Man accused of rape and deliberate HIV transmission
Adam Hall, currently of no fixed abode but previously of the Washington area, appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
The 42-year-old is charged with five counts of rape and a further seven counts of causing grievous bodily harm which relate to the transmission of HIV, police said.
He has been remanded in custody ahead of his next appearance at Newcastle Crown Court on 2 July.
He has also been charged with two counts of controlling or coercive behaviour and one count of supplying a Class B drug, GHB.
Det Ch Insp Emma Smith, of Northumbria Police, urged anyone with information to continue to get in touch with officers.
"We recognise the nature of the charges may raise concern and anxiety within our communities," she added.
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Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Charities regulator reprimands Prince Harry's former HIV-AIDS charity
Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Britain's charities watchdog ruled Wednesday that all sides were to blame for a damaging public power struggle within Prince Harry's former venture helping children and young HIV-AIDS sufferers in South Africa -- but cleared the charity of bullying, harrassment and misogyny. The Charity Commission's report into allegations against Sentabale by a whistleblower criticized all parties involved for allowing a bitter boardroom dispute to play out publicly, saying that the charity's reputation had been "severely impacted" with a knock-on threat to public trust in the charity sector. The regulator said in a news release that it had issued Sentabale with a Regulatory Action Plan to address governance weaknesses after finding a "lack of clarity around role descriptions and internal policies as the primary cause for weaknesses in the charity's management." It said it had concluded that this situation had exacerbated tensions, culminating in a dispute and resignations of trustees and co-founders Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, almost two decades after Harry set up the charity in memory of his mother, Princess Diana. The commission said the dispute, dating back to 2023 when the Sentabale board was implementing new fundraising strategy in the United States, was between trustees, chair of trustees Sophie Chandauka and Prince Harry, both of whom were accused of throwing their weight around. A spokesman for Prince Harry rejected parts of the report, calling them "troublingly short", while the Chandauka said an "adverse media campaign" waged by the parties that had quit had inflicted "incalculable damage." Acknowleding what it said strong feelings of ill treatment felt by those involved in the dispute and the personal impact of them, the commission said it had found no evidence of widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny directed at women regardless of color, or overreach by Harry and Chandauka. However, it said a lack of transparency in delegating certain powers to the chair fed into misunderstandings and that, along with a lack of formal procedures to deal with complaints, constituted mismanagement. "This case highlights what can happen when there are gaps in governance and policies critical to charities' ability to deliver for their cause. As a result, we have issued the charity a Regulatory Action Plan to make needed improvements and rectify findings of mismanagement," said Charity Commission chief executive David Holdsworth. Among the recommendations, the commission said the charity must establish an internal dispute policy, improve complaints and whistleblowing processes, establish clearer delegation rules and ensure trustees secure adequate funding to deliver for those it aimed to help. In the future, it also expected Sentabale to have writen job description that clearly set out the role of its patron and to improve public-facing discipline to ensure its interactions with the media always put charity's best interests front and center. The Charity Commission said it would be keeping Sentabale under review to ensure it implemented the action plan in full. "Moving forward I urge all parties not to lose sight of those who rely on the charity's services. The current trustees must now make improvements and ensure the charity focuses on delivering for those it exists to serve," Holdsworth said. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
UPI
8 hours ago
- UPI
Charities regulator reprimands Prince Harry's former HIV-AIDS charity
Britain's Charity Commission wrapped up a four-month long investigation into whistleblower allegations against a charity set up by Prince Harry leveling blame at everyone involved for "mismanagment," but found no evidence of bullying, harrassment or misogyny. File photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Britain's charities watchdog ruled Wednesday that all sides were to blame for a damaging public power struggle within Prince Harry's former venture helping children and young HIV-AIDS sufferers in South Africa -- but cleared the charity of bullying, harrassment and misogyny. The Charity Commission's report into allegations against Sentabale by a whistleblower criticized all parties involved for allowing a bitter boardroom dispute to play out publicly, saying that the charity's reputation had been "severely impacted" with a knock-on threat to public trust in the charity sector. The regulator said in a news release that it had issued Sentabale with a Regulatory Action Plan to address governance weaknesses after finding a "lack of clarity around role descriptions and internal policies as the primary cause for weaknesses in the charity's management." It said it had concluded that this situation had exacerbated tensions, culminating in a dispute and resignations of trustees and co-founders Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, almost two decades after Harry set up the charity in memory of his mother, Princess Diana. The commission said the dispute, dating back to 2023 when the Sentabale board was implementing new fundraising strategy in the United States, was between trustees, chair of trustees Sophie Chandauka and Prince Harry, both of whom were accused of throwing their weight around. A spokesman for Prince Harry rejected parts of the report, calling them "troublingly short", while the Chandauka said an "adverse media campaign" waged by the parties that had quit had inflicted "incalculable damage." Acknowleding what it said strong feelings of ill treatment felt by those involved in the dispute and the personal impact of them, the commission said it had found no evidence of widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny directed at women regardless of color, or overreach by Harry and Chandauka. However, it said a lack of transparency in delegating certain powers to the chair fed into misunderstandings and that, along with a lack of formal procedures to deal with complaints, constituted mismanagement. "This case highlights what can happen when there are gaps in governance and policies critical to charities' ability to deliver for their cause. As a result, we have issued the charity a Regulatory Action Plan to make needed improvements and rectify findings of mismanagement," said Charity Commission chief executive David Holdsworth. Among the recommendations, the commission said the charity must establish an internal dispute policy, improve complaints and whistleblowing processes, establish clearer delegation rules and ensure trustees secure adequate funding to deliver for those it aimed to help. In the future, it also expected Sentabale to have writen job description that clearly set out the role of its patron and to improve public-facing discipline to ensure its interactions with the media always put charity's best interests front and center. The Charity Commission said it would be keeping Sentabale under review to ensure it implemented the action plan in full. "Moving forward I urge all parties not to lose sight of those who rely on the charity's services. The current trustees must now make improvements and ensure the charity focuses on delivering for those it exists to serve," Holdsworth said.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
Prince Harry 'Devastated' as Charity Probe Concludes: 'Damaging Dispute'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Prince Harry took aim at a charity watchdog that cleared him of bullying following a "damaging dispute" after a rival was allowed to continue on as chair. Harry and a number of trustees in March dramatically quit Sentebale, a charity that helps children with HIV and AIDS in southern Africa that the prince cofounded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. The move was heartbreaking for the prince because it was set up partly in memory of Princess Diana and was, according to a source who spoke to Newsweek, "his life's work." However, there had been a major rift with Sophie Chandauka, Sentebale's chair, who had been asked by the trustees to step down, and the argument was set to explode into public consciousness after Chandauka sued the charity in March. Prince Harry, center, poses with Sentebale charity chair Sophie Chandauka, right, at The Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa, on October 3, 2024, months before their "damaging dispute" exploded into public consciousness. Hector Mujica, head... Prince Harry, center, poses with Sentebale charity chair Sophie Chandauka, right, at The Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa, on October 3, 2024, months before their "damaging dispute" exploded into public consciousness. Hector Mujica, head of economic opportunity at is pictured on the left. Morefor Sentebale The Charity Commission launched a regulatory compliance case, examining the allegations and counter-allegations on both sides. Now the regulator has dismissed some major criticisms made by Chandauka, including of bullying and "misogynoir," or racism targeting Black women. But the watchdog did have criticisms for both sides over the "damaging dispute" that played out in public and imposed on the charity what it described as "a Regulatory Action Plan to address governance weaknesses." Prince Harry responded to the ruling by taking a swipe at the Charity Commission's report, with a spokesperson saying it "falls troublingly short in many regards," while Chandauka pointed to Sentebale's optimistic future. In essence, now that the dust has settled, Harry has swerved the most damaging allegations against him but must still face the reality he has lost control of one of his most personal projects, built to keep alive his mother's legacy as an advocate for HIV and AIDS patients. A source told Newsweek: "Prince Seeiso and Prince Harry are absolutely devastated by what Sophie has effectively done, which is a hostile takeover of this charity. "It's a charity that Seeiso and Harry set up 19 years ago and certainly in Harry's adult lifetime it's been his life's work." What the Charity Commission Says At the conclusion of its case, the commission found no evidence of "widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity." That is a blow for Chandauka, who accused Harry of "harassment and bullying at scale" in a Sky News interview in March. And she said in an earlier statement that month: "Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir—and the cover-up that ensued." The commission did say though, that it "acknowledged the strong perception of ill treatment felt by a number of parties to the dispute and the impact this may have had on them personally." There was also no evidence of "'over-reach' by either the chair or the Duke of Sussex as patron." The commission criticized the charity on some technical points, including a lack of clarity about the delegation of roles to the chair and processes for managing complaints—not to mention the high-profile public nature of the argument between the two sides. David Holdsworth, chief executive of the Charity Commission, said: "Passion for a cause is the bedrock of volunteering and charity, delivering positive impact for millions of people here at home and abroad every day. "However, in the rare cases when things go wrong, it is often because that very passion has become a weakness rather than a strength. "Sentebale's problems played out in the public eye, enabling a damaging dispute to harm the charity's reputation, risk overshadowing its many achievements, and jeopardising the charity's ability to deliver for the very beneficiaries it was created to serve." Prince Harry Spokesperson's Statement in Full A spokesperson for Prince Harry said in a statement to Newsweek: "The Charity Commission has today announced its findings. "Unsurprisingly, the Commission makes no findings of wrongdoing in relation to Sentebale's Co-Founder and former Patron, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. They also found no evidence of widespread bullying, harassment or misogyny and misogynoir at the charity, as falsely claimed by the current Chair. "Despite all that, their report falls troublingly short in many regards, primarily the fact that the consequences of the current Chair's actions will not be borne by her—but by the children who rely on Sentebale's support. "Sentebale has been a deeply personal and transformative mission for Prince Harry, established to serve some of the most vulnerable children in Lesotho and Botswana. "For 19 years, its dedicated staff and steadfast supporters have provided vital care to over 100,000 young people across southern Africa, including young people living with HIV/AIDS and those facing mental health challenges. "As custodians of this once brilliant charity, Prince Seeiso [of Lesotho], Prince Harry and the former Board of Trustees helped grow Sentebale from the seed of an idea to—like its namesake—a flowering force for good. "With the original mission of Sentebale firmly in mind—and in honour of the legacy he and Prince Seeiso began—The Duke of Sussex will now focus on finding new ways to continue supporting the children of Lesotho and Botswana." What Sentebale Said After Charity Commission Findings Chandauka said in a statement released to Newsweek: "I appreciate the Charity Commission for its conclusions which confirm the governance concerns I raised privately in February 2025. "The experience was intense, and it became a test of our strategic clarity and operational resilience." "The unexpected adverse media campaign that was launched by those who resigned on 24 March 2025 has caused incalculable damage and offers a glimpse of the unacceptable behaviours displayed in private," she continued. "We are emerging not just grateful to have survived, but stronger: more focused, better governed, boldly ambitious and with our dignity intact." Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page. Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@ We'd love to hear from you.
