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UAE Moments
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- UAE Moments
Five Books to Read If You're Waiting for Wednesday Season 2
While fans eagerly await the return of Wednesday Season 2, the craving for gothic aesthetics, creepy mysteries, and fierce female leads is stronger than ever. Luckily, these five books offer all the dark academia, haunted pasts, and sarcastic charm that Wednesday fans love. Whether it's a cursed school or a deadly legacy, these stories are filled with secrets you'll want to uncover. 1. The Harrowing by Kristen Kiesling Set in a training academy for young mediums, The Harrowing follows a teen girl recruited to communicate with the dead. As she uncovers more than just ghosts, she's pulled into a deadly conspiracy. Full of paranormal intrigue and a gritty heroine, it's perfect for those missing the mystery and otherworldliness of Nevermore Academy. 2. Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé In this haunting thriller, a new student arrives at a mysterious boarding school only to find herself drawn into a deadly disappearance. The toxic friendships, secret societies, and suspenseful twists make this a must-read for fans of Wednesday 's sinister school drama and shadowy secrets. 3. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik Set in the Scholomance, a magical school where survival is not guaranteed, A Deadly Education introduces us to Galadriel 'El' Higgins—a prickly, powerful outcast with dark magic and even darker wit. Sound familiar? If you adore Wednesday Addams' sharp sarcasm and loner energy, El is your next favorite protagonist. 4. The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl A group of girls investigates their classmate's death at an elite academy—and realizes they're living twisted versions of fairy tales. With a murder mystery at its core and dark magic creeping in, this book brings together queer representation, fantasy, and gothic vibes reminiscent of Wednesday 's eerie universe. 5. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow This Southern gothic tale revolves around a cursed house, a strange guardian, and a girl who can't seem to stay away. Full of haunting atmosphere and buried secrets, Starling House is for those who loved the dark, almost fairytale-like undertones in Wednesday and want to wander into another world that's both magical and menacing. If you're counting down the days until Wednesday returns to Nevermore, these five books will give you the twisted plots, sharp heroines, and eerie atmospheres you've been missing. Dive into these hauntingly brilliant reads and keep the creepy, clever spirit of Wednesday alive until Season 2 hits your screen.
Times
10-07-2025
- Health
- Times
Drugs binge at top private school left me psychotic, says ex-pupil
A former pupil of a top private boarding school is suing for £145,000 after claiming she suffered a drug-induced psychotic episode and post-traumatic stress disorder when older pupils supplied her with drugs. Irune Pedrayes, now 19, claims she developed PTSD after older male students at Buckswood School near Hastings, East Sussex, supplied her with mephedrone-laced vape liquid when she was 14. She has claimed the school, which charges up to £34,000 a year and teaches 11 to 19-year-olds, failed in its duty of care after she was 'high all weekend' after consuming drugs and alcohol on the school grounds without intervention. Meghann McTague, representing Pedrayes at the High Court in London, said her client was a 'vulnerable' pupil with additional needs, who should have received better pastoral care. 'The claimant spent that whole weekend — Friday, Saturday and Sunday — consuming a Class B drug that was supplied to her by older boys at the school, and drinking alcohol that was also supplied to her,' the barrister told Judge Geraint Webb KC. 'The drug use took place on the rugby pitch at the school. She was with four other students from the school. Nobody discovered these students. Nobody noticed, despite attending mealtimes and at bedtime, that she was high all weekend.' Pedrayes, who is from Spain, had no prior experience with drugs, the court was told. She was introduced to 'magic' — a vape fluid containing the Class B drug mephedrone — by sixth-form boys who ordered it online and had it delivered to the school, McTague said. She added that 'another pupil had reported' that Pedrayes had been supplied with the drug. Pedrayes was later hospitalised after she suffered an extended 'psychotic outbreak' due to the drugs, with symptoms including hallucinations, anxiety and tearfulness. The teenager's behaviour reportedly deteriorated after the hospitalisation. She was involved in another drug-related incident and withdrew from the school in November 2019. Her parents were unaware of what she had consumed and her breakdown continued for weeks until she left the school to return to Spain. There, she was treated with anti-psychotic medication but was left with PTSD, heightened anxiety and a greater risk of mental health problems in later life, the court heard. Her parents were told 'only that she had used a vape and that she was going to be given a smoker's reform sanction', said McTague. She added: 'Her psychosis was left untreated until she was later threatened with expulsion by the school and returned to Spain.' McTague said the school's pastoral system was inadequate and contributed to her client's long-term psychological harm. She pointed to a 2019 Ofsted report that highlighted 'recent concerns about students using drugs' at the school. 'The claimant submits that this was far from a 'one-off' isolated incident,' she said. 'Older students were having drugs delivered to the school and were able to use them in groups on the school premises with younger children. There was an endemic problem of substance abuse and a culture of tolerance.' The school accepted that Pedrayes experienced a psychotic episode as a result of the incident but denied liability. Lawyers for the school argued that anti-drug policies were in place and enforced, and that the institution took drug use seriously. Nigel Edwards, representing Buckswood School, said the school denied breaching the duty of care owed to Pedrayes and that she had been made aware of the school's ban on drugs and alcohol. 'The defendant avers that it complied with its obligations and put in place risk assessments, systems and rules to educate, discourage and try to prevent pupils accessing drugs,' he said. 'Staff were available night and day within the boarding house. School rules were in place expressly prohibiting illicit drugs.' Edwards added that staff 'could and did' search pupils and their rooms as part of the school's behaviour policy. 'The seriousness with which the school approached illicit drugs can be demonstrated by the willingness of the school to contact the local police about drugs issues, test and suspend pupils found to have taken drugs and bring in dog teams to check the premises,' he said. Part of Pedrayes' case is that there were 'clear safeguarding risks' relating to her, including 'impulsive and negative behaviour', but that she had been instead treated by the school simply as a 'badly behaved child'. However, Kevin Samson, principal of Buckswood School, told the court that there was no evidence that Pedrayes was a 'cause for concern' regarding drugs or vaping and there was adequate supervision in place for pupils. He said the school did not tell the parents about the incident because a urine test produced a negative result. 'It's not realistic to have a member of staff next to every child 24 hours a day,' he added. The court also heard that Pedrayes suffered with 'psychological problems' while living in Spain and had failed a year at school before moving to the UK. Following a two-day trial, Judge Webb reserved his decision on the case until a later date.
Telegraph
04-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Family run private school shuts after Labour tax raid
A family run boarding school has blamed the 'buffeting headwinds' of Labour's tax raid as it closed its doors after more than 150 years. The directors of Woodcote House School in Windlesham, Surrey, said its demise was 'inevitable' owing to the imposition of VAT on school fees and burden of increased National Insurance. The all-boys prep school, which counts Supertramp's Roger Hodgson among its alumni, had been run by the Paterson family since 1931, though the site has been a boarding school since 1854. Oliver Paterson, the headmaster, is the fifth generation of the family to lead the school. Delivering the 'very sad news' in a letter to pupils, parents and old boys, the school said its reserves had been 'bled dry' but vowed not to go out with a whimper. Directors Nick, David and Rowan Paterson wrote: 'The school has overcome several challenges over the years, but the cruel combination of buffeting headwinds we are facing now has worn us down to a situation where the school is no longer sustainable. 'Pupil numbers have been on the slide for a while, showing an even steeper decline in the current financial climate, and sadly the take-up for the pre-prep has not been sufficient to make it feasible.' It comes after figures last month revealed private school pupil numbers had tumbled by more than 11,000 in England following Labour's VAT raid on fees – four times more than government forecasts. The directors said the imposition of VAT on school fees, while not affecting Woodcote House's finances directly, had 'alarmed several families and contributed to a sharp fall in interest for September'. The school also cited an exponential rise in the regulatory demands imposed on its old building, the burden of increased National Insurance contributions and plummeting birthrate in the UK. 'The school's reserves – never healthy as historically any profit has been ploughed back into the school – have been bled dry,' the directors said, adding: 'We certainly don't intend to creep our way shamefaced towards early July, and all the usual summer highlights – speech day, chapel, cricket teas, concerts, drama, leavers' trips, and so on – will be very much on the agenda.' The directors thanked parents past and present for their 'enormous confidence and commitment' over the years for which the Paterson family would be 'forever grateful'. 'We hope very much that you and your children will look back on your association with us with warmth and affection,' the directors signed off. Roger Hodgson, the renowned co-founder of British rock band Supertramp, is said to have first picked up the guitar and formed his debut band, H-bombs, with a classmate at the school. In an interview with the Edmonton Journal, he recalled being given his first guitar by his father to soften the blow of his parents' divorce and took the instrument with him to boarding school. 'Whenever I'd get the chance, I would play my guitar or the piano,' he said, adding: 'After 10 minutes I was gone and lost in the music. And that's when a lot of magic happened.' George Oliver, who said he attended aged seven from September 1988, wrote on Facebook: 'By providing a nurturing educational environment, it crafted generations of well rounded, respectful young boys, gently installing confidence in each and every one to go out and make the most of life. 'What an amazing educational product the Paterson family have provided over the generations. 'Thank you for your remarkable approach and commitment to schooling, you should be so proud, a fact that can be verified by each and every old boy portrait that adorns the hallowed walls.'
Irish Times
28-06-2025
- Irish Times
How did international drug gangs avoid police surveillance? South Dublin criminal Ciaran O'Sullivan helped them out
Nestled in the foothills of the Swiss alps with breathtaking views over Lake Geneva is Surval Montreux, a boarding school for girls which looks more like a luxury ski resort. Surval Montreux was founded as a finishing school where girls practised their table manners and curtsies before debuting in upper-class society. Today, it bills itself as an international boarding school 'dedicated to providing a holistic and enriching educational experience' to students while also teaching them etiquette as 'a core value.' Simply applying for a place costs about €8,000. After that, it costs almost €120,000 a year, not including optional extras such as ski trips and airport transfers. Students are almost universally children of the super rich. According to one source, it is not unusual for girls at the school to be accompanied by bodyguards. READ MORE Recent attendees include the two daughters of Irishman Ciaran 'Sam' O'Sullivan (50), a close associate of the Kinahan cartel and one of the main suppliers of encrypted phones to the European underworld. 'Ciaran O'Sullivan is renowned by multiple law enforcement agencies as a transnational drug trafficker with [organised crime groups] crime connections in Ireland, United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands,' a senior Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) officer told a High Court hearing this week during an application to seize his assets. [ Senior gardaí warn Kinahan cartel members of 'serious life choices' ahead Opens in new window ] O'Sullivan's route to the top of European organised crime is an unusual one. He was born to a wealthy family in South Dublin and was raised by his aunt in the upper-class suburb of Glenageary. 'The house is quite impressive', said one security source. He first came to significant Garda attention as a young man in the late nineties when he was observed by officers from the National Drugs Unit associating with drug trafficker Chris Casserly. He later started working with notorious gangland figure John Cunningham while developing his own reputation as a skilled drug trafficker, able to move large consignments of cannabis from North Africa into Europe under the noses of authorities. In the 2010s, European drugs gangs were seeking ways to avoid police surveillance of telephone communications. O'Sullivan was one of the first criminals to take advantage of this. In the early 2000s he began operating alongside Kinahan gang member Bernard Clancy who would go on to be sanctioned by the US authorities as part of their crackdown on the organised crime group. This led to O'Sullivan's first big conviction. Along with Clancy and Casserly, he was arrested in Spain with 1,200 kgs of cannabis. He was jailed for four years in 2003. On his release, O'Sullivan continued in the drug-trafficking business. He developed a network of contacts across Europe's criminal underworld and cemented his association with the Kinahan cartel. [ Fall of House of Kinahan? Dubai no longer criminal safe haven after Sean McGovern extradition Opens in new window ] He was particularly close with the gang's patriarch, Christy Kinahan Senior, who admired O'Sullivan's intelligence and level-headedness. However, sources say he was never a member of the gang – he was very much his own man who maintained independent operations and wealth as he moved between residences in the Netherlands, Spain and Ireland. Despite his reputation for intelligence, he continued to attract the attention of authorities in Ireland and elsewhere. In 2007, he was jailed for a month in the Netherlands in relation to the seizure of amphetamines, a firearm and a large amount of cash. In the 2010s, European drugs gangs were seeking ways to avoid police surveillance of telephone communications. O'Sullivan was one of the first criminals to take advantage of this. Things took a turn for the worse for O'Sullivan in 2020 when French and Dutch police managed to infiltrate EncroChat In 2016, he started sourcing EncroChat phones, which allowed criminals to communicate with each other with little chance of the authorities being able to eavesdrop. O'Sullivan became one of the main resellers of the phones in Europe, particularly to French criminals. Using the code name Shamrock, he operated from Haute Savoie, an idyllic part of the French alps just 80km across the border from the Swiss school where he would later send his children. One of his main subordinarates was Clontarf man Robert Noctor, who would later be caught by gardaí driving around with almost €100,000 in cash and several EncroChat phones. [ The Family business: Stop using corporate jargon to describe drug gangs Opens in new window ] O'Sullivan's EncroChat operation was a runaway success, significantly increasing his wealth and influence in the European underworld. However, he continued to make most of his income from his drug-trafficking operations. Things took a turn for the worse for O'Sullivan in 2020 when French and Dutch police managed to infiltrate EncroChat and gain access to huge amounts of data relating to organised crime. As a result, hundreds of criminals were arrested across the Continent and large consignments of drugs and weapons were taken off the streets over the following months. Information from the investigation was shared with the Garda and Cab, who used it to target a Chinese gang involved in large-scale money laundering in Ireland. The gang operated a kind of illicit international banking system which allowed Irish criminals to drop a consignment of money into Chinese takeaways in Dublin and later withdraw the same amount from another restaurant overseas. Millions of euro was laundered through the system by Irish criminals . These included O'Sullivan, who used the Chinese gang to launder the proceeds of his drug and encrypted phone business. Using information from the EncroChat operation, in June 2020 gardaí raided the home of O'Sullivan's aunt as well as his girlfriend, neither of whom are involved in criminality. They seized various types of new mobile phones along with encryption technology. Other items included luxury watches, a gold bullion coin and a Louis Vuitton briefcase containing payment details for the prestigious Swiss school. This week, as Cab applied to the High Court for confiscation of the items, they argued the school receipts were evidence of O'Sullivan enjoying a luxury lifestyle, despite having no obvious income. The judge agreed and ordered confiscation of the goods. O'Sullivan was not in court for the proceedings, having previously told Cab he had no intention of returning to Ireland. He continues to live a luxurious lifestyle and spends most of his time in Dubai – the centre of the Kinahan's operations – where he owns a luxury seaview apartment.
ABC News
26-06-2025
- ABC News
Ballarat Grammar parents accuse school of ignoring a toxic cycle of violence
Readers are advised this article includes details of bullying and violent abuse some may find distressing. When Louise and Michael (not their real names) sent their son to prestigious boarding school Ballarat Grammar, they expected a first-class education and a nurturing environment for young men worthy of the $50,000-a-year price tag. Instead, they allege, their son was subjected to physical abuse from other students in 2023 and 2024 as part of an "insidious" culture former students say has existed at Ballarat Grammar for decades. They're among 12 families the ABC has spoken to, all of whom allege a toxic culture that allowed their sons to be subjected to, or groomed to inflict, physical punishment on other students at the boarding school over the past three years. Some parents allege that Ballarat Grammar's reluctance to address the violence has created a vicious cycle in which some young students are victims until years 11 and 12, when they become perpetrators of the same abuse they endured. In December last year, it is alleged, Louise and Michael's son was awoken in his boarding house at 3.30am and lashed four times across his back with a belt. He was dragged from bed by four Year 12 students and taken with other students to Ballarat's Lake Wendouree. The bullied students were made to swim in the lake, then forced to eat dog food and sour milk. "Then were told to pair up and crab fight in the mud and the vomit from what they'd just consumed," Louise said. Several other parents corroborated Louise's allegations about what took place at the lake. A letter detailing this abuse was sent to Ballarat Grammar, but Michael and Louise said they received no response. "Someone needs to be accountable," Michael said. Louise said their son received between 150 and 200 lashings with a belt in his time at the school, was burnt on the leg with a heated coat hanger and thrown into ice-cold showers against his will. The 12 families the ABC has spoken to detailed similar abuse, including multiple accounts of boys whipped with belts, force-fed food that was off, and stripped naked and made to swim in Lake Wendouree in the dark. The ABC is aware that many incidents of abuse in the past three years were carried out on victims who later became perpetrators, continuing the cycle of abuse at Ballarat Grammar. The ABC is also aware of at least 10 families engaged in separate legal action against the school over alleged abuse dating back to the 1970s. Lawyer Angela Sdrinis said her law firm "has acted for a number of former students of Ballarat Grammar who allege abuse by teachers and other students". "The evidence from our clients is that Ballarat Grammar has had a problem with child-on-child abuse since at least the late '70s," Ms Sdrinis said. Jane (not her real name) said she put her son in the care of Ballarat Grammar for the past several years and the school did not keep him safe. She alleged that, over the past two years, her son was subjected to false imprisonment and physically assaulted with rocks, with most assaults taking place "after students were stripped of clothes and blindfolded". She said her son alleged that two staff members were known to be in rooms when students were choking on food and vomiting as a result of bullying and did nothing about it. "They walked straight past," Jane said. In February, reports emerged of allegations of student-on-student abuse at the school, prompting an independent inquiry into its culture. Ballarat police say their investigation into alleged assaults at Ballarat Grammar's boarding facilities in 2023 and 2024 is ongoing. This week, Ballarat Grammar launched its third investigation in five months into allegations of "serious misconduct" in its boys' boarding houses. The "independent staff investigation" was instigated because "new information has come to light as part of our internal processes" and "during the investigation some staff members may not be on campus", the school said. "Not one staff member has been held accountable for this," Jane alleged. "Ballarat Grammar allowed a culture of violence, [and] now we as a family suffer the consequences. "Ballarat Grammar has failed in their duty of care." The Victorian Registration and Quality Authority is investigating Ballarat Grammar's boarding licence. The ABC has seen a letter from Ballarat Grammar sent to families in February offering support to children, which said it had "engaged Ballarat Psychology Clinic to provide telehealth appointments immediately". Headmaster Adam Heath defended the school's efforts to improve its culture and said changes recommended during a review of boarding practices by boys education expert, retired teacher Bradley Fenner had already occurred. "Through both investigations and feedback from students, parents and staff, it became clear that a broader cultural shift was also needed," Mr Heath said in a statement. "We have already implemented 31 of the 32 key actions following recommendations from the Bradley Fenner report." He said he acknowledged the seriousness and sensitivity of reports to the school this year and said that when concerns were raised, "the school acted immediately". The actions include stronger supervision and staffing, enhanced training and oversight, upgraded security, and improved communication, reporting, cultural education and leadership. The one remaining recommendation was to rebuild or "significantly reconfigure" one of the boarding houses, which is instead being considered by the school "in the context of longer-term infrastructure planning". Minister for Education Ben Carroll told the ABC bullying and disrespectful behaviour was "unacceptable" in any Victorian school. "All schools are expected to have strong policies and procedures in place to address incidents of violence or bullying, including reporting these incidents to the relevant authorities," Mr Carroll said. The minister did not answer questions about whether broader policy changes and oversight were needed for independent schools. Farmer Amity Latham attended Ballarat Grammar and sent her two children to live and study there. But in January she removed her son from the school after reports of student-on-student abuse at the boarding house. Since then she has clocked up more than 4,000 kilometres in the past two months to get specialist treatment for her son as a result of his abuse. "Our families worked really closely with the school and provided them with the information that they sought and we really hope that the reports and the findings and the recommendations lead to much better outcomes for rural communities and farming families like ours," she said. "It's imperative that boarding schools are accountable for best practice child safety policies to prevent increasing pressure on an already fragile rural health care sector." Other parents have been less forgiving in their assessment of the process. Sandra (not her real name) is the mother of a current student allegedly abused at Ballarat Grammar. She said someone from the school had to take accountability for the culture, instead of expelling and making scapegoats of the students. "They punished the very students who had already endured a toxic boarding house culture, one where new boarders were often faced with an impossible choice: take part in dangerous, humiliating dares or submit to strapping, or suffer complete social exclusion from their peers. "It was an epic failure on the school's behalf." Journalist Michael Short was a boarder at Ballarat Grammar in 1976 and said he experienced serious mental and physical abuse. "It was a culture of bastardry," Mr Short said. Mr Short said he received a settlement from the school, mostly related to the abuse he suffered from priests and teachers, but also from fellow students. But that's not the case for former student Renato Manius, who was a boarder at Ballarat Grammar from 2003 to 2007. He has chosen not to take legal action, but said the school had never taken accountability for the bullying he endured. Mr Renato remembers being woken at 4am in the first week of his first year at the school. "They made us watch that for about 20 minutes [then] they would then turn the lights on and shame those that were aroused. "[We] were very young kids, confused and frightened." Mr Manias is angry the abuse is continuing 20 years later. "I've been in contact with some students that were [boarding] with me," he said. "They haven't been able to fulfil their potential after school because they were aggressively bullied during those years, and that had pushed them to the path of alcoholism and drugs."
