Latest news with #victimsRights
Irish Times
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
TV guide: The Bear returns, and the other best new shows to watch on RTÉ, Disney+, and Netflix this week
Pick of the week Natasha Wednesday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm In 2022 Natasha O'Brien was violently assaulted on a street in Limerick, in a random attack that left her bleeding and unconscious. The attacker, Cathal Crotty , was a serving soldier in the Defence Forces, and there was a public outcry when he received a suspended sentence for his cowardly and brutal act. This documentary follows O'Brien's subsequent refusal to stay silent about her treatment at the hands of a deeply flawed Irish legal system, and her subsequent battle to get justice for the trauma which was inflicted upon her. Thanks to her relentless campaigning, the DPP appealed Crotty's sentence and he was sentenced to two years in prison. With help from other women who shared their stories of facing their attackers in court, and from politicians including Labour leader Ivana Bacik and expert criminologist Dr Ian Marder, O'Brien looks at ways the system can be reformed to take ensure that victims' voices are heard. Highlights From that Small Island: The Story of the Irish Sunday, RTÉ One, 6.30pm From that Small Island: Marion Casey in New York Nigel Farage can't seem to understand why Ireland would not want to join with the UK and leave the European Union; perhaps he should watch this third episode of this landmark historical series, as it might explain why his Irexit idea went down like a lead balloon. The 17th century saw mass migration of Irish to continental Europe, displaced by the brutal conquest by Oliver Cromwell, and this episode tracks the first diaspora as they set up new lives in various European countries. The programme also follows the Irish who signed up to French, Spanish and Austrian armies in the wake of the Williamite wars at the end of the 17th century, and became known as the Wild Geese. It marked the beginning of centuries-long ties between Ireland and Europe that will take more than a few bellowing Brexiteers to break. The programme, narrated by Colin Farrell, also looks at the life of anti-slavery campaigner Daniel O'Connell, known as the Liberator, and how he influenced black abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass. Aistear an Amhráin Monday, RTÉ One, 7pm This series looking at the stories behind well-known songs ends with one of Ireland's most beloved bangers, An Poc ar Buile. The song was recorded in 1962 by Seán Ó Sé, and became an instant classic, but there's a tale to the tune that dates from the 17th century. The song about a mad billy goat was written in the 1940s by Donal Ó Mulláin and became associated with Puck Fair in Killorglin, Co Kerry, but the original poem it was based on has a darker meaning. An Boc ar Buile, written in the 1600s, was about a local landlord trying to exercise his right to have sexual relations with a tenant's bride on her wedding night. Given recent stories about landlords demanding sex from tenants as payment for rent, maybe the original version is due a revisit. The Gilded Age Monday, Sky Atlantic & Now, 9pm The Gilded Age Long before Sex and the City, New York was ruled by an elite coterie of well-got women, all vying for power and position in the upper echelons of high society in Upper East Side Manhattan of the 1880s. The Gilded Age is set during a period of huge transformation, when old money is under attack from a new generation of upwardly mobile industrialists and entrepreneurs, all hoping to buy their way into privilege. Louisa Jacobson stars as Marian Brook, a newcomer in New York society who arrives in the midst of a social war between the old-money Van Rhijn-Brooks and the new-money Russell family. Marian must quickly learn the rules of the game – and make up a few of her own – if she is to survive in this cut-throat world. Cynthia Nixon from SATC and Christine Baranski costar, and series three takes up the story in the aftermath of the so-called Opera War, which has given the Russells the social advantage. How will the old-money crowd hit back? This could turn into an epic confrontation. READ MORE Death in the Desert: The Nurse Helen Mystery Monday, Channel 4, 9pm Helen Smith was a young nurse working in Saudi Arabia in 1979, enjoying her adventure and making new friends in a culture very different from her own. At just 23 years old, however, Helen died in mysterious circumstances. The official story was that she fell from a balcony at a party, and her death was ruled an accident, but questions lingered over the lack of a thorough police investigation and whether her death really was accidental. This documentary looks back on Helen's life in Saudi Arabia and the political and cultural climate of the time, and tries to uncover what really happened on that balcony more than 45 years ago. Amol Rajan Goes to the Ganges Wednesday, BBC One, 9pm Amol Goes to the Ganges The Maha Kumbh Mela Festival in northern India is the world's largest religious festival, and the biggest gathering of human beings on the planet, attended by almost 500 million people from around the globe – more than the combined populations of the US and UK converging on an area the size of Manhattan. Joining them for this special documentary is journalist and presenter Amol Rajan, and he's visiting for personal reasons – to help him come to terms with the death of his father three years ago, and to reconnect with the land of his birth. The Kumbh festival happens only every dozen years, and this year's festival coincides with a rare alignment of the planets, making it extra special for pilgrims. Amol meets many of these pilgrims, all here to purify themselves in the polluted waters of the Ganges, but he also comes close to tragedy as a huge crowd surge results in the deaths of 30 people. Murder on the Doorstep: The Killer Clown Wednesday, Sky Crime & Now, 9pm Dan Reimer, who features in Murder On The Doorstep: The Killer Clown In the 1990s, a young woman, Marlene Warren, was shot dead on the doorstep of her own house in Florida by a mystery assailant. The killer had dressed as a clown to disguise their identity, but police immediately suspected Marlene's husband, Michael Warren, of his wife's murder. Their marriage was in trouble, and there were rumours of extramarital affairs, but Michael had a rock-solid alibi and the police had no proof, so he was eliminated as a suspect. Nearly 30 years later, though, police make an apparent breakthrough, charging Michael's alleged mistress Sheila Keen with Marlene's murder. But is there more to this murder than meets the eye? This three-part docuseries looks back at the investigation, interviewing investigators, witnesses, friends and family members in an attempt to unravel a very tangled web of lies and betrayal. Glastonbury 2025 Live Thursday, BBC One, 10pm The BBC's live coverage of this year's Glasto in Pilton, Sussex, kicks off on Thursday, but all this week the Beeb will be airing programmes in anticipation of the big weekend, beginning with three half-hour specials featuring Glastonbury legends from the 1970s (Monday, BBC Two, 10pm), 1980s (Tuesday, BBC Two, 10pm) and 1990s (Wednesday, BBC Two, 10pm). Clara Amfo and Lauren Laverne will be on hand at Worthy Farm to look forward to the fun in store for the weekend, which will see headline performances on the Pyramid stage by The 1975, Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts and Olivia Rodrigo. If you haven't got tickets for the festival, the BBC's coverage of the onstage action will be almost as good as the real thing – and a lot less mucky. Streaming Countdown From Wednesday, June 25th, Prime Video Countdown: Amber Oliveras and Mark Meachum A dead Homeland Security agent, a secret taskforce and a terror plot that could end in millions of deaths: maybe I won't have another consonant after all, Rachel, thank you very much. Jensen Ackles from The Boys heads the cast of this action-thriller series created by Derek Haas, the mind behind the FBI series and all its variants. Ackles is the LAPD cop Mark Meachum, who is recruited into the taskforce after the Homeland Security guy is murdered in broad daylight. The murder is just the tip of the iceberg, and soon Ackles and the team are racing to stop the bad guys from turning the citizens of LA into DOA. The Bear From Thursday, June 26th, Disney+ The Bear Chef-patron Carmy Berzatto is back in kitchen hell in the fourth series of the foodie dramedy, and he's still in pursuit of excellence in the former sandwich shop in Chicago that he inherited after the suicide of his brother, Michael. Carmy, a Michelin-star chef, has turned the dive into a fine-dining restaurant, but success is far from a done deal. Money is running out, and the kitchen is still in chaos and turmoil. Can Carmy create a calmer atmosphere in this culinary crucible? Jeremy Allen White stars as Carmy, with Ayo Edebiri, Oliver Platt and Jamie Lee Curtis among the cast. Squid Game From Friday, June 27th, Netflix How much of a gaming junkie do you have to be to go back into a game that could end in your death? In series two of the hit Korean series – Netflix's most successful non-English-language series – Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) went back into the game with a clear mission to take down the faceless organisation behind this murderous, macabre theme park, but in this third and final series he finds himself back in the Squid Game dorm after the failure of his attempted rebellion – and this time the games have been taken to even deadlier levels. Gi-hun must survive this last round and also outwit his treacherous adversary the Frontman as the tournament reaches its bloody, adrenaline-pumping climax. Smoke From Friday, June 27th, Apple TV+ The Rocket Man star Taron Egerton heads a strong cast in this new crime series about an arson investigator in pursuit of two serial pyromaniacs. Joining Egerton in the series – based on a true story – are Rafe Spall, Jurnee Smollett, Anna Chlumsky, Greg Kinnear and John Leguizamo. Egerton plays the investigator, with Smollett as the detective who becomes his reluctant partner; they'll have to find common ground if they are going to stop the firestarting spree before it gets completely out of control.
News.com.au
17-06-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
UK apologises to thousands of grooming victims as it toughens law
The UK government announced on Monday that it would bring in tough new laws to "root out the scourge" of grooming gangs, and apologised to thousands of victims believed to have been sexually exploited. Any adults who engage in penetrative sex with a child under 16 will now face the most serious charge of rape, interior minister Yvette Cooper told parliament, as authorities launched a nationwide crackdown on the gangs. The announcement came as a damning report, written by parliamentarian Louise Casey, was published into the decades-long scandal, which has affected towns and cities across Britain. In it she wrote about how institutions failed the victims, and how the young girls and women were often blamed for their own abuse. Seven men were convicted on Friday in the UK's latest grooming trial, after jurors heard that two girl victims were forced to have sex "with multiple men on the same day, in filthy flats and on rancid mattresses". One of the victims said social workers had regarded her as "a prostitute" from the age of 10. On Monday, three other men appeared at Sheffield Cown Court in a separate case and denied raping a teenage girl in Rotherham between 2008 and 2010. Despite the age of consent being 16, Casey's report said there were "too many examples" of grooming cases being dropped or downgraded where a 13-15 year-old had been deemed to be "in love with" or "had consented to" sex with the perpetrator. This was attributed to a "grey area" in the law for 13-15-year-olds, where charging decisions had been "left more open to interpretation". While the intention had been to avoid criminalising relationships between teenagers, in practice it had benefited "much older men who had groomed underage children for sex". - National inquiry - Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday announced a new national inquiry would be launched into the scandal, one of Casey's 12 recommendations. Local investigations will now be directed and overseen by a national commission with statutory inquiry powers to compel witnesses to give evidence under oath. "It will go wherever it needs to go," Starmer said on Monday. Victims have long called for an inquiry, but Jayne Senior, an early whistleblower about the problem, told AFP on Monday that its success "will depend on who leads it" and what powers they have. Senior, who is cited in Casey's report, said that the government had still not moved to protect whistleblowers, and asked what action would be taken against police officers who frustrated her efforts to bring perpetrators to justice in Rotherham, northern England. The Casey report found that ethnicity was "shied away from" and was not recorded for two-thirds of perpetrators, making accurate national assessment impossible. "We found many examples of organisations avoiding the topic altogether for fear of appearing racist, raising community tensions or causing community cohesion problems," she wrote. However, local data from West Yorkshire in northern England, collected between 2020 and 2024, showed that 429 out of 1222 suspects, or 35 percent, were self-defined as Asian. Cooper said that Asian men, particularly from a Pakistani background, were "overrepresented" and that ethnicity and nationality will now be recorded on a mandatory basis. Casey wrote that "it does no community any good to ignore" evidence of disproportionality "in any form of offending, be that amongst perpetrators or victims". - 'Unimaginable pain' - The issue of UK grooming gangs was thrust into the international spotlight in January when tech billionaire Elon Musk launched incendiary attacks on his X platform against the UK government for resisting calls for a national inquiry. The gangs would frequently target vulnerable adolescents, often those in care or with learning or physical disabilities, with one man presenting himself as a boyfriend "showering them with love and gifts", wrote Casey. "Subsequently, they pass them to other men for sex, using drugs and alcohol to make children compliant, often turning to violence and coercion to control them." This model "has not changed significantly over time, although the grooming process is now as likely to start online, and hotspots might have moved from parks to vape shops and the use of hotels with anonymous check-in facilities," she added. The gangs operated in several English towns and cities including Rotherham and Rochdale in the north, but also in Oxford and Bristol, in the south, for almost four decades. "On behalf of this, and past governments, and the many public authorities who let you down, I want to reiterate an unequivocal apology for the unimaginable pain and suffering that you have suffered, and the failure of our country's institutions through decades, to prevent that harm and keep you safe," Cooper said in parliament.
The Guardian
16-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
UK grooming gangs inquiry ‘must confront uncomfortable truths'
The national inquiry into grooming gangs 'must be fearless in confronting uncomfortable truths' after too many girls 'were failed by the very institutions charged with their protection', the victims' commissioner for England and Wales has said. The government confirmed on Monday that it would set up a statutory inquiry and accept all 12 recommendations of Lady Casey's rapid review of the issue. The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, told the Commons: 'We cannot and must not shy away from these findings.' The victims' commissioner, Helen Newlove, said: 'This inquiry must be fearless in confronting uncomfortable truths. 'Too many girls were failed by the very institutions charged with their protection. This is our chance to lift the stone, expose those failures, and ensure they are never repeated. 'Victims must remain at the heart of this work. Sharing experiences of child sexual abuse is deeply personal and often retraumatising. Thousands came forward to the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse – often for the first time – yet years on, too little has changed. We must not repeat those mistakes.' The children's commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza, said the girls at the heart of this scandal 'have been failed by every professional in their lives'. She added: 'They, and the institutions that were intended to protect them, ignored their voices and sidelined their experiences. They must be held accountable for turning a blind eye to a sustained campaign of violence against young girls by predatory men. 'This is a source of national shame – I've been clear nothing can be off the table in pursuing justice for the victims.' In the House of Commons on Monday, the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, said the announcement of the inquiry was 'another U-turn' by the government and an 'extraordinary failure of leadership'. She said: 'After months of pressure the prime minister has finally accepted our calls for a full statutory national inquiry into the grooming gangs. 'I welcome that we have finally reached this point. This is a victory for the survivors who have been calling for this for years.' The Metropolitan police deputy assistant commissioner Helen Millichap, who is also the director of the national centre for violence against women and girls and public protection, said Casey's report included several recommendations with implications for policing that would now be considered. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'We are sorry to all those who have experienced child sexual abuse and exploitation,' she said. 'The pain, trauma, and long-lasting impact experienced by victims and survivors is immeasurable. 'We recognise that for too long, your voices went unheard, and opportunities to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our communities were missed.' Nazir Afzal, the chief crown prosecutor for the north-west from 2011 to 2015, questioned the efficacy of national inquiries. He told BBC Radio 4: 'Only criminal investigations can bring real accountability. That's what needs to happen. Not just for those who offended, but also those who stood by and didn't do what they were meant to do. 'Unfortunately my experience with national inquiries is that they take for ever and don't deliver accountability.'
Telegraph
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Reeves refuses to apologise for ‘far-Right' grooming gang claims
Rachel Reeves has refused to apologise after Sir Keir Starmer dismissed demands for a national grooming gangs inquiry as 'far-Right'. The Chancellor said that the priority for the Government was the victims of the abuse and 'not people's hurt feelings about how they've been spoken about'. The Prime Minister announced on Saturday that he will commission a national inquiry, following months of pressure from his political opponents. Baroness Casey, appointed by the Prime Minister to carry out a 'national audit' into the grooming gangs, is expected to make the recommendation as part of her findings next week. In January 2025, Sir Keir said that those calling for a statutory inquiry were 'jumping on a bandwagon of the far-Right '. In the same speech, he accused politicians and activists of 'spreading lies and misinformation' about grooming gangs. Asked on Sky's Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips whether there would be an apology forthcoming next week, Ms Reeves said: 'The most important thing here is the victims, not people's hurt feelings about how they've been spoken about. 'The most important here is the victims of these evil crimes.' The Government initially focused its efforts on implementing previous recommendations, allowing councils to launch local inquiries and having Lady Casey review the situation. The scandal, which saw girls forced into sex by much older men, was first exposed in Rochdale, Lancashire, in 2011 and has been investigated in a variety of different forms. It re-entered the spotlight earlier in 2025 when Elon Musk, the Tesla billionaire, started repeatedly criticising Sir Keir and demanding a nationwide inquiry. On Friday, seven Asian men were convicted of sexually exploiting two white teenage schoolgirls in Rochdale. On Saturday, Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: 'Starmer has finally capitulated. Not because he wants to do the right thing but because he's been forced to. 'Starmer must now apologise for needlessly keeping victims waiting another six months and apologise for smearing and insulting campaigners'. In May, Lucy Powell, the Commons leader, was forced to apologise after accusing a guest on a panel show of using a 'dog whistle' when he brought up grooming gangs.
Fox News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Mother of murdered jogger slams Rep. Crockett for dismissing migrant crime victims
A mother whose daughter was murdered by an undocumented migrant is speaking out against the recent unrest in Los Angeles and pushing back on political rhetoric from Democratic lawmakers. Patty Morin, the mother of 37-year-old Rachel Morin, appeared on "Fox & Friends" Friday to voice her frustration over ongoing anti-ICE protests and remarks made during a recent House hearing on sanctuary cities. "To have all these protests for illegal immigrants, they're not even American citizens," Morin said. "While completely ignoring or at minimal, just acknowledging sometimes the names, sometimes not, the American citizens that are dying, the children that are being raped, the people that are being burned alive." Rachel Morin, a mother of five, was attacked and killed while jogging in Maryland. Authorities say she was ambushed, beaten and strangled by Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, an undocumented migrant who was convicted of her murder earlier this year. Patty Morin's remarks came after Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas made comments during a House Oversight Committee hearing, where she accused Republicans of "cherry-picking" victims of illegal immigration and downplaying the threat of white supremacy. "I don't know how many hearings we [are going to] have about the fact that there's been this one immigrant that killed this one person," Crockett said Thursday. "And no, I'm not excusing any killings by them or white supremacists. But they haven't had these hearings." The hearing called the governors of states with sanctuary city policies to testify, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Crockett apologized to the governors for having to speak and called the hearing "political theater." Morin strongly disagreed with Crockett's comments and took issue with the congresswoman's criticism of President Donald Trump's immigration policies. "One of the things that Crockett said was that President Trump is spending millions of dollars to protect American citizens, to send in ICE and the National Guard," said Morin. "She forgot to say that these sanctuary cities and states are spending billions of dollars to freely give things to illegal immigrants that the American citizen does not receive." Morin has become a vocal supporter of Trump's immigration agenda and has appeared alongside him at several public events. She continues to call for stricter immigration enforcement, saying what happened to her daughter should never happen to another family. "The American people see that the [Democratic Party] and the liberals have no concern for the American people, for the everyday American citizen," Morin said. "They only have concern for their agenda. And that agenda is nothing more than to weaken and dismantle our country."
