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The Sun
12 hours ago
- The Sun
Cops saw me being raped by illegal immigrant at 14 but arrested ME & shamed me in press as groomers abused me for years
WHEN police officers walked round the corner, as she was being raped on an industrial estate, 14-year-old Jamie Lee Jones should have felt relief that they had come to her rescue. But shockingly, instead of arresting her attacker - an illegal immigrant – they put HER in handcuffs and arrested her for prostitution. 9 9 The vulnerable teenager, who have been a victim of grooming gangs from the age of 12, was labelled a sex worker, told she was 'out of control' and hauled up in court. Incredibly, Greater Manchester Police also sent her name and photo to be published across local and national media with a quote from a police chief saying: 'We will run young yobs out of town' – despite having at least two reports of rape against Jamie Leigh at the time and knowing she was classed as a vulnerable child at high risk of sexual abuse from grooming gangs. Jamie Leigh was then taken from her family and placed in care, where the abuse got worse and gangs of rapists from Oldham's Pakistani, Kurdish and Bengali communities were given free reign to continue their sickening campaign of grooming and rape until she was 18. She reported four other rapes to Greater Manchester Police from 2011 to 2015 but says 'nothing was ever done' and officers openly 'blamed her' for the sexual assaults. Care home staff turned a "blind eye" to the abuse, sometimes even dropping her off to meet her abusers and buying her a McDonald's so she wouldn't tell anyone. On one occasion, she was gifted a phone by a groomer, and the next day received calls from 60 different Asian males, asking her to come 'chill' and have sex with them. Groomers would even climb through her bedroom window at the care home or pick her up and traffic her to Rochdale, Bradford and Manchester to be gang raped. In all, she believes she was raped and sexually abused by over 50 men aged from early 20s to 60s, over a hundred times. Now aged 28, Jamie Leigh has bravely waived her anonymity to tell her harrowing story – which she hopes will pressure the government to deliver on their promise to hold a national enquiry into grooming gangs and give survivors much deserved answers. Jamie Leigh's horrific tale began when her family moved to a new area of Oldham and, not having a school place for her, the council placed her in a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU). 'I met a girl there who was 15 years old, three year older than me, and she turned up one day with an older Asian male in the car," she says. 'He bought me cigarettes and gave me money on the first occasion. 'The second occasion he actually rang my mum's phone because I didn't have a phone. My mum told him, 'You're a fully grown man, why are you ringing my daughter? You know how old she is'. 'So then the next time that I went out with him he bought me a phone and told me to keep it away from my mum. "He told me he was a news reporter for the local TV news and worked for the Jeremy Kyle show. It was all lies but I believed it at the time and trusted him. 'My mum gave the police his registration plates and everything but nothing happened. 'Social services didn't do anything except blame me. They said I was an out-of-control child and that my mum needed to put her foot down. 'At the beginning my abuser was nice to me, he bought me things and then I started going around with other older Asian men with this girl. 'One night I gave my number to one Asian man and then I had around 50, 60 people ringing my phone that I didn't know and adding me on Facebook, all older Asian men. 'They were asking me to come out, chill with them, drink, smoke weed, things like that and have sex." 9 9 9 Jamie Leigh was raped for the first time at 12. 'I had actually jumped out of my abuser's moving car because he wanted to take me to Rochdale and I was scared,' she said. 'A few weeks after, he spoke to me and it started being really nice again. So I went out with him, he plied me with alcohol and raped me in his car." Within a year Jamie Leigh, who was still living at home, was being trafficked to other men. 'There was one house, when I was about 13 years old, and there was an older Asian male there. He was talking to me like I was a child - because I was a child. But he was telling me that I'd make his uncle's birthday if I were to have sex with his uncle and he'd give me money for it. 'To be honest I was raped so many times it's hard to remember exactly how many. I know I was gang raped twice. 'I was passed around for years between older Asian men, sexually abused, sexually exploited, filled with alcohol, filled with drugs.' 'Nobody cared' Jamie Leigh's worried friends tried to intervene, telling her mum, police and social services about what was happening to her – but no action was taken against any of the men. Instead, authorities began to target Jamie Leigh. 'They told my mum that I was a danger to my little brother and I couldn't live there anymore otherwise he'd be put in care, so I had to move out and then I was put into care,' she says. 'One day my abusers filled me with drink and I actually kicked off with the police. So I was arrested. 'Before that court date actually took place, police walked around the corner into this industrial estate and caught an illegal immigrant rapist raping me. 'I had my pants down my ankles. He was laying on top of me. His pants were down. 'I stood up with one boot in my hand and they actually put me in handcuffs and took me to the police car, arrested me for prostitution and took me to the police station. 'He wasn't arrested at the time, but they arrested me for prostitution because he told them that I took money off him, which I didn't. 'At the time I thought nothing was done to him but I found out from officers recently that he was actually an illegal immigrant and they sent him to the deportation centre. Then he was let out of the deportation centre and they have no idea where he is now. 'I was sent to court and the judge questioned social services for over an hour, telling them that I was not a danger to the public, but the public was a danger to me and that he was going to adjourn it while they sorted something out for my safety. He put me in a secure children's prison. 'After I got to the secure unit, the judge forced them to put me into a care home. 'The judge was trying to help me, but it just got even worse. "There were men coming to the care home outside, picking us up, dropping us off every day and every night. Nobody cared.' Drugged and raped Jamie Leigh was plied with drugs and alcohol for years by her abusers who would pass her around to be raped, often by multiple men in one day. 'I think on a few occasions I was drugged. I lost loads of weight, I was like a rake and I looked poorly,' she says 'There was one occasion where I was in a flat and I was that drunk, I'd laid down and my head was spinning, then loads of different men were coming in the room having sex with me. 'They were all horrible to me they would spit on me and stuff. I was passed around for years between older Asian men, sexually abused, sexually exploited, filled with alcohol, filled with drugs. Jamie Leigh Jones 'At first I thought they were my friends. I thought they cared about me and they were giving me loads of things that I never had. 'And then it turned and it started being horrible and nasty. They were telling me to bring other girls out, younger girls. I never did. 'But I know one of my friends did and she was arrested for being a perpetrator while none of the men were arrested. She was 15. 'I was groomed into just walking around the area and Asian men would just pull over and say 'Right, you coming out? You coming to chill? You coming for a drink? And I get in the car and I'd end up being raped. 'I don't know why I got in the cars, it was just normalised at the time. I didn't know any better. I had no self esteem. 'The police, the council, social services didn't seem to see a problem with it then. 'I was so young when it started, your brain's a sponge." Jamie began to rely on alcohol, supplied by her abusers, to make her feel like she "wasn't really there." 'A lot of times I was scared and that's why I drank so fast and I drank straight alcohol deliberately to block it out. 'When you've been raped you become scared to say no. 'Once that has happened for the first time, from that moment, you're just quiet, because you know they're going to take it anyway.' 'High risk of murder' Jamie Leigh was placed in three different care homes in Oldham, Rivendell House, and Fraser Street Children's home and Porter Street Supported Living. 'There were always cars outside the care homes waiting for us,' she said. 'Staff knew I was high risk. They had me at high risk of being murdered but they still never tried to stop us getting into the cars. 'They did absolutely nothing. They knew what was going on. It wasn't just me, there were numerous girls and they just kept coming back absolutely obliterated after being abused. 'By the time I was 15, I had 152 missing episodes my records say. 'But the care home staff would act like it was normal. The only time they ever did anything about it was when one of my care workers turned around and said, I needed to get an STI check because I'll end up with 'fanny rot' if I don't. 'Those were the actual words she said. 'There was an Asian man who worked at one of the care homes and he was always saying inappropriate things to the girls. 'He'd say: 'Why do you hang around with Bengalis? Why don't you hang around with us Pakistanis? 'Sometimes he'd give us a lift to places and say, 'I shouldn't be dropping you off in Pakistani areas or Bengali areas. I shouldn't be doing this. So make sure you don't tell anyone. Here I'll buy you a McDonald's' 'Then he'd say, 'Don't tell any of the other girls' and then he'd sneak in your room to take your rubbish so no one would see it. 'He also had one of his nephews who was in his twenties come and smoke weed and offer it to the kids in the care home." 9 9 Shocking files Redacted social services documents from Jamie Leigh's file, which she has shared with The Sun, show that she was the subject of Child Sexual Exploitation Strategy and Review Meetings from as early as 2010, when she would have been aged 13. One notes shockingly: 'Although Jamie is 13, she does look older.' It adds: 'A number of Jamie's friends are already known to the [redacted] service and Jamie is aware of this, however she still chooses to place herself at risk.' A social services form, filled out for Jamie in 2013, titled Hazard: Child Sexual Exploitation, describes Jamie at 'high' risk of sexual exploitation with the frequency listed as 'daily'. The 'risks' she faced are listed as sexual abuse, absconding, criminal record, harm to public, pregnancy and STIs and 'allegations'. Ninth on the list is 'risk of serious injury or death'. Despite the high risk of death, Jamie Leigh's 'action plan' written down by staff is woefully inadequate – including plans to get her to fill out a 'safe and well questionnaire' on her return from missing episodes. It also states: 'Staff to discourage inappropriate friendships' – showing staff saw the older Asian men who abused her as the teen's 'friends'. 'They did nothing at the care homes, I noticed in Porter Street a few years later, which when I was 16, they started actually reporting stuff but still nothing happened to stop it,' Jamie Leigh says. 'It was there that older Asian men kept climbing into my flat window and that is recorded in my notes. Staff knew I was high risk. They had me at high risk of being murdered but they still never tried to stop us getting into the cars. Jamie Leigh Jones 'I don't know why, when I was classed as at risk they still kept putting me in these care homes where there were Asian men picking up girls. Putting all these girls that are at risk together, just causes more problems. 'There were at least 20 girls I knew in the care homes who were being exploited.' According to Jamie Leigh's police records, which she requested, she reported rapes in 2011, 2012 and 2015. She also recalls reporting a rape at the age of 12 but no records can be found. 'Throughout that time they didn't do anything, nothing ever came of the reports I made,' Jamie Leigh said. 'I never did a rape kit. They took my knickers from the gang rape – but nothing ever came of that. "I stopped reporting things. It just became me versus the world." Search for answers Jamie Leigh said she moved out of Oldham as soon as she turned 18. 'It was the only way to stop it,' she says. "I struggled to piece my life together, and to be honest I'm still struggling now. 'I want answers. I think every survivor deserves answers.' Oldham Council and GMP have admitted failing Jamie Leigh, who was featured anonymously in an independent inquiry into child sex abuse in Oldham in 2022, and apologised to her. Jamie Leigh has also given evidence to Operation Sherwood, an active investigation into historic child sex abuse in Oldham. So far, 12 arrests have been made as part of the investigation but no one has yet been charged. But to Jamie Leigh, it's too little, too late. 'I've been left with complex PTSD. I've suffered from panic attacks, nightmares. I rarely leave the house," she said. 'And I think my problems stem not just from the abuse suffered, but also the way that the services handled it and they're still handling it to this day. 'It's become this whole debate about racism when in reality, that doesn't matter. What matters is that the females and the girls that have been through these horrific things get heard. 'I feel like people need to accept the full failings and stop denying the facts of what's happened. We can't make changes in the future if we don't go back and look into every single mistake that's happened in the past. 'Survivors should not have to be fighting now.' Jamie Leigh is now studying to be a counsellor at Open University and wants to help other survivors of abuse. Police response to Jamie's story A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police gave this statement to The Sun: 'We have fully accepted our past failings in tackling this horrific abuse and are working with a number of survivors, who have placed their faith in the GMP of today and are supporting our active retrospective investigations. 'These are long and complex investigations, but our commitment is unwavering, and we will not allow passage of time to be a hindrance. 'HMICFRS and Ofsted published a report last week highlighting significant improvements we have made in how we protect children, respond to abuse, and investigate non-recent cases of CSE. 'GMP remains focused on listening to survivors and advancing our effective practice still further. We owe it both to those abused in the past and to our children today to sustain this most pressing of priorities, and we continue to give our commitment to do just that. 'We are actively investigating and supporting Jamie as we progress her case. While we understand that the impact of her past experience cannot be undone, we are confident that victims' experiences today would be significantly improved compared to those of previous years." And she is urging other survivors and whistle blowers to come forward and share their stories. 'I think we deserve answers after everything we've been through, after years of having to fight for what's right,' she said. 'And it's still happening. I'm getting people messaging me saying they don't know where to turn, they're not getting the right support. Children are still being blamed for being raped. 'People message me telling me it's happening to the daughters or their sister. 'One of the worst things about a woman being raped and suffering abuse like this is not being believed. 'So when services that are supposed to help are not doing anything to help them, it's wrong. It's worse because these people should know better than abusers and rapists and child molesters. I've been left with complex PTSD. I've suffered from panic attacks, nightmares. I rarely leave the house. Jamie Leigh Jones 'Some of these people should be jailed as well because they've enabled this to happen to so many girls for so long. 'I'd love to see the officers that put me in handcuffs that day go down for a long time. 'Or at the very least be retrained because shouldn't be in the jobs if you stand with those beliefs. 'They've been allowed to do it, while we've been as survivors, blamed for what we've been through for decades. 'It can really mess survivors and rape victims heads' up, especially children, when you say 'We're not doing anything about it? You go out and get raped. It's normal. That's your lifestyle. You're never going to amount to nothing.' 'It's wrong. It'd be different if it was their children. And I said that years ago to a police officer while it was happening. I said, 'Would you treat your children like this?' 'He said, 'My children wouldn't behave in such a way'. Oldham Council's response to Jamie's story Oldham Council Leader, Cllr Arooj Shah said: "I want to commend Jamie Leigh for her extraordinary courage in speaking out and sharing her story. Her bravery is not only deeply moving but plays a vital role in ensuring that survivors are heard, and that real change continues to happen. "Across the country, councils, the police, and other agencies failed those affected by child sexual exploitation in the past. Oldham was no exception and we apologise again to survivors and their families. "We also recognise that these horrific crimes have not disappeared, but we are more determined than ever to root out those who abuse and exploit children. We will not rest until every child is safe and those responsible are held fully to account. "Oldham is absolutely committed to learning from the past. Thanks in no small part to the tenacity of survivors like Jamie Leigh, we are leading the way in tackling child sexual exploitation, putting survivors at the heart of our efforts, and doing everything in our power to ensure the mistakes of the past are never repeated. "We welcome both local and national inquiries, and we are clear that survivors must be at the centre of this process. Their voices are essential to building a safer future for every child." 'I feel like all survivors need a massive apology from Keir Starmer for starters, for the system, for being ignored and now for having to fight for what's right. 'I want the truth to come out because we've spent years of not being believed and that's horrible. I want people to be questioned and I want answers.' In response to Jamie's story, Greater Manchester Police said it had "fully accepted our past failings in tackling this horrific abuse" and it was "actively investigating" the case. Oldham Council added: "Oldham is absolutely committed to learning from the past. Thanks in no small part to the tenacity of survivors like Jamie-Leigh, we are leading the way in tackling child sexual exploitation, putting survivors at the heart of our efforts, and doing everything in our power to ensure the mistakes of the past are never repeated."
BBC News
14 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Three Dads' pride at suicide prevention lessons in schools
Three fathers who each lost a daughter to suicide say "lives will be saved" now the government has agreed to their call for suicide prevention to be taught in the past four years, Andy Airey, Mike Palmer and Tim Owen called for awareness of the subject to be added the national curriculum, following the deaths of their daughters Sophie, Beth and as the 3 Dads Walking, they said their "voices have finally been heard" after the Department for Education (DfE) announced on Tuesday that lessons discussing suicide prevention would be compulsory in secondary schools from September Airey, from Morland in Cumbria, said: "I'm absolutely gobsmacked, it doesn't feel real." He said the trio began campaigning shortly after their first walk to raise awareness in 2021 and admitted it had at times felt "like we were swimming through treacle uphill", but now their "voices have been heard"."We have covered a lot of ground, literally and figuratively, over the last few years, but to come to a point where a significant change is going to happen still feels quite unreal. I'm stunned.""We are really proud of what we have achieved." "We would have rather never have met each other," Mr Airey the fathers "didn't choose to come down this route", once they launched 3 Dads they realised how important it was to be "open and honest" about what they were Airey, Mr Palmer, from Sale in Greater Manchester, and Mr Owen, from Shouldham in Norfolk, met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson earlier this month, where they were told there was "potential for change" in the new DfE guidance reveals secondary schools will be expected to work closely with mental health professionals to help discuss suicide prevention with pupils in an "age-appropriate way". It said schools can follow the guidance from this year and that it would become compulsory from September move comes alongside plans to include anti-misogyny in sex education classes. An astonishing journey The road to this point has been long in more ways than one for the 3 Dads the trio set out on their first walk in 2021, it was to raise awareness that suicide was the biggest killer of under-35s – something none of them knew before their daughters took their own that 300-mile (483km) trip between their three homes they raised almost £1m for suicide prevention charity Papyrus, but knew much more needed to be their second walk took in all four UK Parliaments, where they called on ministers to ensure every child was taught the skills to cope with suicidal thoughts and where to turn to for help. As a result, they met the leaders who would be responsible for taking that decision - something all three say their daughters would find astonishing, if not a little a third walk they met the then leader of the opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, who heard the dads ask: "If this is the biggest killer of our young people, why aren't we talking about it?"Finally, at a meeting at Number 10 a few weeks ago, the prime minister said the government was taking the dads' concerns seriously, something today's announcement Mike and Tim say they are just three suicide-bereaved dads who put on their hiking they have also proved that by walking and talking they were able to change the whole narrative around suicide and take steps towards saving young lives. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised you can visit the BBC's Action Line pages, or contact Papyrus, or Samaritans. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
19 hours ago
- BBC News
Greater Manchester tram disruption update as £150m work continues
More disruption is coming to the Metrolink tram network in Manchester this summer as part of its £150m have faced disruption for weeks in the city centre as Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) began replacing older sections of tram track between Piccadilly Gardens and Piccadilly station. TfGM bosses said the project was "two-thirds complete" and have named the date when roadworks will move towards the railway station and new diversions will be in place for works are set to move on from Piccadilly Gardens and Portland Street to Aytoun Street and Auburn Street, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. How long will the work take? The works on Aytoun Street and Auburn Street will start on Thursday and will continue until 10 August. What disruption will it cause? It means the new "traffic management measures" will be in place for Aytoun Street, as it is an area where tram tracks meet the road so it will be closed off measures include:A signed diversion route along Minshull Street, Portland Street, Piccadilly, Gore Street, and Chatham StreetThe Portland Street bus lane will be temporarily suspended eastbound, towards Newton Street, so all traffic will be able to use that stretch of road while the works are carried outChatham Street will be temporarily made two-way, with the 'no entry' from Piccadilly lifted for the works To allow local access to Aytoun Street, temporary two-way traffic access will be allowed on parts of Aytoun Street and Auburn Street where there is usually only one-way access What does it mean for tram users? Tram passengers - including those heading to the final Oasis gigs in Heaton Park - are also facing service changes in the city centre includes:The Altrincham and Bury lines will not stop at Piccadilly Gardens or Piccadilly stationAltrincham and Bury trams will run via Market StreetAll trams from Ashton-under-Lyne and the Etihad Campus will terminate at Piccadilly station, with signs in place encouraging passengers to walk to Market Street to continue their journey, or use the city centre free bus All trams from Eccles, including those going via MediaCityUK, will run to Victoria via Market StreetThe MediaCityUK to Etihad Campus peak time services will not run during the engineering worksMetrolink said there would be extra double trams on the Eccles - Victoria via MediaCityUKservice. What are the other planned tram works outside the city centre? Other tram works are also taking place outside the city centre including:Essential engineering works at Pomona, and on the Eccles line, on 2-10 August means no tram service will operate on the Eccles via MediaCityUK line or between Cornbrook and WharfsideServices on the Trafford Park line will only operate between Wharfside and the Trafford CentreTfGM said a bus replacement service would operate between Eccles and Piccadilly via Wharfside during the closure, serving all the affected stops. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bride breaks down in tears after wedding dress rips just moments before she walks down the aisle
A bride has shared the the horrendous moment her dress ripped just minutes before she was due to walk down the aisle. Bianca Ross, 29, from Greater Manchester, was getting ready to tie the knot earlier this month when two of her bridesmaids helped her do up her corseted dress. As the trio were struggling to get into the dress, they heard a sudden rip, with the back of the dress opening. The trio, jaws dropped, stood in shocked silence for a moment while the bride started crying. However, the crisis was quickly averted when one of her friends revealed that she had brought her sewing kit and was able to mend the tear. In a video posted to TikTok, Bianca was all laughs and smiles as she was being helped into her fitted embellished gown by her bridesmaids. She was tossing up whether to use the detachable straps or not as her friends were tugging and pulling at the top of the dress, trying to do up the clasps. 'I look like a princess,' Bianca said. One of the bridesmaids then pulled slightly too hard on the back of the dress which let out a big ripping sound. Bride Bianca was brought to tears when her dress ripped just moments before she was due to walk down the aisle The women gasped before Bianca burst into tears. 'Oh my god, it's f***ing broke,' one panicked bridesmaid said. 'How many times have we squeezed into this f***ing dress? How many times have we fought with this dress?' Viewers were unable to see the damage but the bridesmaid who caused the rip was quick on the case. 'I brought it for a reason! I've got my sewing kit,' she shouted as she ran out of the room. One viewer said the tear was 'every bride's nightmare and asked if Bianca went on to get married which she confirmed she did - not letting the mishap stop her from enjoying her and her new husband's big day. The internet is never short of a wedding drama and, previously, a groom raised eyebrows after he said he wanted to divorce his new wife just days after saying 'I do'. The married man, who is 44 years old, took to Reddit to complain about his 42-year-old wife shortly after their wedding and explained the big day had been riddled with issues - including one incident that completely broke his trust. On the thread, the new husband said a black cloud hung over his wedding day thanks to his wife's egregious actions. He lamented he now feels like he 'married someone else' after his wife changed her hair colour two days before the big day. He complained that she had abandoned her 'regular girl next door style' and along with her new hair colour she had also worn a 'revealing' dress that left him stunned. But it was a request she made of her guests behind the groom's back that really left him reeling. The Reddit-poster complained that his bride's dress showed off her legs and cleavage and was too sexy to be walking down the aisle in. He even thought that some of the male guests avoided her all night out of embarrassment. He wrote: 'On the wedding day, she showed up wearing a sheer lace dress that was too revealing and no flesh coloured lining. 'I could see her whole legs and her undies (they were lace and not sheer). I would have preferred that she didn't wear her cleavage bursting out. It wasn't necessary. 'I thought sexiness was reserved for the wedding night, not for our guests to see. I would have been okay with it had I been used to this being her style, but I don't know what happened. 'Our friends and families (males) kept a bit distant trying to avoid her and I think it's because they were trying to be respectful. The top of the dress wasn't sheer, but her breasts were almost popping out and she couldn't dance as happily and carefree as she always does because of it. The groom explained that he knew it was a minor detail and just an 'aesthetic dispute' that he would forget about eventually but he said it went against their traditional family's values. While the dress and hair colour were a shock, the new husband revealed what really upset him was the discovery that his wife had been asking for money from guests without his knowledge. The Reddit poster explained that they had previously agreed not to ask their guests for money - although he clarified they did get 'cash gifts and physical presents' - but was shocked to find out his wife had tired to establish a minimum fee. He revealed he only discovered the betrayal after her best friend dropped out of the wedding due to pressure to give extra cash. The groom confessed he had been left disappointed because 'the church was missing a chunk of guests' and he felt a 'black cloud' hanging over them all day. He went on to say that the trust between him and his new wife is completely broken because he lost friends and people he cared about. He added: 'I don't see how therapy can fix this. It's not just about my trust, but about how this person is a whole human being apart from the woman that I thought I knew.' On the Reddit thread, the recently married man asked whether it was reasonable to ask for a divorce even though he knew it would 'destroy her' and said he wanted to at least file for a legal separation. He added he felt he could no longer go on 'sleeping next to someone who was willing to take from others' and said he felt too betrayed. And other Reddit users rushed to his defence with one writing: 'I would run if I realised my fiancé's idea about a wedding was about filing up her bank account. A wedding should be a celebration of love. I don't have an opinion about her dress.' Another said: 'Divorce or annulment. If she does things like this behind your back before marriage, think of the things she will do behind your back now that she has you locked in. 'A good foundation for any relationship is built on trust, respect and clear communication at the bare minimum and she violated all three. Run for the hills.' And one commented: 'The clothing thing is not important, but lying and pressuring loved ones for money behind your back is an early indicator of how your life will be going. Is this someone you can spend the rest of your life with? I think the answer is no.' But others were on the wife's side and criticised the groom for slating his new bride's wedding dress, encouraging her to run for the hills. One person said: 'The money hustling is tacky and worth divorcing over. Hating her hair/dress is tacky and worth her divorcing you over. 'So maybe you two flawed people should talk about all this, apologize to each other, and do better moving forward.' Another user wrote: 'This poor woman has married a complete monster.'
Telegraph
a day ago
- General
- Telegraph
Parents criticise school skirt ban that restricts girls' ‘femininity'
Parents at a secondary school have pushed back against a new uniform policy they say does not treat boys and girls equally. Newhouse Academy, in Greater Manchester, announced earlier this year that it would ban skirts. Parents complained, and a consultation was held, but the school is going ahead with its trousers-only policy, despite the objections. One parent told the Manchester Evening News that 'parents should challenge this ruling'. The parent said: 'This ban disregards the female students and their right to express their femininity. 'Schoolgirls as young as 11 forced to wear trousers and look like a boy is not embracing the two genders equally.' Another parent added she 'would never have considered this school' for her daughter, who starts in September, had she known about the change. The school told families that from the autumn, both 'boys and girls will be expected to wear plain black school trousers' as it intends to 'move away from skirts being a part of the girls' uniform'. It said: 'While there is no legal demand for us to consult on uniform changes, we wholly recognise that it is important that any such decisions are not made in isolation. We had a formal listening period that anyone was able to respond to. 'We have worked closely with the student council, staff have been given an opportunity to have their say and it has been discussed at the relevant levels in our governance structure. 'We even extended our original listening period to allow more parents to share their views. In fact, the type of trousers that students will wear has also been decided by the students themselves. 'We are sorry that a small number of people do not agree with this uniform change, but it is a decision that we have had significant support for. It is also something that has worked well at other schools.' The move towards trousers for all students is not uncommon, and several other schools have faced backlash for the policy. The Telegraph reported in 2019 that Priory School in Lewes, East Sussex, had introduced a similar change, requiring all students to wear trousers from Year 7 in order to create a gender-neutral uniform. Similarly, Huttoft Primary and Nursery School in Lincolnshire removed a red gingham dress from its uniform, originally saying it was to create a gender-neutral uniform. Following a backlash, it claimed it was to 'reduce costs for parents'.
