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PM Pledges £300m In Fight To Defeat Dementia

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 21 Februari 2015 | 14.43

More than £300m is to be spent over the next five years on research, medical trials and training to tackle dementia, the Prime Minister has announced.

David Cameron plans to set up an international dementia institute in England in a bid to make the UK a world leader for research and medical trials.

A separate multimillion-pound fund will be launched to help establish an international investment scheme to discover new drugs and treatments that could slow down the onset of dementia or even deliver a cure.

Some 1.3 million NHS workers, from surgeons to hospital porters, will be given training in how to give those with dementia the best possible standards of care.

Businesses and public services will be encouraged to offer greater understanding and support for people with the condition.

And a further three million volunteers are to be recruited to train as "dementia friends" to help care for sufferers. 

Mr Cameron said: "Dementia is one of the greatest challenges of our lifetime, and I am proud that we are leading the world in fighting it.

"Because of the growing strength of our economy, we can invest in research and drug development, as well as public understanding, so we defeat this terrible condition and offer more hope and dignity for those who suffer.

"That way, we can help make Britain a country that offers security in retirement for all."

Other pledges include having the majority of people in England living in "dementia friendly communities" by making shops, transport and other public places more accessible to people with the condition.

And initial dementia assessments by GPs will take place in an average of six weeks and will be followed by better onward support.

There are around 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK with the number expected to hit a million within the next 10 years.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Our researchers, staff and volunteers who are delivering support to people with dementia nationwide now sit as part of a national movement more than a million strong. Dementia Friends is truly changing attitudes and capturing the public's attention.

"Together we are transforming lives today and reaching out for preventative treatments and a cure tomorrow. This Government has rightly prioritised dementia.

"We would all acknowledge the work that remains to be done, but the PM deserves credit for the phenomenal achievement in getting dementia on the national and global agenda and this has resulted in significant progress."


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Race To Find Girls Feared To Be On Way To Syria

Three schoolgirls are feared to have run away from east London with plans to travel to Syria and join Islamic State.

Police said the close friends were last seen on Tuesday morning as they left their homes telling their families they would be out for the day.

Instead they met and travelled to Gatwick airport before boarding a Turkish Airlines flight, which landed at Istanbul that evening.

The three - Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and a third female aged 15 who is not being named at the request of her family - are pupils at Bethnal Green Academy and have been described as "straight-A students".

Metropolitan Police Commander Richard Walton said he was "extremely concerned" for their safety.

He revealed the runaways are good friends with another 15-year-old girl who fled to Syria in December.

"We are concerned about the numbers of girls and young women who have or are intending to travel to the part of Syria that is controlled by the terrorist group calling themselves Islamic State," Mr Walton said.

"It is an extremely dangerous place and we have seen reports of what life is like for them and how restricted their lives become.

"It is not uncommon for girls or women to be prevented from being allowed out of their houses or if allowed out, only when accompanied by a guardian.

"The choice of returning home from Syria is often taken away from those under the control of Islamic State, leaving their families in the UK devastated and with very few options to secure their safe return."

Mr Walton added the teenagers' families were "devastated" but there was a "good chance" the girls were still in Turkey.

All three have mobile phones, and police are using Turkish media and social media in the hopes of reaching them.

Salman Farsi, spokesman for their local East London Mosque, said: "They have been misled. I do not know what was promised to them. It is just sad. We have not had anything like this before in our community.

"I think the girls need to know they have done nothing wrong. They have been manipulated."

A family friend of one of the missing girls told Sky News: "It's really sad what has happened.

"Maybe they need to educate people more, tell them about the risks of going to Syria, that it's not safe out there."

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The idea of 15-year-old British schoolgirls setting off to Syria is very disturbing, and shows that more action is urgently needed to stop young people being drawn into extremism and conflict, and to help families and communities who are trying to counteract extremist recruitment messages."

The number of Westerners who have travelled to Iraq and Syria to join IS is thought to be about 3,000, including as many as 550 women, according to the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

Former Metropolitan Police border control officer Chris Hobbs told Sky News that checks for people departing from UK airports made it a "walk in the park for jihadis and girls like this" to leave.

"At the moment you go through security, you get on the plane, you might be checked by a private security guard," he said.

"Unless you're very unlucky you won't pass under the eyes of anyone from UK law enforcement.

"If you're on a watch list then you will ping the system. If you're not on the radar then the odds are you will get on the plane without too many problems."

Police have released descriptions of the girls: 

:: Shamima Begum, 15

Shamima is around 5ft 7in tall and was wearing black, thick-rimmed glasses, a black hijab, a light brown and black leopard-print scarf, a dark red jumper, black trousers and jacket.

She was carrying a dark blue cylindrical holdall with white straps. She is a British national of Bangladeshi heritage and speaks English with a London accent. She also speaks Bengali.

:: Kadiza Sultana, 16

Kadiza is described as 5ft 6in tall and slim, and was wearing black-rimmed glasses, a long black jacket with a hood, grey striped scarf, grey jumper, dark red trousers and was carrying a black holdall.

She is a British national of Bangladeshi heritage and speaks English with a London accent. She also speaks Bengali.

:: Third Missing Girl, 15

The third girl, who is not being named, is German but living in London. She is described as 5ft 6in tall and slim. She was wearing black, thick-rimmed glasses, a black head scarf, a long dark green jacket with a fur-lined hood, a light yellow long-sleeved top, black trousers and white trainers.

She was carrying a black Nike holdall. She speaks English and Amharic.


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Chelsea Suspends Three Fans Over Racist Chant

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 20 Februari 2015 | 14.43

Chelsea have suspended three supporters as the club investigates racist chanting and a black man being pushed on the Paris Metro.

The commuter, Sylla Souleymane, appeared to be stopped from getting on an underground train by fans travelling to a Champions League game against Paris St Germain.

The incident on Tuesday evening was captured on video, including a chant of "we're racist and that's the way we like it".

The club said three people had been suspended from its Stamford Bridge ground and that they would be banned for life if there was "sufficient evidence of their involvement in the incident".

Chelsea said it had received "substantial information" following an appeal for witnesses and an investigation was ongoing.

Mr Souleymane has said he thinks the fans who abused him should be jailed for their actions.

The 33-year-old told Le Parisien newspaper: "These people, these English fans, must be found, punished and must be locked up. What happened should not go unpunished."

He said he thought Chelsea and PSG should face sanctions because it was "also their fault".

The married father-of-three, who was born in Paris but grew up in the town of Val d'Oise, told Le Parisien the whole incident lasted about six or seven minutes.

He said: "I wanted to get into the carriage but a group of English fans blocked me and pushed me away.

"I understood that it was Chelsea fans and I made the connection with the PSG match. I understand also that they were attacking me because of the colour of my skin."

Mr Souleymane said it was not the first time he had been a victim of racism.

"You know, I live with racism. I was not really surprised by what happened to me even though it was the first time it had happened on the subway."

At one point, staff from the train company tried to intervene to prevent any fighting, but he said they were more concerned with making sure the trains ran on time.

"I took the next metro and went back home without telling anyone, not even my wife or kids," he added. "What would I have told my kids? That daddy was pushed in the Metro because he's black?"

Mr Souleymane said he did not know he was at the centre of an international scandal until the paper alerted him to the video.

He said: "I did not know I had been filmed. The fact that I am now talking about it will give me the courage to complain to the police."

Police in France said no arrests were made in relation to the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Since the video appeared on websites on Wednesday, the behaviour of the fans has been widely condemned across the French and English media, and by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.


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UK Soldier Leaves Base To Fight Islamic State

A serving British soldier has left his army base and travelled to fight with Kurdish forces against Islamic State in northern Iraq.

The 19-year-old serviceman said he was joining the Peshmerga in their battle against the extremists because he wanted to help them.

The man, who is not being named, told his parents of the news in a text message a couple of days ago and has informed friends he intends to spend a year in the region.

He travelled via Dubai - telling his family he was taking a holiday there - and is not officially AWOL as he is currently on leave.

However, an Army source said that if the soldier outstayed his period of leave he would face disciplinary action for going AWOL.

The soldier has been in the Army since leaving school at 16 and is known to have been been learning Arabic.

One text message to his family said: "I've gone to join the Kurds in Syria and Iraq. I'm with other British people and a Canadian at the moment.

"I don't know how to explain it to you but I really want and need to do this and I will be safe."

Another message said: "I have good skills and I can speak the language I can help these people and help with this fight."

And a third said: "I'm so sorry to put you through this but I do good, I will get in trouble for being AWOL but it's minor and no prison sentence."

His worried family have contacted Sky News. Correspondent Ashish Joshi said the soldier was "driven by his conviction that the Kurds need the help of the British, they need help with trained soldiers who can travel to the region".

"He speaks the language, he is travelling out there and he thinks he can make a difference to the cause."

Joshi added: "His mother is beside herself with worry. She wants him to be safe."

The soldier has said he intends to spend a year travelling between Iraq and Syria with Kurdish forces.

An Army spokesman said: "We are aware of reports and are investigating."

It is not the first time Britons have gone to fight with the Peshmerga.

Former public schoolboy Macer Gifford gave up a job in the City to sign up with Kurdish fighters battling IS in northern Syria.

And ex-soldiers Jamie Read and James Hughes told Sky News how they dodged bullets during chaotic patrols with Kurdish forces.

They also said they vowed to kill each other rather than get captured in a death pact.


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Man Arrested Over Becky Godden Murder

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 19 Februari 2015 | 14.43

A 51-year-old man has been arrested over the murder of Becky Godden, who went missing in 2002.

Miss Godden, 21, was killed and buried in a shallow grave on farmland at a Cotswold beauty spot, but her remains were not found until almost a decade after she disappeared.

Superintendent Sean Memory, of Wiltshire Police, said: "We can confirm that a 51-year-old man from Swindon was arrested today on suspicion of the murder of Becky Godden (also known as Rebecca Godden Edwards).

"He has been interviewed and inquiries continue."

The last sighting of Miss Godden was by a police officer on 27 December, 2002, in the Manchester Road area of Swindon.

In 2011, her remains were found buried in a field in East Leach, Gloucestershire.

In April 2014, a further bone was discovered at the crime scene.

Police have been continuing their investigation into her death in a bid to bring her killer to justice.

Officers have been handing out renewed appeal posters in the local area.

They have urged anyone who saw Miss Godden over Christmas 2002 and into the New Year to contact them.

Mr Memory has said: "We know that Becky was last seen on December 27 2002 and we need people to come forward with any information about where she was in early 2003. Did you see Becky over the New Year period?"

Miss Godden, who had turned to prostitution after becoming addicted to heroin, was not in contact with her family.

Her relatives had previously paid for private rehabilitation treatment in an effort to help her get off drugs.


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Thousands Risk Health Over Cosmetic Surgery

By Richard Suchet, Sky News Correspondent

Thousands of people are putting themselves at serious risk by "recklessly" rushing into having plastic surgery procedures.

The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) has launched a new campaign, Think Over Before You Make Over, urging people to think carefully before going under the knife.

Their research suggests nearly a quarter of all people having cosmetic surgery in the UK do not check their surgeon's credentials and over a fifth are not aware of the risks associated with their chosen procedure.

BAPRAS President and Consultant Plastic Surgeon Nigel Mercer told Sky News: "You would check your electrician's credentials. You would check your plumber's credentials. Why on Earth wouldn't you check your surgeon's credentials?

"Deals have an enormous impact on this market. We've seen Groupon deals for cosmetic surgery and it's mind-boggling when you think about that.

"You wouldn't go for cut price brain surgery or cut price gall bladder surgery - you would want the best that you can get.

"Cosmetic surgery is not something to be taken lightly and yet thousands of people are putting themselves at serious risk by rushing in to major procedures recklessly, without consideration for their own safety."

According to BAPRAS, those who rush into surgery usually regret it. 59% of patients who have an op less than two weeks after their first consultation find they are less confident in their appearance afterwards.

Anyone considering cosmetic surgery is advised to ensure a surgeon is properly qualified and has substantial experience, as well as checking that they are on the General Medical Council's Specialist Register for the discipline in which they have trained.

Suzie Adams, 40, from Bridgwater in Somerset had her life destroyed by cosmetic surgery.

After three caesareans, she flew to Prague for what she calls "a tidy-up and a tummy tuck".

She thought she was getting a good deal but she was left disfigured and developed septicaemia from her infected wound.

She then had to endure months of follow-up treatment, forcing her out of her job.

"The long term effect it had on me? It devastated me," she said.

"I hated my body - it was worse than when I started. I didn't like anybody seeing me, even my children or my partner. I felt like a freak.

"I forced myself to look in the mirror every day to remind myself of the mistake I made because I shouldn't have gone abroad. I should have stayed in this country. 

"My advice to other people is - if you can afford to have it done in the UK, have it done in the UK because the after care is never there. They like to take your money and then that's it.

"I risked my life going over there and if could turn the clocks back I wouldn't have done it."

On the issue of people seeking cheaper surgery abroad, Mr Mercer added: "British people think if they go to Thailand the hospital will be the same as the hospital here.

"In fact, if you go to Belgium there are no regulations about what should be in an operating room, including oxygen and defibrillators. There are no regulations. So people need to be very careful."


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Tories Hit Back At 'Left-Wing' Bishops' Letter

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 18 Februari 2015 | 14.43

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Church of England bishops have been attacked by Conservative MPs after publishing a letter claiming people feel detached from politics and calling for a "fresh moral vision of the kind of country we want to be".

In a 52-page letter, the bishops said "worrying and unfamiliar trends" were appearing in national life and there was a "growing appetite to exploit grievances, find scapegoats and create barriers between people and nations".

David Cameron said he welcomed the Church entering the political debate, but said the Government was helping people by creating jobs, cutting taxes and developing the economy.

The Prime Minister said: "I would say to the bishops, I hope they would welcome that because work does bring dignity, does bring self-reliance, it does enable people to provide for their families, it creates a stronger society as well as a stronger economy.

"And a welfare system that pays people to stay idle when they could work - that is not the sign of a strong economy or a strong or good society."

But Conservative backbenchers were much more critical. Thatcherite Conor Burns told Sky News the letter was "naive" in not taking into account the recession and the risk posed by countries like Iran.

He said: "It takes no account of the fact that we are still operating in a political climate where the Government and anybody who becomes the Government will have an enormous budget deficit.

"The amount of money the Government is bringing in versus the amount of money it is spending every year is still very large. The wish list that the bishops seem to have in the document couldn't be funded, even if everyone wanted it to be."

Outspoken MP Nadine Dorries said there was a "very definite left-wing leaning" to the intervention and the Church should stick to issues where people are "really seeking the church's voice", such as abortion.

"The Church is always silent when people are seeking its voice and yet seems to be very keen to dive in on political issues when actually no-one is asking it to," she said.

Launching the document, the Bishop of Norwich said it was intended to counter arguments that people should not bother to engage with politics and vote.

The Rt Rev Graham James said: "We're conscious that there are a number of voices around, probably the most famous of which is Russell Brand, telling people that they shouldn't bother with voting and shouldn't bother to exercise their hard-won democratic freedoms.

"I'm conscious just going around some of our youth groups and speaking to youth leaders that that has had a more profound effect than I had anticipated.

"And while one may think that the bishops of the Church of England don't quite have the sex appeal of Russell Brand, we think that we should counter it."

The bishops said the letter was "not a shopping list of policies we would like to see" but a "call for the new direction that we believe our political life ought to take".

The letter raises issues including the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent, Britain's relationship with the European Union and the concept of the Living Wage.

The letter also states: "There is a deep contradiction in the attitudes of a society which celebrates equality in principle yet treats some people especially the poor and vulnerable, as unwanted, unvalued and unnoticed.

"It is particularly counter-productive to denigrate those who are in need because this undermines the wider social instinct to support one another in the community.

"For instance, when those who rely on social security payments are all described in terms that imply they are undeserving, dependent and ought to be self-sufficient, it deters others from offering the informal, neighbourly support which could ease some of the burden of the welfare state."

Calling for a stronger political vision, it states: "The different parties have failed to offer attractive visions of the kind of society and culture they wish to see, or distinctive goals they might pursue.

"Instead, we are subjected to sterile arguments about who might manage the existing system best."

The bishops back the concept of the Big Society, promoted by Mr Cameron in the 2010 general election campaign, stating that its ideals "should not be consigned to the political dustbin".

The letter also criticises language used in debates over immigration, but says: "We also challenge the assumption that to question immigration at all must always be racist".

It says: "The way we talk about migration, with ethnically identifiable communities being treated as 'the problem' has, deliberately or inadvertently, created an ugly undercurrent of racism in every debate about immigration."


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Rolls-Royce To Develop Sports Utility Vehicle

The luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce has announced it will develop its first sports utility vehicle (SUV) designed to "cross any terrain".

The announcement was made via an open letter from Rolls-Royce chairman Peter Schwarzenbauer.

The company has revealed few details about the new model, but said it decided to develop a luxury off-roader following consultations with clients.

"Many discerning customers have urged us to develop this new car - and we have listened," the company said in a statement.

"At Rolls-Royce Motor Cars we are uniquely focused on the desires of our customers and are driven by our own thirst to innovate.

"So we challenged our engineers and design team, led by director of design Giles Taylor, to create a different and exceptional new car."

The vehicle will be developed at the company's base in Goodwood.

Rolls-Royce has gradually expanded its range of vehicles beyond luxury limousines such as the Phantom model, released in 2003.

The smaller Ghost II became available in late 2014, and the Wraith Coupe entered showrooms in 2013.

Last month, Jaguar Land Rover announced the creation of 1,300 new jobs after the company said it would develop its first SUV vehicle in Britain.

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  1. Gallery: Rolling Back The Years

    The first design sketches of a new Rolls-Royce to be launched in 2010 have been released by the luxury car company. Known as the RR4, the new vehicle will be smaller than the existing Phantom and will be powered by a new engine unique to Rolls-Royce.

It's a far cry from the oldest-surviving Rolls. This 1904 10 horsepower two-seater dates from the company's first year of production.

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Murder Investigation After Three Found Dead

Written By Unknown on Senin, 16 Februari 2015 | 14.43

A murder investigation has been launched after three people were found dead at two properties in west London.

Police were called to a property in Westbourne Park Road, an area not far from Portobello Road market, were they found a 30-year-old man dead on a first floor roof on Friday.

His death is being treated as unexplained, the Metropolitan Police said.

On Saturday, officers went to inform the man's next of kin, but after entering the house they found the bodies of a man and woman inside. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Both are thought to have died in suspicious circumstances.

Formal identification has not taken place and a post-mortem examination will be carried out.

The identities of the victims have not been released.

No arrests have been made, but detectives are not looking for anyone else in connection with the case.

Scotland Yard said the 30-year-old had been arrested on 10 February on suspicion of affray and had been due to answer bail on Wednesday.

A spokesman said: "A referral will be made to the Independent Police Complaints Commission on Monday."


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Rail Passengers Frustrated By Poor Service

By Katie Spencer, Sky News Reporter

Rail travellers on busy commuter routes say they are frustrated by delays and bad service, with less than half of passengers on some lines saying they are satisfied with their journeys.

A survey carried out by the consumer group Which? found services from England's South East into London are the most likely to be delayed.

Travellers on the Southern train company reported experiencing the most delays, while those least satisfied with their service were customers with the Thameslink and Great Northern / First Capital Connect routes.

Only 44% of customers with Southeastern said they were satisfied with their journeys, and Southern and Abellio Greater Anglia scored only 46%.

The results were based on responses from 7,309 travellers who were asked about journeys they had taken in the 12 months ending in November 2014.

Areas covered included availability of seating, cleanliness of toilets and carriages, as well as punctuality and value for money.

Travellers were also asked if they had experienced a delay on the last journey they had taken with their train company.

It comes as official figures show rail passengers are paying more for services, while Government funding is falling.

A report by the Office of Rail Regulation shows commuters are contributing an increasing amount to the cost of running the railways.

Official figures show the amount passengers are contributing to the funding of the railways stood at £8.6bn in 2013/14 - an increase of more than 6% on the previous year.

In the same period, the level of Government funding was just £3.8 billion, a fall of 8%.

Funding per passenger journey works out to be far less in England than it is in Scotland and Wales.

In England it works out to be £1.88 per passenger journey, whereas in Scotland it's £7.77, and £9.18 in Wales.

Alex Neill, director of campaigns for Which?, told Sky News: "We found commuters are really unhappy with the service they're getting.

"Seven of the 21 providers that we looked at scored less than 50%, which is a pretty poor result.

"People are fed up with overcrowded trains that are dirty, generally late and that are not good value for money."


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NHS Patients 'Feel Ignored And Sidelined'

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 15 Februari 2015 | 14.43

The NHS is failing some the country's most vulnerable patients by ignoring complaints and failing to show compassion, according to a new report.

The Patients Association says many are left "uninformed" about their treatment, but are scared to complain because they fear recriminations.

Called 'Why our NHS should listen and be human', the report warns says most patients who raise grievances are driven by a desire to improve the system for others rather than punish staff.

The charity also says patients and their families understand doctors and nurses are not always able to answer their questions, but should be kept informed about their care.

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: "Today's themes report demonstrates that too often patients and their families are treated without compassion, are uninformed about treatment and next steps, feel ignored and sidelined when they raise concerns or complaints.

"In our report, Why our NHS should listen and be human, we have identified that patients are still being shown a lack of care, compassion and dignity.

"We have also reported that openness and transparency are key themes that patients and the public are concerned about.

"The NHS is failing many of the most vulnerable members of society and patients and the public have told us about inconsistencies in the provision of care, poor standards of care and compassion, and a lack of openness and transparency in communication between healthcare staff, patients and their families.

"These themes can be summed up as a desire to be treated in a humane and caring way with compassion, dignity, openness and honesty."

The association said the NHS must improve its complaints procedures and the support it gives patients.

Ms Murphy added: "It is now time to stop the rhetoric; be honest with your patients and place them central to everything you do, patients and the public deserve nothing less."


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Abuse Inquiry May Probe Crimes Back To 1945

The offical inquiry into alleged child sex abuse may be extended to investigate crimes committed as long ago as 1945, according to Justice Lowell Goddard.

The New Zealand judge took over the inquiry after two other senior figures were forced to step down over establishment links.

The investigation is expected to focus on allegations of alleged wrongdoing dating back to 1970, but Justice Goddard says this could be extended.

The 66-year-old told The Mail On Sunday that fixed cut-off points for inquiries are "artificial".

"The terms of reference talk about going back to 1970, but there is a push from certain quarters to take it back to about 1945," she said.

"A cut-off point is always a bit artificial - someone who falls on the wrong side of it is aggrieved."

The newspaper said Home Secretary Theresa May supports Justice Goddard's position on the possibility of extending the terms of reference.

Justice Goddard said she "wouldn't shrink" from summoning prominent people to give evidence at the inquiry.

"I don't feel intimidated. Nobody should be beyond the reach of the law," she said.

"Sexual abuse of little children has never been anything short of a serious crime and that does not alter through religious or cultural mores or a different era or time.

"If criminal offending is evident it will be handed to police. There are people who need to be given a voice about what has happened to them."


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