Posted Jun 10, 2025 at 6:36 AM EDT
That's what UK regulator Ofcom is investigating under Online Safety Act rules, alongside complaints about 'the potential for illegal content and activity' on the platform. Anyone familiar with the controversial web forum could have this probe wrapped up by lunch, but let's see how long it takes them.
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Driver fined hundreds after swearing at special constable and saying he wasn't 'real'
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14-Year-Old Girl Died After Being Left Alone on Hospital's Psychiatric Ward for 15 Minutes: 'A Gaping Hole in Our Family'
Admitted to a psychiatric care unit for an eating disorder, Ruth Szymankiewicz was allegedly supposed to be under round-the-clock care NEED TO KNOW Teen Ruth Szymankiewicz died after being left alone for 15 minutes on a psychiatric ward, according to reports The 14-year-old was admitted to the ward at the now-closed Huntercombe Hospital in the U.K. for an eating disorder Szymankiewicz, who reportedly self-harmed, was allegedly supposed to be under round-the-clock care at the hospital A 14-year-old girl died after she was left alone to self-harm at a mental health hospital in England where she was allegedly supposed to be under round-the-clock care, according to reports. Ruth Szymankiewicz was found fatally injured in her room at Huntercombe Hospital, near the U.K. town of Maidenhead, on Feb. 12, 2022, per outlets including the BBC, Sky News and The Guardian. She died two days later at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. The facility, which was run by Active Care Group, is now permanently closed. According to the BBC, an inquest jury at Buckinghamshire Coroner's Court concluded that Ruth, from the city of Salisbury, was unlawfully killed after she was left unaccompanied at the hospital for around 15 minutes. Ruth, who was being treated for an eating disorder, was transferred to the location in October 2021, per the BBC. The teenager was on the Thames Ward, which is a psychiatric intensive care unit known as a PICU, at the hospital and CCTV footage played to the jury showed her in the television room with her support worker, a man who went by the name Ebo Achempong, in her final moments, Sky News reported. Achempong was allegedly hired by an agency after using a false name and fake documents, the outlet stated, adding that he repeatedly left Ruth on her own, despite her needing constant observation. He's allegedly since returned to Ghana. On the night of Ruth's fatal injuries, she was seen on CCTV going to her bedroom at around 8 p.m. local time after her support worker left the TV room, the BBC reported. The inquest heard that the unit where Ruth had been was regularly understaffed, adding that on the day the teenager harmed herself, 50 percent of the workers were agency staff, Sky News reported, noting that Ruth was also not prevented from accessing harmful content online. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. The jury found that the care Ruth had been given was "not suitable nor conducive" to helping her recovery, and that contributions to her death included staff not being trained properly, per the BBC. Another contributing factor was that visiting arrangements only allowed one family member to see her at a time. The hospital had previously been rated inadequate in February 2021, before being listed as "requires improvement" that September in two separate inspections by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2021, the BBC reported. A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, 'Our deepest sympathies are with Ruth's family and friends. This is a shocking case and it is clear that care at the Huntercombe Hospital fell far below the standards we expect." 'Young people with mental health issues have not been getting the care they need where they need it," the statement added, noting that the department had instructed the U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS) to prioritize "increasing the availability of mental health beds." The department said it's investing around almost $102 million this year "to reduce inappropriate out of area placements so that patients can receive care closer to home." Thames Valley Police said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, 'Following a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this death, we can confirm that our enquiries have now concluded and the death is now a matter for His Majesty's Coroner," adding, 'Our thoughts remain with Ruth's family.' Ruth's parents, Kate and Mark Szymankiewicz, spoke out about the jury's conclusion in a statement outside Buckinghamshire Coroner's Court, per the BBC. Mark said, "When at our most vulnerable as a family we reached out for help." "We ultimately found ourselves trapped in a system that was meant to care for her, to help her, to keep her safe but instead locked her away and harmed her," he added. Kate shared, "There is an empty space at our table, a silent bedroom in our home and a gaping hole in our family that will never be filled." The Active Care Group said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, "We extend our heartfelt condolences to Ruth's family, friends, and all those affected by her passing. We deeply regret the tragic event that occurred, and we are truly sorry for the distress this has caused and [recognize] the profound impact it has had on everyone who knew her." "We are disappointed that a third-party company we engaged in good faith explicitly breached the terms of our contract with them and this played a role in the circumstances leading to Ruth's tragic death," the statement continued, adding that ACG no longer works with the recruitment company used to hire Acheampong following Ruth's death. "We have not engaged this agency since the incident. The safety and wellbeing of those we support must never be compromised, and we expect every [organization] we work with to consistently uphold the highest possible standards," the company said, insisting that "in recent years, we have made significant improvements to the quality and safety in all of our services." If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, The Alliance for Eating Disorders provides a fully-staffed helpline at 1-866-662-1235, as well as free, therapist-led support groups. If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
2 hours ago
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Council faces wait for ruling on asylum seekers hotel injunction bid
A council will discover on Tuesday whether it has been successful in a bid to temporarily block asylum seekers from being housed at an Essex hotel. Epping Forest District Council is seeking an interim injunction stopping migrants from being accommodated at the Bell Hotel in Epping, which is owned by Somani Hotels Limited. It comes following a series of protests in recent weeks outside the hotel after an asylum seeker who was housed at the hotel was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. At a hearing on Friday, barristers for the council claimed Somani Hotels breached planning rules as the site is not being used for its intended purpose as a hotel, and that the situation 'could not be much worse'. The injunction sought by the authority, if granted, would require the company to stop housing asylum seekers at the hotel within 14 days. Barristers for the company said the 'draconian' move would cause 'hardship' for those inside the hotel, and that 'political views' were not grounds for an injunction to be granted. They also said that contracts to house asylum seekers were a 'financial lifeline' for the hotel, which was only 1% full in August 2022, when it was open to paying customers. At the end of the hearing, Mr Justice Eyre said: 'I am not going to close my notebook and give a decision now. 'I am going to reflect on this, but we need a decision sooner rather than later.' The judge later said that he would give a ruling at 2pm on Tuesday. He also ordered that Somani Hotels could not 'accept any new applications' from asylum seekers to stay at the site until he had ruled on whether to grant the temporary injunction. The hotel has become the focal point of a series of protests after Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with trying to kiss a teenage girl. Kebatu, who was housed at the hotel at the time of the incident, denies the allegations and is due to stand trial later this month. Opening the hearing in London, Philip Coppel KC, for the council, said the authority had a 'very serious problem' which was 'getting out of hand' and causing 'great anxiety' to residents. He said this had been caused by a 'breach of planning control' by the company, with the site 'no more a hotel than a borstal to a young offender' for asylum seekers. In written submissions, Mr Coppel said there was a 'preponderance of factors overwhelmingly in favour of granting an injunction', which included removing 'the catalyst for violent protests in public places'. Concluding his submissions, Mr Coppel told Mr Justice Eyre that if an injunction was not granted, 'Your Lordship will be telling the residents in Epping: 'You have just got to lump it'.' Piers Riley-Smith, representing Somani Hotels, told the court in written submissions that the alleged planning breach was 'not flagrant' and that it was 'entirely wrong' for the council to 'suggest the use has been hidden from them'. The barrister told the court the hotel previously housed asylum seekers from May 2020 to March 2021, and from October 2022 to April 2024. He also said that while the company did apply for planning permission for a 'temporary change of use' in February 2023, this was a 'pragmatic attempt to address the claimant's concerns, rather than an acceptance that such a use required planning permission'. This application was later withdrawn as it had not been determined by April 2024, the barrister said. Asylum seekers then began being placed in the Bell Hotel again in April 2025, with Mr Riley-Smith stating a planning application was not made 'having taken advice from the Home Office'. In court, he said that while there were genuine concerns among local residents, these had 'expanded' to include 'concerns about wider ideological and political issues from those outside the community'. He continued that these 'particular ideological, non-community concerns are not relevant to planning', and that the concerns of local residents did not 'justify' a temporary injunction.
