Two British Women In Acid Attack In Zanzibar

Two teenage British charity workers have had acid thrown in their faces in a late night attack on the island of Zanzibar.

The 18-year-old women were attacked as they were walking through the streets of Stone Town, the historical centre of the capital of the east African island, by two men on a moped.

The acid splashed their faces, chests and hands and they had to be flown to hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for treatment.

Police said that the two teenagers were working for a charity, on the island, which is a popular destination for gap year students doing voluntary work.

Deputy Police Commissioner Mkadam Khamis said: "Police in Zanzibar have launched a manhunt, and we ask for public assistance in identifying the attackers."

He added: "The motive for the attack on the volunteers, aged 18 years, has not been established."

Saleh Mohammed Jidawi, a senior health ministry official, said that the women's wounds were "not life threatening".

The assault is the first against foreigners in the popular tourist destination, however, there have been a series of attacks in the archipelago, mainly on grounds of religion.

A Muslim cleric was subjected to an acid attack in November. In February a Catholic priest was shot dead and in December another priest was shot and wounded.

The Indian Ocean islands, famed for their white sand beaches and historical buildings in Stone Town, listed as a world heritage site by Unesco,  are mainly Muslim, with 3% of the 1.2 million people Christian.

The attack on the island, 22 miles off the coast of Tanzania, came at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as people began to celebrate the Eid holiday.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of an incident and are providing consular assistance."

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Hannah Smith: Charge Site Over Death Says Dad

The father of a teenager who killed herself after being bullied online has called for the owners of the website on which she was abused to be charged with manslaughter.

Hannah Smith, 14, from Lutterworth, Leicestershire, took her own life on Friday after being abused on the social network site ask.fm.

Dave Smith has accused the website owners of not caring that "teenagers are dying and killing theirselves".

Speaking to the Daily Mirror in his first on-camera interview since Hannah's death, Mr Smith said: "The people that run it should get done for manslaughter or murder because you try contacting them and they don't care.

"These websites should be got rid of, if nothing else they need to be regulated and they need to stop people from doing this.

Hannah and her best friend Georgia Clarke (R)

"If David Cameron was sitting here now I would want to know why he hasn't done something about this six, 12 - two years ago. Modern technology has gone on but the laws have stuck the same."

Ask.fm allows users to post anonymous questions and messages but has been criticised for not doing enough after several other teenagers took their lives - apparently after receiving abuse on the site.

Hannah committed suicide after repeated messages encouraging her to kill herself and criticising her appearance.

Mr Smith and Hannah's stepmother Deborah said people needed to think more about the effect of their online posts as it emerged their elder daughter Jo has also been the target of abuse on the site.

"How could you?", Mrs Smith said. "People need to stop and think. You can't just sit behind a keyboard and type something and think that doesn't matter. There's a complete lack of emotional intelligence."

Mr Smith added: "There's something not right with the world today that people can tell someone to die so many times that they actually do it."

David Smith with elder daughter Jo

He described his younger daughter was a "bubbly person" and a "pleasure to be around" and revealed he had intervened in the past to stop her being bullied at school.

He also said, on the night before she died, Hannah had told him: "Goodnight Dad, I love you."

"I was 50 miles away in a lorry," said Mr Smith, describing how he found out about her death.

"My brother turned round to me and said 'Hannah's hung herself' and I said 'is she dead?', and he said 'yeah'. I just broke down and turned the lorry round as fast as I could to get back."

Kiran, another youngster who has suffered cyberbullying, told Sky News: "I felt like I was drowning, like I was sinking because all these words were coming in and I had pressures from exams and everything was building up and the cyberbullying really got to me.

"I thought I had people there to help me and support me and actually my own peers were not there to support me they were pushing me down."

He added: "There were times when I felt I didn't want to be here any more."

Hannah received messages criticising her appearance

The Prime Minister promised the Government would look at any action it can take to stop future tragedies like Hannah's death, which he called "an absolutely appalling case".

He also said: "The people that operate these websites have to step up to the plate and show some responsibility.

"There's something all of us as parents and users of the internet can do and that is not use some of these vile sites: boycott them, don't go there, don't join them."

And he warned that people online were not above the law and could be punished for inciting anyone to do harm or become violent.

Ask.fm, based in Latvia, has called Hannah's death a "true tragedy" and said it is cooperating with Leicestershire Police's investigation.

In a statement the site said it actively "encourages users and their parents to report any incidences of bullying", either by using the in-site reporting button, or via the website's contact page.

"All reports are read by our team of moderators to ensure that genuine concerns are heard and acted upon immediately - and we always remove content reported to us that violates our Terms of Service," the statement added.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org.

:: BeatBullying.org is also available for advice and support.

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Outcry As Girl Called 'Sex Predator' By Judge

A paedophile who avoided jail after a judge and prosecutor described his 13-year-old victim as "predatory" in court could have his sentence reviewed.

Neil Wilson, 41, was handed an eight-month suspended sentence and walked free from court on Monday.

But the case has prompted an outcry from children's charities and his sentence is now being examined by the Attorney General's office.

It will decide whether it should ask the Court of Appeal to consider whether the punishment was unduly lenient.

Prosecutor Robert Colover reportedly told Snaresbrook Crown Court in London: "The girl is predatory in all her actions and she is sexually experienced."

Passing sentence, Judge Nigel Peters then said he had taken into account that the girl looked and behaved "a little bit older" than she was.

"The girl was predatory and was egging you on. That is no defence when dealing with children but I am prepared to impose a suspension," he said. 

Wilson, now living in York, had watched the girl strip out of her school uniform at his home in Romford, Essex, before she performed a sex act on him.

He admitted two counts of making extreme pornographic images and one count of sexual activity with a child.

Judge Peters told Wilson: "Allowing her to visit your home is something we have to clamp down on and in normal circumstances that would mean a significant term in prison."

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said the language used by its prosecutor was "inappropriate".

A spokesman said: "The transgressor in this case was the defendant and he bears responsibility for his criminal acts."

More than 4,000 people have already signed a petition set up by a campaigner working on behalf of sex abuse victims calling for a review.

She wrote on the Change.org website: "I'm a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. I could have been that 13-year-old girl who the judge and prosecutor described as 'predatory'.

"I have seen first-hand how this kind of victim-blaming prevents women from coming forward and protects men who commit these crimes."

Caroline Criado-Perez

The NSPCC warned that the case was part of a wider pattern about how child sex abuse cases are treated in the courts.

Alan Wardle, head of corporate affairs, said: "It was quite clear in the case the predator was the man who was in the dock, not a 13-year-old child, and it is quite clear that a 13-year-old child cannot be complicit in her own abuse.

"Making sure that judges and barristers in all these cases are properly trained and understand the nature of child sexual abuse and how children are groomed in these sort of cases is important."

A spokesman for Barnardo's added: "It is plain wrong to imply in any way that the experiences of sexually exploited children are something they bring on themselves."

Caroline Criado-Perez, who received rape threats following her calls for Jane Austen to be the face on the £10 bank note, called the judge's decision "completely appalling".

She told Sky News: "It's really worrying that we're in the 21st century and we're still suggesting victims can be complicit in their abuse which is basically what calling a 13-year-old child a sexually predator is.

"I don't think you can ever call a child a sexual predator because they are a child. They are below the age of consent. We have laws specifically because of this kind of thing so that you can't say a child is responsible for her abuse.

"This adds to the horror that has happened to her. She has been abused and now we are blaming her for it. It's just unconscionable."

The Attorney General said a decision on whether the case is referred to the Court of Appeal will be made within 28 days.

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Violent Twitter Abuse: Man, 32, Arrested

Police have arrested a 32-year-old man in connection with violent abuse on Twitter directed at a female MP and a campaigner.

The suspect was held in Bristol following allegations made by Labour MP Stella Creasy and campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez.

He will be questioned at a local police station on suspicion of committing an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act.

Ms Criado-Perez received threats online after campaigning to have Jane Austen as the face on the £10 bank note.

Ms Creasy became a target after expressing her support, and has since been leading a "Take Back Twitter" campaign.

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Owners Of Killer Dogs May Face Life In Prison

The owners of killer dogs could face life in prison - an increase from the current maximum of two years - under new sentencing proposals.

Higher sentences for owners who allow their dogs to attack members of the public have been put out by the Government for consultation.

Life imprisonment is one option, while 10 years is the maximum term suggested for the owner of a dog which injures a person or kills an assistance dog, such as a guide dog for the blind.

Some 16 people have been killed by dangerous dogs since 2005, including 14-year-old Jade Anderson who was savaged by four dogs as she was visiting the home of a friend near Wigan in March.

Animal welfare minister Lord de Mauley said: "Dog attacks are terrifying and we need harsh penalties to punish those who allow their dog to injure people while out of control."

In February, the Government said it would introduce new measures to tackle out-of-control dogs by changing the law to ensure owners can be prosecuted regardless of where their dog attacks.

Jade Anderson was savaged by four dogs at a house near Wigan

The new consultation will run to September 1 and will be used to inform recommendations put forward in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents postmen and women and telecoms engineers, who suffer around 5,000 dog attacks each year, welcomed the consultation.

CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: "Current sentencing arrangements do not match the serious nature of offences.

"Sixteen people have been killed since 2005 by dogs, yet the maximum prison sentence is just two years.

"Only one person has ever been imprisoned for a dog attack on a postal worker and as the fatality rate from dog attacks grows, sentencing must get tougher."

Last month, Jade Anderson's parents, along with the parents of four-year-old John Paul Massey, who died after his uncle's pitbull attacked him in 2009, handed in a petition at 10 Downing Street calling for David Cameron to take action to prevent more attacks.

They called for preventative measures and education to put a stop to the 210,000 attacks and 6,000 hospital visits caused by dangerous dogs each year.

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Python Attack: Snake Kills Two Sleeping Boys

A python that escaped from a pet shop has killed two children by asphyxiating them in their sleep in eastern Canada.

The two boys - named locally as Noah Barthe, five, and his brother Connor, seven - were having a sleepover at their best friend's flat in the town of Campbellton when they were attacked by the snake.

The animal had escaped from the Reptile Ocean pet shop run by family friend Jean-Claude Savoie, located on the ground floor of the building.

Police outside the exotic pet store in Campbellton (Pic: CBC News)

The shop specialises in exotic pets.

Police said the African rock python entered the upstairs apartment via the two-storey building's ventilation system.

The boys were sleeping in the living room when they were attacked by the snake early on Monday morning.

"The preliminary investigation has led police to believe that a large exotic snake had escaped its enclosure at the store," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement.

An example of an African rock python (file pic)

"(It) got into the ventilation system, then into the upstairs apartment. It's believed the two boys were strangled by the snake."

The boys' mother, Mandy Trecartin, lives close to the Reptile Ocean store.

Mr Savoie told Global News that he found a "horrific scene" when he checked on the boys at about 6am.

Connor Barthe (L) and Noah Barthe (Pic: Facebook / Mandy Trecartin)

"I thought they were sleeping and I've seen the hole in the ceiling, (and) everything has fallen. I turn the lights on and I've seen this horrific scene," Mr Savoie said.

"I have so many mixed emotions right now. I can't believe this is real."

The python has been recaptured.

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Hacking: Law Firms On List Handed To MPs

Law firms, insurance companies and financial services providers dominate a list of more than 100 companies from outside the media linked to illegal activities by rogue private investigators.

The list of more than 102 names - which also includes two celebrities - has been passed to the Home Affairs Select Committee by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca).

Twenty-one law firms, nine insurers and eight financial service companies are on the list, the committee revealed.

Soca's list was handed to the committee on the grounds the names mentioned would not be released.

Committee chairman Keith Vaz told Sky News: "These organisations and individuals may well in the future be the subject of investigation by the Information Commissioner or the Metropolitan Police.

"What, very helpfully, they have agreed we can do is release the categories."

The Metropolitan Police allegedly holds a list of 200 more companies and individuals who may have used rogue private investigators to steal personal information.

Operation Tuleta, set up by the Metropolitan Police alongside a probe into alleged phone hacking by journalists, investigates claims of computer hacking and privacy breaches.

As well as hacking, private investigators are known to have accessed information through blagging - faking a person's identity to draw information from official sources.

James Clappison, a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: "Some of these private investigators have been involved in very serious violations - hacking into computers, intercepting telephone conversations and getting people's personal details."

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said it was "aware of companies and individuals outside of the media industry who are suspected of having committed criminal offences".

He added: "We are not prepared to provide any information that may lead to the identification of any individual or company who may be of interest to that investigation.

"Tuleta is a complicated inquiry and we are not prepared to give a running commentary. The investigation will proceed without bias and will go where the evidence takes us.

"As this investigation is ongoing, and there have been a number of other investigations directly linked to the work of private investigators over a number of years, we do not hold any single definitive list of clients."

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