Anne Dean’s daughter Francesca was 12 years old when police turned up at the family home, telling her and husband Andrew that Francesca had been sexually assaulted at a sleepover. The couple were left with an agonising decision over whether to tell their daughter. Here, Anne describes what happened next.
Francesca was a very happy little girl, and a very young 12. She went to a boarding school about four miles away from our home, where she was in the same house as her older sister. She was very sociable, we always had friends coming around, and she was always going to somebody else’s.
One girl she was friends with was from what seemed like a nice family. The father was military, and both Andrew and I had a lot of respect for him. He seemed a dedicated father and did lots of activities with them, such as tie-dye or taking them fishing, and Francesca enjoyed visiting. The only thing that surprised me was that the house was quite messy, not like other Forces houses I’ve seen. But there was nothing that made me ever think there was anything to be worried about.
Tenerife footballer dies aged 30 after on-pitch collision
Jesús de Miguel suffered a serious injury after colliding with the opposition goalkeeper in a match on Monday.
What happened?
The 30-year-old CD Tenerife forward was playing in a second-division match against Andorra, when he was struck in the chest by their goalie, Jesús Owono.
De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital. He died at 8am on Tuesday, according to his club.
6 min read
The sequence of events
- Owono’s knee appeared to collide with De Miguel while challenging in the midfield, according to reports.
- It occurred in the final minutes of the game, which at that point was drawn 2-2.
- The forward reportedly lay motionless on the pitch and distressed players called for medical aid. He was treated for more than five minutes on the pitch before being rushed to hospital by ambulance.
What the club has said
There are no words of comfort – there is absolutely nothing that can lessen this overwhelming sadness. We stand with his grieving family, with his loved ones, with all of Tenerife who mourn this cruel loss today.
CD tenerife, in a statement today
When the BBC licence fee could be axed
Ministers are set to announce proposals to reform the £180-a-year charge in a White Paper setting out the terms of a new BBC charter next month.
A few of the options
New charter by 2028
Insiders believe the licence fee could gradually transition to something new over several years.
Streaming tax
The Government is considering extending the charge to streaming services – which could cost £6.25 a month.
Broadband levy
This would cost £11 per month, £4 a month cheaper than the current licence fee.
What else is on the table?
- BBC director-general Matt Brittin has suggested that the BBC could use a German-style funding model.
All households in Germany pay €18.36 per month (£15.70) to fund all public TV and radio broadcasters across different states.
Brittin predicted the scheme would enable the current fee to be reduced by 20 per cent from its current level.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has looked at whether the BBC should be allowed to take advertising around some of its services.
A final option could be to let the licence fee continue its decline and give the BBC the commercial freedom to raise more funds itself.
A BBC spokesman said: “The current funding model is outdated and needs reform. We will continue to engage with government to secure a new charter.”
4 min read
Watch more from The i Paper
How rapid delivery services are ‘fuelling’ alcohol harm
A group of MPs, health leaders and charities have argued the availability of strong and cheap alcohol should be tackled via minimum unit pricing (MUP) in England.
What does the letter say?
- In a letter to Health Secretary Yvette Cooper, 55 experts said that the evidence from Scotland and Wales, where MUP has already been introduced, is “clear and compelling”.
- The letter reads: “Very strong, very cheap alcohol is available everywhere in this country, from our supermarkets to our corner shops and increasingly via online rapid delivery services.”
- They argued the current conditions allow for “escalating alcohol harm”.
4 min read
The story in numbers
Between 2019 and 2023, deaths in England increased by a “staggering”
42%
and have not returned to pre-pandemic levels since.
The authors said that alcohol harm is estimated to cost
£27.4bn
a year, with £4.9bn of this “shouldered by the NHS”.
Human and economic costs
Labour MP Cat Smith said: “The human and economic costs are now far too high to ignore.”
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, warned England “is in danger of becoming the UK’s alcohol harm outlier”.
5 min read
Mahmood announces new immigration rules – what we know
The Home Secretary was forced to back down over proposals to make care workers wait 15 years to qualify for permanent residence.
What you need to know
Shabana Mahmood revised plans to force many low-paid workers, including carers, to wait up to 15 years before being granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR).
On Monday, she scrapped these plans for care workers. But other professions have not seen the same reversal.
3 min read
Why the change of heart?
Mahmood introduced the carve out for care workers after intense backlash from Labour MPs. Housing Secretary Angela Rayner called the retrospective plan “un-British”.
Workers in a set list of public service jobs – such as doctors, nurses and teachers – will also be able to qualify for ILR after five years, even if they do not meet the new salary threshold of £50,271.
Routes to settlement
Under the new system, legal migrants will be able to settle on the following timelines:
- 3 years: additional rate taxpayers earning over £125,141, as well as highly skilled individuals on Global Talent and Innovator Founder visas.
- 5 years: higher rate taxpayers earning over £50,271, as well as skilled public service workers.
- 10 years: the new standard route for everyone else.
- 20 years: anyone who claims certain benefits while in the UK or commits a visa offence.
Watch more from The i Paper
How getting your RDA (recommended dose of art) can transform wellbeing
Visiting a museum or art gallery every month for a “recommended dose of art (RDA)” can transform wellbeing, according to a report.
At least 60 minutes per month inside a gallery or museum could help cut depression, lower stress and improve health, according to the study from the Art Fund charity.
What do the figures tell us?
50%
Evidence in the report shows how a 2019 study on 2,148 adults found a 32 per cent lower risk of depression from going to museums, theatre and cinema every few months.
This rose to a 48 per cent lower risk for people who attended once a month or more, according to the data, taken from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.
- Daisy Fancourt, professor of psychobiology at University College London (UCL), who wrote the foreword to the report said adopting a monthly habit can make a difference.
The expert view
Regular engagement and meaningful encounters with art are now recognised as an important contributor to our health and wellbeing, and the evidence suggests they should be viewed as health-promoting behaviours, alongside having a balanced diet, regular exercise and spending time outdoors.
Daisy Fancourt
What other studies have also found
Another study published this year in the journal, , found “evidence that authentic art viewing engages biological processes linked to stress reduction and immune modulation”.
A further study found community cultural engagement was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia.
4 min read
Why Ryanair is warning customers to book summer flights now
The boss of Ryanair has warned travellers to book their summer flights sooner rather than later, with plane ticket prices set to “rise dramatically” next year.
The budget airline said it expects short-haul airfares – like those for trips from the UK to Europe – to increase tickets by 20 per cent.
Why are ticket prices soaring?
Fuel prices have increased dramatically due to the US-Israeli war on Iran. Ryanair said it expects jet fuel prices to remain “elevated well into 2027”.
Short-haul airfares must therefore rise to reflect “much higher” cost of aviation fuel prices. There will also be fewer seats available as airlines reduce capacity to try to control costs, according to Ryanair.
3 min read
3 min read
But raising fares won’t fully cover spiralling fuel costs. The airline, therefore, is mulling pay freezes, reducing crew numbers and increasing its use of AI to cut costs.
“Unless there is a swift resolution of the Middle East conflict we expect jet fuel prices to remain elevated well into 2027,” said O’Leary.
A closer look at the figures
€2.15bn
The company revealed that profit after tax fell by 15 per cent to €2.15bn (£1.79bn) for the half-year to September, compared with a year earlier.
Revenues increased by 3 per cent to €10.08bn driven by 6 per cent increase in passenger numbers. But the firm saw operating costs lift by 10 per cent.
- Earlier this year, Ryanair said it would cut its traffic target for the year from 216 million passengers to 214 million in an effort to offset increases in unhedged fuel costs.
What you need to know about new Buy Now Pay Later rules
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) lenders – like Klarna and Clearpay – have been officially regulated since July, meaning their rules of use have quietly changed.
Here is what that means for you.
What you need to know
Stricter checks
The new regulation mean users have stricter background checks on their ability to repay loans.
Purchases blocked
If you fail, then your purchase via BNPL will be blocked.
Borrowing figure
There are different affordability checks for different purchases, partially based on how much is borrowed.
Shoppers given stronger rights
Why were the regulations needed?
- BNPL regulations are designed to help prevent people from falling into unaffordable debt.
- Lenders must now direct shoppers who fall into financial difficulty towards debt advice rather than immediately referring them to debt collectors.
- Treasury minister Rachel Blake said the rules deliver promised consumer protections.
Protecting consumers
It is not fair that people using these products have had fewer rights than if they had paid by credit card. These new rules protect the consumer — with proper checks before credit is offered, real rights when things go wrong, and support rather than pressure if someone falls into financial difficulty.
Rachel Blake, economic secretary to the Treasury
How to avoid being blocked
Sara Williams, a former volunteer debt adviser at Citizens Advice who posts tips as Debt Camel on social media, told the BBC just how consumers can avoid being blocked by BNPL lenders.
- Slow down your purchases: If your budget is tight, ensure that what you are buying is essential or see if you can postpone the spending.
- Be more careful about what you buy: Avoid needing a high credit limit to buy lots of clothes in different sizes.
- Cancel subscriptions: Escape the trap of having to use BNPL to make up for the cost of previous payments.
- Talk to debt charities: If you are using BNPL for essentials, speak to charities for help and access to food bank vouchers.
One evening, a female police officer turned up at our house. Andrew and I took her into the sitting room, and sat on the sofa opposite her. Francesca was away at boarding school. This father had been arrested because he’d been caught filming three young girls in a family changing area. The police had found 13,000 indecent images and videos of children on his computer, including one of him abusing Francesca. The police did not show us the video, but described that she was in a bunk bed, and was in her pyjamas, and he had lifted them and touched her. They said she barely moved and clearly had her eyes closed.
I sat there like an idiot. I could not believe what was being said. I even asked: “Our Francesca? You’re talking about our daughter?” The officer said police were absolutely certain that Francesca was asleep, and that this man was being prosecuted. She asked us what we wanted to do.
Francesca had never said anything about this incident, which had happened more than a year before. We had not experienced any upset from her, and she had continued going to play at that house. We were secure in the knowledge that she didn’t know, so we said: “Well, if she doesn’t know, is there any advantage to telling her?” and agreed not to tell our daughter.
Of course, we immediately stopped her going over there, giving different excuses as to why. But their daughter would still come to us – even while the father was awaiting trial.
One day during that period, I was in the garden with Francesca and her friend when the dad turned up. I was so angry and upset. He got out of the car and spoke to me as if everything was normal. I went to distract the children while Andrew told him he had to go. We rang the police and told them, and they stopped the father going to the school or having any contact with us.
The police told us the court date but we decided not to go. I don’t think we really wanted to hear all the rest of it, and assumed he was going to be punished.
In court. he pleaded guilty to all 22 charges of voyeurism, sexual assault and outraging public decency. He was sentenced to a three-year community order, banned from any unsupervised contact with girls under 18, and required to undergo intensive therapy.
He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for five years. I still have so many questions: why had he not been sent to prison, when he was a paedophile? Why was he not on the register for life? We were told we had the option to appeal against the sentence, but it would involve Francesca giving an account of what happened. She was our only concern, so while we were cross that he had received this stupidly light sentence we weren’t about to rock the boat – if we continued, he would be punished, but then she would know about it. So we maintained our decision – we would not tell her.
I was always cautious about what Francesca said, looking for signs that there was anything that indicated she knew. But she never said anything, and Andrew and I buried it – it was gone, it was over, it was finished.
Around the age of 16, Francesca changed. She became disrespectful, badly behaved, surly and argumentative, like so many teenagers at that age. We even went to family counselling about what can only be described as tantrums. It never occurred to us that it had anything to do with what had happened four years before.
Then, when Francesca was 19, she said she had seen an old friend who had told her about this chap and what he’d been convicted for. Francesca asked: “Did you know about this?” and I deflected it, saying: “Oh yes, I do recall that, I don’t think there was anything odd about it.” I just wanted to get her to move on and talk about something else, so it could all go away. I didn’t realise she had an agenda, to bring it up to see how I would react.
In 2022, Francesca was studying in New York when she FaceTimed Andrew and me. She was really upset, and crying, saying: “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
When she said, “I’ve been abused,” I thought she meant it had happened recently, in New York. That’s how far down I had pushed down what happened. But when she told us it happened when she was 12, I suddenly realised we had done the wrong thing. She knew.
We learned that Francesca had been suffering with flashbacks since her teens – and that’s what had set the bad behaviour off. She wasn’t sure what had happened, didn’t want to bother us, and worried about what would happen to her friend. It’s typical Francesca – she really worries about other people and will think more of how things will affect them than how it will affect her.
In New York, she had watched a film that had brought her memories back.
When she told us, Andrew and I went quiet and just looked at each other. We told her everything. It gives me goosebumps to think about it. It was devastating to realise that while I thought that I was doing the right thing and protecting her, actually I was not. I wasn’t protecting her at all.
Francesca went back to the police to see if there was anything they could do to reopen the case, but they said new evidence would be needed, and the fact that she had, in fact, been awake when the abuse occurred would not make a difference. If we had talked to Francesca at the time, perhaps this man could have been punished properly. But we were not given any guidance. Looking back it sounds so naive, but we had just taken the police’s word for it.
I don’t blame the officers – they were doing their job within the framework. What is wrong is the framework. We needed someone to immediately help us understand what had happened – therapists, psychologists – but support was never offered to us.
Francesca has been quite remarkable. She’d have had every right to have been really cross with us, to have blamed us. But she has always said she understands why we did what we did, and that we were doing what we thought was right, which I think is incredibly generous. Luckily, we’re closer than we’ve ever been.
Last year, I went to go and see a talk by Gisèle Pelicot – the French woman who was drugged and raped by her husband and dozens of men while she was sleeping, and bravely waived her right to anonymity. It brought out the horror of what people can do. But I think the fact that Gisèle has stood up and been counted has been a huge relief for an awful lot of other people.
And that’s why I’m so supportive of Francesca doing her work to raise awareness of what happened to her, because I think it enables other people to have the strength to say something. What concerns us is that we do not believe the framework has changed in the last 15 years. If the same thing happened today, I don’t believe it would be handled any differently. I believe there is a lot more that can be done to support both victims of abuse and their families, and it’s something that needs addressing urgently.