Children's Minister Katherine Zappone has said the State Commission has found no physical or documentary evidence of systematic burials at Bessborough, but considers that it is highly likely that burials took place there.Speaking at a press conference to mark the publication of the fifth interim report by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, Dr Zappone said many people will be disappointed by the lack of answers to the many questions they have.The Commission did not consider it feasible to excavate the full 60 acres involved, let alone the rest of the 200-acre estate on which the there has been extensive building work since the institution closed, she said.The interim report states that it seems to have been assumed that children who died in the institution were buried in a small burial ground in the grounds of Bessborough. The report says: "The vast majority of children who died in Bessborough are not buried there; it seems that only one child is buried there. … [Read more...] about Mother and Baby Home report: Only one child out of 900 who died in Bessborough is buried there
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Couple’s sea home vision sunk by Thai navy charges
An American bitcoin investor could face the death penalty after Thailand's navy accused him of violating the country's sovereignty by building a "seastead" home off the coast, which he insisted was simply in pursuit of a vision of "freedom". Chad Elwartowski and his Thai girlfriend Supranee Thepdet, known as "Bitcoin Girl Thailand", are facing charges of threatening the kingdom's independence after authorities found their ocean-based home about 12 nautical miles from shore. But Elwartowski told AFP their home was 13 nautical miles out, which he said is just outside Thailand's territorial waters. An official complaint was filed to a Phuket police station, police colonel Nikorn Somsuk confirmed Wednesday. "The navy and its team... found a concrete tank floating on the sea but there was no one on it," Nikorn told AFP. "So they filed a charge citing criminal code article 119." If they are officially charged and found guilty, the maximum sentence Elwartowski and Supranee could face is the … [Read more...] about Couple’s sea home vision sunk by Thai navy charges
Wigan couple fled home as shed fire spread to flats
A Wigan couple was forced to evacuate their home in the middle of the night after a huge shed fire spread to a nearby block of flats. At around 3am today (Wednesday), firefighters were called to Silverdale Avenue in Ince to reports of a shed fire.The blaze, which is believed to have been started deliberately, was so big that by the time crews arrived, the flames had spread to a nearby block of flats.Due to the intensity of the heat, the windows in two of the flats had smashed and the fascias and guttering were in flames.Two of the apartments were unoccupied but the tenants of another flat had been in bed at the time the fire broke out and had managed to escape to the street outside.Watch manager Mark Anderson said: “It was quite a noisy fire, a lot of wood popping and glass smashing.“It was so fierce that it had smashed some of the windows.“The woman had woken up and seen what was happening. She woke her boyfriend and the two were able to get out.“It had the … [Read more...] about Wigan couple fled home as shed fire spread to flats
Fiance left video messages before he was found hanged in couple’s future home
A Swansea man who took his own life after struggling with depression left a series of video messages on his mobile phone, an inquest has heard. Warren Evans, who was engaged to girlfriend Sophie Lewis, was found at the couple's partly-renovated home in Sketty on November 3, 2018. In a police report read out at the inquest, held on Friday, April 12, it was heard there were a series of video messages recorded over the three days before his death, in which Mr Evans said he didn't know what he was going to do. He said he was struggling with his mental health and didn't think he would be able to recover. During the recorded messages, Mr Evans said nobody was to blame for how he was feeling, including his doctor, and he couldn't stand it any longer. Senior coroner, Mr Colin Phillips, addressing the inquest at Swansea Civic Centre, said he thought the messages were intended for Mr Evans' family. A post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death was from hanging. More about inquests: … [Read more...] about Fiance left video messages before he was found hanged in couple’s future home
Vulnerable OAPs ‘being EVICTED from care homes to shut down families’ complaints over abuse’
VULNERABLE residents are being turfed out of care homes less than a month after families voice fears about how they're being treated, it's been claimed. Campaigners have blasted the so-called "revenge evictions" which providers use to shut down accusations of neglect and abuse, The Express reports. It's not clear how big the scale of the problem is, but experts say huge amounts of distress is being caused because OAPs are losing their accommodation on short notice, even in cases where they have complicated care requirements. And although laws exist to stop tenants being put on the streets, there is no equivalent protection for care home residents.'MORALLY BANKRUPT' Jayne Connery, founder of Care Campaign for the Vulnerable, said: "The frequency of such malign and morally bankrupt behaviour is escalating. "Every single week I receive a complaint from a very agitated and anxious family telling me this is the course of action taken against their loved one." She added that while most … [Read more...] about Vulnerable OAPs ‘being EVICTED from care homes to shut down families’ complaints over abuse’