British Judo suspends coach over bullying allegations
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Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Woman sexually assaulted on a plane denied compensation because of loophole
A woman who was sexually assaulted on a flight to the UK can't be compensated due to a legal loophole. Kelly – who is using a fake name for anonymity – was attacked on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha, Qatar, to Gatwick in September last year. Momade Jussab, 66, of Feltham, was sitting next to her and put his hands down her trousers. He was arrested at Gatwick and jailed in May. Kelly, who was 24 at the time of the attack, has been denied a payout under the Criminal Injuries Compensation (CIC) scheme. Officials said that because the incident happened on a plane not registered in Britain, Kelly cannot make a claim. Her lawyers have written to the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, urging her to close what they believe is a gap in the law. Kelly, a Londoner in her 20s, told the BBC that Jussab pulled a second blanket over them both as she slept. She said: 'His hands were down my trousers and I said to him, 'What are you doing?' I said, 'Stop'. He said, 'No, please'. 'And I had to force his hand out of my trousers and that just made me get up straight away. I left my phone, I left my bag, I left my passport, I left everything. I left my shoes and ran into the toilet, left the door open [and] told the flight attendant.' Kelly said she should be entitled to compensation as the incident was investigated and prosecuted by the British authorities. 'I haven't been out in almost a year – to events or summer parties with my friends. I can't do that. I'm too scared,' she added. 'I don't want to be touched or looked at. So it's never leaving me. It's literally there every single day before I sleep, I'm thinking about what happened.' The CIC scheme provides compensation for people 'physically or mentally injured because of a violent crime in England, Scotland or Wales', according to its website. Kelly applied for the payout in April, only to receive a letter from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, which processes applications, denying the claim as it did not happen in a 'relevant place'. Such a 'place' is defined by section 92 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982, which concerns 'British-controlled aircraft'. As the incident happened on a Qatari-registered plane, officials told Kelly, she was ineligible for compensation. Leigh Day says that the law was updated in 1966 to allow crimes that occur on UK-bound foreign aircraft to be prosecuted in British courts. Yet a near-identical loophole in the compensation scheme has not been closed. Solicitor Claire Powell said: 'Our client suffered a horrific sexual attack on a UK-bound flight. 'She was refused compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme simply because it was a foreign flight and the rules have not been amended in line with the updates to the Civil Aviation Act. 'It is a gap that needs closing urgently and we trust the Justice Secretary will agree, particularly in light of this Government's commitment to addressing violence against women and girls.' Jussab was jailed for six and a half years as part of an extended sentence in May for one count of sexual assault by penetration and two counts of sexual assault. In-flight sexual assault incidents have been rising for years – in the US, the FBI investigated 27 sexual misconduct cases aboard aircraft in 2018. More Trending By 2022, that number had more than tripled to 90 cases. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'Our thoughts remain with this victim, and we remain resolute in our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. 'The rules that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority follows, and the values of payments for injuries, are set by Parliament. 'Other routes are available for victims to receive support.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: EasyJet pilot suspended after walking 'drunk and naked' around five star hotel MORE: Airspace closure that grounded over 120 flights caused by 'software collapse' MORE: London airspace closure: Your rights if your flight is delayed or cancelled
STV News
an hour ago
- STV News
Friends of mum killed in 'murder-suicide' urged not to attend husband's funeral
The children of a Scots woman who was reportedly killed in murder-suicide at the hands of her husband have asked that her friends not attend his funeral. The bodies of Andrew Searle and Dawn Kerr, originally from Musselburgh, were discovered by a neighbour at their home in Les Pesquiés, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, France in February. The couple had lived in the area for around ten years and were 'well integrated' into the community. Following a post-mortem, French police confirmed that Searle died from hanging and Ms Kerr suffered 'several blows to the skull using a blunt and sharp object'. Prosecutor Fabrice Belargent said that 'the analysis carried out did not so far show any evidence that a third party was involved'. In a statement shared on social media, Ms Kerr's son, musician Callum Kerr, and sister Amanda, said that the 'prevailing hypothesis remains that of a murder-suicide'. STV News Dawn Kerr and Andrew Searle were found dead at their home in France They added: 'There is also no evidence whatsoever of any third party's involvement at this stage. 'While the official investigation is still ongoing, we cannot ignore the circumstances as they stand.' The children have asked that their mother not be included in 'any way' in the funeral arrangements being made for Searle. Their statement adds: 'Please do not share photographs of them together. 'Please do not attend Andrew's service if you were a friend of our mother. 'It would be inappropriate for her memory to be associated with a service honouring the man who, based on all available evidence, may have been responsible for her death. 'We ask for understanding, privacy and respect as we continue to grieve and seek justice for our mum.' A statement issued by French prosecutors in February said: 'The two deceased persons, a man and a woman, were the owners of the house in which their bodies were discovered. 'They were British expatriates, retired, and had been living in Aveyron for five years. 'The first victim, Ms Kerr, has a significant head injury. 'A box containing jewellery was found near to her, but no item or weapon which could have caused the injuries were located. 'Mr Searle, who was found hanged … did not show any visible defensive injuries.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
World's richest tennis player's billionaire father broke own golden rule at US Open
Jessica Pegula is one of the finest tennis players in the world and is the daughter of Terry Pegula, who is the billionaire owner of both the Buffalo Bills and the Buffalo Sabres Tennis can be as nerve-wracking for the parents as it is for the players themselves, and this seems to be particularly true for Jessica Pegula's billionaire father, Terry. In addition to being the parent of the world No. 4, he is the man behind NFL giants the Buffalo Bills and the NHL franchise Buffalo Sabres. With an estimated fortune of about £5.63billion, the businessman has admitted he usually avoids watching his daughter's matches because he "gets too nervous." Yet, at last year's US Open, the 74-year-old abandoned that tradition to witness her 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 comeback victory over Karolina Muchova. His rare presence courtside became a major talking point given his reluctance to watch Jessica - often dubbed the world's richest tennis player - in action. During Pegula's clash with Muchova in the semi-finals, WGRZ sports director Jon Scott highlighted Terry's well-known anxiety when following Jessie live. He wrote on X: "Terry Pegula shown watching daughter Jessie in US Open semi-final. He's said in the past he gets too nervous to watch her in person." Despite steering clear of many of her contests, Terry never doubted her potential to rise among the elite. Scott also posted: "I had a conversation many years ago with Terry Pegula about Jessie's tennis career. "At that point injuries had really slowed her. Terry adamantly told me his daughter could beat anyone in the world when healthy. She's headed to 1st grand slam final Saturday." Pegula eventually met Aryna Sabalenka in the New York final, where she narrowly fell short. Despite pushing the top seed in both sets, Sabalenka edged her out 7-5, 7-5, leaving Pegula heartbroken. As she returns to Flushing Meadows this summer, Pegula will be eager to go one step further. Before starting her singles run, however, she will first join forces with British No. 1 Jack Draper in the mixed doubles competition. The redesigned tournament, which offers a winners' prize of £740,000, promises to be a lively warm-up ahead of the Slam commencing on 24 August. Pegula had originally planned to partner fellow American Tommy Paul, while Draper was due to team up with Paula Badosa. Both Paul and Badosa withdrew, creating the unexpected pairing of Draper and Pegula. Their opener will be no easy task as they are set to play against Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu. Raducanu and Alcaraz received wildcards for the draw, along with Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic, Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton, and Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka.
