Latest news with #Beare
Hamilton Spectator
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Minister of Education to visit Cariboo school district to discuss bullying, racism
The Kuu-us Crisis Line Society is a BC Wide Indigenous toll free crisis and support line which can be reached at 1-800-588-8717. The Crisis Centre of BC also has a new online program called MindFlip geared towards youth in late elementary and secondary school to provide them with practical knowledge and tools to help navigate mental health and life challenges. Youth seeking emotional support are encouraged to visit the resources page on B.C.'s HelpStartsHere website. Call or text 9-8-8 to connect with the National Suicide Crisis Helpline, or dial 310-6789 to access the BC Mental Health & Crisis Response line. Both lines are open 24 hours a day. Esk'etemc will be hosting Minister of Education and Child Care (MECC) Lisa Beare for a meeting in-community on July 30 to discuss challenges in School District 27 (SD 27). The meeting is being held more than three months after the community of Esk'etemc (Alkali Lake), located southwest of Williams Lake, formally extended an invitation to Beare for a face-to-face discussion around concerns of bullying and racism in SD 27. 'This is meant to be a respectful, government-to-government meeting,' said Calvin Dubray, education director at Esk'etemc and a leading voice in recent campaigns calling for a fulsome, independent and co-developed investigation into the Cariboo Chilcotin school district. The invitation to Beare came in an April 14 letter signed in a joint cause by Kukpi7 (Chief) Fred Robbins, Union of BC Indian Chiefs' Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and Melissa Coates, a representative from Concerned Parents and Caregivers of Williams Lake who was recently elected as trustee in SD 27. 'Despite adhering to the procedures, the severity of our concerns has been ignored,' reads the letter, explaining how both Esk'etemc and CPWL have repeatedly asked for change in the district, only to find themselves in a maze of red tape. Kukpi7 Robbins has told the Tribune he's been pushing for action in the district for over three years now to no avail. He has collected 15 videos and 32 letters from students and staff testifying about issues in the district, and CPWL has its own binder filled with testimonies. Allegations of physical violence among students, insensitive, racist comments and actions from teachers and among students as well as an alleged inaction on the part of school staff, district staff and the ministry in the face of such incidents is part of what the groups said has ballooned into a crisis in the school district. Last September, the ministry ordered a review of the school district's community and culture to be conducted by 'provincial safety experts' Safer Schools Together (SST), a summary of which was made available to the public in late spring. The review, however, has been heavily criticized by Esk'etemc and CPWL on several points. On April 14, the group said it launched its own survey, and the results would be made public if an investigation was not moved forward with. After a brief in-person meeting with ministry staff on April 23 and a virtual meeting with the minister on May 12, the parties have confirmed a meeting will be held in Esk'et at the end of July. 'We're hoping we can establish more dialogue on what's been happening,' Dubray said. He confirmed local MLA Lorne Doerkson will be attending the meeting, as well as Grand Chief Phillip. CPWL representatives are expecting to attend, and SD 27 superintendent Cheryl Lenardon said she will be present. 'I'm just really pleased that we've been invited to attend as well,' said Lenardon. 'That's going to be a beginning,' Dubray said, explaining that, while the three and a half hour meeting will provide an opportunity for people to share their stories, he was hoping for more time. He wants to see action points come out of the meeting and said the groups will continue to call for an investigation. 'One thing about Truth and Reconciliation, too, and the biggest mistake, is that they want to move to the reconciliation part and not the truth part,' Dubray said. A full report of the SST review was recently made public, though all anonymous feedback sections were blanked out to ensure privacy. The ministry said a summary of qualitative and quantitative findings, as well as recommendations, is available in the report's executive summary. The comprehensive review was shared with the school district board of education, and Lenardon said it tracks with the summary and its recommendations. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
The Citizen
7 days ago
- The Citizen
Alleged Islamophobic attack: Murder accused ‘unfit to stand trial'
The prosecution in a Glenmore, Durban, murder case has asked for more time to review a mental assessment report submitted to the Durban Magistrate's Court yesterday. The report states that Grayson Beare is unfit to stand trial for the killing of Halima Hoosen-Preston in June 2024. Berea Mail reports that during brief proceedings before Magistrate Ashwin Singh, state prosecutor Calvin Govender said he would submit the report to the director of prosecutions for review and requested that the matter be transferred to the regional court. According to the report, following Beare's admission to Fort Napier Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, the accused underwent 'psychiatric interviews, physical and neurological examinations and multi-drug screening'. The report further stated that Beare was diagnosed with an 'unspecified psychiatric disorder'. On his fitness to stand trial, 'the accused would not be able to follow court proceedings and instruct his attorney. He is not fit to stand trial'. On the alleged mental state, 'from the available information, the accused was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions at the time of the alleged offence'. Beare stands accused of killing Hoosen-Preston and attempting to murder her son and husband on June 2, 2024. It is alleged that he fatally stabbed Hoosen-Preston at her Glenmore home after she voiced her support for Palestine. Her 14-year-old son and husband were also repeatedly stabbed in the attack. Members of United for Palestine who were in court said they will not back down in pursuing justice for Hoosen-Preston. A provisional date to return to court was set for August 15. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Herald
15-07-2025
- The Herald
Man who killed woman in 'heinous' knife attack declared unfit for trial
'He is unable to understand the wrongfulness of his actions. I will discuss the report with [the] director of public prosecutions,' said Govender. Beare was admitted to hospital after an order made by the magistrate's court in terms of the criminal procedure act. The Hoosen-Preston and Beare families were known to each other and lived in the same suburb, Glenmore, in Durban. In a letter submitted to the state and seen by TimesLIVE, the Fort Napier psychiatric hospital manager confirmed Beare was admitted at the institution on April 15 for evaluation. The report conducted by state psychiatrists Shaun Hain and Soobiah Moodley, who assessed him independently, concluded Beare is mentally ill and not capable of following court proceedings or instructing his attorney. Beare underwent psychiatric interviews, physical and neurological examinations and urine multi-drug screening and was kept under observation by the psychiatric nursing staff. They concluded he was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions. Bail proceedings have been marred by delays. A month after the arrest, bail proceedings stood down after the defence requested a mental health assessment. Last month the matter was again adjourned as the medical report from Fort Napier hospital was pending. Beare, the adopted son of businessman Julian Beare, was arrested moments after the murder. The matter was adjourned to August 15 for regional court allocation. TimesLIVE
IOL News
15-07-2025
- IOL News
Durban man declared unfit to stand trial for alleged murder of pro-Palestine woman
Murder accused Grayson James Beare has been declared unfit to stand trial. Image: Supplied / NPA The Durban Magistrate's Court on Tuesday learned that 45-year-old Grayson James Beare, charged with killing a Durban woman and attempting to kill her entire family for allegedly being pro-Palestine, has been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder and declared unfit to stand trial. Beare allegedly stabbed Halima Hoosen-Preston to death. He also faces two counts of attempted murder against Hoosen-Preston's husband, Shaun, and their 18-year-old son, Adam. On June 2, 2024, he allegedly stormed into the Preston home and attacked Halima, stabbing her 15 times in front of her family in the Glenmore area. Hoosen-Preston's 13-year-old daughter was not physically harmed during the attack. The Hoosen-Preston and Beare families resided in the building and were acquainted with each other. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading As Beare made a brief appearance in court, State senior prosecutor, Calvin Govender, told the court that a medical report from Fort Napier Psychiatric Hospital said Beare would not be able to follow court proceedings and instruct his attorney. Govender added that Beare had been declared unfit to stand trial. He said he would be discussing the report with the Director of Public Prosecutions. Additionally, Govender requested that the matter be referred to the regional court for an inquiry. 'From the available information, the accused was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions at the time of the alleged offence,' read the report. According to the report, Beare was admitted to this hospital on March 15, 2025, for mental evaluation. He was examined by two State psychiatrists, Dr S Shain and Dr S. V Moodley. During his stay at Fort Napier, Beare had psychiatric interviews, physical and neurological examinations, and a urine multi-drug screening. 'Throughout he was under constant observation by the psychiatric nursing staff,' the report stated. Additionally, the report also revealed that Beare has a tertiary degree and is divorced. Beare has been in custody since his arrest in 2024 and has not applied for bail as he has been waiting for his mental evaluation. His mental state became a point of contention following a State district surgeon's finding that he was fit to stand trial. At the time, his defence challenged this report in an application made in the court, on the basis that the accused had been a psychiatric patient for more than five years, adding that he was not fit to stand trial. The matter was postponed to August 15.
![[Watch] Alleged Islamophobic attack: Durban murder accused awaits report](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.caxton.co.za%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F110%2F2025%2F05%2FGrayson-Beare-780x470-1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
The Citizen
15-05-2025
- The Citizen
[Watch] Alleged Islamophobic attack: Durban murder accused awaits report
Murder accused Grayson Beare from Glenmore, Durban, made a brief appearance today in the local magistrate's court, where the matter was remanded while the court awaits his assessment report from Fort Napier Hospital. Berea Mail reports that Beare, who stands accused of killing Halima Hoosen-Preston and attempting to murder her son and husband on June 2, 2024, was recently released from Fort Napier Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, where he was undergoing assessment for fitness to stand trial. State Prosecutor Calvin Govender told the court that Beare had 'been released just the other day' and that they were still awaiting a medical report to determine whether he was of sound mind when Hoosen-Preston was killed and her 14-year-old son and husband were repeatedly stabbed. As the magistrate told a dishevelled-looking Beare that he would be remanded back to Westville Prison, he acknowledged the order in a quiet voice before making his way back down to the cells below the court. Members of United for Palestine, who were in court, said they would not back down in pursuing justice for Hoosen-Preston. 'As Palestine and social justice activists, we will follow the matter till the very end,' said Member of Parliament and United for Palestine secretary-general Imraan Subrathie, who was accompanied by the organisation's president, Abdool Valodia. Subrathie said they were not surprised that the court was not yet in possession of the report. 'We consulted with a legal expert who told us that this was normal in murder cases, especially one as high profile as this. We will patiently wait until June 13. We are hopeful that the court will find Grayson Beare fit to stand trial for the murder of Halima Hoosen-Preston.' Beare, who faces one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder, will be back at the Durban Magistrate's Court on June 13 when he will find out whether he is fit to stand trial for the murder of Hoosen-Preston. Watch the video: Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
