Latest news with #Down
The Citizen
39 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Man gets life sentence for raping minor with down syndrome
Masoka pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied the rape allegations. A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl with Down syndrome in Pretoria. The Pretoria Magistrate's Court handed down the sentence on Wednesday to Thabo Xolani Masoka. The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the ruling as a victory for vulnerable children with special needs who are often targeted due to their dependence and trust. Victim found in convict's home The incident occurred on 18 September 2022, when the young victim was with her mother at the mother's salon on their residential premises. According to Lumka Mahanjana, NPA Regional spokesperson for the Gauteng Division in Pretoria, the mother began locking up at approximately 7:45pm. 'The victim started walking home, but minutes later, the mother arrived at their flat and realised the child was missing,' Mahanjana said. The mother launched a search with help from other residents. A witness reported seeing the victim walking with Masoka toward his flat. When the mother and residents confronted Masoka at his apartment, they found the child sitting inside. ALSO READ: Likely to destroy evidence: Accused's bail bid rejected in Ditebogo Phalane murder case 'When questioned, he said he does not know why she was there,' Mahanjana stated. Police were called immediately and arrested Masoka on the scene that same day. The state successfully opposed his bail application, keeping him in custody throughout the legal proceedings. Convicted rapist pleads not guilty to child rape Masoka pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied the rape allegations. 'In court, Masoka pleaded not guilty, denying the rape and claiming the minor was his girlfriend, they had consensual sex and thought the victim was 17 years old,' said Mahanjana. ALSO READ: Limpopo groom sentenced to life for raping 9-year-old girl on his wedding day However, Prosecutor Andries Ntjana presented compelling medical evidence that demolished this defence. Evidence from a medical doctor and a psychiatrist proved the child lacked the mental capacity to consent to sexual activity. Sentencing During the sentencing phase, Masoka requested leniency from the court. He cited his responsibility for supporting three children and a wife as grounds for a reduced sentence. Ntjana opposed any reduction in sentencing. The prosecutor argued that Masoka showed no remorse. 'Furthermore, Ntjana said Masoka lacked remorse; he continued to maintain his innocence even after conviction,' according to Mahanjana. 'Furthermore, Ntjana said Masoka betrayed the mother's trust since he was a neighbour meant to protect the child,' according to Mahanjana. Magistrate Lynn Pillay rejected the defence's plea for leniency. She found no substantial or compelling circumstances that would justify deviating from the prescribed minimum sentence. The court deemed life imprisonment appropriate for the crime. NPA response The NPA praised the court's decision as a strong message against crimes targeting vulnerable individuals. 'The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the life imprisonment sentence handed down by the Pretoria Magistrate's Court for the heinous rape of an 11-year-old girl with Down Syndrome,' Mahanjana said. She emphasised that the ruling demonstrates the NPA's commitment to protecting society's most vulnerable members. Mahanjana said the case particularly highlights the need to protect children with special needs who face increased risk due to their dependence on others. 'The court's decision to impose the prescribed minimum sentence, despite the accused's pleas for leniency, underscores our resolute stance that no one is above the law, especially when it comes to gender-based violence (GBV) against defenceless victims,' Mahanjana said. READ NEXT: Khayelitsha court hears disturbing details of seven-year-old's rape and murder
IOL News
5 hours ago
- IOL News
‘The sex was consensual': Man insists after raping 11-year-old girl with Down syndrome
After a frantic search, Thabo Xolani Masoka was found with the girl in his room, and he insisted that he was in a relationship with the 11-year-old. Image: File The Pretoria Magistrates' Court has sentenced 32-year-old Thabo Xolani Masoka to life imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl with Down syndrome. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said Masoka resided in the same block of flats as the victim and her mother. The incident occurred on 18 September 2022. 'The victim was with her mother, at the mother's salon on the premises, when, at approximately 7:45 pm, the mother began locking up,' said Lumka Mahanjana, Gauteng regional spokesperson for the NPA. The victim began walking home, but minutes later, her mother returned to their flat and realised the child was missing. 'With assistance from other residents, she searched for her daughter,' said Mahanjana. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ A witness reported seeing the little girl walking with Masoka to his flat. 'The mother and residents confronted Masoka at his flat, where they found the child sitting. When questioned, he said he does not know why she was there,' said Mahanjana. The residents called the police, and Masoka was arrested on the scene that day. In court, the state successfully opposed his bail, and Masoka has remained in custody since his arrest. Masoka pleaded not guilty to the heinous crime against the child. He insisted that the child was his girlfriend, and they had consensual sex. Masoka claimed in court that he believed the victim was 17 years old. However, prosecutor Andries Ntjana presented evidence from a medical doctor and psychiatrist, which proved that the child lacked the capacity to consent. During sentencing, Masoka requested leniency, citing his three children and wife, whom he supports. Ntjana opposed Masoka's pleas, submitting that the 32-year-old man lacked remorse, as he had continued to maintain his innocence even after conviction by the court. Furthermore, Ntjana said Masoka betrayed the mother's trust, since he was a neighbour, expected to protect the vulnerable child. Magistrate Lynn Pillay found no substantial or compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, and slapped Masoka with life imprisonment. Meanwhile, the NPA has welcomed the life imprisonment handed down by the court. 'This ruling reaffirms the NPA's unwavering commitment to delivering justice for the most vulnerable members of our society, particularly children with special needs who are often targeted due to their dependence and trust,' said Mahanjana. 'The court's decision to impose the prescribed minimum sentence, despite the accused's pleas for leniency, underscores our resolute stance that no one is above the law, especially when it comes to gender-based violence against defenceless victims.' IOL News
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Injunction granted restraining Gavin Pepper from filming home of Pepper Finance boss
An interim injunction has been granted against a far-right councillor restraining him from filming and besetting the home of the head of debt firm Pepper Finance Corporation (Ireland) Ltd DAC. The High Court injunctions against Independent Dublin city councillor Gavin Pepper (who has no connection to Pepper Finance) also restrain such activity against members of Ian Wigglesworth's family. The managing director has five children, including one with Down syndrome, who was visibly upset after being recently filmed playing outside his home. The injunctions also prohibit Mr Pepper from obstructing, harassing, threatening, pursuing or intimidating Mr Wigglesworth and his family, who live in a Dublin housing estate. Cllr Pepper, of Plunkett Green, Finglas, Dublin, must also remove social media posts which contain video footage taken outside Mr Wigglesworth's home. READ MORE Brian Conroy SC, for Mr Wigglesworth and Pepper Finance, said Cllr Pepper has a well established association with the far right and social media posts promoting far-right ideas. This injunction application, brought on a one-side-only represented (ex parte) basis, was urgent in the context of recent events, he said, adding that his clients were concerned about the possibility of such events becoming more serious. Mr Wigglesworth, in a sworn statement, said Cllr Pepper has engaged in a series of threats and acts of intimidation against him and Pepper Finance. On July 25th, he arrived at Mr Wigglesworth's family home, set up a video camera with tripod and began filming his family, including his son with Down syndrome. It was particularly distressing that Cllr Pepper sought to disparage his son in a recent social media post which was published on X, Facebook and Instagram, he said. A second defendant in the case is David Rafferty, of Plunkett Green in Finglas, Dublin, who holds a mortgage account with Pepper has admitted to disseminating personal information about Mr Wigglesworth, including his address. He is sued arising from the sequence of events that followed but there was no application for an injunction against him. Cllr Pepper has published a total of 14 social media posts in relation to Mr Wigglesworth and his company. The posts are offensive, defamatory, threatening and replete with misinformation, Mr Wigglesworth said. In Cllr Pepper's first post on June 12th, he signalled his intention to attend the homes of named people. On July 25th, he threatened to camp outside Mr Wigglesworth's home if he didn't 'come to the table' in relation to the interest rates Pepper Finance charges. In commentary with his posts, Cllr Pepper said he had 'all the information about the staff' at Pepper Finance and another company. This prompted threatening comments from other social media posts. Mr Justice Brian Cregan also ordered Cllr Pepper be restrained from publishing the staff's addresses. He said he would deal with the issue of extending the injunctions to Pepper Finance itself when the case returns on Thursday.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
14 LGBTQ+ disability activists who are changing the world one fight at a time
Happy Disability Pride Month! Footage still via Instagram @talialewis;; footage still via Instagram @jendeerinwater From left: Disability activists TL Lewis, Andrew Gurza, and Jen Deerinwater. There are queer disabled celebrities who are using their fame to advocate for more rights and better representation in media and shows that are starting to do a better job of including queer disabled characters, but it's the LGBTQ+ disabled activists who are fighting for years on end to help improve the lives of queer disabled people across the country. Intersectionality is so important, and these queer and disabled activists and advocates have a deep and intrinsic understanding of just how true that is. So to celebrate Disability Pride Month, which coincides with the anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we're shouting out the trailblazing activists who have spent their careers fighting for the rights of the queer and disabled communities. Nicole Adler Nicole Adler has been a trailblazer since she was a teenager. At just 19 years old, she was the youngest governor-appointed council member to serve on the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. As a gay woman with Down syndrome, she has spent her life as a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ+ and disability communities. Then, at 29, she made history again as the first San Francisco Pride Community Grand Marshal with Down syndrome in 2024. 'It's a huge honor to represent both the disability and LGBTQ communities. I get to carry the torch and show others that anything is possible if you believe in yourself,' Adler said at the Pride celebration that hosted over 400,000 attendees, KGET reported. Corbett O'TooleCorbett O'Toole Corbett O'Toole has been a disability rights activist since the '70s, when she helped to run the Disabled Women's Coalition and worked as a staff member at the Center for Independent Living. O'Toole, who calls herself a 'queer disabled elder,' was a pioneer in the disability rights movement, including being one of the participants of the 25-day-long 504 Sit-In, where disability activists stormed into the federal Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, which resulted in the Carter administration signing the 504 regulations which prohibited entities receiving federal funds from discriminating against disabled people. She has continued her work as an activist and advocate in the decades since and in 2016 wrote Fading Scars: My Queer Disability History. Morénike Giwa Onaiwu Morénike Giwa Onaiwu is a disabled nonbinary woman of color who focuses her activism work on autism and HIV advocacy, and disability justice and inclusion. She is an editor of All the Weight of Our Dreams, an anthology of art and writing by Austin people of color, and is the founder and principal consultant of Advocacy Without Borders, a grassroots non-profit collaborative offering capacity development, research, DEIA activities, and related projects. She also serves as a public appointee on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Center, which is the US federal advisory committee on autism, and was also the first Black executive board of directors member of both the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network and Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network. Jen Deerinwater As a journalist and founder of Crushing Colonialism — an organization dedicated to uplifting indigenous voices — Jen Deerinwater's activism is deeply rooted in her identity as a disabled, Two-Spirit, disabled Cherokee woman. Deerinwater's work sheds light on the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities and the pervasive impacts of colonialism and discrimination in our society. Julia Bascom Julia Bascom is a queer autism rights activist who worked as the executive director of the Autism Self Advocacy Network from 2017 to 2023. Bascom has spent her career advocating for allowing autistic people to speak for themselves and make decisions about their health, rights, well-being, and sexual lives. During her time with ASAN, she helped to fight for disabled people's control over their own services, to save the Affordable Care Act, addressed police violence and structural racism, and fought against the school-to-prison pipeline, and against the use of electric shock devices to modify the behavior of disabled people. Bascom was one of the experts consulted to create the autistic character Julia for Sesame Street and founded the Loud Hands project that resulted in the groundbreaking anthology of essays written by autistic people, called Loud Hands: Autistic People, Speaking. 'Neurodiversity says people have different kinds of brains, and that's OK. But it goes a step further. People with different brains have rights. We have a right to be here,' Bascom told The 19th. 'We have a right to decide how we feel and how we should be treated. We have a right to [disability] accommodation. Neurodiversity isn't just a biological fact. It's an idea with teeth.' Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha is a queer nonbinary disability activist, educator, and poet. They have been performing spoken word since 1998, and in 2001 Piepzna-Samarasinha started Browngirlworld after being frustrated by the racism that was present in queer and trans poetry spaces and the homophobia that was running rampant in the poetry scene from people of color. Piepzna-Samarasinha has published nine books, including Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement, and has written for publications like Autostraddle, Bitch, and Vice. Maxfield Sparrow Maxfield Sparrow is a transmasc autism rights activist and artist who facilitates peer support groups for autistic adults through the Association for Autism and Neurodiversity, wrote The ABCs of Autism Acceptance, and edited the anthology Spectrums: Autistic Transgender People in Their Own Words. Sparrow also participated in the flash blog campaign called Autistic People Should… which was an act of activism meant to raise alarm bells about Google's autocomplete feature that would complete that sentence with phrases like 'die,' 'be exterminated,' and 'be killed.' Lady Francesca Lady Francesca has been changing hearts and minds and challenging people's perception of drag, as the world's first Black drag queen superstar with Down syndrome. Lady Francesca is a member of the internationally renowned drag troupe Drag Syndrome, which challenges societal perceptions and promotes inclusivity within the drag community. As a member of the troupe, Lady Francesca is helping to advocate for disability awareness and celebrate the beauty, diversity, and limitless possibilities of artistic expression. Andrew Gurza Andrew Gurza, who has cerebral palsy and came out as gay when they were 15, is a disability awareness consultant and activist who has spent their career focused on the intersection of disability and sexuality. Gurza has written about the need for disability-inclusive sex education, ableism in the queer community, and the barriers to healthcare faced by disabled people that can impact access to STI testing, in publications like HuffPost, Everyday Feminism, Men's Health, Out, and them. Gurza is also well known for starting the #DisabledPeopleAreHot hashtag on X (formerly Twitter), and was featured in the documentary Picture This, which follows Gurza as they plan the Second Annual Deliciously Disabled Sex Positive Fully Accessible Play Party. In 2016, Garza started the podcast Disability After Dark, which focuses on disability and sexuality and has been going strong for more than 300 episodes now. TL Lewis TL Lewis is a Black queer disabled nonbinary artist and activist. Lewis has been working for the last two decades to abolish the medical-carceral-impoverishment industrial complex, show the links between ableism and all other forms of oppression and violence, and build solidarity across multiply-marginalized communities. Lewis also founded HEARD, an organization run by deaf and disabled people who are supporting and advocating for deaf/disabled incarcerated people, and is one of the only people in the world who has worked on the wrongful conviction cases of deaf/disabled people. Eli Clare Eli Clare is a genderqueer, trans man with cerebral palsy who is an activist, advocate, and author who works on the intersections between race, class, gender, sexuality, disability, and environmental justice and imagines a world without psych wards, group homes, and nursing homes. His books Brilliant Imperfection: Grappling with Cure, Exile and Pride, and The Marrow's Telling are so well regarded they are used in classrooms across the country. Clare has also coordinated a rape prevention program, helped organize the first-ever Queerness and Disability Conference, and traveled through the U.S. and Canada, giving speeches and teaching. Cal Montgomery Andrew Dell'Antonio Cal Montgomery is a trans, autistic, physically disabled activist and nonspeaking adult who writes and fights against institutionalized abuse of disabled youth, the need for greater support for students with cognitive disabilities, and for arming disabled kids with the skills to help them reduce their risk of harm when they are out in the world. Noor Pervez As a former student organizer turned LGBTQ+ educator, community organizer, and public speaker, Muslim nonbinary activist Noor Pervez focuses his efforts on the intersections of disability, race, gender identity, sexuality, and religion. Noor is the Community Engagement Manager for the Autism Self Advocacy Network, and is on the board as an accessibility leader at Masjid al Rabia, a queer, trans, and woman-centered and led mosque. Noor is also in the process of making an Easy Read translation of the Holy Qu'ran, designed to make learning about Islam accessible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Finn Gardiner Finn Gardiner is a queer, Black disability activist and community organizer. Gardiner is the director of policy and advocacy at the Autistic People of Color Fund, and was part of the 2016 White House Forum on LGBT and Disability Issues and the 2019 United Nations World Autism Day event. He has focused his activism around antiracism and the intersection of gender, sexuality and disability where he fights for inclusive education, competitive and integrated employment, accessible technology, cognitive accessibility, housing justice, and community living. This article originally appeared on Pride: 14 LGBTQ+ disability activists who are changing the world one fight at a time RELATED 17 disabled LGBTQ+ celebrities who are changing Hollywood
IOL News
2 days ago
- Health
- IOL News
Could gene editing help prevent Down syndrome? Insights into CRISPR's potential
Many families and advocates express concerns about retaining the inherent beauty and value of diversity, fearing that efforts to "delete" a condition might overshadow the vibrant personalities and lives of those who embody it. Image: Cliff Booth/pexels Imagine a world where the very building blocks of our DNA could be gently edited, removing what brings suffering, without erasing what makes us uniquely human. That's exactly the kind of future scientists are now daring to explore, thanks to a new breakthrough in gene editing that has the medical community buzzing with hope and raising some tough questions. Editing out the extra chromosome Recently, researchers at Mie University in Japan accomplished something that, until now, was only the stuff of science fiction: they used a tool called CRISPR-Cas9 to remove the extra copy of chromosome 21 from cells affected by Down syndrome. Their findings, published in the journal PNAS Nexus, could mark the start of a new era in how we think about treating (and maybe even preventing) this common genetic condition. 'We designed our CRISPR system to target the extra chromosome without affecting the normal pair,' explained Dr Ryotaro Hashizume, the project's lead scientist. 'Our goal was to remove the surplus material and see whether the cell's gene expression returned to typical levels.' What is Down syndrome? We've all heard of Down syndrome, but what actually causes it? In simple terms, it happens when a person is born with three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the usual two. This extra genetic material disrupts the body's usual blueprint, leading to a variety of challenges, from intellectual disabilities and heart defects to higher risks of Alzheimer's disease and other health conditions. Down syndrome, commonly associated with an intellectual disability, arises when a person is born with three copies of chromosome 21 rather than the usual two, leading to various developmental challenges Image: Google DeepMind/pexels Three main types of Down syndrome exist: Trisomy 21 (the most common): Every cell in the body has an extra chromosome 21. Mosaic Down syndrome: Only some cells have the extra copy, leading to milder symptoms. Translocation Down syndrome: The extra chromosome attaches to a different chromosome, which affects how symptoms appear. Down syndrome is more common than many realise, affecting about 1 in 700 babies born in the world, according to the CDC. While the chance increases with maternal age, most babies with Down syndrome are actually born to younger mothers, simply because they have more children overall. How does CRISPR work its magic? CRISPR-Cas9 is often called 'genetic scissors'. It can cut DNA at precise spots, allowing scientists to remove, repair, or add genetic material. In the Mie University study, researchers programmed CRISPR to specifically target and cut the extra chromosome 21 in both stem cells and mature skin cells from people with Down syndrome. Following the removal of the extra chromosome, the cells behaved more like typical cells: Their growth improved. They produced fewer harmful byproducts (linked to cell ageing). Genes related to brain development became more active. This aligns with decades of research published in the National Institutes of Health showing that the extra chromosome 21 interferes with normal development. What could this mean for people with Down syndrome? If this technology ever leaves the lab, it could be revolutionary. Imagine therapies where a person's own cells are edited and returned to their body, potentially improving heart health, boosting brain function, and reducing the risk of early-onset Alzheimer's. But (and it's a big but), we're not there yet. According to Hashizume, this technique is not yet ready for use in hospitals or in routine medical practice. But it sets a new benchmark for what CRISPR can do, not just editing single genes, but removing entire chromosomes. Any conversation about 'deleting' a genetic condition sparks strong feelings. What does it mean to change something so fundamental? Some families and advocates worry about losing the beauty and value in diversity, including the lives and personalities of people with Down syndrome. And while prenatal screening has made Down syndrome rare in some countries, the global conversation is just beginning: Should we use science to eliminate a condition, or focus on making life better for people who live with it? As we watch this story unfold, one thing is certain: the future of health, wellness, and genetics will be shaped not just by labs and scientists, but by all of us, families, advocates, and a world still learning to celebrate differences.
