Man arrested and air weapon seized after 'shots fired' in Maesteg
A man has been arrested and an "air weapon" seized after police received reports of "shots being fired" in a Bridgend county.Police deployed officers to Bridge Street, Maesteg, on Saturday after receiving a callout at 20:40 BST.A 44-year-old man was arrested for being drunk and disorderly, and obstructing police. South Wales Police said a Taser was deployed prior to the man's arrest.A weapon was found in nearby undergrowth and seized by officers. Police were continuing to investigate and have asked for witnesses to come forward.
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Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Conspiracy of silence over grooming gangs' race doomed thousands of girls to abuse: Sickening evidence covered up 'for fear of appearing racist', damning report finds
Public bodies covered up sickening evidence about Asian grooming gangs 'for fear of appearing racist', a major report found yesterday. The long-awaited review by Whitehall troubleshooter Louise Casey found that councils, police forces and the Home Office repeatedly 'shied away' from dealing with 'uncomfortable' questions about the ethnicity of rapists preying on thousands of vulnerable girls. Baroness Casey last night hit out at 'do-gooders' who tried to bury the facts of such cases, yet only ended up giving racists 'more ammunition'. Despite years of warnings, she said, the quality of data collected at a national level remained 'woeful and a dereliction of public duty'. With ethnicity still recorded in only a third of cases, the baroness said it was impossible to be certain about patterns of offending at a national level. But her report highlighted data collected by police in Rotherham, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire which showed a 'disproportionate number of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds' among those suspected of grooming offences. In Rotherham, an investigation into historic cases by the National Crime Agency found that two-thirds of suspects were of Pakistani heritage, despite them accounting for just 4 per cent of the local population. The report also examined a dozen major live police operations into grooming gangs and found a 'significant proportion' of suspects are asylum seekers or were born abroad. In other developments: Fact-box text Downing Street refused to back down on the PM's toxic claim that Conservatives calling for a public inquiry were jumping on a 'far-Right bandwagon', despite now ordering one himself. Ms Cooper said she would change the law to ensure any adult having sex with a child aged under 16 is automatically charged with rape; Foreign nationals convicted of child-sex offences will be barred from claiming asylum; Lady Casey said a 2020 Home Office paper which dismissed concerns about the ethnicity of grooming gang offenders 'does not seem to be evidenced in research'. In one case in Newcastle, an asylum seeker convicted of offences 'spoke in a derogatory way about lack of morals in British girls and the ease with which he was able to access sex, drugs and alcohol'. Lady Casey said it was 'not racist to want to examine the ethnicity of offenders'. But she pointed to a culture of public bodies avoiding the issue 'for fear of appearing racist, raising community tensions or causing community cohesion problems'. Her report said most local reviews had shown 'a palpable discomfort in any discussion of ethnicity'. And it said 'flawed data' was being 'used repeatedly to dismiss claims about "Asian grooming gangs" as sensational, biased or untrue'. The crossbench peer told Sky News that establishing the facts can 'take the pain out of this'. She said: 'I think you've got sort of do-gooders that don't really want this to be found because, you know, "Oh, God, then all the racists are going to be more racist". 'Well, actually, people that are racist are going to use this anyway. All you're doing with the hate mongers and the racists is giving them more and more ammunition.' Lady Casey added: 'Follow the facts and if anything is ever difficult, have a really good look at it.' The report also accused the authorities of failing to take victims seriously, saying many girls who tried to report abuse had been 'ignored, treated like criminals and often arrested themselves'. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper issued a public apology on behalf of the state to the victims of the gangs. She said she offered 'an unequivocal apology for the unimaginable pain and suffering that you have suffered, and for the failure of our country's institutions, over decades, to prevent that harm and keep you safe'. Ms Cooper said she was accepting the recommendations of Lady Casey's 'damning' report in full – including ordering a public inquiry which Labour has resisted. The report triggered angry clashes in the Commons, where Kemi Badenoch rounded on Sir Keir Starmer for smearing those pressing for a public inquiry of jumping on a 'far-Right bandwagon'. The baroness said it was time to end the 'sanitised' language around so-called grooming gangs. ' I want to set it out in unsanitised terms,' she wrote. 'We are talking about multiple sexual assaults committed against children by multiple men on multiple occasions; beatings and gang rapes.' The national inquiry will be time-limited and is likely to investigate offending in only a handful of local areas, despite warnings that similar activity may have taken place in 50 towns and cities across the country. But it will have the power to compel witnesses to give evidence.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Woman found dead in house named as man appears in court charged with murder
A woman who was found dead inside a house has been named by police as Isobella Knight after a man appeared in court charged in connection with her death. Ms Knight, known as Izzy, was found dead at a property in Donnington Road in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, on Friday afternoon. Northamptonshire Police made the discovery after they were called to reports that a man had crashed his car at a McDonald's on Folley Way, the force previously said. Detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (Emsou) said a preliminary post-mortem indicated Ms Knight, who was formally identified at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Monday, died as a result of applied pressure to her neck. A 35-year-old man arrested on Friday appeared before Northampton Magistrates' Court on Monday charged with her murder. Paul Knight, of Donnington Road, Burton Latimer, was remanded into custody until Wednesday, when he will make his first appearance at Northampton Crown Court. Specially trained officers are supporting Ms Knight's family, police said. Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Torie Harrison, of Emsou, said: 'Our thoughts and condolences are with Izzy's family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. 'She was a much-loved daughter, sister and mother and the devastation caused by her death is immeasurable. 'Our team continue to work at pace to ensure her loved ones have the answers they need, and to secure justice for Izzy.' Anyone with information which could assist detectives, including CCTV, smart doorbell or dash-cam footage, is asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101, Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, or they can submit advice online
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Groomers who abuse children will automatically face rape charges as Government scrambles to tighten laws to prevent older predators escaping punishment
Sexual predators who abuse children under the age of 16 will automatically face rape charges in a major shake-up of the law. The Home Secretary promised to tighten the law on rape yesterday to stop grooming gang cases being dropped or downgraded to lesser charges if the child victim is perceived to be 'in love' with their adult attacker. The reform means adult perpetrators will no longer be able to use consent as a defence when a child is under 16. Although the change in the law is designed to prevent older men from escaping punishment for grooming young girls for sex, it is also likely to affect other cases such as teachers seducing pupils. In her report, Baroness Casey called for police and prosecutors to bring more offenders to justice, warning too many rapists were out on the streets. She said: 'There are far too many perpetrators walking freely today who have evaded justice for too long and we should seek to put that right. 'It's time we drew a line in the sand and took definitive action.' In response Yvette Cooper promised the law would change, saying: 'Baroness Casey's first recommendation is we must see children as children. 'She concludes, too many grooming cases have been dropped or downgraded from rape to lesser charges because a 13 to 15-year-old is perceived to have been in love with or had consented to sex with the perpetrator. We will change the law to ensure adults who engage in penetrative sex with a child under 16 face the most serious charge of rape, and we will work closely with the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] and police to ensure there are safeguards for consensual teenage relationships.' Although sexual activity with a child under 16 is unlawful, the report highlighted a 'grey area in the law' where charging decisions are 'open to interpretation' because victims are seen as 'wayward teenagers' or 'collaborators in their abuse' due to perpetrators using a 'boyfriend model' to groom victims. Baroness Casey said: 'I want the legislation on rape tightened up so that an adult having penetrative sex with a child under 16 is rape – no excuses, no defence. 'I believe many jaws across the country would drop if it was widely known that doing so is called anything but that.' The audit also highlighted how child victims have been 'adultified'. In one case, a man in his 20s who groomed a child online and conspired with another adult to rape two children was downgraded to a lesser offence after the defence produced evidence that the victim had made suggestive comments before they met. And a judge in a sexual exploitation case involving a 13-year-old abused by multiple offenders remarked that the victim 'appeared older than 13', pointing out her 'promiscuous' behaviour. Baroness Casey also recommended considering a 'Romeo and Juliet clause' to prevent criminalising teenagers in relationships with each other. Separately, the report proposed that abuse victims prosecuted for child prostitution offences should have their convictions overturned. Almost 4,000 police cautions were given to children between the ages of ten and 18 for offences relating to prostitution between 1989 and 1995 – with most being 14 to 18 years old.
