Hours after a 17-year-old posted photo of a large sum of cash on Facebook, a gang of masked men, armed with knives and clubs, broke into the home of the girl's mother in the country town of Bundanoon, south-eastern Australia.
According to the police, the thieves, who had probably "liked" the picture on Facebook, came to the house of the girl's mother.
They wore dark-colored clothing, gloves and had their faces covered. They said they wanted to speak to the girl about the cash on her Facebook page.
But the girl's mother told them they had broken into the wrong house.
The girl was not living with her mother. She had taken the photo at her grandmother's house in Sydney the same day.
The girl posted on her Facebook page, a picture of a "large sum of cash" she had helped her 72-year-old grandmother count in her home in Sydney, 120 kilometers (75 miles) north-east of Bundanoon.
The Australian reports the men, unwilling to believe the girl's mother, searched the house and took some cash and a few personal belongings before they left.
12/05/2012
Woman blows herself up and 2 officials after they forced her to sign for demolition of her house
CHINA -- A woman has blown herself up in protest over the demolition of her house in southern China, killing two people and injuring 14.
The suicide blast took place Thursday morning near Zhaotong, a small city in China's remote Yunnan province.
The woman had been meeting with a small group of low-level community officials to sign an agreement over her the demolition of her home and the compensation.
This incident is a reminder of the tensions in China over the country's rapid development where home owners are forced to make way for development.
Local governments often demolish houses - or confiscate land - but offer little or no compensation to those affected, while officials resell their land to companies for huge prices.
Home demolitions are a frequent occurrence throughout the country, as urban areas expand and land developers move quickly to snatch land from rural areas. Although all demolitions and new developments are supposed to be subject to government review, and farmers are guaranteed fair compensation for land by law, numerous examples also demonstrate corruption and collusion of local administrators with property developers, sometimes backed by local thugs.
Opposition to relocation and home destruction by residents, who sometimes refuse to leave homes even in the face of physical intimidation.
23/04/2012
Chinese woman seeks husband who won't have sex
BEIJING: A 38-year-old woman who runs a website that promotes virginity is seeking a husband with stringent conditions attached -- no premarital sex and no sex for the first three years of marriage.
Tu Shiyou, a 38-year-old single woman runs the website Preserve Virginity that is dedicated to promoting virginity before marriage. She posted apersonal ad online to seek a husband, reported China Daily citing rednet.cn.
The prospective husband has to meet certain conditions, including no sex before marriage and no sex life during the first three years of marriage.
Her message sparked a heated online debate and was forwarded almost 10,000 times in one hour on Sina Weibo, a microblogging website.
While some said that Tu won't be able to find a husband due to these requirements, others said she was trying to promote herself.
22/04/2012
3,000 Ancient Buddhas Unearthed in China
Handan, China -- Archaeologists unearthed nearly 3,000 Buddha statues, which could be up to 1,500 years old.
The discovery is believed to be the largest of its kind since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, an archaeologist with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told.
The Buddha statues most of which are made of white marble and limestone and many of which are broken could date back to the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi dynasties (A.D. 534 to 577), experts say.
The statues discovered during a dig outside of Ye, the ancient capital of the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi dynasties may have been rounded up and buried after the fall of the Northern Qi dynasty by later emperors in an attempt to purge the country of Buddhism.
In some cases, the Buddhist statues may have been buried by the faithful themselves in times of danger.
Fugitive with many looks wanted by police
Davenport, Florida - Brelon Small, a 34-year-old Davenport man is wanted by police after he allegedly failed to register as a sex offender.
He has several aliases, and as a transvestite, is known to appear as a woman.
Small is a Registered Sex Offender due to a 2006 conviction for Lewd and Lascivious Acts Upon a Child. He is also currently out on bond from a previous arrest in November 2011 for failure to register as a sex offender.
He has an extensive criminal history, including prior arrests for prostitution, robbery, sale of cocaine, resisting arrest, and theft.
Small tends to change his appearance regularly, and has the following aliases: Bieosha Small; Lashay Small; Bonnie O'Neal; Andrew Washington; Andrea Washington.
He is described as a black male or female, 5'8", 175 lbs.
14/04/2012
Man gouged out lover's eyes
A man who blinded his girlfriend by gouging out her eyes has admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Shane Jenkin, 32, admitted at Truro crown court to attacking Tina Nash, 32, in April 2011 and will be sentenced in May.
He was arrested after assaulting the mother-of-two, who also suffered a broken jaw and nose during the attack at a property in Hayle, Cornwall.
Jenkin kept Nash imprisoned in the house for 12 hours after he put her through her terrifying ordeal, the court heard.
Following the hearing, DI Chris Strickland said: "This was a premeditated, sustained and vicious attack on a defenceless woman.
Jenkin was originally charged with attempted murder but was later reduced to causing GBH with intent. The court heard how he fled after the attack but was picked up by police.
Nash's left eye had to be surgically removed following the incident. Doctors tried to save the sight in her right eye but failed.
12/04/2012
Woman caught texting and driving on Freeway with baby on lap and 2 unsecured kids in the back
Shawndeeia Bowen, 29, of Hawthorne, was arrested about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Lt. Stephen D’anjou said.
A tipster, who saw the woman as he rounded the “South Bay Curve,” called 911.
The caller kept tabs on Bowen, and police stopped her as she exited the freeway.
The 1-year-old was still in her lap and the phone still in a hand, according to D’anjou.
A 2-year-old and 4-year-old child in the back seat, did not have a seat belt on.
“In the event of an accident, there’s no way a parent or guardian will be able to stop a child from flying into the windshield of the car so it’s very dangerous,” D’anjou said.
Bowen was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, and the three children were taken into protective custody, police said.
The arrest came as Torrance police joined other law enforcement agencies for Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
“Her excuse was that, while she was driving on the 91 Freeway near Compton, the 1-year-old started crying and in an effort to comfort the 1-year-old, she pulled the 1-year-old to the front seat,” D’anjou added.
In California, holding a cell phone to an ear while driving is a citable offense, but police can give tickets any time they believe a driver is not devoting enough attention to the road.
Woman charged with arson
A Carlisle woman faces arson charges after police say she tried to burn down another person’s house on Monday. Alexandria M. Roberson, 26, was charged with two counts of felony arson, loitering and prowling and recklessly endangering another person.
According to police, Roberson intentionally set a fire in the front of an apartment. Newspapers and a red pillow were set on fire by an unknown device, directly in front of the front door. When one of the residents opened the door to investigate, they were met by knee-high flames, police said.
The fire was put out by the resident and no injuries were reported, according to police. Witnesses stated that Roberson was seen hiding in the dark alongside the apartment after the fire was put out.
According to police, the reason for setting the fire was that Roberson was upset over a domestic situation with her baby’s father, who was not at the scene at the time of the fire. She was arrested and taken to the Cumberland County Prison, where she was arraigned. Bail was set at $15,000. She is currently being held on a parole violation, according to court officials. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
According to police, Roberson intentionally set a fire in the front of an apartment. Newspapers and a red pillow were set on fire by an unknown device, directly in front of the front door. When one of the residents opened the door to investigate, they were met by knee-high flames, police said.
The fire was put out by the resident and no injuries were reported, according to police. Witnesses stated that Roberson was seen hiding in the dark alongside the apartment after the fire was put out.
According to police, the reason for setting the fire was that Roberson was upset over a domestic situation with her baby’s father, who was not at the scene at the time of the fire. She was arrested and taken to the Cumberland County Prison, where she was arraigned. Bail was set at $15,000. She is currently being held on a parole violation, according to court officials. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
Robber Girl tries to flee cops by jumping from 17th Floor apartment
She had model looks and the chance to turn her life around after becoming a criminal when just a child.
Shanise Paris-Goff died at the age of 18 when she fell from the 17th floor of a tower block during a police raid.
Moments earlier, officers had arrived to arrest the convicted robber after she had been on the run for nine months.
She had been freed after serving a year of a three-year sentence for robbery and assault and was expected to be monitored by the probation service as one of her early release conditions.
She had been tracked down to her boyfriend's high-rise flat and is thought to have panicked on seeing the officers.
The teenager scrambled on to a bedroom window ledge where she plunged to her death.
They were searching for her after she failed to register with her probation officer following her early release from a young offenders' institution in April last year.
Shanise Paris-Goff died at the age of 18 when she fell from the 17th floor of a tower block during a police raid.
Moments earlier, officers had arrived to arrest the convicted robber after she had been on the run for nine months.
She had been freed after serving a year of a three-year sentence for robbery and assault and was expected to be monitored by the probation service as one of her early release conditions.
She had been tracked down to her boyfriend's high-rise flat and is thought to have panicked on seeing the officers.
The teenager scrambled on to a bedroom window ledge where she plunged to her death.
They were searching for her after she failed to register with her probation officer following her early release from a young offenders' institution in April last year.
06/04/2012
Baby Born With No Blood
The extraordinary recovery of baby born with a severe case of anemia in the U.K. is being called a medical miracle.
Doctors gave Olivia Norton about two hours to live after they discovered the newborn had severely low levels of hemoglobin. So low were the levels, in fact, that what filled her veins and arteries could barely be classed as blood, the South West News Service (SWNS) reports.
The premature baby was born completely pale on Sept. 10. But after undergoing emergency blood transfusions, she began to slowly regain her color.
About six months later, Baby Olivia is alive and well. Her case remains so rare that it's being documented in medical texts, the Mirror reports.
Even still, Olivia's isn't the only story of baby born "without blood" to surface in recent months.
Earlier this year, mother Katy Morgan came forward to talk about her son's recovery after he, too, was born with "no blood."
Baby Oliver overcame a rare condition called Vasa Previa that essentially caused blood to drain from his body while he was still in the womb, the London Evening Standard reports.
After coming into the world without a heartbeat, the boy received a blood transfusion and a slew of other procedures after which he slowly gained strength, eventually becoming the healthy, active toddler he is today, according to the Sun.
Doctors gave Olivia Norton about two hours to live after they discovered the newborn had severely low levels of hemoglobin. So low were the levels, in fact, that what filled her veins and arteries could barely be classed as blood, the South West News Service (SWNS) reports.
The premature baby was born completely pale on Sept. 10. But after undergoing emergency blood transfusions, she began to slowly regain her color.
About six months later, Baby Olivia is alive and well. Her case remains so rare that it's being documented in medical texts, the Mirror reports.
Even still, Olivia's isn't the only story of baby born "without blood" to surface in recent months.
Earlier this year, mother Katy Morgan came forward to talk about her son's recovery after he, too, was born with "no blood."
Baby Oliver overcame a rare condition called Vasa Previa that essentially caused blood to drain from his body while he was still in the womb, the London Evening Standard reports.
After coming into the world without a heartbeat, the boy received a blood transfusion and a slew of other procedures after which he slowly gained strength, eventually becoming the healthy, active toddler he is today, according to the Sun.
93 year old woman retires her '64 Mercury after driving 576000 Miles
After about 576,000 miles (927,000 kilometres), 18 batteries, eight mufflers and 48 years, a 93-year-old Florida grandmother and her classic car have reached the end of the road.
Rachel Veitch, who lives in Orlando, hung up the keys to her 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente after she ran a red light last month and realized her vision had failed her.
"I am legally blind, so I can no longer drive my lovely chariot," she told Fox News. "They don't have to take it away, I would not dream of driving that car again."
Veitch, a retired nurse, told that her car had outlasted three marriages and three sets of shocks.
She bought the car in 1964 for $3,289.
Rachel Veitch, who lives in Orlando, hung up the keys to her 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente after she ran a red light last month and realized her vision had failed her.
"I am legally blind, so I can no longer drive my lovely chariot," she told Fox News. "They don't have to take it away, I would not dream of driving that car again."
Veitch, a retired nurse, told that her car had outlasted three marriages and three sets of shocks.
She bought the car in 1964 for $3,289.
02/04/2012
New Spa Treatment: Snails crawling across the face
A new spa treatment is slithering into the spotlight: snail facials.
Snail mucus has increasingly been turning up in beauty products, and now there's buzz about a salon in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, that offers clients a "medical-cosmetic" procedure that consists of letting African snails undulate leisurely across their faces.
Those with "Fear Factor"-worthy nerves and resolve are promised big dermatological rewards from the molluscan massages. Salon owner Alyona Zlotnikova says snail slime can help skin regenerate, minimize wrinkles and eliminate scars.
Snail mucus has increasingly been turning up in beauty products, and now there's buzz about a salon in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, that offers clients a "medical-cosmetic" procedure that consists of letting African snails undulate leisurely across their faces.
Those with "Fear Factor"-worthy nerves and resolve are promised big dermatological rewards from the molluscan massages. Salon owner Alyona Zlotnikova says snail slime can help skin regenerate, minimize wrinkles and eliminate scars.
Vicar hospitalised with potato up his bottom
The clergyman, in his 50s, told medical staff at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital that the accident was definitely not due to a sex game.
He had to undergo surgery to extract the spud from his backside.
A&E nurse Trudi Watson said: 'He explained to me, quite sincerely, he had been hanging curtains naked in he kitchen when he fell backwards on to the kitchen table and on to a potato
'Extinct' monkey rediscovered in Indonesia jungle
The pictures that came back caught them by surprise – groups of monkeys none had ever seen.With virtually no photographs of the species in existence, the scientists faced a challenge to confirm their suspicions, Brent Loken, a PhD student at Simon Fraser University in Canada and one of the lead researchers, said. The only images available were museum sketches."We were all pretty ecstatic. The fact that, wow, this monkey still lives, and also that it's in Wehea," Loken said.The team of local and international scientists published their findings in the American Journal of Primatology on Friday
The monkey once roamed the north-eastern part of Borneo, as well as the islands of Sumatra and Java and the Thai-Malay peninsula. Concerns were voiced several years ago that it might be extinct.Forests in which the monkeys once lived had been destroyed by fires, human encroachment and conversion of land for agriculture and mining. An extensive field survey in 2005 found no evidence of the species."For me, the discovery of this monkey is representative of so many species in Indonesia," Loken said. "There are so many animals we know so little about, and their home ranges are disappearing so quickly. It feels like a lot of these animals are going to quickly enter extinction."
The scientists' next step will be to return to the 38,000-hectare (90,000-acre) forest to try to find out how many grizzly langurs there are.They appear in more than 4,000 images captured over a two-month period, Loken said, but added that it was possible one or two families had kept returning.
"It's indeed a highly enigmatic species," Erik Meijaard, a conservation scientist who spent more than eight years doing field research in the area, said.In the past, grizzly langurs were hunted to near extinction for their meat and the bezoar "stones" that can, on occasion, be found in their guts, he said. Bezoars are believed by some to neutralise poison.
25/03/2012
Woman drinks and bathes in her Urine
Carrie is a 53-year-old cancer victim who according to her friend has 'done some strange stuff over the years'. But this may be the strangest of all.
The middle-aged brunette from Colorado Springs has taken to drinking her own urine, a four-year-old, five-glass-a-day habit that she calls 'comforting'.
On TLC's finale of the shocking series, My Strange Addiction, Carrie explains that drinking the warm pee for the first time didn't make her throw up so she decided: 'You know what, I can do this.'
Diagnosed with stage three malignant melanoma eight years ago, the mother of four daughters began drinking her urine in the hope that it may help with her recovery.
But it seems that the alternative medicine fan has taken quite a shining to the beverage. Of the taste, Carrie enthused about the variety of flavours that change depending on her diet.
The quirky pee-drinker describes how on sampling her daily urine she can taste the different foods going through her body and as such has had to give up foods that she once loved.
'I love love love asparagus but I won't eat it anymore. It makes the urine taste...ugh not good,' she laughs.
But Carrie not only drinks her own liquid waste, she uses it to rinse out her eyes, brush her teeth and she even ages it and applies it as an ointment all over her body.
Dr Michael Stroud, an expert in nutrition at Southampton University, went so far as to say that people who believed that urine could cure disease were 'daft as brushes'.
Helen Andrews, of the British Dietetic Association, told the British paper: 'There are no health benefits to drinking your own urine, and in fact I think it could be quite detrimental.
The middle-aged brunette from Colorado Springs has taken to drinking her own urine, a four-year-old, five-glass-a-day habit that she calls 'comforting'.
On TLC's finale of the shocking series, My Strange Addiction, Carrie explains that drinking the warm pee for the first time didn't make her throw up so she decided: 'You know what, I can do this.'
Diagnosed with stage three malignant melanoma eight years ago, the mother of four daughters began drinking her urine in the hope that it may help with her recovery.
But it seems that the alternative medicine fan has taken quite a shining to the beverage. Of the taste, Carrie enthused about the variety of flavours that change depending on her diet.
The quirky pee-drinker describes how on sampling her daily urine she can taste the different foods going through her body and as such has had to give up foods that she once loved.
'I love love love asparagus but I won't eat it anymore. It makes the urine taste...ugh not good,' she laughs.
But Carrie not only drinks her own liquid waste, she uses it to rinse out her eyes, brush her teeth and she even ages it and applies it as an ointment all over her body.
Dr Michael Stroud, an expert in nutrition at Southampton University, went so far as to say that people who believed that urine could cure disease were 'daft as brushes'.
Helen Andrews, of the British Dietetic Association, told the British paper: 'There are no health benefits to drinking your own urine, and in fact I think it could be quite detrimental.
21/03/2012
Man, 31 kills girl, 15 for refusing to have sex with him
Daniel Robert Lehi Ferry was detained yesterday after an investigation sparked by Annie Kasprzak's bloody and bruised body being pulled out of the Jordan River, Utah, last week.
The Riverton teenager was last seen on March 10, when she left home following an argument, and her body was found the following day.
A witness has claimed she saw Ferry physically assault his alleged victim in a home after she refused to have sex with him, Draper police wrote in a report to Salt Lake County jail.
The same witness also said they saw him take her unconscious body out of the home and place her in a vehicle.
Blood and one of her red trainers were also found near a pedestrian bridge over the river.
Ferry, who is being held on suspicion of first-degree felony murder, was also the subject of an outstanding warrant for several driving offences.
Veronica Kasprzak, Annie's mother, said the family was 'in shock' and told the Salt Lake Tribune that they did not know of Ferry before his arrest.
She had initially reported Annie missing on Saturday, March 10 after she left the house.
Annie's uncle Scott said last week how his niece had been going through 'a tough time of late'.
He told Fox 13: 'Within the last few years her parents had been divorced and remarried, and that was difficult for her.'
Annie's stepmother, Jennifer Kasprzak, added that the family thought she had just gone for a walk when she left the house.
19/03/2012
Man marries doll in Britain for the second time
An English man married a plastic bride for the second time following failed relationships with real women, Daily Star reported. Everard Cunion has been living with plastic dolls for some time after reportedly deciding that women “talked too much”.
He has had nine plastic women in his life in the past nine years; his first plastic wife was Caroline, whom he married in 2008. Cunion’s second marriage took place in the early days of March. The doll bride wore a wedding dress during a ceremony attended by Cunion’s close friends.
The groom was happy but the bride “did not smile,” a guest said.
“I prefer my dolls than women living” “This is my male instinct, to have so many beautiful women in my life as possible”, said Everard Cunion.
Video: Everard Cunion celebrating Christmas with his dolls, on the 25th of November 2006.
He has had nine plastic women in his life in the past nine years; his first plastic wife was Caroline, whom he married in 2008. Cunion’s second marriage took place in the early days of March. The doll bride wore a wedding dress during a ceremony attended by Cunion’s close friends.
The groom was happy but the bride “did not smile,” a guest said.
“I prefer my dolls than women living” “This is my male instinct, to have so many beautiful women in my life as possible”, said Everard Cunion.
Video: Everard Cunion celebrating Christmas with his dolls, on the 25th of November 2006.
17/03/2012
Eating white rice 'could raise your risk of type 2 diabetes'
The likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes could be increased by eating white rice, research suggests.
The more white rice people eat, the higher their chance of developing the condition, according to a review of four studies involving around 350,000 people. The U.S.-led review looked at two studies from China and Japan and two from the U.S. and Australia.
Asian people tended to have a much higher intake of the food than those in the West, averaging three to four servings a day compared with one or two servings per week. And they also had a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with those who ate most at highest risk.
Researcher Dr Qi Sun, of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, said: ‘Each serving increment per day in white rice intake was associated with a small, yet significantly higher diabetes risk.
‘It is probably fine to occasionally eat white rice, one or two servings per week, although the consumption seen in Asian countries will increase diabetes risk substantially.’
The link might be explained by the effect of white rice on blood sugar levels, as it is relatively high on the Glycaemic Index (GI), which measures how quickly glucose is released into the bloodstream after eating.
Low GI foods such as brown rice break down slowly, which makes people feel fuller longer and keeps blood sugar levels more stable.
White rice also has fewer nutrients, including fibre and magnesium, that may help prevent type 2 diabetes.
The review, published in the British Medical Journal, assessed a serving of rice as 158g, and took into account factors such as weight, exercise levels and diet of volunteers. During follow-up research, ranging from four to 22 years, around 13,200 people developed diabetes.
Catherine Collins, principal dietician at London’s St George’s Hospital, said increasing consumption of white rice among Asians might raise diabetes risk, but it was unlikely to be a risk transferred to the West.
This was not only because of a lower consumption in countries such as the UK, but also due to difference in diet and lifestyle. Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK, said the review did not provide conclusive results.
Some 2.5million people in the UK have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and another 850,000 do not know they have it.
The more white rice people eat, the higher their chance of developing the condition, according to a review of four studies involving around 350,000 people. The U.S.-led review looked at two studies from China and Japan and two from the U.S. and Australia.
Asian people tended to have a much higher intake of the food than those in the West, averaging three to four servings a day compared with one or two servings per week. And they also had a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with those who ate most at highest risk.
Researcher Dr Qi Sun, of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, said: ‘Each serving increment per day in white rice intake was associated with a small, yet significantly higher diabetes risk.
‘It is probably fine to occasionally eat white rice, one or two servings per week, although the consumption seen in Asian countries will increase diabetes risk substantially.’
The link might be explained by the effect of white rice on blood sugar levels, as it is relatively high on the Glycaemic Index (GI), which measures how quickly glucose is released into the bloodstream after eating.
Low GI foods such as brown rice break down slowly, which makes people feel fuller longer and keeps blood sugar levels more stable.
White rice also has fewer nutrients, including fibre and magnesium, that may help prevent type 2 diabetes.
The review, published in the British Medical Journal, assessed a serving of rice as 158g, and took into account factors such as weight, exercise levels and diet of volunteers. During follow-up research, ranging from four to 22 years, around 13,200 people developed diabetes.
Catherine Collins, principal dietician at London’s St George’s Hospital, said increasing consumption of white rice among Asians might raise diabetes risk, but it was unlikely to be a risk transferred to the West.
This was not only because of a lower consumption in countries such as the UK, but also due to difference in diet and lifestyle. Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK, said the review did not provide conclusive results.
Some 2.5million people in the UK have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and another 850,000 do not know they have it.
Two men cleaning inside giant industrial oven cooked after colleague turned it on by mistake
The metalworker who switched on the cooker is receiving counselling after detectives discovered the men had tried to rip insulation off the walls and clawed at the door in a desperate bid to escape.
The horrific accident happened after they ignored safety measures that would have warned colleagues they were still inside.
The furnace — used to heat metal ready for smelting — can reach temperatures of 800C (1,472F).
Cops say they had actually finished the cleaning job before returning a second time without telling colleagues.
Officials said they ignored four safety precautions used at the factory owned by the Salzburger Aluminium AG company in Lenz, Austria, to avoid such incidents.
These included putting up a sign to tell others they were inside and securing the door so it stayed open.
After they entered a second time the door swung shut and a co-worker assumed they had finished before turning it on.
Police spokeswoman Daniela Gstvttner said the pair, a veteran employee and 49-year-old temp, would have known what was about to happen as hot air began to flood the chamber.
She said: "Because of the intense heat at some point the men's clothes caught fire - and from there their bodies were burned.
"At the moment we are trying to work out how the door was closed and how it ended up being switched on. It could have been done manually or by remote control."
15/03/2012
Woman dies after sending Romantic text messages to boyfriend
MONTREAL — A grieving boyfriend has released the final, romantic text message that his girlfriend typed before she slammed into the back of a transport truck and was killed instantly.
Emy Brochu, 20, died east of Montreal, prompting lover Mathieu Fortin to post their deadly exchange on Facebook to raise awareness about the dangers of texting behind the wheel.
Fortin says he didn't know his girlfriend was driving when he texted, "I love you Mme Brochu."
Her final text message read, "I love you too and I will try my best to make you happy Mr. Fortin."
The woman's car then collided with the truck around 10:45 a.m. Fortin, unaware of what happened, sent several other texts including one that read, "I would have preferred to hear your beautiful voice, but anyway...we'll talk again this evening before six. Have a good day at school bb, I kiss you all over :)"
After his next text went unanswered at 12:27 p.m., he sent Brochu another message at 1:24 p.m.
"Is everything ok my love?" he wrote.
The final posted message, sent at 2:48 p.m., reads "bb, I'm a little worried there."
The police investigation found Brochu collided with the truck because she was distracted by her cellphone. Fortin said the reality of her death has yet to sink in.
"It was a shock to me, since I was communicating with her," he wrote on his Facebook page.
In a plea to the public, he wrote: "I hope that every time you look at your cell when you're driving, you will think of Emy."
He ended his post by writing "it could be a child crossing the street while you're staring at your phone...THINK HARD!"
Fortin and Brochu's mother declined interviews with QMI Agency because they say they're still too shaken.
Quebec's automobile insurance board says texting while driving increases the risk of a crash because the driver takes their eyes off the road for between 4.6 and six seconds.
At a speed of 90 km/h, that's like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.
DEAdLY TEXT EXCHANGE BETWEEN MATHIEU FORTIN AND EMY BROCHU
- Mathieu: "I love you Ms. Brochu"
- Emy: "I too love you and I will try my best to make you happy Mr. Fortin."
- Mathieu: ":)))))"
- Mathieu: "Me too bb"
- Mathieu: "xxxxxxxxxxxx" (at 10:56 a.m.)
- Mathieu: "I have a meeting at 12:30 p.m., I would have liked to hear your beautiful voice before, but anyway...Talk to you tonight before six. Good day at school bb, I kiss you all over:)"
- Mathieu: "Bb will you be on time to school?"(At 12:27 p.m.)
- Mathieu: "Is everything ok my love?"(At 1:24 p.m.)
- Mathieu: "Bb I'm a little worried there ..."(At 2:48 p.m.)
Emy Brochu, 20, died east of Montreal, prompting lover Mathieu Fortin to post their deadly exchange on Facebook to raise awareness about the dangers of texting behind the wheel.
Fortin says he didn't know his girlfriend was driving when he texted, "I love you Mme Brochu."
Her final text message read, "I love you too and I will try my best to make you happy Mr. Fortin."
The woman's car then collided with the truck around 10:45 a.m. Fortin, unaware of what happened, sent several other texts including one that read, "I would have preferred to hear your beautiful voice, but anyway...we'll talk again this evening before six. Have a good day at school bb, I kiss you all over :)"
After his next text went unanswered at 12:27 p.m., he sent Brochu another message at 1:24 p.m.
"Is everything ok my love?" he wrote.
The final posted message, sent at 2:48 p.m., reads "bb, I'm a little worried there."
The police investigation found Brochu collided with the truck because she was distracted by her cellphone. Fortin said the reality of her death has yet to sink in.
"It was a shock to me, since I was communicating with her," he wrote on his Facebook page.
In a plea to the public, he wrote: "I hope that every time you look at your cell when you're driving, you will think of Emy."
He ended his post by writing "it could be a child crossing the street while you're staring at your phone...THINK HARD!"
Fortin and Brochu's mother declined interviews with QMI Agency because they say they're still too shaken.
Quebec's automobile insurance board says texting while driving increases the risk of a crash because the driver takes their eyes off the road for between 4.6 and six seconds.
At a speed of 90 km/h, that's like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.
DEAdLY TEXT EXCHANGE BETWEEN MATHIEU FORTIN AND EMY BROCHU
- Mathieu: "I love you Ms. Brochu"
- Emy: "I too love you and I will try my best to make you happy Mr. Fortin."
- Mathieu: ":)))))"
- Mathieu: "Me too bb"
- Mathieu: "xxxxxxxxxxxx" (at 10:56 a.m.)
- Mathieu: "I have a meeting at 12:30 p.m., I would have liked to hear your beautiful voice before, but anyway...Talk to you tonight before six. Good day at school bb, I kiss you all over:)"
- Mathieu: "Bb will you be on time to school?"(At 12:27 p.m.)
- Mathieu: "Is everything ok my love?"(At 1:24 p.m.)
- Mathieu: "Bb I'm a little worried there ..."(At 2:48 p.m.)
16 year old rape victim kills herself after Judge foced her to marry rapist
Angry Moroccans are demanding a change to the country's strict Islamic penal code after a 16-year-old girl killed herself after being forced to marry her rapist.
An online petition, a Facebook page and countless tweets expressed horror over the suicide of Amina Filali, who swallowed rat poison on Saturday in protest at her marriage to the man who raped her a year earlier.
Article 475 of the Moroccan penal code allows for the 'kidnapper' of a minor to marry his victim to escape prosecution, and it has been used to justify a traditional practice of making a rapist marry his victim to preserve the honour of the woman's family.
'Amina, 16, was triply violated, by her rapist, by tradition and by Article 475 of the Moroccan law'.
The victim's father said in an interview with an online Moroccan newspaper that the court pushed the marriage on her.
"The prosecutor advised my daughter to marry, he said 'go and make the marriage contract,'" said Lahcen Filali in an interview.
In many societies, the loss of a woman's virginity outside of wedlock is a huge stain of honor on the family. In many Middle East societies, there is a tradition whereby a rapist can escape prosecution if he marries his victim, thereby restoring her honor.
In cases of rape, the burden of proof is often on the victim and if she can't prove she was attacked, a woman risks being prosecuted for debauchery.
According to the interview with the father, the girl was accosted on the street and raped when she was 15, but it was two months before she told her parents.
He said the court pushed the marriage, even though the perpetrator initially refused. He only consented when faced with prosecution. The penalty for rape is between five and 10 years in prison, but rises to 10 to 20 in the case of a minor.
Filali said Amina complained to her mother that her husband was beating her repeatedly during the five months of marriage but that her mother counseled patience.
A page called "We are all Amina Filali" has been formed and an online petition calling for Morocco to end the practice of marrying rapists and their victims has already gathered more than 1,000 signatures.
An online petition, a Facebook page and countless tweets expressed horror over the suicide of Amina Filali, who swallowed rat poison on Saturday in protest at her marriage to the man who raped her a year earlier.
Article 475 of the Moroccan penal code allows for the 'kidnapper' of a minor to marry his victim to escape prosecution, and it has been used to justify a traditional practice of making a rapist marry his victim to preserve the honour of the woman's family.
'Amina, 16, was triply violated, by her rapist, by tradition and by Article 475 of the Moroccan law'.
The victim's father said in an interview with an online Moroccan newspaper that the court pushed the marriage on her.
"The prosecutor advised my daughter to marry, he said 'go and make the marriage contract,'" said Lahcen Filali in an interview.
In many societies, the loss of a woman's virginity outside of wedlock is a huge stain of honor on the family. In many Middle East societies, there is a tradition whereby a rapist can escape prosecution if he marries his victim, thereby restoring her honor.
In cases of rape, the burden of proof is often on the victim and if she can't prove she was attacked, a woman risks being prosecuted for debauchery.
According to the interview with the father, the girl was accosted on the street and raped when she was 15, but it was two months before she told her parents.
He said the court pushed the marriage, even though the perpetrator initially refused. He only consented when faced with prosecution. The penalty for rape is between five and 10 years in prison, but rises to 10 to 20 in the case of a minor.
Filali said Amina complained to her mother that her husband was beating her repeatedly during the five months of marriage but that her mother counseled patience.
A page called "We are all Amina Filali" has been formed and an online petition calling for Morocco to end the practice of marrying rapists and their victims has already gathered more than 1,000 signatures.
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