Children's Commissoner warns young people getting caught up in violence 'could impact their future'
Responding for the first time to last week's disorder Chris Quinn described the behaviour of young people as "frightening". This comes as the Education Minister revealed on Monday that absence rates at schools closest to the disorder in Ballymena spiked following the violence in the town last week.
This follows disorder which started in Ballymena last Monday after an alleged sexual assault of a girl in the town last weekend.
Two 14-year-old Romanian boys have been charged with attempted rape.
A peaceful protest on Monday evening about the alleged assault was followed by attacks on police and properties housing ethnic minorities.
The disturbances in the Co Antrim town continued for several nights and spread to other areas of Northern Ireland including Portadown, Larne, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Londonderry and Coleraine. Scores of people were arrested.
To date, over 30 arrests have been made by police investigating disorder in Northern Ireland, the age of those taking part as young as 12.
The Education Minister said it was alarming that some school children had been attacking homes of their peers during the disorder.
Paul Givan said 84 newcomer children at Harryville Primary School have not been attending, while attendance is at around 65% at St Patrick's College.
Speaking in Mr Givan said: "Over the past week we have been dealing with children who have been coming into school traumatized, showing all of the signs of trauma as a result of what has happened in our streets.
But alarmingly, we're also dealing with some children who engaged in the rioting and attacked some of the school, houses of the very children in their class."
In a statement St Patricks College said: "It would like to reassure all pupils and parents that the school will continue to be a safe place."
They added, "Staff will continue to work hard for the education and pastoral support for all young people."
UTV have contacted Harryville primary school for a response but they did not want to make a comment.Northern Ireland's Children's Commissioner Chris Quinn has condemned any young people taking part in violence and had this message: "I would urge children to stay away, we're entering into a summer period which can be challenging, and that has been the case here for a long time.
"I've seen for many years how children and young people get caught up on that so I would urge them to stay away."There's lots of misinformation out there at the minute."
He continued, "I would urge them to question that information and think about the sources of it, because I do believe they're getting coerced and manipulated and driven by misinformation and disinformation."
As the investigation continues into finding those responsible, the PSNI has once again urged young people to stay away from violence or risk ending up with a criminal record.
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The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
How child slaves are being ‘delivered like takeaways' & sold for ‘premium' prices to sick new wave of Brit sex predators
FOR loved-up teenager Mara, the promise of an exciting new life in Britain with the charming young man she'd fallen for online was a dream come true. But following her heart nearly killed the young Romanian - who was repeatedly raped by strangers and brutally beaten with a curtain pole after her lover turned out to be a sex trafficker. 9 9 9 Mara's ordeal, though horrific, is far from rare in Britain, where the number of modern slavery victims is at an all-time high. Last year, 19,125 potential victims were referred to the authorities - a 13 per cent increase on 2023 (16,990). Now, The Sun has learned how Romanian traffickers are luring younger and younger underage victims to our shores, before delivering them 'Uber Eats-style' through grotesque online 'orders'. Operating behind the walls of ordinary-looking homes, girls as young as 12 are being forced to have sex with up to 20 men a day, whose sickening desires are being fuelled by a troubling wave of 'barely legal' pornography. Night after night, Mara*, then aged 19, was transported from one UK city to another to be sexually abused - while her once-doting partner lived the high life on the money she earned. The beast, and other traffickers, splashed out on lavish parties, cars, houses, and designer clothes - telling the terrified teen they would kill her if she dared to flee to her homeland of Romania. Mara, whose name has been changed, bravely told The Sun: 'It was a nightmare for me. 'I always prayed at every house I went to, 'God, if I go in, who knows how I'll get out.' 'Once, [my trafficker] beat me with a metal pipe from a curtain. 'They told me that if I go back to Romania, they will kill me.' Experts tell The Sun that while Britain has long been a major destination for Romanian trafficking gangs, the age of victims they are encountering is an increasing cause for alarm. Top UK criminal defence lawyer Marcus Johnstone says: 'The younger the person, the higher the fee that can be charged to the client." Sold at a premium price as 'fresh meat', some victims are trafficked so young that they can't remember their age, so upon rescue, they have to have their teeth assessed by dentists. Others are beaten so badly by their traffickers and clients that they can't walk, or even crawl. While offline, Romanian mafia gangs - who are among the trafficking rings netting more than £100,000 in annual profits per victim - brazenly roam our nation's streets. 'Such mafia groups are not at all worried about the police,' adds Marcus, who specialises in sex crime for Cheshire-based PCD Solicitors. 'Crime pays, and sex crime pays even better.' The gangs' victims, in contrast, are isolated from the British public. Far from enjoying the sights of the cities they are trafficked between, the women and girls are ushered into houses and raped, over and over, to 'repay' supposed debts. 'The problem is huge,' says Laura*, social services and criminal justice liaison officer at International Justice Mission UK (IJM) - an anti-slavery charity that has supported Mara. 'Every police force in the UK has many cases involving [the] trafficking of Romanians for sexual exploitation.' 'Premium' prices for minors Previous police raids in Leicestershire and Northumberland have shown that up to 86 per cent of women working in some British brothels are from Romania. Chillingly, official figures show that around half of all human trafficking victims in Romania are children. Of those who are sexually exploited, more than 90 per cent are girls. Earlier this year, a Sun investigation revealed how cases of ephebophilia - where adults are sexually attracted to teens aged 15 to 19 - are on the rise in Britain, following a surge in 'barely legal' pornography driven by controversial adult stars like Bonnie Blue and Sugar Daddy websites. However, it was recently revealed that the number of paedophiles being jailed for hoarding child abuse images is falling, leading experts to warn that "as the problem escalates, the punishment diminishes". Sickeningly, trafficking gangs deliberately target children from dysfunctional families or deprived areas, preying on their dreams of escaping for a 'better life'. 9 In some tragic cases, impoverished Romanian parents are even handing over their own children to sex traffickers, with 'minors' attracting heftier payments from British customers. Legal expert Adam Jones, of HD Claims, tells The Sun: 'We are seeing an alarming rise in the number of young Romanian girls and women being trafficked into the UK to be sexually exploited - often, under the illusion of a better life. 'What's particularly harrowing is that these grooming tactics are not always carried out by strangers. In some cases, traffickers are known to the victims.' Marcus adds: 'The airlines unknowingly operate as a taxi service to bring women to the UK, often accompanied by male 'handlers'." Once in Britain, the girls are trapped inside the dark world of human trafficking - which generates almost £180billion globally for its perpetrators. 'Lover boy' tricks For many sex slaves, their exploitation begins with 'love' - or a fake version of it. So-called 'lover boys' - often, older men - trick girls into believing they love them. Lurking outside Romanian schools - and on social media and gaming platforms - they tell the girls they are 'beautiful' and 'smart' in a vile bid to recruit them as sex workers. Showering their chosen victim with affection and gifts, the trafficker appears to be the perfect partner. But in reality, they have trapped the smitten girl in a 'toxic, manipulative' dynamic. 9 9 Laura explains: 'Unlike the stereotypical image of traffickers as violent kidnappers, those using the 'lover boy' method are often charming and calculated. 'They invest months - sometimes, even a year or more - pretending to be in a loving relationship.' Some traffickers, like Mara's, invite their victims to the UK to live with them. Others make false promises of legitimate work or education. Laura adds: 'It all starts with what seems like a perfect relationship - a loving, attentive partner who offers everything they've ever wanted, and that's what makes it so dangerous.' Last September, an organised crime gang was jailed for more than 16 years after trafficking a Romanian woman from France to Britain with the promise of a well-paid cleaning job. Once here, the woman was kept at a flat in Oldham, Manchester, and told she must 'repay' a staggering debt of 6,000 euros (£5,200) for her accommodation through sex work. She was forced to have sex with multiple men each night, while her twisted captors profited. The gang split the online payments from the men - an estimated £1,000 per night - between them. They disguised the transactions with notes like 'FAMILY' and 'GIFT', police said. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fink, of Oldham CID, said at the time that the victim's human rights had been 'cruelly stripped from her from the moment she landed on UK soil'. He added: 'This case is a solemn reminder that modern slavery is happening here in Greater Manchester.' 'More than horror' Like countless other girls, survivor Samara* was restricted from going outside alone. She couldn't access money nor her passport, and had no way to contact her family back home. She tells The Sun: 'I remember the first evening when I was on the street, I got beaten so badly because I wouldn't get in anyone's car. 'It was not just horror, but more than horror.' 9 9 Jessica McDowell, policy officer at the London-based charity Christian Action, Research and Education (CARE), says: 'The average age of a teenager who is trafficked is 14. 'These young girls are cut off from their families and have their passports and other documents taken off them when they are forcibly raped and exploited by paying British men.' To add to their isolation, girls trafficked by the same gang are housed at different locations. Laura adds: "Typically, three or four traffickers operate several locations - premises for exploitation, each with one girl. This limits the victims' ability to bond or plan an escape.' To ensure the girls follow their orders, their traffickers threaten them with extreme physical violence or deportation, warning: 'If the police catch you, you'll be in trouble.' They also prey on the girls' fear of shaming their families. '[They say,] 'We'll tell your family you're doing prostitution',' Laura tells us. 'In countries like Romania, where stigma around women is strong, this fear is paralysing.' 'Like ordering a takeaway' Prostitution itself is legal in England and Wales. But in recent years, lawyers have witnessed 'an exponential growth in online sex crimes', with traffickers now able to advertise their victims to potential clients on the internet. 'Like ordering a takeaway, it is now possible to order, over the internet, women, girls and children for sexual abuse,' Marcus tells us. ''Handlers', the equivalent of the Uber Eats delivery driver, can now deliver your order at the click of a mouse.' Earlier this year, a court heard how 14 women from Romania, aged in their 20s and 30s, had been trafficked into South Yorkshire, Norfolk, and London to work in the sex trade. The victims were advertised online, then driven to their clients' locations. Among the 'dangerous' gang members behind the women's plight were Valentin Badica, 39, Cristian Damaschin, 35, and 34-year-old Ionica Badica, all of Newcastle. Despite their shocking crimes, the trio were jailed for less than three years each. Four other gang members had their sentences suspended. Marcus adds: 'In my years as a criminal defence solicitor, I have dealt with numerous people who regard crime as a business. You have good years and bad years. 'Going to prison, occasionally, if they get caught, is just an occupational hazard. The financial reward far outweighs the risk.' He adds: 'Low sentences are not a deterrent to the criminal gangs.' 9 For many sex slaves, escape seems impossible - especially if they fall pregnant. Laura says: 'In one case we worked on several years ago, traffickers horrifically attempted a forced abortion by physically assaulting the victim. 'The traffickers didn't want her to be pregnant at the time because they needed her to work. 'The abortion didn't succeed. Both mother and the baby survived, but the trauma that something like this brings to a woman is unimaginable.' In another case, a desperate woman jumped off a UK balcony to escape her trafficker. But even those who successfully flee are left with a lifetime of scars. While women and girls are sexually exploited, boys trafficked from Romania have been forced into petty crime by Fagin-like gangs who build mega mansions with their profits. Lori Cohen, CEO of Protect All Children from Trafficking (PACT), tells The Sun that all children who are trafficked suffer 'immeasurable harm', both physically and psychologically. Going to prison, occasionally, if [gangs] get caught, is just an occupational hazard. The financial reward far outweighs the risk 'I've witnessed their suffering,' Lori says of young trafficking victims globally. 'One client was trafficked at such a young age that she did not even know how old she was when she was rescued, so a dentist had to estimate it by examining her teeth. 'She was 12 at that time, and we think that she might have been five when she was first sold. 'Another, who was trafficked at 13 but was so thin that she looked like a 10-year-old, had hoped that the sex buyers who purchased her would feel compassion and help her escape. 'Instead, they paid a premium for 'fresh meat'." What Is Human Trafficking? Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labour or commercial sex act. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide – including right here in the UK. It can happen in any community and victims can be any age, race, gender, or nationality. Traffickers might use the following methods to lure victims into trafficking situations: Violence Manipulation False promises of well-paying jobs Romantic relationships Language barriers, fear of their traffickers, and/or fear of law enforcement frequently keep victims from seeking help, making human trafficking a hidden crime. Traffickers look for people who are easy targets for a variety of reasons, including: Psychological or emotional vulnerability Economic hardship Lack of a social safety net Natural disasters Political instability. Source: Blue Campaign In 2023, the British government announced a new UK-Romania joint action plan on human trafficking that it said would better protect 'potential victims of exploitation'. Then-Minister for Safeguarding, Sarah Dines, said at the time: 'The UK has a strong track record on tackling human trafficking and modern slavery, and it has been a privilege to meet with my Romanian counterparts to discuss how we can work together to go even further to tackle this appalling crime at the root.' Yet sex slaves continue to suffer under the radar. Adam adds: 'We must address this at both ends: prevention in Romania through community education and stronger child protection systems, and better victim safeguarding and faster prosecution in the UK.' A new beginning For Mara, her endless nights of exploitation across UK cities no longer plague her life. She is now a proud, devoted mum to a little girl. 'I don't have nightmares anymore,' says Mara, who testified in court multiple times after escaping her abusers - a courageous move that saw her traffickers locked up. 'I have a healthy child [and] I'm trying to find a stable job, to recover.' Mara's biggest dream now is that no other girl endures what she did. 'There are other girls who are in similar situations like me, who are still suffering,' she says. 'Never give up. It's their dignity and it shouldn't be crushed by anyone.' A Home Office spokesperson told The Sun: 'We are determined to tackle the appalling crimes of human trafficking and modern slavery and will continue to work both at home and abroad to bring these vile people-traffickers to justice. "The Minister for Safeguarding recently visited Romania to underscore the importance of cooperation on this issue and to reaffirm the UK's commitment to the innocent victims of this horrific trade.' International Justice Mission UK. To date, the charity has supported 87 Romanian survivors of trafficking in the UK.
North Wales Chronicle
15 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Foreign nationals in prison: Latest numbers and trends
Here the PA news agency looks at the latest numbers and trends for foreign offenders in prison, based on data published by the Ministry of Justice. – How many foreign nationals are in prison? Some 10,772 foreign nationals were in prison in England and Wales as of June 30 2025, the most recent figure available. This is up 3% from 10,435 a year earlier and up 16% in the past five years since June 30 2020. It is the highest June number since current method for reporting the nationality of prisoners began in 2015. But while the number of foreign nationals has risen in recent years, the overall size of the prison population has also increased. The total population stood at 87,334 on June 30 of this year, up 10% from 79,514 in June 2020. While foreign nationals accounted for 12.3% of all prisoners in June 2025, the proportion is up only slightly from 11.7% in 2020. It is not the highest proportion on record, which is 12.5% in June 2021. The figure is broadly unchanged on 12.2% a decade ago in June 2015. – What are the most common nationalities? Of the 87,334 people in prison as of June 30 this year, 76,181 (87.2%) were British. The next largest nationality was Albanian (1,193, or 1.4% of the total), followed by Polish (759, 0.9%), Romanian (716, 0.8%), Irish (707, 0.8%) and Lithuanian (339, 0.4%). These were followed by Jamaican (338, 0.4%); Indian (320, 0.4%); Pakistani (317, 0.4%); Portuguese (297, 0.3%) and Iraqi (287, 0.3%). There were 381 prisoners where no nationality was recorded. – Has the mix of nationalities changed over time? Polish was the most common overseas nationality among foreign prisoners each year from 2015 to 2018, before slipping to second place in 2019 behind Albanian. The top two foreign nationalities, Albanian and Polish, have remained the same since 2019. Albanian has climbed from the sixth most common foreign nationality in 2015 to fifth in 2016, third in 2017, second in 2018 and first in 2019. Irish has moved in the opposite direction, dropping from second in 2015 to third in 2018 and fourth in 2019, where it remains. Jamaican has fallen from third place to sixth over the decade, while Romanian has climbed slightly from fourth to third. Eight of the top 10 foreign nationalities in June 2015 were still in the top 10 in June 2025: Albanian, Indian, Irish, Jamaican, Lithuanian, Pakistani, Polish and Romanian. The two exceptions are Nigerian and Somalian, who have been replaced in the top 10 by Iraqi and Portuguese. – Does the proportion of foreign nationals in prison vary by offence? Yes. While 12.3% of all prisoners in England and Wales in June 2025 were foreign nationals, the proportion is lower among those serving time for violence against the person (10.5%) or for sexual offences (10.6%), and higher for possession of weapons (11.5%) or for drug offences (19.7%). – Which prisons have the highest proportion of foreign nationals? Excluding those prisons that are specifically for foreign offenders – Huntercombe in Oxfordshire, Morton Hall in Lincolnshire and Maidstone in Kent – Wandsworth prison in south London had the highest proportion of inmates of non-British nationality in June 2025 (44.8%). This is followed by Wormwood Scrubs in west London (35.7%), Belmarsh in south-east London (30.0%) and Pentonville in north London (27.4%).
Leader Live
16 hours ago
- Leader Live
Foreign nationals in prison: Latest numbers and trends
Here the PA news agency looks at the latest numbers and trends for foreign offenders in prison, based on data published by the Ministry of Justice. – How many foreign nationals are in prison? Some 10,772 foreign nationals were in prison in England and Wales as of June 30 2025, the most recent figure available. This is up 3% from 10,435 a year earlier and up 16% in the past five years since June 30 2020. It is the highest June number since current method for reporting the nationality of prisoners began in 2015. But while the number of foreign nationals has risen in recent years, the overall size of the prison population has also increased. The total population stood at 87,334 on June 30 of this year, up 10% from 79,514 in June 2020. While foreign nationals accounted for 12.3% of all prisoners in June 2025, the proportion is up only slightly from 11.7% in 2020. It is not the highest proportion on record, which is 12.5% in June 2021. The figure is broadly unchanged on 12.2% a decade ago in June 2015. – What are the most common nationalities? Of the 87,334 people in prison as of June 30 this year, 76,181 (87.2%) were British. The next largest nationality was Albanian (1,193, or 1.4% of the total), followed by Polish (759, 0.9%), Romanian (716, 0.8%), Irish (707, 0.8%) and Lithuanian (339, 0.4%). These were followed by Jamaican (338, 0.4%); Indian (320, 0.4%); Pakistani (317, 0.4%); Portuguese (297, 0.3%) and Iraqi (287, 0.3%). There were 381 prisoners where no nationality was recorded. – Has the mix of nationalities changed over time? Polish was the most common overseas nationality among foreign prisoners each year from 2015 to 2018, before slipping to second place in 2019 behind Albanian. The top two foreign nationalities, Albanian and Polish, have remained the same since 2019. Albanian has climbed from the sixth most common foreign nationality in 2015 to fifth in 2016, third in 2017, second in 2018 and first in 2019. Irish has moved in the opposite direction, dropping from second in 2015 to third in 2018 and fourth in 2019, where it remains. Jamaican has fallen from third place to sixth over the decade, while Romanian has climbed slightly from fourth to third. Eight of the top 10 foreign nationalities in June 2015 were still in the top 10 in June 2025: Albanian, Indian, Irish, Jamaican, Lithuanian, Pakistani, Polish and Romanian. The two exceptions are Nigerian and Somalian, who have been replaced in the top 10 by Iraqi and Portuguese. – Does the proportion of foreign nationals in prison vary by offence? Yes. While 12.3% of all prisoners in England and Wales in June 2025 were foreign nationals, the proportion is lower among those serving time for violence against the person (10.5%) or for sexual offences (10.6%), and higher for possession of weapons (11.5%) or for drug offences (19.7%). – Which prisons have the highest proportion of foreign nationals? Excluding those prisons that are specifically for foreign offenders – Huntercombe in Oxfordshire, Morton Hall in Lincolnshire and Maidstone in Kent – Wandsworth prison in south London had the highest proportion of inmates of non-British nationality in June 2025 (44.8%). This is followed by Wormwood Scrubs in west London (35.7%), Belmarsh in south-east London (30.0%) and Pentonville in north London (27.4%).
