Latest news with #survivor
CBS News
17 hours ago
- CBS News
Community in Chester, Pennsylvania, welcomes home 8-year-old hit-and-run survivor with hero's celebration
An 8-year-old boy who survived a devastating hit-and-run crash received a hero's welcome home Monday morning in Chester, Pennsylvania. Ny'Leek Ellison, who was left paralyzed from the neck down and now breathes with the help of a ventilator, returned home after spending five months in the hospital. Dozens of community members — family, friends, first responders and complete strangers lined the streets with balloons, posters and cheers to celebrate his remarkable strength. "I don't have words to say — it's spectacular," his father, Micah Ellison, said. "We've been waiting for this day." The hit-and-run happened on Feb. 4 at the intersection of 9th and Tilghman streets, as Ny'Leek was getting off a SEPTA bus. He was critically injured, and the driver was arrested weeks later. The case is still awaiting trial. Despite the trauma, Ny'Leek's journey has captured the hearts of people far beyond Chester. "When this tragedy struck, it shook our city," Ashley Dorsey, a mother from Newport, Delaware, who is originally from Chester, said. "I grew up in this community and I knew that this family needed the community." The moment Ny'Leek came home was filled with joy and emotion. "I was waiting," Ny'Leek told CBS News Philadelphia. When asked about the best part of being home, he smiled and said: "Seeing my dog." City officials also joined the celebration. "He's a strong kid," Chester Councilman Fred Green said. "I look forward to great things from him. I'm praying for him. People not only in Chester, but across the world, is praying for Ny'Leek." Adding to the celebration, Ny'Leek shared a song he wrote, his own superhero anthem inspired by his favorite character, Spiderman. "The stage that Ny'Leek Ellison is in right now, that's not for the rest of his life," his mother, Anita Carrington, said. "That's what God told me." As Ny'Leek continues his long journey of healing, his community is making one thing clear: He won't be doing it alone.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I died and saw inside the pits of hell when I passed over... before the most astonishing thing happened
A woman who nearly died in a car accident revealed how she traveled to hell and detailed the terrifying ordeal that unfolded. Yoga Premananda, from Florida, nearly met her demise in 2003 while driving from to meet a friend in . Your browser does not support iframes.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Moment ex-wife of Tory MP breaks down in tears as she recalls moment he 'nearly strangled her to death' in their living room in horrifying campaign of 'rape and abuse'
A former Conservative MP has revealed the moment she thought she was going to die while being strangled by her politician husband who abused her for ten years. Kate Kniveton suffered a horrifying campaign of violence from Andrew Griffiths before battling a court ruling that he should still have direct contact with their child. She told a new ITV documentary last night that her husband, also a former Tory MP who was the small business minister, would 'erupt' and attack her 'with no warning'. Ms Kniverton added that he sexually assaulted in her sleep, screamed at their baby and used his power and position to silence her during a legal battle after their split. Breaking down in tears as she recalled one attack in their living room, the former Burton MP told how they had been sitting on the sofa watching TV at the time. Speaking during 'Breaking the Silence: Kate's Story', Ms Kniverton said: 'He just went for me and he actually ended up kneeling over me with his hands round my neck on the sofa. And I can remember at that point, I didn't think he was going to let go. 'He was strong, I was no match. And I can remember all I could think about at that point was my parents, because I didn't think he was going to stop. 'He's out there, he's in the newspapers every day, he's working hard, helping people. Every time I'd said I'm going to go to the police, 'They won't believe you Kate, who's going to believe you?' You'd think, actually he's right, who is going to believe me?' Andrew Griffiths and Kate Kniveton at the Houses of Parliament after marrying in 2013 Ms Kniverton claimed her husband also told her: 'I'm the MP here. I've got a great relationship with the police - they all think I'm the blue-eyed boy.' During the documentary, she also shed light on the workings of the family courts, where an estimated 30,000 cases each year involve domestic abuse allegations. Ms Kniverton said: 'People don't think that it can happen to middle class, professional people. Domestic abuse has no boundaries. It can affect absolutely anybody.' A family court ruling in 2021 found that Mr Griffiths had – on the balance of probabilities – pressurised Ms Kniveton into engaging in sexual activity as well as raping her multiple times and used 'coercive and controlling behaviour' against her. The ruling on child contact was overturned the following year by a High Court judge, after Ms Kniveton's lawyer argued the previous judge was 'wrong to order direct contact'. She also said the previous judge failed to 'consider the short, medium, and long-term harm of contact on the mother and the child', and failed to consider Mr Griffiths' 'capacity to appreciate the effect of past domestic abuse'. In early 2024, Mr Griffiths made a bid for weekly supervised contact with their child, who he previously saw once per week via videolink for 30 minutes. But a High Court judge ruled he could have no direct contact with his child in the 'reasonably short term', saying it would be in the child's best interests to only have contact with their father through letters for that period of time. The judge said Mr Griffiths - who was the Burton MP from 2010 until Ms Kniverton took over the seat in 2019 - had accepted most of the findings made against him, except the finding that he had raped Ms Kniveton. When asked to respond to the new programme, Mr Griffiths told ITV Exposure: 'I have always denied the allegations made. The family court has a much lower burden of proof and has always been private and confidential. 'The family court has failed our child. Publication of salacious allegations can only harm the children. Every child has the right to have both parents in their lives. 'I will never stop fighting to be a father to my child, and to demonstrate to them just how much I love them.' Most domestic abuse victims who go to a family court in an attempt to protect their children cannot reveal any details of what happens during a hearing, with the threat of a two-year prison sentence for contempt. But in Ms Kniveton's case, journalists Louise Tickle and Brian Farmer fought all the way up to the Court of Appeal for more than a year to publish details of the case, and succeeded in being able to name Andrew Griffiths in the public interest. This means Ms Kniveton's case is unusual in that she is able to tell her story. But she said: 'I am traumatised, not just by the ten years of abuse I experienced, but by the following five years in which he continued to use the legal system to abuse me.' And her family court barrister Dr Charlotte Proudman added: 'It's very common when there are convictions of domestic abuse related offences for (a parent) to be allowed regular unsupervised contact with a child… children have been killed on the family court's watch. And some of those judges are still sitting.' The programme followed Ms Kniveton as she met with other high-achieving women whose outward success masked abuse at home – looking at how abusers use tactics such as love-bombing and coercive control to isolate, manipulate and trap their partners. One GP called Seema told her: 'People often ask, how did you get yourself into that situation? You know, you're a doctor, you should be able to recognise it. 'But it's incredibly difficult when it's happening to you because it's so insidious, it's so erosive. It starts off small and then it escalates. And, I think, before you know it, you're really in the thick of it.' Another survivor, Laura, who is a high-ranking police officer, said that she felt unable to confide in anyone at work, adding: 'Explaining all that to another police officer - It's embarrassing.' Ms Kniverton met a woman called Amy who said she had spent a decade fighting to protect her children from her dangerous ex-partner – whom was allowed to see the children unsupervised despite being violent towards them. She also spoke with Jess Phillips MP, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls, to look at what reforms could better protect survivors and their children. Ms Philllips said: 'So much of what happens in the domestic abuse space is so hidden from the public's view. 'I think if people knew half of what you and I have seen, there'd be pitchforks… there is absolutely loads to do — it's so ingrained, whether it's in the court system or how councils commission local refuge and support services.' A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'Any case involving the death of a child is a tragedy, and our sincere condolences go out to the families [affected]. 'We will see where improvements can be made to the Family Court system to help prevent these awful crimes.' The department also said work is ongoing to ensure the family courts are safe for children and families, highlighting a pilot project called Pathfinder which aims to improve outcomes in private law cases.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lone Survivor of Air India Crash Still 'Dreams He Is on the Flight,' Relative Says: 'He Remembers Seeing Everyone Die'
NEED TO KNOW Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the only survivor of the Air India plane crash, "dreams he is on the flight" when he sleeps, according to a relative "He remembers seeing everyone die in front of his eyes," the family memeber said of the lone crash survivor The London-bound plane crashed shortly after takeoff in India on June 12, resulting in the deaths of 241 people, including Vishwash's brotherThe only survivor from the Air India plane crash relives the events of that day every night, according to his family member. On June 12, a London-bound Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff in India, resulting in the deaths of 241 people — 229 of the 230 passengers on board, as well as all 12 crew members. There was only one survivor: a passenger named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. A month has passed since Vishwash, a 40-year-old British citizen, was hospitalized for the injuries he sustained in the crash, which killed his older brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh. But the horrors of that day are still fresh in his mind, one of his relatives told Metro UK. Krunal Keshave, whom Metro UK identified as a 'family member' of Vishwash from Leicester, England, told the British outlet that Vishwash 'can't sleep at night.' 'He sleeps but doesn't sleep properly,' Keshave said. 'When he sleeps, he dreams he is on the flight. He remembers seeing everyone die in front of his eyes.' 'He speaks, but he doesn't speak about the crash,' Keshave continued. 'He is currently trying to have a normal life, but he is not going out too much.' The crash survivor, his relative added, 'is spending time at home with the family.' Vishwash was visiting family in India with his brother Ajay, 45, and was returning to the United Kingdom when the crash occurred, he previously told The Hindustan Times. He was hospitalized with 'impact injuries' to his chest, eyes and feet following the crash, according to the outlet. The British national was later released from the hospital on June 17 after five days, The Guardian, BBC News and Sky News reported at the time. The day after his release, he helped carry his brother Ajay's coffin during the funeral in the Indian town of Diu, per the outlets. While he was still in the hospital, Vishwash recalled the moments leading up to the crash that killed his brother — Ajay was sitting just a few rows away on the fatal flight — while speaking with The Hindustan Times. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed,' he told the outlet from his hospital bed. 'It all happened so quickly." "When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran," Vishwash continued. "There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital." Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Lottie endured months of rape and abuse as a teenager from her first ever boyfriend before finally breaking free. But when he asked to meet her to say sorry, he inflicted unimaginable horrors upon her...
When she was 14, Lottie Mears got her first ever boyfriend. Like many teenagers, she was happy and excited, sharing her days with Riley Kirk in Grangemouth, central Scotland. The pair had met on Snapchat and bonded over their love of basketball. Snapchat messages escalated to phone calls and soon the pair were meeting up in person and calling themselves a couple. Then one day, Lottie invited Kirk to her house for the first time and everything changed. Kirk, then 14, cornered her in her garage, and forced himself on her and raped her. Afterwards he told her she was 'just annoyed because she had sex she didn't like'. Blaming herself, Lottie was left confused, but after a series of attacks, they split. The following year, Kirk called Lottie, claiming to want to apologise for the abuse. Yet, when they met, he grabbed her breasts, groped her intimately and forcefully kissed her. This month, Kirk, now 20, was jailed for eight years with an extended period of three years, for multiple counts of rape and sexual assault against four women including Lottie. Now, Lottie is bravely waiving her anonymity to encourage other survivors to come forward. Recounting the first attack, Lottie, now aged 19, exclusively told Femail: 'I was mortified and couldn't believe what was happening to me. 'Then, without a word, Riley walked back into the house, like it was nothing.' Lottie Mears (right aged 14) got her first ever boyfriend as a teen. He raped and attacked her. Riley Kirk is pictured in his mugshot left, now aged 20 The pair had met on Snapchat and bonded over their love of basketball. Snapchat messages escalated to phone calls and soon the pair were meeting up in person and calling themselves a couple. Lottie is pictured now Lottie, met Kirk in October 2019 when she was 14 after he added her on Snapchat. The pair got chatting and hit it off and after hours on the phone they decided to meet up. They began dating and one day, she invited him along with some friends, to her house where she lived with her granddad. 'We had a few drinks but Riley was quiet and not socialising with my friends. 'Wanting to cheer him up, I suggested we play a game of basketball in my garden. A sport we both loved.' Only, as they entered the garage to look for the ball, Kirk tried to initiate sex. 'He started to kiss me and his hand moved downwards. 'I told him I wasn't ready but he forcefully pushed me into a table, before grabbing my hips roughly. 'When he yanked down my trousers, I started to cry.' As Kirk forced himself on Lottie, she told him 'no' and 'stop' over and over. When he finishing raping her, he forced her to her knees and made her perform a sex act on him. Disturbed by the attack, Lottie blamed herself as Kirk acted normal in front of Lottie's friends. She wondered if she was clear enough with her protests. 'I thought I might be to blame. 'Did I not stress enough that I didn't want to have sex? 'I was confused why he wanted to hurt me.' The following morning, Lottie confronted Kirk. Yet, he acted confused. Claimed they'd just had 'sex'. Lottie was stunned. 'He made me feel like I was overreacting, that maybe relationship consent was different. 'I was embarrassed so didn't bring it up again.' A week later, when they met again, Kirk started acting 'weird'. He tripped her up at a youth disco and pinged a tree branch in her face. One day, while Lottie waited to get the bus home, he grabbed her roughly and kissed her again. 'He was really aggressive and forceful, ' Lottie explained. 'He left a bruise on my arm. 'I was so scared, and fed up of his mind games.' A month later, the couple split. But in February 2020, Kirk reached out to her on FaceTime. When Lottie saw he was with another girl she snapped. She says: 'I lost it on the phone to him, screaming at him that he knew what he'd done to me. 'He laughed and said, "just because you had sex you didn't like"'. 'He was a monster.' After that, Lottie blocked him on social media. In June that year, Kirk messaged, asking if he could apologise to her for what had happened the night of the assault. Reluctantly she agreed, and they met on a grassland near her house. Lottie remembers: 'He wasn't remorseful at all and he didn't apologise. 'I told him he was wasting my time and went to leave.' With that, Kirk grabbed her by the arms and put his hand over her neck. Then he began to kiss her. Shocked, Lottie slapped him in the face. Raging, Kirk grabbed her by her breasts and moved his hand down below, groping her. When she shoved him off, he called her 'boring' and walked off. Lottie says: 'I was frozen for a few minutes trying to process what had just happened. 'As I made my way home, I threw up. 'I was disgusted that he'd abused me again.' In the years that followed, Lottie spiralled. She dropped out of school aged 16 and began drinking heavily and even developed an eating disorder. It took Lottie until March 2022 to report Kirk to the police after confiding in a new partner about his attacks. But she was told the case couldn't be taken forward, due to 'lack of evidence'. Six months later, Lottie discovered another girl had reported Kirk for abuse and an investigation was launched. Shockingly, Kirk had even raped an 18-year-old while out on bail. Two years on, in May this year, Lottie bravely gave her evidence at court. At the High Court Edinburgh, Kirk was convicted of six charges involving rape and sexual assault against four victims. He was jailed for eight years with a probation period of three years. He will be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register. Sentencing, the judge, Lord Harrower, said: 'The social worker has highlighted aspects of your offending that suggest a high level of planning. 'These include the use of social media to facilitate offline harmful sexual behaviour, and the deployment of strategies to be alone with your victims in order to avoid being disturbed and to ensure your offending would go unnoticed.' 'You are still only 20. 'I have taken your youth and immaturity into account when accessing culpability, just as I do your victims' youth and immaturity when assessing harm. 'have been provided with victim impact statements from three of the young women you raped. 'They explain the significant effect which your attacks have had on their mental health, their education and employment, and ultimately their hopes for the future. 'It is a reasonable assumption that your other victim will have suffered similar harm.' Lottie added: 'I was relieved the fight was finally over. I felt I could breathe again. 'Riley silenced me for too long and now I'm shouting from the rooftops about the monster he is.' 'For years, I thought Riley would get away with what he did to me. 'I was made to believe it was my fault. 'But, after six years, I finally have my justice. 'Now I want others to know they will be believed and see their abusers punished.'
