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ukrfeminism · 54 minutes
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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-68604787
One thing I want to know is why isn’t his son charged with helping fake a death to a fugitive
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ukrfeminism · 3 days
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Imagine chasing top medals and trophies for Great Britain while earning less than the minimum wage.
That might sound surprising yet it appears to be the reality for some women competing at the highest levels of sport.
More than a third of 143 respondents in a BBC study of elite British sportswomen said they have considered giving up sport because of the cost of living crisis.
More than three-quarters said they earn less than £30,000 a year from sport - with more than four in 10 earning less than £10,000 and six in 10 earning less than £20,000.
According to Office for National Statistics data, the average salary in the United Kingdom was £34,963 in April 2023. The national living wage for someone aged over 23 working a 35-hour week would be up to £18,964 a year.
The BBC study, released on Monday, covered a wide range of issues affecting sportswomen, which we will be covering in a series of stories this week.
Respondents were asked to fill in an anonymous questionnaire. It was sent to 615 athletes across 28 sports and 143 responses were submitted.
The questionnaire was sent to British sportswomen above the age of 16 who compete for their country in senior sport, or at the highest level in their sport at top club level.
It is the fourth time the BBC has conducted research on elite British sportswomen, having previously done so in 2013, 2015 and 2020.
Below are some of the experiences athletes shared with the BBC about the impact of the cost of living crisis, social media trolling, sexism and maternity in sport.
Chasing medals on 'less than minimum wage'
One athlete, who is aiming to qualify for the 2028 Olympics and has won junior world titles, told BBC Sport she had "thought about" quitting sport because of cost but is "not ready to".
She says the starting salary for a job in the field she has studied at university would be more than double what she currently receives in funding for her sport.
"You'd never think I'd be on less than minimum wage," said the athlete, who receives funding of £16,000 a year.
She added that while she should probably get a job on the side to support herself, it simply was not practical because of training times.
"I'd have to work night shifts - you're not going to get international medals if you've got to do that," she said.
She added that the current economic climate made it "hard" to get sponsorship and that her male counterparts seemed to get more sponsorship than women "even though their achievements are the same".
Her views were echoed by others, with one respondent writing: "As much as the profile of women's sport is on the rise, in the smaller sports, sponsorship is decreasing and making it harder to survive even with world-class results and world top-10 rankings."
Another sportswoman spoke of working five jobs to fund her sport, and another said she had struggled to get sponsorship early in her career because she did not have the right body for "bikini modelling".
Six respondents said their income was between £100,000 and £500,000, two put theirs at more than £500,000 but none made more than £1m.
According to the study, more than three-quarters of respondents felt sportswomen are not paid enough compared with sportsmen.
"If a female sportsperson is doing exactly the same training as their male counterpart, but they get paid less, then it will always mean that women are underpaid compared to men, but I do believe it is all going in the right direction," another anonymous response read.
'Requests for naked pictures' and 'I know where you live'
More than a third of respondents said they had been trolled on social media and a quarter had received social media abuse of a sexual nature.
One athlete was trolled after what she said was a result of people betting on her matches.
"Some matches, if it was a big win or big loss, I'd get 15-20 people messaging me on Instagram or commenting all sorts of things," she said.
"A lot of it was about weight, sometimes people would comment on my upper body being leaner than my lower body.
"Some of it was, 'I'm going to find your mum and do x, y and z. Some of it was, 'I know where you live.'"
Another anonymous athlete said they "receive an influx of sexual abuse" after winning medals and another said they had received "requests for naked pictures" and "offers of sponsorship or funding in return for a relationship".
While not directly comparable, a BBC questionnaire in 2020 found 30% of elite British sportswomen had been trolled on social media, a figure that had doubled since a previous questionnaire in 2015.
'I was told my award was for best bum'
Sexism offline is still a concern for sportswomen too, with almost three quarters of respondents saying they had experienced sexism in their sport.
"I'm just so shocked, I'm just on the edge of tears," one athlete told BBC Sport when recounting the time in the past few years that she had gone up on stage to receive a top award for performance and the presenter had announced it was for having the "best bum" in her sport.
"[It was] in front of a room of all the people that I looked up to and aspired to as a young female," she said. "[I wanted to] just get it over with, just let me get off the stage. Now I know what to say. But then I definitely didn't."
The study also found sportswomen felt they were being treated differently to men in terms of coaching.
A third said they did not get enough coaching support compared with men, and a third said their governing body does not support them equally compared with male colleagues.
More than four in 10 said they had experienced another form of discrimination.
Maternity 'feels taboo'
More than a third of respondents said they do not feel supported by their club/governing body to have a baby and continue to compete.
Almost two-thirds do not know what their club/governing body's parental leave policy would be.
One sportswoman said the topic of maternity "feels taboo", another felt their career might be "in doubt" if they brought up the issue, and another said their governing body "has repeatedly put off signing our maternity policy".
A third have delayed starting a family because of their sporting career. Six women said they had had an abortion because they felt a baby would impact their sporting career.
One athlete said she was returning to sport a year after giving birth and had been "severely let down" by her governing body, which had "not been willing to compromise" or understand her needs.
Another said her decisions around maternity were based on "fear of time out of sport and fear of not returning", and another said theirs were around the cost of childcare she would need to continue training.
However, one anonymous response came from a mother back in full-time training after having a baby.
"There is a very good balance to allow me to train a week full-time in the environment and a week training at home, which helps with being an athlete and mum," she wrote.
There was another example of a national team saying they would support athletes wanting to give birth and "return to sport in the quickest and healthiest way possible".
Is any progress being made?
Sportswomen highlighted many challenges in their responses, but several pointed to the success of the Lionesses' high-profile Euro 2022 win as a sign of progress.
When it comes to media coverage, three-quarters do not believe the media does enough to promote women's sport, but more than nine in 10 think media coverage of women's sport has improved over the past five years.
Sports minister Stuart Andrew said he would be convening the first Board of Women's Sport later this month, where "former sportspeople, industry experts and academics come together to explore opportunities and best practice" for women's elite sport.
"We are at a defining moment for women's elite sport in this country," he said. "I want to see it continue to go from strength to strength, with a collective drive to deliver positive change."
Triathlete Laura Siddall spoke of an expectation of women's sport to "be grateful for where you are now".
"I think we can be grateful, but that doesn't mean we're satisfied," she continued.
"We are super thankful that we've made huge progress and super thankful and grateful that we are here now, but does that mean we should be settling? Because there's still a disparity."
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ukrfeminism · 4 days
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Women in the UK are waiting almost nine years for an endometriosis diagnosis, according to research that found many women are "dismissed, ignored and belittled".
The study by the charity Endometriosis UK found waiting times for the condition to be formally identified have significantly deteriorated since the pandemic, increasing to an average of eight years and 10 months - up 10 months since 2020.
The report, which surveyed 4,371 women, also found that almost half of respondents had visited their GP 10 or more times with symptoms before receiving a diagnosis.
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
It impacts around one in 10 women and symptoms can vary from person to person.
"My periods are… painful to the point where I'm bedbound," said Sanchia Alasia, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2010, after 15 years of symptoms.
As a former mayor of a London borough, she has led a busy and productive life - but pain and discomfort were never far away.
"I've missed so many engagements," she said.
"I remember missing my nephew's funeral. I've missed dinners, day trips. I wouldn't even count the amount of money I've lost over things that I've booked and not been able to attend.
"It can be incredibly frustrating," she added.
Emma Cox, chief executive of Endometriosis UK, said the problems with diagnoses persist because symptoms are often misunderstood.
"Day to day, without a diagnosis, some people have real issues both physical and mental health, because they'll be in severe pain," Ms Cox said.
If left undiagnosed and untreated, endometriosis can lead to worsening physical symptoms and even permanent organ damage.
The charity's research showed that, while women in England and Scotland wait an average of eight years and 10 months for a diagnosis, those in Northern Ireland wait nine years and five months, and those in Wales wait nine years and 11 months.
It also found that 52% of respondents had visited A&E at least once due to symptoms of endometriosis.
Ms Cox said: "We want this to be a real wake-up call for governments and the NHS.
"What we'd like to see is a commitment from the NHS and governments in each nation in the UK, to have a target of an average diagnosis time, by a year or less by 2030.
"We believe that's doable," she added.
Minister for the Women's Health Strategy, Maria Caulfield, admitted more needs to be done to improve women's experiences of the healthcare system.
"From getting an initial diagnosis to getting the right care and treatment, we must learn from this report," she said.
"We launched our Women's Health Strategy to do just this - listen to women. Endometriosis is a priority area within our strategy, so expect to see more in this space.
"Through the strategy, we are working to turn 'dismissed, ignored and belittled' into 'listened to, understood and empowered'."
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ukrfeminism · 7 days
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If you’re a UK-based radical/gender critical feminist interested in irl meetings with other women, please get in touch. I’m going to try to start organising again.
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ukrfeminism · 8 days
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A lawyer and the government department she works with are being sued after she made gender-critical statements at work, including expressing the belief that only women menstruate. 
Elspeth Duemmer Wrigley works at an arm’s-length body affiliated to the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and is a chairwoman of a civil service network that represents staff with gender-critical views. 
She is one of three key signatories of an explosive letter sent in October to the cabinet secretary warning the impartiality of the civil service was under threat because anyone with gender-critical views was “openly and unlawfully bullied and harassed”. 
The confidential letter, seen by The Times, makes serious claims about a “small number of active gender ideologues” embedded in the civil service who brief against ministers and seek to alter official documents.
Duemmer Wrigley will appear at an employment tribunal next week accused of harassment for several comments and posts shared in the workplace. An employee of another body affiliated to Defra is suing the government department for allowing the network to exist and Duemmer Wrigley personally for her views. 
These include a statement made during a seminar on female autism that “only women menstruate” and a link to My Body is Me!, a book that encourages young children to understand and accept their bodies. A post in which she celebrates “diversity of belief” and explains that being gender-critical is a protected belief has also been penalised.
The Sex Equality and Equity Network (Seen) is an official civil service network with more than 700 members in 50 government departments who support the belief that biological sex is binary and immutable. Duemmer Wrigley is chairwoman of Defra’s Seen network and believes she is being targeted as a figurehead.
The claimant, who has not been named, has accused Defra bosses of creating a “intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and/or offensive environment” and is calling for a disbanding of the departmental SEEN network and, potentially, the cross-governmental network as well. 
Duemmer Wrigley warns that if successful, the case would have a “chilling effect” that could silence all gender criticism in the civil service.
“[It] would effectively preclude any public gender-critical discourse in the workplace,” she writes in a statement. 
“It has been brought at a time when employees with gender-critical beliefs in many organisations, both in the civil service and beyond, are already facing vexatious, chilling or bullying attacks. I believe if this case succeeds, these attacks are likely to escalate. I believe if this case succeeds there will be no place in the civil service for those with sex realist views.”
It comes months after the letter to Simon Case, the head of the civil service, called for “urgent action to ensure that civil service impartiality is upheld, and freedom of belief is respected”.
It warns that unchallenged bias in relation to gender is having a direct impact on policy, based on interviews and evidence from SEEN members across government.
The letter cites efforts from some staff to “remove contributions to government consultations that relate to sex instead of gender” and “quietly briefing external organisations on how to circumnavigate ministerial direction”. 
It alleges there is an “active obfuscation of facts” among some trans activist civil servants to “prevent ministers seeing the impact of trans-inclusive policies” and evidence of internal policy being leaked to “partisan organisations”. 
Maya Forstater, executive director of Sex Matters, a human rights organisation that campaigns for clarity on sex in law, policy and language, said: “This is a shocking case, which follows revelations by civil servant whistleblowers about a ‘culture of fear’ among gender-critical civil servants across Whitehall. 
“It is not reasonable to view the existence of a network of gender-critical colleagues as ‘harassment’. 
“The civil service needs to have a robust culture of integrity, objectivity and accountability, and treat all its employees fairly. Civil servants should not expect to be kept “safe” from encountering ideas or people they don’t agree with.”
A government spokesman said: “We are unable to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”
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ukrfeminism · 8 days
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The family of a 21-year-old woman who died at a flat in Derbyshire have said she will be “missed beyond words”.
Derbyshire constabulary said officers were called to reports that a woman had been assaulted at a home in Greenhill Lane, Riddings, at shortly after 1pm on 18 February.
Christine Everett-Hickson, better known as Chrissie, was taken to hospital and died in the early hours of the morning five days later. Kain Tailby, 30, has been charged with murder, the force said.
Before her death, Tailby – who was arrested at the scene – was charged with attempted murder.
Tributes from Everett-Hickson’s family described her as a “joyful, kind-hearted and affectionate” woman whose death would “leave a void in our family that will never be filled”.
In a statement, the family said she would be “missed beyond words” and that she had “one of life’s purest hearts”.
The statement said: “Her charming nature always sought out the best in everyone and everything. Her bubbly though occasionally shy personality highlighted her passion for animals, creativity, music and art.
“She had the most infectious smile and a laugh that could brighten up even the darkest of days.
“Losing her will for ever leave a void in our family that will never be filled as she really was one of life’s true blessings and she will be missed beyond words.”
Tailby, from Riddings, is due to stand trial later this year.
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ukrfeminism · 9 days
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The first person in England to be convicted of a cyberflashing offence has been jailed for 66 weeks.
Nicholas Hawkes was convicted under the Online Safety Act after cyberflashing became an offence in England and Wales on 31 January.
The 39-year-old, from Basildon in Essex, was already a convicted sex offender when he sent unsolicited images of his genitals to a 15-year-old girl and a woman on 9 February, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
Southend crown court heard on Tuesday that Hawkes asked to use his father’s phone to call probation. He went into another room, where he sent the indecent photo via WhatsApp to a woman in her 60s. Minutes later, on the same device, he sent an explicit image to the child over iMessage, who was said to have been left “overwhelmed and crying”.
Both victims took screenshots of the messages and the woman reported him to Essex police the same day.
David Barr, prosecuting, said the offences “fall as part of an established pattern of behaviour of the defendant”.
Despite his previous offending, Hawkes has reportedly not received any treatment. Though he was offered 12 appointments with a psychiatrist, he never received them as the waiting list was too long, the court heard.
Hawkes admitted during an earlier hearing at Southend magistrates’ court to two counts of sending a photograph or film of genitals to cause alarm, distress or humiliation.
Cyberflashing can involve offenders sending people an unsolicited sexual image on social media, dating apps, Bluetooth or Airdrop. Victims of the offence and other image-based abuses receive lifelong anonymity under the Sexual Offences Act.
Hawkes was on the sex offender register after being convicted last year of sexual activity with a child under 16 and exposure, for which he received a community order.
On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to breaching the order and breaching a suspended sentence for another sexual offence.
He was jailed for 66 weeks and handed a restraining order for the woman and the girl lasting 10 years, and a sexual harm prevention order banning him from approaching women who he does not know on public highways and in parks for 15 years.
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ukrfeminism · 9 days
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Dozens of mothers and children gathered at Guernsey’s Premier Inn to show solidarity with a mother who posted on social media that she was asked not to breastfeed there.
The meeting was organised after Kelly Corbin said she was asked by a member of hotel staff to feed her baby “out of the way of the public” as “the residents won’t like it”.
Ms Corbin posted about her experience on social media, writing that she felt “humiliated”.
Premier Inn said: “We’re sorry for the confusion between one of our team members and Ms Corbin in our Guernsey hotel and we wish to apologise to her."
Ms Corbin wrote on Facebook after the incident on Sunday that she left the Premier Inn restaurant at Admiral Park in tears and fed her baby in her car after being asked to move by a member of staff.
Fellow mother Rebecca Greening organised the protest by sharing the post and asking “breastfeeding mothers past, present and future” to show the woman was "not alone”.
About 30 women and children met at the Premier Inn on Monday and those with hungry babies breastfed them in the restaurant.
Premier Inn provided free teas, coffees and snacks to the mothers.
During the protest, one woman described the behaviour of staff as “absolutely lovely".
A spokesperson for Premier Inn said, “Breastfeeding mothers are wholeheartedly welcome in all our sites across the UK.
“We’re proud to be a family-friendly business and it’s really important to us that all our guests including new mums and their babies have a relaxing, comfortable and enjoyable experience when they stay, enjoy a coffee or dine with us."
They said they had "reached out to speak to" Ms Corbin and "hope to welcome her back soon”.
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ukrfeminism · 10 days
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Though British farming is arguably at the most precarious point in its long history – thanks to changes caused by Brexit and food industry subsidies, lack of clear food production policies and increased concern over environmental issues – more women than ever are choosing a career in agriculture and, more importantly, moving into leadership roles.
Back in the 1970s, Holly Collins was studying for her A-levels in Sussex. While her friends sent off their university applications, she wrote to the Royal Agricultural College asking for an entry form, hoping to follow her dream of becoming a farmer.
��They wrote back with the following answer: ‘Dear Miss Collins, we do not admit women.’”
Undeterred, she worked on a farm the following summer: “A lot of the tasks then were manual labour, so I’d just turn up at the farm gate and ask for a job. I was paid much less than the male students I worked with because I was female. The farmer’s father told him that, because I was the hardest worker, he should pay me the same as them – but he didn’t.”
Things, says the 64-year-old who now has her own upland farm, Hollin Bank, at the head of Coniston Water in the Lake District, have improved a lot for women in agriculture since then.
Though British farming is arguably at the most precarious point in its long history – thanks to changes caused by Brexit and food industry subsidies, lack of clear food production policies and increased concern over environmental issues – more women than ever are choosing a career in agriculture and, more importantly, moving into leadership roles.
Minette Batters, the first ever female president of the National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales (NFU), may have stepped down this spring after six years in office, but women are still well represented in the union, with Rachel Hallos, a South Pennines farmer, installed as NFU vice-president and Abi Reader as deputy president for NFU Cymru. The Great Yorkshire Show has just got its first female show director in its 186-year history – dairy farmer Rachel Coates takes over after this year’s show in July. In the field of specialist skills, the UK has also just appointed its first female wool grader. Amy-Jo Barton, 22, is based at British Wool (formerly the British Wool Marketing Board) in Bradford where she sorts wool by hand based on style and characteristics; a job she finds “very therapeutic”.
While women comprised 17% of farmers in 2019, data from the Office for National Statistics for 2023 shows that of the 104,700 registered farmers, 22% are female. In the broader category of managers in agricultural services, women make up 32% of the workforce. According to recent figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, 64% of agricultural students are women. For an industry that historically relies on father-to-son succession to pass on land and which used to exclude women from many of its educational establishments, farming has come a long way.
Coates, incoming director of the Great Yorkshire Show, says: “Women have always been the backbone of a farm. Now they’re no longer in the kitchen tied to the Aga, they’re at the forefront of the industry. It’s good to see this take-up of leadership roles.”
Louisa Dines, principal lecturer in agronomy at Harper Adams University in Shropshire, thinks farming has lagged behind in terms of gender diversity but is finally catching up with other industries.
“Farmers’ wives and daughters were always important – farms are typically family businesses and intertwined with home life – but women used to operate below the radar,” she says. “Historically local meetings were in the pub or village hall. Wives often weren’t invited or had to look after the children. Even if they did go, it can be intimidating walking into a room full of men, but new communication platforms – such as social media and video conferencing – have made it easier for women to take part.”
There are more than 14,000 members of the Facebook group Ladies Who Lamb and farmers such as the Yorkshire Shepherdess and the Red Shepherdess have huge followings on TikTok and Instagram. Dines says she recently attended an agritech conference to promote links between women in farming in Poland, Ukraine and England. Previously these women had worked in isolation but not had a sense of community. “It was so interesting to see how far we’ve come.”
Traditions need to change more, though. The average age of a British farmer is 59 and the business is still typically passed down the male side of the family. A 2022 survey in Northern Ireland found that inheritance was the second biggest challenge faced by women in farming. The biggest was male dominance.
Molly Lewis, whose family have farmed sheep on 250 acres of pasture in Powys, Wales, for 350 years, says this attitude is starting to shift. The 20-year-old plans to take over when her father and his brother retire. She splits her time between working in the family business and the local agricultural market.
“In the past, sometimes men felt pressured to take on the farm even if their heart wasn’t in it, but now it goes to whoever is interested. I’ve noticed a lot more women happily getting involved. It feels natural, especially here. We have an open hill farm in the Elan Valley, and do a lot of community work with all our neighbours. You see women and girls on the hills doing the same jobs as the men and no one thinks anything of it.”
Lewis also talks of the community’s fury at the Welsh government’s sustainable farming scheme – the post-Brexit plan for funding the industry which includes ensuring 10% of farmland is under tree cover.
Collins’s farm has low densities of mixed livestock and a nice sideline in educational courses teaching traditional farming skills such as dry stone walling and coppicing. It’s currently host to two masters students researching finance and birdlife. She brought in two women – Megan Jones and Katherine Andrews – to manage Hollin Bank alongside her.
She says she has had difficulties with “a lack of respect” from male farmers. “But I am learning at a late age and from the wonderful young women who work with me that you don’t have to instil fear in others to succeed in this very male world. We try to be warm and encouraging of anyone who is interested. I’m not sure this is a ‘female’ attitude to farming but I suspect it might be.”
None of the three at Hollin Bank grew up in agricultural families, bucking the tradition of succession. While Collins had a “striking ambition” to farm her whole life, her colleagues originally worked in conservation and nature restoration.
“As 70% of the UK is farmland, I wanted to understand how conservation and agriculture intertwine,” says Andrews. “I also believe we need to localise the food economy to save food miles, create jobs and deepen our connection to the land.”
If farming is in crisis it may be this new generation who look to change the status quo who will be able to find a resolution. All of them seem keen to evolve. Coates’s big ambition for the Yorkshire Agricultural Society is to engage young people because “we need to make farming relevant – there are going to be changes in agriculture over the next few years and we need to adapt”.
Dines points to the increased importance of marketing and communication – from farm shops and crafts to environmentally friendly farming practice – “all the public-facing activities at which women excel”.
Jones, who worked in restoration before joining Hollin Bank two years ago, also points to the need for communication within the indusry as well as with the public.
“We need to strengthen food systems that value farmers’ extensive knowledge of the landscapes they work in,” she says. “I think we need to listen to farmers and figure out what works financially and ecologically. How can we build resilient ecosystems?”
The reason so many more women have moved into farming is perhaps best explained when Jones talks about what she enjoys most about her work.
“My favourite thing about working on a farm is the daily and seasonal rhythms. Each day you adapt and respond to the environment and the animals. Days when we move the sheep or cows are always good days, walking with them is like a moving meditation. For someone who spent very little time doing practical work growing up, I find working with my hands very rewarding and empowering – especially as a woman.”
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ukrfeminism · 12 days
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The government is facing calls for a public inquiry into the scandal of sexual abuse in mental health hospitals, following an investigation by The Independent.
Rape Crisis England and Wales has warned that the “alarming” scale of abuse within the UK’s psychiatric system requires “major intervention” from ministers.
It comes after an expose by this publication and Sky News revealed that almost 20,000 reports of sexual incidents – involving both patients and staff – had been made in more than half of NHS mental health trusts in the past five years.
As well as a public inquiry, which would give survivors the chance to give evidence, Rape Crisis England and Wales wants the government to appoint a named minister with responsibility for addressing the problem.
PraisingThe Independent and Sky News for shedding light on the scandal, chief executive Ciara Bergman said: “That anyone in the already vulnerable position of needing or being detained for in-patient care because of their mental health needs should experience sexual violence and abuse whilst in the care of the state, is deeply concerning.
“We are concerned that without major intervention and leadership at the highest levels, this could lead to more incidents of sexual violence and abuse happening, and this behaviour being accepted as inevitable, when it is not, and is indeed absolutely preventable.”
The charity added that it had been raising our concerns about widespread safeguarding issues uncovered by The Independent for many years. “It is disturbing that so little has seemingly changed,” it added. 
As part of the investigation, The Independent published a series of harrowing stories revealing allegations of rape and sexual assault on patients and staff in mental health hospitals.
In an exclusive podcast, Patient 11, one woman, Alexis Quinn, revealed the harrowing story of having to escape a mental health ward after claiming she was sexually assaulted twice. 
We also revealed shocking failures by the NHS and police to follow up on allegations, with figures showing just 26 charges came from nearly 1,400 reports to the police.
After the revelations, the health minister said allegations of sexual abuse in mental health settings would become part of a major review. 
Rape Crisis England and Wales also called for hospitals to ensure they have women-only wards after figures showed more than 500 claims of assaults and rape on mixed sex wards have been made since 2018.
Despite the NHS launching a “sexual safety” programme in 2019, The Independent and Sky News revealed hospitals are not adhering to key requirements of the guidance.
The news comes after NHS England published new survey data last week showing 80,000 – 8 per cent – of NHS staff reported experiencing unwanted sexual behaviour from colleagues and patients last year.
An NHS spokesperson said: “Any form of abuse or sexual violence is completely unacceptable. Everyone deserves to feel safe when they come to the NHS for their healthcare needs, often at a time when they are vulnerable.”
In September NHS England published its NHS Sexual Safety Charter which provides guidance for healthcare systems in addressing sexual misconduct risks and signing up to a “zero tolerence” approach. So far 260 organisations have signed up. 
“The NHS has made clear that every provider of our services has a legal and moral duty to safeguard patients, to report all incidents of sexual violence, and to take appropriate action with the criminal justice system and safeguarding bodies where harm has occurred,” it added. 
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Sexual violence or misconduct of any kind is unacceptable and NHS organisations have a responsibility to protect both staff and patients. The Department has zero tolerance and is clear that the NHS should work to stop sexual assaults happening in NHS services and premises. 
“We have been clear patients should not have to share sleeping accommodation with others of the opposite sex and should have access to segregated bathroom and toilet facilities, and we expect NHS trusts to comply with these measures.”
It did not respond to calls for a public inquiry but said it was working with mental health services to ensure every patient has safe care and that safety body the Health Services Safety Investigations Body has launched a national investigation into mental health inpatient settings.” 
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ukrfeminism · 12 days
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The number of domestic abuse victims taking their own lives has become even higher than the number being killed by their partners, a new report has revealed, as police were urged to do more to stop violent and coercive men. 
The report, for the National Police Chiefs’ Council, shows that 93 out of 242 domestic abuse related deaths nationwide between April 2022 were suicides. That was more than the 80 “intimate partner homicides” recorded during the same period, making suicide the most common cause of death among domestic abuse victims for the first time.
The findings, released on Wednesday, which police said reflected better understanding of the factors contributing to suicides, prompted calls for intensified action to stop perpetrators before future lives are lost, as well as a promise of greater efforts to prosecute domestic abusers responsible for driving women to take their own lives.
The report also shows that the abusers were already known to police in four out of five of the domestic abuse cases that ended in a killing or suicide, while three out of five were known to other agencies.
Around 10 per cent of suspects were recorded as either currently or previously having been managed by police or probation.
The report adds that risk factors showing a homicide risk include the use of controlling and coercive behaviour, mental ill health, alcohol use, drug use and the end of a relationship.
Met Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on domestic abuse, said: “Every single one of these deaths represents an unfathomable loss for families.
“Forces are strengthening their approach to suspected victim suicides following domestic abuse. Perpetrators should always be held to account for their abhorrent actions, and this should be no different when a victim has sadly taken their own life.
“It is important that we continue to develop our work with partner agencies, such as the Crown Prosecution Service, to improve posthumous charges and convictions in cases of suspected victim suicide.”
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch
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ukrfeminism · 14 days
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If you’re a UK-based radical/gender critical feminist interested in irl meetings with other women, please get in touch. I’m going to try to start organising again.
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ukrfeminism · 15 days
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Social media influencer Andrew Tate will be extradited to the UK after a British police force secured a European arrest warrant for allegations of rape and human trafficking.
Bedfordshire Police said they are working with authorities in Romania as part of an investigation into the 37-year-old and his 35-year-old brother Tristan.
The pair were detained on Tuesday and appeared at the court of appeal in Bucharest where it was ruled they would be extradited following the conclusion of legal proceedings in Romania.
The allegations, which the two brothers “unequivocally deny”, date back to 2012-2015.
Speaking to reporters outside court following the ruling, Andrew Tate told reporters he and his brother are “very innocent men”.
He said: “I want to give absolute credit to Romanian justice for making the correct decision today.
“Unfortunately I don’t think many people in Romania understand, but in the West, in the countries that are owned by the satanists, when you get to a certain level of fame you either put on a dress or you go to jail and I’m happy to make my choice which is jail every single time, my soul is not for sale neither are my principles.
“We’re very innocent men and in time everybody’s going to see that.
“We are excited to finish this judicial process and clear our names.”
The pair were released from police custody following the hearing, their representative said.
Lawyers representing four women who accuse Tate of rape and sexual assault said they wrote to UK police to request his detention over fears he would flee Romania.
In response to the claims made by law firm McCue Jury & Partners, Tate’s spokeswoman said: “We unequivocally deny any accusations that Andrew or Tristan Tate intends to abscond from Romania to evade the judicial proceedings.
“Our clients are fully committed to actively participating in the legal process and defending their reputation.
“We believe this rumour has originated from a popular online influencer who misconstrued a text message from our clients while streaming live. There is simply no truth to it.”
The law firm said the four British accusers were the subject of an investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary.
The Hertfordshire investigation was closed in 2019.
In response to the court of appeal’s ruling on Tuesday, the Tate brothers’ lawyer Eugen Vidineac said: “We appreciate the Bucharest Court of Appeal’s decision to postpone the extradition of Andrew and Tristan Tate.
“This ruling provides an opportunity for the brothers to participate fully in their defence and for the legal process to proceed in a transparent manner.”
Commenting on the Tate brothers being detained, Matthew Jury, managing partner at McCue Jury & Partners, said: “Today’s news is very welcome as it has been a significant concern to many that Tate would seek to avoid justice in Romania and abroad.
“We are grateful to the British authorities for taking our concerns seriously and issuing an arrest warrant.”
Mr Jury said Andrew Tate had “spread a vast amount of disinformation about the criminal allegations he faces in the UK” since his first arrest in Romania.
The law firm said it welcomed the court of appeal’s decision on Tuesday.
In a separate case, the Tate brothers are charged with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women in Romania after being arrested in the country’s capital in December 2022 alongside two Romanian women.
All four deny the allegations.
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ukrfeminism · 15 days
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A body pulled from the River Thames last month is thought to be that of missing London student Samaria Ayanle, police have said.
The 19-year-old was reported missing by university staff on Friday.
Metropolitan Police launched an investigation and found she was last seen on CCTV at her university accommodation near Marble Arch nearly three weeks earlier, on Thursday February 22.
The Met launched an appeal to the public on Tuesday, saying they were growing “increasingly concerned” for Samaria’s welfare and urged anyone with information to come forward.
But on Wednesday, the force said it now believes a body found in the Thames on February 22 - the day Samaria was last seen - is that of the missing student.
Her death is being treated as “unexplained”, pending further investigation.
The body was found on the north foreshore near Putney Pier by a member of the public, around 8.20am on February 22.
No personal property was found on the person, said police. Finger print tests were carried out but no match was found.
“Police checked recent missing persons reports but the body did not match the description of any other persons reported missing around that time,” said the Met in a statement on Wednesday.
“The body was sent to the Coroner to conduct further checks. Meanwhile details were uploaded onto the UK Missing Persons database in the hopes the person might be identified.”
Scotland Yard said officers “linked their enquiries to the February 22 discovery on Wednesday”, adding: “They have viewed body-worn video from then and believe the person found is Samaria”.
Formal identification is yet to take place. Her family and friends have been informed.
“Our thoughts are with them and we will support them at this difficult time,” said a Met spokesperson.
Anyone with information that could help police should call 101 ref 01/60807/24. You can also share via @MetCC on X.
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Police say they are growing “increasingly concerned” for the welfare of a 19-year-old university student in London who was last seen nearly three weeks ago.
Samira Ayanle, from Westminster, was reported missing on Friday March 8 but was last seen at her university accommodation near Marble Arch on Wednesday, February 21.
The Met police is investigating, and is in touch with Samira’s family.
The force on Tuesday launched an appeal for anyone with information as to Samira’s whereabouts to get in touch.
A force spokesperson said officers “are growing increasingly concerned for her welfare and are encouraging anyone with information about her whereabouts to contact police”.
Report immediate sightings to 999 quoting the reference 01/60807/24. You can also share non-urgent information with 101 or MetCC on X.
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ukrfeminism · 15 days
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If you’re a UK-based radical/gender critical feminist interested in irl meetings with other women, please get in touch. I’m going to try to start organising again.
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ukrfeminism · 15 days
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Police say they are growing “increasingly concerned” for the welfare of a 19-year-old university student in London who was last seen nearly three weeks ago.
Samira Ayanle, from Westminster, was reported missing on Friday March 8 but was last seen at her university accommodation near Marble Arch on Wednesday, February 21.
The Met police is investigating, and is in touch with Samira’s family.
The force on Tuesday launched an appeal for anyone with information as to Samira’s whereabouts to get in touch.
A force spokesperson said officers “are growing increasingly concerned for her welfare and are encouraging anyone with information about her whereabouts to contact police”.
Report immediate sightings to 999 quoting the reference 01/60807/24. You can also share non-urgent information with 101 or MetCC on X.
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ukrfeminism · 20 days
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Wishing you all a very happy International Women’s Day
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