 40s, Tasmania One time, I noticed that he was not happy that I was having a conversation with a man that was working for us. He fired him the next day. He didn't like it if I was not at home when he came home from work. His demeanour would change dramatically, and it would take days for him to get over it. In social settings, he would always talk over the top of me and shape the conversation around himself. I could feel myself disappearing into the background whenever he was around. It was impossible to have a rational discussion with him about anything to do with our relationship. He was always the victim somehow. He could never bring himself to say sorry, no matter how big or small the issue. He was threatened whenever I had some form of personal success and was totally incapable of acknowledging my efforts or being happy for me. — Susie, 50s, Tasmania He was so attentive. Rushing into saying "I love you". The grand gestures. Every Tuesday he would bring me a gift. He started rewarding me with treats and food. Looking back that was a thing for him to control my weight, to get me fat. My self-confidence plummeted. There was extreme jealousy. He'd make it seem like because he loved me so much, he didn't want me to be around anybody else. — Sarah, 40s, Tasmania There was pressure soon into the relationship for exclusive commitment. Wanting me to move in with him soon after we became a couple. He'd constantly check on me, turning up at my place without prior notice and daily interrogations: where I'd been, who I saw. Couching his behaviours under the guise of being so in love he wanted to spend most of his time with me. His psychological abuse was a form of manipulation where he assigned responsibility on me to make him happy — to dress as he suggested and to converse on topics he was interested in only. — Deborah, 60s, Tasmania We'd like to thank all the victim-survivors who generously shared their experiences with us. Examples provided at the beginning of this article from The University of Melbourne research have been shared with permission from the study's authors.
Reuters
30-06-2025
- Reuters
Russia jails 'Jesus of Siberia' sect leader for 12 years for harming followers
June 30 (Reuters) - A Russian sect leader who claimed he was Jesus Christ reincarnated was sentenced to 12 years in a prison camp on Monday after being convicted of harming his followers' health and financial affairs. Sergei Torop, a former traffic policeman known to his followers as 'Vissarion', set up the Church of the Last Testament in a remote but picturesque part of Siberia's Krasnoyarsk region in 1991, the year the Soviet Union broke up. A bearded self-styled mystic with long hair, he claimed to have been "reborn" to convey the word of God and attracted thousands of followers, some of whom flocked to live in a settlement known as the "Abode of Dawn" or "Sun City", at a time when Russia was battling poverty and lawlessness. Torop, 64, told his followers, who regularly intoned prayers in his honour as they looked up to his large hilltop residence, not to eat meat, not to smoke, not to drink alcohol or swear, and to stop using money. But the Investigative Committee, Russia's equivalent of the U.S. FBI, accused Torop and two aides of using psychological pressure to extract money from his followers and of causing serious harm to their mental and physical health. In a statement on Monday, a court in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk said it had convicted the three men, sentencing Torop and Vladimir Vedernikov to 12 years and Vadim Redkin to 11 years in a maximum-security prison camp. They were also ordered to pay 40 million roubles ($511,500) to compensate their victims for "moral damage". All three denied wrongdoing. Torop and the two aides were arrested in a security forces raid by helicopter in 2020 that involved the FSB security service, the successor agency to the Soviet KGB. According to the RIA state news agency, investigators said the men had caused "moral harm" to 16 people, serious damage to the physical health of six people, and moderate damage to another person's health. Vedernikov, one of the aides, had also been accused of committing fraud, RIA said. In a 2017 BBC documentary, filmmaker Simon Reeve interviewed Torop, who denied any wrongdoing. The film showed how school girls whose parents were his followers were being educated to be what a local teacher called "future brides for worthy men." ($1 = 78.1955 roubles)
BBC News
30-06-2025
- BBC News
Antrim: Mother who forced son's head into cat litter tray jailed
A mother who subjected her young son to repeated abuse, including forcing his head into a cat litter tray, has been sentenced to six months in Anne Jennings, 53, of Oakvale Place in Maghera, was sentenced at Londonderry Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to three counts of assaulting her son, Jamie court was told that two of the assaults took place in 2012, with a third occurring in Anne Jennings' then-partner, Brian McMaster, 41, of Upper Princes Street, Ballymena- was also sentenced to six months in jail on Monday. Warning: This article contains references that some people may find upsettingThe court heard that in 2018, Jamie Jennings disclosed a pattern of historical psychological and physical abuse that occurred over the previous three to four years. On one occasion, his mother became angry and forced his head into a cat litter tray. In another incident, she used a blade to inflict a cut on his Anne Jennings' then-partner, Brian McMaster also pleaded guilty to assaulting Jamie Jennings in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or abuse took place between 1 December 2016, and 31 March 2018, when he was under the age of court was told that McMaster would grab Jamie's hand and squeeze it so tightly that he would be forced to the ground. He also struck him on the genitals and laughed when Jamie asked him to claimed he never used brute force and had not intended to harm Jamie, who was aged between nine and 13 during the period of abuse. 'Callous and cruel course of conduct' Judge Neil Rafferty KC said both defendants continued to minimise or deny the abuse, despite their guilty pleas. He said Jamie Jennings had written to the court describing the psychological and emotional trauma he his letter, Jamie stated that he no longer referred to Ruth Anne Jennings as his mother, saying she had failed to protect him and did not deserve the Rafferty praised the victim for his resilience and strength in coming forward."You did not deserve these crimes inflicted on you as a child," he said. "It was a callous and cruel course of conduct for you to grow up in. "I am glad that you managed to get away and that you've shown such significant resilience." Speaking to the BBC's State of Us podcast ahead of the sentencing, Jamie Jennings, now aged 21, said that although, on paper, the cat litter incident is not the worst thing his mother did to him, it's the one that sticks in his mind."She was angry at my brother and then that got diverted to me," he said."Every day she'd give you a list of things to do and the cat litter hadn't been changed."At that time we had five or six cats in this small utility room beside the kitchen."She dragged me in there and threw me onto the floor and started shoving cat litter and lifting bits with pee and poo on it and shoving it into my mouth."I was in shock and disbelief that this happened."Jamie said he was nine or ten when it happened, and the feeling of stone and grit in his mouth is still clear in his mind."You're trying to spit it out and it's dry and dusty."It's like getting sand in your food."As well as cats, the family also had four small dogs, plus a St Bernard and a said the house smelled of animal excrement—smells that lingered on his clothes, particularly his school uniform."I'm going into school and I'm smelling like dog piss and cat piss," he said."I had these bunk beds in my room and I didn't use the top bunk."He said the cat had been using the top bunk as a litter box and that mould was growing on the bed. Jamie Jennings said he was unable to wash himself because the bath "was actually full of black bags with dirty clothes.""When I was getting ready for school I would just go in and splash a bit of water on my hair and that was me for weeks," he left home at the age of 14 and has been estranged from his mother ever since:"She was uncaring and demanding and intimidating. She would just explode."She slashed him on the chest with a Stanley knife, and on another occasion threw a pair of scissors at him, cutting his said she did not apologise or try to treat the wounds, and never referred to the incidents again. When he moved out, Jamie went to live with his granny and one of his said that experience left an indelible mark."I felt I was spoiled. I felt like I was a rich kid in a way. I was getting food every day and they got me a brand new uniform."My granny was cooking for me and my brother was making meals. He was really like a dad to me then. Taking me to places like the cinema and go karting and bowling."But the most profound difference, for Jamie, was a clean school uniform."I remember going into school that first day," he said."There was this guy and he said: 'What the hell, sir. Who are you?' and I said: 'yes I am different'."I felt fresher and it sounds disgusting but I didn't feel that stickiness. I felt free."Jamie eventually reported his mother to the police, and it has taken seven years for the case to reach its Covid-19 pandemic and multiple adjournments added to the that time, he found employment, and just recently, his partner gave birth to their first child."I was quite worried about becoming a dad but I can't ever imagine doing any of these things to my daughter," Jamie said."It angers you and niggles at you that I didn't get the treatment I'm giving her."It makes you want to give her the best treatment you can."From having food on the table and to give her the chance to find things she likes."You can hear Jamie's interview on The State of Us podcast. Available shortly on BBC you have been affected by any of the content of this article, details of help and support is available on the BBC Action Line website.
