Sunday, December 07, 2008
Australians call for intersex gender
The Federal Government's human rights arm plans to invent a new official status called "intersex" adding it to male and female as a legally recognised gender. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission wants people to be able to change their gender on their passports and driving licences even if they do not undergo surgery.
And transgender lobby groups say that even this does not go far enough and are demanding a fourth legal gender called "other" for people who feel like their gender is indefinable or changes from day to day.
The extraordinary proposals are contained in a discussion paper quietly issued to transgender and transexual advocates by the commission, a statutory body that advises the Government on such matters.
The paper, entitled "Sex Files - The legal recognition of sex: Proposed reform", says the introduction of the new "intersex" gender is a "key feature of the reform proposal being developed by the commission".
"Recognition of intersex: Persons who cannot or do not identify as either male or female would be able to choose to be identified on their birth certificate and passport as intersex," it says. "A person who cannot or chooses not to undergo surgery would not be automatically ineligible to request a change in their legal sex."
A response to the report by Sex and Gender Education Australia says there needs to be a fourth legal gender for people who are not even "intersex".
And transgender lobby groups say that even this does not go far enough and are demanding a fourth legal gender called "other" for people who feel like their gender is indefinable or changes from day to day.
The extraordinary proposals are contained in a discussion paper quietly issued to transgender and transexual advocates by the commission, a statutory body that advises the Government on such matters.
The paper, entitled "Sex Files - The legal recognition of sex: Proposed reform", says the introduction of the new "intersex" gender is a "key feature of the reform proposal being developed by the commission".
"Recognition of intersex: Persons who cannot or do not identify as either male or female would be able to choose to be identified on their birth certificate and passport as intersex," it says. "A person who cannot or chooses not to undergo surgery would not be automatically ineligible to request a change in their legal sex."
A response to the report by Sex and Gender Education Australia says there needs to be a fourth legal gender for people who are not even "intersex".
Spanish mother who hit 'difficult' son told not to see him for a year
A woman who hit her son because he had not completed his homework has been sentenced to 45 days in prison and banned from seeing him for more than a year.
MarÍa del Saliente Alonso MartÍnez, 37, was convicted of child abuse by a court in Jaen, southern Spain.
In October 2006 Alonso, who comes from Pozo Alcon, Jaen, grabbed her ten-year-old son round the neck and hit him on the back of the head after discovering that he had not finished his homework.
Earlier in the day the boy had thrown a shoe and locked himself in a lavatory. Teachers noticed later that the boy had marks on his neck, and they reported the mother to the authorities.
A judge in Jaen admitted that the boy had a “difficult character” but he nonetheless convicted his mother of “committing an act of aggression against her son”. He added: “You cannot consider this within the concept of the parental right to correct children.”
Alonso was banned from going within 500 metres of her son for a year and 45 days. The mother, who does not have to serve the prison term as she has no previous convictions, is to appeal.
MarÍa del Saliente Alonso MartÍnez, 37, was convicted of child abuse by a court in Jaen, southern Spain.
In October 2006 Alonso, who comes from Pozo Alcon, Jaen, grabbed her ten-year-old son round the neck and hit him on the back of the head after discovering that he had not finished his homework.
Earlier in the day the boy had thrown a shoe and locked himself in a lavatory. Teachers noticed later that the boy had marks on his neck, and they reported the mother to the authorities.
A judge in Jaen admitted that the boy had a “difficult character” but he nonetheless convicted his mother of “committing an act of aggression against her son”. He added: “You cannot consider this within the concept of the parental right to correct children.”
Alonso was banned from going within 500 metres of her son for a year and 45 days. The mother, who does not have to serve the prison term as she has no previous convictions, is to appeal.
Fiancée swept away by huge wave as would-be groom tries to propose
A romantic marriage proposal on the Oregon coast turned deadly for the bride-to-be when a wave swept her out to sea.
Scott Napper planned to pop the question to Leafil Alforque, 22, at a spot near Neskowin Beach that got its name from couples ready to marry.
Napper said the tide had receded around Proposal Rock when the couple began to walk to it. He planned to propose and give her the ring he carried in his pocket.
About 10 feet from the rock, a wave around 3 feet high suddenly came toward them. "I turned into it to keep from getting pulled under it," Napper said.
By the time he turned to find Alforque, only 4-foot-11 and 93 pounds, she had been caught by the receding waters. "She was about 30 feet away, getting swept away," Napper said.
The 45-year-old Silverton man tore off his jacket to get rid of any extra weight, and when he looked up again she was gone. "That's the last I saw of her," he said , breaking into tears.
With news video.
Scott Napper planned to pop the question to Leafil Alforque, 22, at a spot near Neskowin Beach that got its name from couples ready to marry.
Napper said the tide had receded around Proposal Rock when the couple began to walk to it. He planned to propose and give her the ring he carried in his pocket.
About 10 feet from the rock, a wave around 3 feet high suddenly came toward them. "I turned into it to keep from getting pulled under it," Napper said.
By the time he turned to find Alforque, only 4-foot-11 and 93 pounds, she had been caught by the receding waters. "She was about 30 feet away, getting swept away," Napper said.
The 45-year-old Silverton man tore off his jacket to get rid of any extra weight, and when he looked up again she was gone. "That's the last I saw of her," he said , breaking into tears.
With news video.
Toddler strikes up friendship with baby orangutan
A child and a lonely orangutan have struck up an unlikely friendship.
Two-year-old Emily Bland met her new friend when her dad took her to The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species in Miami, Florida.
Rishi the orangutan was born at the Jungle Island animal sanctuary in Miami just over a year ago, but he was rejected by the males in his group.
Link, with slideshow.
Two-year-old Emily Bland met her new friend when her dad took her to The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species in Miami, Florida.
Rishi the orangutan was born at the Jungle Island animal sanctuary in Miami just over a year ago, but he was rejected by the males in his group.
Link, with slideshow.
Magistrate and teacher wife disguise car in attempt to evade speeding fine
A magistrate and his teacher wife attempted to disguise their car and changed the number plates in a bid to avoid a £60 speeding fine, a court heard. Michael Rodger and his wife Diane removed stickers from the windscreen of their Skoda and told police the car must have been cloned.
Mr Rodger, a deputy church warden, wrote five letters to police in protest at the fine, claiming alternately that the car had been parked at the time and then that police photographs were too unclear to identify the driver. They sent their own pictures of the altered car to officers in an attempt to show it did not look the same.
In each letter sent, the 43-year-old added the letters JP - Justice of the Peace - after his name.
But the couple's attempts to evade justice backfired spectacularly when police officers visited their home and immediately recognised Mrs Rodger and her daughter. Instead of a £60 fine and three points off her licence, Mrs Rodger and her husband were told to pay £5,000 costs and narrowly escaped jail for perverting the course of justice.
Passing sentence at Derby Crown Court, Judge David Brumming gave both a six month jail term, suspended for two years, and ordered them to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work. "It is almost beyond belief that you should have done what you did," he told the weeping church-going couple. "You embarked on a course of dishonesty to escape this small penalty.
"Between you, you cooked up five letters and persisted in your claim that your car had been cloned and you were not responsible. Given your family background and faith, it was an extraordinary and staggeringly stupid decision that has led to disgrace for you both and put your jobs and livelihood at risk."
Mr Rodger, a deputy church warden, wrote five letters to police in protest at the fine, claiming alternately that the car had been parked at the time and then that police photographs were too unclear to identify the driver. They sent their own pictures of the altered car to officers in an attempt to show it did not look the same.
In each letter sent, the 43-year-old added the letters JP - Justice of the Peace - after his name.
But the couple's attempts to evade justice backfired spectacularly when police officers visited their home and immediately recognised Mrs Rodger and her daughter. Instead of a £60 fine and three points off her licence, Mrs Rodger and her husband were told to pay £5,000 costs and narrowly escaped jail for perverting the course of justice.
Passing sentence at Derby Crown Court, Judge David Brumming gave both a six month jail term, suspended for two years, and ordered them to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work. "It is almost beyond belief that you should have done what you did," he told the weeping church-going couple. "You embarked on a course of dishonesty to escape this small penalty.
"Between you, you cooked up five letters and persisted in your claim that your car had been cloned and you were not responsible. Given your family background and faith, it was an extraordinary and staggeringly stupid decision that has led to disgrace for you both and put your jobs and livelihood at risk."
Man dressed in Britney Spears schoolgirl outfit gets Asbo
A 59-year-old man who dresses as a schoolgirl has been given an antisocial behaviour order by Northampton Magistrates Court.
For more than a year Peter Trigger of Farnden Close in Thorplands has been dressing as a schoolgirl and hanging around near a primary school when children are on their way to and from school, following children and behaving in an inappropriate manner.
Evidence heard during the two-day hearing, which was brought by Northampton Borough Council, included several witness statements from parents whose children had been scared and confused by Mr Trigger's behaviour. All of the parents said that they feared for their children's safety.
The matter has got so bad that they have stopped walking their children to school on their own and now walk in groups or take the long way round.
Photo from here. Click for bigger.
The Magistrate was satisfied with the evidence heard and granted a five-year ASBO prohibiting Trigger from wearing a skirt or showing bare legs on any school day between the hours of 8.30am to 10am and from 2.45pm to 4pm, he is also banned from behaving in a manner that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as himself. Mr Trigger must also pay £250 costs. Failure to comply with the order could lead to his arrest and imprisonment.
A spokesman for Northampton Borough Council said: "Parents and their children have been affected by the behaviour of Mr Trigger. Various agencies, including the police, have tried stepping in to explain how his behaviour is affecting others, but he has taken none of this on board and is adamant that he can dress however he likes. We appreciate that Mr Trigger has a right to dress how he likes, but not if it is causing distress or alarm to others, particularly young children, which is the case here."
For more than a year Peter Trigger of Farnden Close in Thorplands has been dressing as a schoolgirl and hanging around near a primary school when children are on their way to and from school, following children and behaving in an inappropriate manner.
Evidence heard during the two-day hearing, which was brought by Northampton Borough Council, included several witness statements from parents whose children had been scared and confused by Mr Trigger's behaviour. All of the parents said that they feared for their children's safety.
The matter has got so bad that they have stopped walking their children to school on their own and now walk in groups or take the long way round.
Photo from here. Click for bigger.
The Magistrate was satisfied with the evidence heard and granted a five-year ASBO prohibiting Trigger from wearing a skirt or showing bare legs on any school day between the hours of 8.30am to 10am and from 2.45pm to 4pm, he is also banned from behaving in a manner that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as himself. Mr Trigger must also pay £250 costs. Failure to comply with the order could lead to his arrest and imprisonment.
A spokesman for Northampton Borough Council said: "Parents and their children have been affected by the behaviour of Mr Trigger. Various agencies, including the police, have tried stepping in to explain how his behaviour is affecting others, but he has taken none of this on board and is adamant that he can dress however he likes. We appreciate that Mr Trigger has a right to dress how he likes, but not if it is causing distress or alarm to others, particularly young children, which is the case here."
MP reveals oddest British laws
Britons are forbidden from disturbing packs of eggs and from selling game killed on a Sunday, it was revealed by an opposition MP who condemned ministers for introducing ridiculous laws.
Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne noted the stream of sometimes "completely bizarre" new offences the government had created.
Since the Labour party took power in 1997 under then prime minister Tony Blair, it has created 3,600 new criminal offences, Huhne said - adding this was "massively complicating" the job of police and the criminal justice system.
"Some of these offences are completely bizarre - for example, the offence of causing a nuclear explosion," he told members of parliament (MPs).
"The idea that anyone might cause a nuclear explosion without killing anybody, and therefore being subject to a possible charge of murder, is extremely far-fetched."
Other new offences include "wilfully pretending to be a barrister", "disturbing a pack of eggs when instructed not to by an authorised officer" and "offering for sale a game bird killed on a Sunday or Christmas day", he said.
Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne noted the stream of sometimes "completely bizarre" new offences the government had created.
Since the Labour party took power in 1997 under then prime minister Tony Blair, it has created 3,600 new criminal offences, Huhne said - adding this was "massively complicating" the job of police and the criminal justice system.
"Some of these offences are completely bizarre - for example, the offence of causing a nuclear explosion," he told members of parliament (MPs).
"The idea that anyone might cause a nuclear explosion without killing anybody, and therefore being subject to a possible charge of murder, is extremely far-fetched."
Other new offences include "wilfully pretending to be a barrister", "disturbing a pack of eggs when instructed not to by an authorised officer" and "offering for sale a game bird killed on a Sunday or Christmas day", he said.
Girl has triplets at age of 16
Amy Smith's three children, Lexi, Leah and Alfie, were delivered by Caesarean section at University Hospital Of North Tees in Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, on Nov 1.
Born 11 weeks premature, the babies are now being cared for at Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, North Yorks.
The young mother, who turned 17 earlier this week, admitted that she felt overwhelmed by the task ahead. "I don't feel like a mum yet, I think when they come home it will hit me," she said.
I'm a bit scared of it all because I'm still a baby myself."
Despite her delight at becoming a mother Miss Smith said she had no plans for more children. "The doctors said that I could have triplets again," she said. But I've got my family, and I don't want to have any more."
Her boyfriend Marley Testo, 17, added: "It is a bit scary having triplets, but we've both got big supportive families."
Born 11 weeks premature, the babies are now being cared for at Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, North Yorks.
The young mother, who turned 17 earlier this week, admitted that she felt overwhelmed by the task ahead. "I don't feel like a mum yet, I think when they come home it will hit me," she said.
I'm a bit scared of it all because I'm still a baby myself."
Despite her delight at becoming a mother Miss Smith said she had no plans for more children. "The doctors said that I could have triplets again," she said. But I've got my family, and I don't want to have any more."
Her boyfriend Marley Testo, 17, added: "It is a bit scary having triplets, but we've both got big supportive families."
Man died from picking his nose
Ian Bothwell, 63, suffered a serious nose-bleed because of his habit and died as a result.
Nigel Meadows, Manchester coroner, said: "There is no explanation for this death other than he died from a nose-bleed, consistent with picking his nose. I do not think for a moment he knew what he was doing was going to cause his death." He recorded a verdict of misadventure.
A pathologist concluded that Mr Bothwell, who suffered from dementia brought on by alcoholism, had picked his nose so much that it had caused him to bleed to death.
His body was found by John Edwards, the manager of the Royal Court block of flats in Ladybarn near Didsbury, Manchester - where Mr Bothwell lived alone - on September 5.
Mr Edwards told the inquest: "I thought he must have fallen out of bed and hit his head but it was obvious he was almost certainly dead." But Dr Emyr Benbow, the consultant who carried out the post mortem at Manchester Royal Infirmary, said he could find no evidence that a bang to Mr Bothwell's head had contributed to his death.
The only place he found any contributory evidence was inside Mr Bothwell's nasal cavity, which was full of blood. Dr Benbow told the inquest: "The nasal cavity was filled with blood. My conclusion is that the most likely cause of death is epistaxis, the technical term for a nose-bleed. "The most common cause of epistaxis is picking the nose and I believe that is likely to be what happened."
Nigel Meadows, Manchester coroner, said: "There is no explanation for this death other than he died from a nose-bleed, consistent with picking his nose. I do not think for a moment he knew what he was doing was going to cause his death." He recorded a verdict of misadventure.
A pathologist concluded that Mr Bothwell, who suffered from dementia brought on by alcoholism, had picked his nose so much that it had caused him to bleed to death.
His body was found by John Edwards, the manager of the Royal Court block of flats in Ladybarn near Didsbury, Manchester - where Mr Bothwell lived alone - on September 5.
Mr Edwards told the inquest: "I thought he must have fallen out of bed and hit his head but it was obvious he was almost certainly dead." But Dr Emyr Benbow, the consultant who carried out the post mortem at Manchester Royal Infirmary, said he could find no evidence that a bang to Mr Bothwell's head had contributed to his death.
The only place he found any contributory evidence was inside Mr Bothwell's nasal cavity, which was full of blood. Dr Benbow told the inquest: "The nasal cavity was filled with blood. My conclusion is that the most likely cause of death is epistaxis, the technical term for a nose-bleed. "The most common cause of epistaxis is picking the nose and I believe that is likely to be what happened."
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