Crime in Europe

By: William Fox
*These statistics based on The European Union

Crime is a major problem in any area. Crime exists mainly because everyone needs to eat and have housing. If you do not have a legitimate means to provide for yourself you are limited to few jobs. Most of these jobs pay minimum wage, €7.06($7.25) an hour. This for a 40 hour week(The average working week) is €282.42($291.38). Food, necessities(Toiletries and Laundry), and housing costs an average of €462.11($597.92) which leaves you in a debt of €179.69($232.5). This is bad every week you lose money, your options are borrowing money, which is comparable to building on sand or less accepted methods(Crime).

The most common means of illegitimate gains in Europe consists of; Drug trafficking, Domestic burglary, Violent Crime, Robbery, and Motor vehicle theft. These often give great gains in money as they are high risk high return, they are all against the laws of these countries1. Surprisingly even with the lose of money2 the crime rates have been dropping, with the exception of burglary and drug trafficking, some have dropped as much an average of 8 reports a year. I think that this is a great, as any improvement to lessen crime is good for the community.

1 Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and The United Kingdom
2 Statistically

Facebook Killer Still Posts Behind Bars

A convicted murderer, who used Facebook to announce his intent to kill, has been discovered to continue to use the site behind bars.
            Leon Ramsden, 22-years old had stabbed a man to death in a pub in Manchester, England, only hours after posting that he felt “like killin some1.”
            That was three years ago. Since that time, he has continued to post on his Facebook page in prison, including posting pictures of him along with other shirtless inmates.
            Ramsden has 639 friends on Facebook, and he has been posting using his Blackberry phone.
            Prison officials said that prisoners have no access to the internet, and they are barred from Facebook. Additionally, cell phones are a violation inside the prison, and Ramsden’s phone will be found and taken away.
            Meanwhile, the family victim of Ramsden’s crime—Paul Gilligan, a father of three-- is outraged.
            "It's disgusting. Losing his freedom was part of the punishment. We have lost contact with Paul forever but he can still contact his family and friends,” Gilligan’s father Dennis said.
            Ramsden was sentenced to a minimum 17 years in prison for what the judge described as a “senseless, unprovoked murder.”

Weekly Crime in the UK

     
     Crime in the UK is cold and bitter, just like its weather.


A lot to talk about in this weeks crime in the UK agenda. The majority of crimes this week in the UK consisted of murders and sexual assault. Here are the UK’s top crime news headlines:

Whales:

-Mom calls daughter and informs her while screaming and crying that her son was murdered.

-Poorly built wall collapses and causes the death of 3 year-old, is architect to blame?

-Police use e-bay to catch criminals who stole gears from marine vehicles.

Scotland:

-Man is sentenced to four years in prison after severing part of another mans finger off.

-Golden Eagle found dead after being caught in a trap.

England:

-Two police officers Shot dead in Greater Manchester.

-Men found guilty of paying underage girls with drugs, alcohol, and food for sex.

-Drug smuggling boss, John Alan Brooks was arrsested while visiting family in Blackpool. In 2008 a yacht bought and operated by men he hired was found off the south-west coast of Ireland smuggling £406m worth of cocaine.

Northern Ireland:

-Priest accused of abuse in the 1980’s

-Man charged after damaging school property

-Man is shot in the leg in west Belfast

-CS spray used during Belfast arrest

This has been the UK crime headlines of the week.

-Sean Jarrell-Hurtado

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk/

Husband and Relatives Suffocate Pregnant Wife in a Failed Attempt of an Exorcism

Naila Mumtaz was smothered at her home in 2009  Photo: PA

           

Naila Mumatz, 21, was smothered in her home by her husband, Mohammed Tauseef Mumtaz, 25, his parents, both aged 51, and Hassan, 24, Mumatz's brother in July of 2009. According to Mohammed Mumatz, his parents, and Hussan, they were trying to drive an evil “jinn” spirit from Pakistan sent by Naila’s parents.  Jurors heard also from the killers that Naila Mumatz tried to strangle herself why she was allegedly “possessed” by the spirit. The jury’s guilty verdict found that the victim was deliberately suffocated by one or more of the defendants, the judge did not find that the panel’s reasons as to why she was attacked. Possible motives for the death of Naila that was raised during the trial was that the defendant’s unborn child was another man’s or that she was possessed by a jinn from Pakistan. The judge, who ruled that it was unlikely for the defendants to believe that Naila was pregnant from another man said: "The other possibility explored in the course of the trial about why Naila was smothered was that the defendants believed that Naila had been possessed by a jinn, which had been sent from Pakistan by Naila's parents, and that they ... smothered her in order to get rid of the jinn. I regard this as a less unlikely explanation for what happened."

         Mohammed Mumatz, his parents, and brother Hassan, all face a life time in jail on account of smothering pregnant Naila for being possessed by an evil spirit.

sources: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9563199/Husband-and-relatives-suffocated-pregnant-wife-in-suspected-botched-exorcism.html

Man Arrested for Flying with Fake Pilot Credentials

Man Arrested for Flying with Fake Pilot Credentials

In Rome, on September 23, 2012, a 32-year-old man was caught flying as a false airplane pilot. He created a false identity, naming himself ‘Andrea Sirlo.’ He home-made a pilot’s uniform and used forged identity cards to fly as a “third pilot” free of charge at least once. The flight was from Munich to Turin in April. Sirlo introduced himself as a captain to a civil aviation lieutenant, who thought he was too young for the job.

Supposedly, ‘Sirlo’ wanted to “be like Frank Abagnale...” in the Leonardo DiCaprio movie, Catch Me If You Can. The movie is about a man named Frank Abagnale, a real-life con man who flew more than once as a fake American pilot in the 1960’s. Sirlo told the police “I flew free on only one flight. On that occasion they invited me into the cockpit as a third pilot.”

Sirlo was an unemployed criminal when he was let into the cockpit. He had several offenses, including fraud. After his arrest, the police searched Sirlo’s house where they found fake identity cards, several pilot uniforms, two fake resumes, training manuals and an airport staff parking permit.

Nikusha Beatty

Sources:
McKenna, Josephine. "Man Fakes Pilot Credentials to Fly for Free." (online forum message). The Telegraph. September 23, 2012. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9560900/Man-fakes-pilot-credentials-to-fly-for-free.html (accessed September 23, 2012).

Georgian Prison Videos Cause Protests

Georgian Prison Videos Cause Protests
By: Jonathan Hays, Europe News, September 25, 2012

Georgian citizens protest after prison videos leak

Videos have leaked in Georgia of prison guards abusing and violently beating inmates at Gldani Number 8 penitentiary. Gldani Number 8 is referred to as one of the most violent and problematic prison facilities in Georgia, but these videos take that title to a whole new level. In the video, viewers can see inmates being violently kicked, beaten by police batons, and even one getting raped by a broomstick.

Majority of the identified prison guards abusing the inmates have been arrested while others are being pursued currently by the police. The country’s interior minister has released a statement blaming certain prison employees for the gruesome treatments and violating of human rights. She ended up resigning from her job a few days later.

The Us embassy released a statement saying, "Abuse of prisoners is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. We urge that the government conduct this investigation in a thorough and transparent manner and ensure that all those responsible are brought to justice as soon as possible."

            With only a few weeks until the Parliamentary Elections, this scandal has become a major issue against the Georgian Government. Riots fill the streets while the government rushes to try and ease the problem, and calm down the community. It looks like the Georgian government was sentenced to community service.

Sources:

Miriam Welder, "Georgia prison guards 'captured on video torturing prisoner'," Guardian News, September 19, 2012, accessed September 21, 2012, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/19/georgia-prison-guards-torture-video.

CNN Wire Staff, "Purported prison abuse videos prompt outrage in Georgia," Cable News Network, September 20, 2012, accessed September 21, 2012, http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/19/world/europe/georgia-prison-videos/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2.

Car smashes into an upstairs bedroom.

By: William Fox

A couple were asleep in their bedroom in Epsom, Surrey when they were rudely awoken early on Sunday morning. A Lexus took flight and crashed into the side of their house. “It sounded like a plane falling out of the sky.” a witness said. The driver and two passengers were taken to a hospital with minor injuries. A total of five cars, a house, a fence, and a post box were damaged in this early morning accident. It is believed the The Lexus came around a turn too fast and mounted a parked Audi before hitting the side of the house. A tremendous amount of damage was caused to the master bedroom of the house, luckily there was no injuries of the Occupants. The Lexus was said to have flown 25m (80ft) before it crashed into the house. Neighbors said “The family inside were so incredibly lucky to escape without a scratch”. Another said “It actually went into the couple’s bedroom and their two children were asleep next door.” Bridge Road is on a very tight junction, and it is assumed that the drive may have been speeding and took the corner to sharp. Looks like he wanted to see how the Mercedes bends
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/

Little Girl saved by Cyclist in killings Last Week

Last week, a seven year old British girl was saved by a passing cyclist who was on a morning ride. Zainab al-Hill was the only survivor of a brutal family shooting in London. Brett Martin, the cyclist said it looked “like a Hollywood scene.”
When the cyclist came up the hill, the first thing he saw was the little girl, who he thought was playing. He soon realized she was hurt, and helped the seven year old. When he got there, the car engine was still running and the tires were still turning. He pushed in one of the car windows to turn the car off. "I've never seen people who've been shot before for real..." Martin said. Having no cellular service, he was not able to call the police. The cyclist left the girl and rode down the mountain. Martin was able to get someone to call for help before returning to the unconscious girl. Apparently, another little girl, who was four, was found between her dead mother's legs. She was there for about eight hours. The seven year old said she heard noise, but she did not see anything.

By Nikusha Beatty

Norway Massacre

          

On July 23, 2011, Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik, 32, shot 85 young victims at a youth island retreat on an island called Utoya. Before arriving at Utoya, Breivik allegedly set off a massive car bomb in the center of Oslo’s political district, killing at least seven people. The total death toll was believed to be 85 but the final count could rise up to 98 as the search for missing teenagers continued. 

Survivors report of Breivik, dressed as a police officer, beckoning the youths, promising them safety. The ones who fell for Breivik’s act, were shot. Some survivors tell of how they heard many of the youths plead for mercy. 

Thorbjorn Vereide, 22, a survivor who hid in a cave, said: “He seemed very focused. He took his time and picked victims out one by one. People lay on the ground, and he went over to them and shot them in the back. He shot them all twice to make sure they were dead.”

Vereide also said that Breivik kept shouting: “It’s safe to come out. You’ll be saved. I’m a cop.”

Other reports from survivors heard Breivik yelling out statements such as: “Come out and play with me. Don’t be shy.” and Breivik screaming and laughing and giving several cheers as he shot the victims. 

Breivik finally surrendered, after 90 minutes of shooting, by an armed specialist police unit.

It was said the Breivik was a part of Oslo’s Masonic lodge and member of one of Norway’s biggest political parties, the Right-Wing- Progress Party. Over the recent years his views became extreme and this what is believed to have drove him to this mass murder. 

By Carrigan Davis

Sources: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/norway/8657475/Norway-killings-The-laughing-gunman-who-shot-85-young-victims-one-by-one.html

King Richard III Remains May Have Been Found

The skeletal remains of Richard the Third may have been discovered under a parking lot in England, archaeologists announced. The scientists from the local university in Leicester had been searching for the English king for about a month and discovered a skeleton with a curved spine and a broken skull, which could have resembled descriptions of Richard III.

               Richard the Third was made famous by William Shakespeare, who depicted the king as a deformed, evil, child-murderer in his tragic play, Richard III.

               Richard III may not have resembled Shakespeare’s anti-hero. In fact, there is no evidence that Richard ever murdered his nephews in the Tower of London. Additionally, during his two-year reign as king, he created several progressive laws and social reform, including legal aid to those who could not afford it.

               Richard was killed in battle in 1485 by the Tudor family, which rose to power after his death. Historical reports say that Richard died at the abbey in Leicester. Archaeologists hypothesized that the abbey stood where the parking lot is today.

               The discovered skeleton’s spine is severely curved, a sign of scoliosis, which could have given the king an appearance of having a hunchback, which is how he had been described. A descendant of Richard the Third in Canada was contacted to retrieve a genetic sample. Scientists will compare it with the skeleton and determine definitively in a few weeks if it was Richard the Third.

               Meanwhile, the historical and scientific communities wait to see if the skeleton will be the winter of their discontent or made glorious summer.

Man murdered near South Molton

Ryan King

               Nephew is murdered for allegedly being "dissrespectful"

                       In August of 2011, 20 year old Ryan King was murdered at his family's home near South Molton. According to family members he was attending his mother's 40th birthday party when his great uncle, 68 year old Raymond Dupree stabbed him in the neck with a broken wine glass.

                      According to witnesses, Ryans mothers party was going just fine until a group of girls began playing music that Mr. Dupree did not like. The man began screaming at the girls to turn off the music when King stepped in to intervene. The two men began to argue and Dupree told him that he should respect his elders, then suddenly he grabbed a wine glass off the dining table and stabbed king in the neck, severing major arteries. Ryan King was rushed to North Devon hospital, but unfortunately died of major blood-loss.
                 
                     Dupree was arrested while walking home on a country road, and put in jail to await a court sentence. Police found him with a cut on his hand from the broken glass and matched that to some of the blood at the crime scene, Kings blood was also found and matched.

                   When asked why he would kill his own nephew, Dupree simply stated, “He was being disrespectful.” The trial begins this week and is estimated to last at least ten days.

              -Sean Jarrell-Hurtado

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-19627892

Methanol Circulation in Central Europe

Methanol Circulation in Central Europe

By: Jonathan Hays, Europe news, September 18, 2012

Local vendor owner removes certain drinks from his shelves.

All around Europe alcohol laced with methanol is being passed around. Nineteen people have died from this deadly drug, and twenty-four have been hospitalized with effects from blindness, to being in a coma.

Methanol is a toxic form of alcohol that is highly toxic to humans. If ingested, 10mL of pure methanol can cause permanent blindness, as it disturbs your optical nerve. 100mL is the average fatal amount of methanol, but 30mL can be equally as fatal.

The Czech Republic declared emergency measures on the 12th of September after two women were killed from the cause. Any form of shop selling alcohol was banned from selling liquids with more than 30 percent alcohol. Police raided 410 shops nationwide discovering 70 cases of this illegal substance. The Czech’s Prime Minister also made the statement to avoid “alcohol whose origin is uncertain.”

As for where this methanol is coming from, a possible group is suspected who live in/near the Moravian-Silesian Republic (next to the border of Poland). Of the sixteen deaths that occurred in the Czech Republic, eight of the victims lived in the reigon, and two deaths occurred in Poland. An estimated twenty percent of alcoholic drinks sold in Czech Republic are reported to be from the black market. These laced drinks are still circulating the area, therefore, if in the area I would recommend only purchasing drinks from brands you are familiar with.

Sources:

http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/straitstimes.com/files/imagecache/story-gallery-featured/alc1591e.jpg

http://www.nola.com/health/index.ssf/2012/09/methanol_kills_19_injures_24_i.html

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1174890-overview

Wedding stopped for search for the ring

By: William Fox

Elizabeth Gray and Lewis Aubrey were at St John’s Church in Redhill, were about to get married, but there was an unexpected occurrence. While reading their vows, Matt (the best man) dropped the ring. It hit the ground with a ‘pling’ and was lost. The Vicar then turned to Matt and asked, “Was that the ring?”

Matt replied with a worried, “Yes.” The attendees searched the ground. They wanted to find the ring and continue the ceremony. More and more people started crawling on the ground, searching for the ring. Shortly after, the bride’s mother offered to use her ring so that the wedding could get back on track. Rev. Nicholas Calver was determined to find the ring. Nicholas went back to the church later that day with a shovel, and a couple of hours later found the ring. He observed a crack between the step and a dais. Nicholas, thinking the ring might be there he pried them apart with the shovel to make the gap bigger. He shined a light and was relieved to find the ring. Nicholas then went to the couple’s reception to deliver the good news. The couple was delighted that their ring was found. The groom put the ring on the bride’s finger, and everyone cheered. A happy ending to a tragic day.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Flooding in Krysmk

​ On July 7, a devastating flood hit Krysmk, Russia, killing about 170 people. Twenty-three feet of water devoured houses in the middle of the night, leaving residents little time to escape. Surviving people and animals sought refuge in trees and on rooftops. Apparently, officals were warned about the flood, but did not inform the vulnerable, sleeping people. Instead, they were woken up by water rising past their beds and screams of near neighbors and animals. "People stopped believing in the authorities a long time ago..." Valey Chernenko, a man from a nearby town said.
People are still indifferent about the government, though the government sent help in, such as food and clothing for those who were effected. Witnesses said they saw waves of water came down from the mountains, ruining almost everything in its path. The emergency ward house was damaged, but doctors were able to escape, and they continued to aid the hurt. Though the ward house was contaminated with mud and debris, volunteers offered their house for the suffering. Most survivors were able to be evacuated to nearby towns and saved. Others stayed behind, looking for lost family members, hoping they would miraculously appear.

Until next time.

Alleged Stowaway Plunges To Their Death

by Carrigan Davis

On Sunday the 9, officials say that a stowaway hidden in a plane’s landing gear, fell to their death as the aeroplane prepped for landing in Heathrow. Residents of the area report of body parts and pools of blood strewn across the area.

Annie Williams, 47, a resident of the area said: “ I heard a monstrous bang. I thought someone had been hit by a car. there were two fellows going to church and they said there’s a dead body in the street.”

Richard Taylor, from Civil Aviation Authority, said: “The chances of survival for a stowaway are very slim, particularly in the recess of the landing gear if someone tried to stowaway there.”

Taylor also mentioned that the man may have already been dead due to being crushed by the landing gear when it retracted. 

There have been a very few number of reports on stowaways and most of the time they are already found dead.

A police spokesman said: “The death is currently being treated as unexplained. A post mortem examination will be held in due course.”

She also added that the man being a stowaway was “one line of inquiry.”

Germany Changes its Mind on Greece

It looks like economically ailing Greece will stay in the Eurozone, despite its large debt and increasing drain on the European Union.

 German Chancellor Angela Merkel had until recently been ready to drop Greece from the group of countries who share the same currency, the Euro. Germany has the strongest economy in the European Union and has the most influence over whether the bankrupt country of Greece stays.

 Merkel now says she will wait to read the Troika report, a report being compiled by the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Central Bank, before deciding on whether Greece should stay a Euro county.

 It is commonly believed that the Troika Report will conclude that Greece should stay in an effort to avoid an economic cataclysm in Europe, much like what happened when the Lehman Brothers were allowed to fail in the United States, triggering a financial collapse there.

 If Greece is allowed to stay in the Eurozone, it will open the way for money to flow to the country in a bid to help in its recovery.

 Meanwhile, Merkel continues to oppose a third party, outside source of funding for Greece, preferring to have the aid come from within the European Union.

 Merkel changed her mind about Greece after enormous political pressure and a visit from Greece’s Prime Minister Samaras recently. It is expected for Merkel not to make any large policy decisions regarding Greece until after the German elections in 2013.

Padlocks of Love

City worker cuts heaps of padlocks of of the Ponte Milvio bridge in Rome, Italy.

Thousands of padlocks removed for bridges saftey!

For the past several years, lovers alike have been chaining ordinary padlocks onto the Ponte Milvio bridge in Rome, Italy. The phenomena started when lovers read a novel by Federico Moccia. In the book a couple place a bicycle lock around a lamppost on the Ponte Milvio and throw the key into the river to show their love. It supposedly symbolizes the eternal bond that lovers share with each other.

 Wanting to bring the story to life, couples all over began placing interlocking padlocks on the bridge and on other major landmarks. There are literally thousands of them lining the bridge, but how could that cause any major damage? Officials say that the rust collecting on the locks can damage the thread of the bridge.

 City workers have had to cut off the locks several times now due to complaints of vandalism and safety issues. Yet everytime they are removed, more of the persistant lovers locks appear. Due to this, a fine has been placed for any person caught placing a lock of 50 euros. Perhaps it won’t destroy any relationships, but that bridge sure is going to start feeling a lot less secure.

~Sean Jarrell

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19545942

Paralympic Games End With A Bang

Paralympic Games End With A Bang

By: Jonathan Hays, Europe News, September 11, 2012

7.7 Million audience members stare at the sight of a lifetime

London’s 2012 Paralympics closed on September 9th with what was described as “a festival of flame.” With fireworks in the air and cheering crowds surrounding the stage, bands such as Coldplay, Rihanna, and Jay-z ended what stands as the worlds largest paralympic games.

Over the course of 11 days, 251 world records were broken. Overall, China achieved the largest medal count with 231 medals, 95 of which were gold. Russia managed to slip in with a close second of 102 medals-36 gold. Great Britain, having the home advantage, came in with a solid count of 120 medals, 34 of which gold.

At the closing ceremonies, paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds and paralympic runner Jonnie Peacock put out the flame, that will be once again be lit in Rio during the 2016 Paralympics. Every country that participated in the London Paralympics got to take home one of the 200 copper pedals that made up the cauldron.

With the 2012 Paralympics drawn to a close, who knows what the next games will bring. New records, new hopes, and new dreams will surely be fulfilled, but we all will just have until the next games will come.

Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19541871 http://www.radiotimes.com/rt-service/image/render/Paralympic_Games_2012_Closing_Ceremony.jpg?imageUrl=/Media/paralympic-closing-ceremony-483920.jpg&width=580&height=327&quality=85&specialisation=tv&mode=crop