Grenfell Tower families still being ‘denied swift justice ‘, survivor says

Published

3 years ago

June 14, 2021

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A survivor of the Grenfell Tower disaster has said ex-residents are still being “denied swift justice” four years on from the catastrophic fire.

Tiago Alves, his father, mother and younger sister all escaped from their home in Flat 105 on the 13th floor in the early stages of the deadly blaze on 14 June, 2017.

Ahead of the fourth anniversary of the disaster that claimed 72 lives, Mr Alves, 24, recalled the “frightening” and “chaotic” scenes, adding that he was “disappointed” at progress since.

He said recommendations from the phase one report of the ongoing inquiry into the fire had not been implemented, and noted the absence of the social housing white paper in the recent Queen’s Speech.

“Implementing recommendations and the social housing white paper are important pieces of legislation for us to feel like it’s moving forward,” Mr Alves said.

“Because a criminal investigation can’t go ahead until the inquiry is over, it does feel like we’re being denied swift justice.

“It still doesn’t feel like we’re any closer to achieving the justice that people who passed away deserve. It just feels like it’s taking a long time.”

Today marks four years since a small kitchen fire in a Grenfell Tower flat on an estate in Kensington, west London, turned into the most deadly domestic blaze since the Second World War.

The Grenfell United campaign group said there will be an online remembrance event at 7pm, while churches have been asked to simultaneously ring their bells 72 times at this time as an act of remembrance, followed by a two-minute silence.

Meanwhile, the Rt Rev Dr Graham Tomlin, Bishop of Kensington has described the events of that day as a story of “careless decisions” and “regulations ignored”.

Speaking during an online service to mark the anniversary the bishop recalled his memories of the day of the fire.

He said: “It’s a story of careless decisions, of regulations ignored, of an industry that seemed at times more interested in making profits or selling products than keeping people safe.

“And of course, the whole process is taking longer than many of us would have hoped.

The bishop said there was “an urgency about justice and healing” and that justice too long delayed is justice denied.

He told the congregation: “We need Government to step up, to act, to relieve the struggles of those stuck in unsafe buildings around our country.

“There may be things that you and I can do today as well to resolve situations that just don’t feel right at the moment.

“And today, maybe after this service, you may want to think, what is it that you can do to bring goodness and justice to bear in those situations that just feel wrong?”

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government described the fire as a “terrible tragedy” and said it is doing “everything” in its power to implement the recommendations from the first phase of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

UK

Met Police apologises twice after using phrase ‘openly Jewish’ as campaigner accuses force of ‘victim-blaming’

Published

13 mins ago

April 20, 2024

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Met Police apologises twice after using phrase 'openly Jewish' as campaigner accuses force of 'victim-blaming'

Scotland Yard has had to apologise twice after an officer prevented an antisemitism campaigner from crossing a road yards from a pro-Palestinian march because he was “openly Jewish”.

A video showed an officer using the term while speaking to Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, who was wearing a kippah skull cap near the demonstration in the Aldwych area of London on the afternoon of Saturday 13 April.

He was also threatened with arrest.

Responding to the controversy, the government said being Jewish “should never be seen as provocative”.

Issuing an initial apology on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, assistant commissioner Matt Twist said the officer’s use of the phrase was “hugely regrettable”, but suggested Mr Falter’s presence had been “provocative” and the release of the footage would “further dent the confidence of many Jewish Londoners”.

But the response prompted further criticism, with Mr Falter accusing the force of “victim-blaming” and arguing it was “the right of every Jew” to walk freely around London.

In the face of a backlash, the Met subsequently deleted the statement and issued a further apology for the offence caused.

It stated: “The use of the term ‘openly Jewish’ by one of our officers is hugely regrettable.

“We know it will have caused offence to many. We reiterate our apology.”

The force added: “We have reflected on the strength of the response to our previous statement.

“In an effort to make a point about the policing of protest we have caused further offence.

“This was never our intention.

“We have removed that statement and we apologise.

“Being Jewish is not a provocation. Jewish Londoners must be able to feel safe in this city.

“Our commitment to protecting the public extends to all communities across London.

“It’s important that our public statements reflect that more clearly than they did today.”

Mr Falter said he had been walking in the capital after attending a synagogue and was not there to counter-protest as he walked past the demonstration last Saturday.

The video clip showed one police officer saying to him: “You are quite openly Jewish, this is a pro-Palestinian march, I’m not accusing you of anything, but I’m worried about the reaction to your presence.”

In the clip, another officer said to him: “There’s a unit of people here now.

“You will be escorted out of this area so you can go about your business, go where you want freely or if you choose to remain here, because you are causing a breach of peace with all these other people, you will be arrested.”

The officer said Mr Falter’s presence was “antagonising”.

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The antisemitism campaigner said after the incident: “Despite being told repeatedly that London is safe for Jews when these marches are taking place, my interactions with police officers last Saturday show that the Met believes that being openly Jewish will antagonise the anti-Israel marchers and that Jews need protection, which the police cannot guarantee.

“Instead of addressing that threat of antisemitic violence, the Met’s policy instead seems to be that law-abiding Jewish Londoners should not be in the parts of London where these marches are taking place. In other words, that they are no-go zones for Jews.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We welcome the Met Police’s apology, and recognise the complexities of policing fast-moving public protests, but simply being Jewish – or of any other race or religion – should never be seen as provocative.

“Anyone of any religion should be free to go about their lives and feel safe doing so.”

Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters had gathered in London last Saturday to call for a ceasefire and urge the government to stop all arms sales to Israel.

Crowds waved Palestinian flags, chanted “free Palestine” and held signs calling for a “ceasefire now”.

UK

Three men who died in north London car crash named

Published

13 mins ago

April 20, 2024

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Three men who died in north London car crash named

Three men in their early 20s who died following a fatal car crash near the Brent Cross shopping centre in northwest London have been named by police.

Mohamad Zeidani, 21, Mohammed Ghazzi, 21, and Sohail Zulfiqar, 20, died when their Mercedes CLK convertible crashed through a car park fence and down an embankment, before hitting a footbridge at the Staples Corner retail park in Barnet late on Sunday night, the Metropolitan Police have said.

They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other passengers involved who were taken to hospital are in a non-life threatening condition, the force said.

One was in a critical condition at the time, while the other sustained non-life-threatening injuries following the incident, at around 11.30pm.

Officers from the Met’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit are continuing to investigate what happened but have ruled out racing, high speed laps or stunts.

Investigators are working to trace possible witnesses who were in the car park at the time.

Specially trained officers are supporting the families of those involved.

Detective Sergeant Paul Jackson, leading the investigation, said: “Our thoughts remain with the families of Mohamad, Mohammed and Sohail as they come to terms with the loss of their loved ones.

“We will continue to support them in whatever way we can.

“We are aware of commentary circulating on social media and by the media speculating on the manner of driving before the collision.

“Whilst we have a number of active lines of enquiry and are keeping an open mind, evidence gathered so far suggests that the vehicle involved was not racing or performing high speed laps or stunts as has been reported.”

Met officers attended along with London Fire Brigade (LFB), London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance.

Police don’t believe any other vehicle was involved.

The car collided with a pedestrian overbridge and crashed near the roundabout at Staples Corner West, according to LFB.

No one has been arrested.

UK

Former model almost died trying to cure cancer with juice diet

Published

9 hours ago

April 20, 2024

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Former model almost died trying to cure cancer with juice diet

A former model who almost died trying to cure her cancer with a juice diet has warned others against “cutting out” traditional medical advice and trying to source alternative information online.

Irena Stoynova forked out £2,000 on juicers and would spend up to three hours a day preparing liquid meals for the next day, believing it would clear her of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The 39-year-old was diagnosed in June 2021 when medics recommended that she receive conventional treatment, but she “shut them out” after watching people “talk about the success rate of alternative therapies online”.

Ms Stoynova, from Crondall in Hampshire, said she took to a juice diet for two-and-a-half years, but also tried a raw-food diet, intermittent fasting, boiling herbs and special teas.

She said that she was advised to start chemotherapy, but she turned to the internet to find alternative advice and “everything started from there”.

She said she listened to one man with hundreds of thousands of followers on social media who claimed the body could “heal itself” through a radical lifestyle and diet change.

Ms Stoynova said she became a “fanatic” of the various diets and holistic therapies she followed, adding: “It was like tunnel vision.

“I didn’t stop, I was just so weak, I had sleep deprivation and hallucinations. I didn’t even have the strength to open the door for the delivery man.

“I couldn’t breathe because there was fluid on my lungs, I lost about 20 kilograms because of the dieting.”

Doctors said Ms Stoynova was on the verge of death when she was taken to Frimley Park Hospital by ambulance in May last year.

She was told by doctors she would likely die without treatment for her cancer – which was stage three – but Ms Stoynova continued to refuse for a number of days before finally agreeing to receive chemotherapy.

Medics described “frustrating” conversations with her but eventually, after 10 days in hospital, she agreed to start chemotherapy.

Ms Stoynova, who is now in remission, added: “I now say to people that the side effects from chemotherapy are a piece of cake compared to the side effects that I got from trying the holistic treatment.”

She added: “What I would say is it’s great to have beliefs, it’s great if they’re backed by science, and please don’t cut off your consultants.

“I cut off consultants and everything connected with standard medicine and I almost lost my life.”

Dr Clare Rees, consultant haematologist at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is an extreme scenario and genuinely in the first 24 hours of Irena’s admission, I was unclear whether she would survive this or not.

“But the problem is that misinformation often spreads faster than the truth and obviously, if someone’s given the option of juice versus tablets or chemotherapy and injecting drugs into their bodies, you can see why they would prefer to do some of it if it will give them the same outcome – but the problem is that is not evidence-based practice.

“We always encourage people to go to Lymphoma Action or Macmillan Cancer Support for genuine information.”