Campaigners are protesting outside the Cypriot embassy in London, over the treatment of a British teen jailed after accusing a group of Israeli men of gang rape.
She’ll be sentenced tomorrow and could face up to a year in jail. @LBC
The #IBelieveHer protest has arrived at Downing Street.
Shouts of “Justice!” outside the gates. Many here don’t think the Govt has done anywhere near enough to help the 19-year-old @LBC
I spoke to many women today marching for the 19-year-old in Cyprus who are rape survivors themselves.
One told me she never reported her rape, adding “I’m quite glad I didn’t, because this is what happens when women report.”
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I’m at the Old Bailey for the sentencing of Jordan McSweeney, who murdered 35-year-old Zara Aleena as she walked home in Ilford in June.
Slight delay as he is refusing to come to court. His defence say he ‘doesn’t want to relive’ the night by watching CCTV played out. @LBC
@LBC Jordan McSweeney is still refusing to come to the court room. Sentencing now beginning with him absent, though he is in the building.
@LBC The court hears how McSweeney attacked Zara Aleena "with a savagery that is almost impossible to believe. He repeatedly kicked and stamped on her head and body; he tore some of her clothes from her body in order that he could sexually assault her; and then he attacked her again."
Just Stop Oil have just thrown soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers in the National Gallery. @LBC
They walked into the gallery this morning and threw two tins of Heinz tomato soup over the masterpiece - which has an estimated value of $84.2 million.
A Just Stop Oil activist who was in the room tells me (thankfully) the painting is behind glass. Big police presence outside the Gallery now
Former Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Met Lord Brian Paddick just suggested to @AndrewMarr9 the force “may not have investigated [partygate] as hard as they could have done, because they didn’t want to upset Number 10” @LBC
Lord Paddick made the comments after comparing the Partygate investigation to the Met’s failure to investigate phone hacking at first - saying in that case they didn’t want to upset their friends in the media.
Lord Paddick also tells @AndrewMarr9@LBC the Met needs to clearly explain to the public why Boris Johnson did NOT get a fixed penalty notice for the Nov 2020 event - given what these pictures suggest.
The Met's already under pressure over its use of the tactic, after a damning report found racism was a factor in a 15-year-old girl, "Child Q", being strip searched while on her period at her school in Hackney, without an appropriate adult in the room.
Shadow Policing Minister @LabourSJ says strip search on children should only be used in 'exceptional' circumstances when lives are at risk.
As for the racial disparities, she calls that "wrong, on a basic human rights equality front."
@LBC The booking for an appointment to take her biometrics was made on 18th February - for Wednesday 9th March.
The site has since closed, and they eventually managed to get out to Poland.
But on the 8th they were staggered to get a follow-up email, reminding them to go to Kyiv.
Richard Spinks told me it's "beyond incomprehensible."
To think of anyone else receiving this email potentially now "struggling through a war zone, past Russians, to get to an appointment that doesn't exist."
Fire in a high rise on Whitechapel High Street. London Fire say ten engines & 70 firefighters are at the scene. They’re asking people to avoid the area if possible
Now 100 firefighters are tackling this blaze in Aldgate. You can see external parts of the building flying off as the flames spread. Praying everyone is ok
Now, Sadiq Khan says 20 fire engines and more than 125 firefighters are working to tackle the fire at the block of flats and offices. It's the Relay Building, also home to Houblon Apartments