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Man charged after allegedly killing neighbour in front of children

A man has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing a Melbourne mum to death in front of three young children. There was an apparent dispute between the two neighbours, and it has been reported that the 47-year-old man knocked on the home of a 51-year-old woman and attacked her multiple times with a knife. Emergency services were called to the home on Cousin Drive, Bayswater, in east Melbourne on Saturday morning, where the woman was found dead. Police said the woman's children, aged 16 and 11, and the alleged attacker's son, 17 witnessed the incident, with one of them sustaining a minor injury. "It's not a family violence incident, it is a tragic set of circumstances," Victoria Police detective senior sergeant Chris Ellway said on Saturday. "They're being looked after at the police station at the moment, statements are being taken and their welfare is being taken care of there," he added. The man was arrested a short time later and appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Sunday while he was withdrawing from drugs and alcohol, the court heard. He has since been charged with one count of murder and remanded in custody and will appear at a committal on February 14. "Another woman lost at the hands of a man is just horrible," Ellway said. Images: Nine News/ Facebook

Legal

How do children learn good manners?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sophia-waters-501831">Sophia Waters</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-new-england-919">University of New England</a> Ensuring kids have manners is a <a href="https://tidsskrift.dk/sss/article/view/135074">perennial preoccupation</a> for parents and caregivers. How, then, do you teach good manners to children? Modelling good manners around the home and in your own interaction with others is obviously crucial. But there’s a clear <a href="https://tidsskrift.dk/sss/article/view/135074">uniting theme</a> when it comes to manners in Australia: in Australian English, good manners centre on honouring personal autonomy, egalitarianism and not appearing to tell people what to do. <h2>Which manners matter most in Australia?</h2> Some of the most important manners in Australian English are behavioural edicts that focus on particular speech acts: greeting, requesting, thanking and apologising. These speech acts have a <a href="https://tidsskrift.dk/sss/article/view/135074/179857">set of words</a> associated with them: <ul> <li>hello</li> <li>hi</li> <li>may I please…?</li> <li>could I please…?</li> <li>thank you</li> <li>ta</li> <li>sorry</li> <li>excuse me.</li> </ul> Good manners make people feel comfortable in social situations by adding predictability and reassurance. They can act as signposts in interactions. Anglo cultures place a lot of weight on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378216612001014">egalitarianism</a>, personal autonomy and ensuring we don’t <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/English/d-d5AAAAIAAJ?hl=en">tell people what to do</a>. If you want to get someone to do something for you – pass you a pen, for example – you frame the request as a question to signal that you’re not telling them what to do. You’ll also add one of the main characters in Anglo politeness: the magic word, “<a href="https://www.academia.edu/20312114/Lige_a_Danish_magic_word_An_ethnopragmatic_analysis">please</a>”. This framing recognises you don’t expect or demand compliance. You’re acknowledging the other person as an autonomous individual who can do what they want. If the person does the thing you’ve asked, the next step is to say “thank you” to recognise the other person’s autonomy. You’re acknowledging they didn’t have to help just because you asked. <h2>The heavy hitters</h2> The words “please” and “thank you” are such heavy hitters in Australian English good manners, they’re two of the words that language learners and migrants <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/10408340308518247?needAccess=true">learn first</a>. They can help soften the impact of your words. Think, for example, of the difference between “no” and “no, thank you”. Of course, there are times when “no” is a full sentence. But what if someone offered you a cup of tea and you replied “no” without its concomitant “thank you” to soften your rejection and acknowledge this offer didn’t have to be made? Don’t be surprised if they think you sound a bit rude. The other big players in Australian English good manners are “sorry” and “excuse me”. Much like in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ1Eid0gnLV/">British English</a>, the Australian “sorry” means many things. These can preface an intrusion on someone’s personal space, like before squeezing past someone in the cinema, or on someone’s speaking turn. Interrupting or talking over someone else is often heavily frowned on in Australian English because it is often interpreted as disregarding what the other person has to say. But in some cultures, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0346251X14001365">such as French</a>, this conversational style is actively encouraged. And some languages and cultures <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S038800011830069X?via%3Dihub">have different conventions</a> around what good manners look like around strangers versus with family. Good manners involve saying certain words in predictable contexts. But knowing what these are and when to use them demonstrates a deeper cultural awareness of what behaviours are valued. <h2>How do children learn manners?</h2> As part of my <a href="https://tidsskrift.dk/sss/article/view/135074">research</a>, I’ve analysed parenting forum posts about “good manners”. Some believe good manners should be effortless; one parent said: <blockquote> Good manners shouldn’t be something that a child has to think about […] teach them correctly at home from day one, manners become an integral part of the way they view things. </blockquote> Another forum user posited good modelling was the key, saying: <blockquote> the parent has to lead by example, rather than forcing a child to say one or the other. </blockquote> One <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38777043/">study</a>, which involved analysis of more than 20 hours of videorecorded family dinner interactions collected in Italy, found mealtimes are also sites where parents control their children’s conduct “through the micro-politics of good manners.” <blockquote> By participating in mealtime interactions, children witness and have the chance to acquire the specific cultural principles governing bodily conduct at the table, such as ‘sitting properly’, ‘eating with cutlery’, and ‘chewing with mouth closed’. Yet, they are also socialised to a foundational principle of human sociality: one’s own behavior must be self-monitored according to the perspective of the generalised Other. </blockquote> In Australian English, that means regulating your behaviour to make sure you don’t do something that could be seen as “rude”. As I argued in a 2012 <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378216612000410">paper</a>: <blockquote> While child socialisation in Anglo culture involves heavy discouragement of rudeness, French does not have a direct equivalent feature […] French children are taught ça ne se fait pas, ‘that is not done’. Where the French proscribe the behaviours outright, the Anglos […] appeal to the image one has of oneself in interpersonal interactions. </blockquote> In Anglo English, the penalties for breaches could be other people’s disapproval and hurting their feelings. <h2>Why are good manners important?</h2> Good manners affect our interactions with others and help us build positive relationships. Fourteenth century English bishop and educator, William of Wykeham, declared that “<a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100131244#:%7E:text=Manners%20maketh%20man%20proverbial%20saying,Winchester%20and%20chancellor%20of%20England">manners maketh the man</a>”. John Hopkins University Professor <a href="https://ii.library.jhu.edu/2018/12/11/in-memory-of-p-m-forni-the-case-for-civility-in-the-classroom-and-beyond/">Pier Forni</a> called them a “precious life-improvement tool.” The “Good Manners” <a href="https://education.qld.gov.au/about-us/history/history-topics/good-manners-chart">chart</a>, based on a set of rules devised by the Children’s National guild of Courtesy in UK primary schools in 1889, was issued to Queensland primary schools until the 1960s. It tells kids to remember the golden rule to “always do to others as you would wish them to do to you if you were in their place.” Good manners form part of the bedrock for human sociality. Childhood is when we give kids foundational training on interacting with others and help them learn how to be a culturally competent member of a society.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237133/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sophia-waters-501831">Sophia Waters</a>, Senior Lecturer in Writing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-new-england-919">University of New England</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-children-learn-good-manners-237133">original article</a>. </div>

Family & Pets

Hugh Grant finally reveals his children's names

Hugh Grant has revealed the names of his two youngest daughters for the first time in a candid interview moment. The English actor and father-of-five has never announced the names of two of his children or the gender of his youngest offspring. Now, during an interview with talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, the 64-year-old finally shared that his youngest child was a girl and shared her name with viewers. During a conversation about his own unusual middle name, Mungo, he said, "I was in a bit of a panic with my wife on the day we named [our daughter]." Sharing the hilarious inspiration behind the name, he said, "We thought it might be nice for her when she was older if she could say in bars that her middle name is Danger. So, her name is Lulu Danger Grant. Austin Powers, you know?" Hugh, who also has a son named John Mungo, went on to reveal that his youngest isn't the only child in the family with a fun name. He went on to say that he and his wife Anna were stressed when naming their first daughter, and decided to ask their son for advice. "We asked her elder brother when she was on the way, 'there's a new baby coming along, what shall we call her?'", Hugh explained. "And he said 'Kevin', because that was his favourite Minion." "And we did think about calling her Kevin, but then we said, 'you'd better think of something else', and he said 'Blue', because that was his favourite colour." The announcement was out of character for Hugh, who despite being a huge Hollywood name, tends to keep his personal life out of the spotlight. Image credits: YouTube

Family & Pets

How was Halloween invented? Once a Celtic pagan tradition, the holiday has evolved to let kids and adults try on new identities

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <figure class="align-left "></figure> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/linus-owens-457047">Linus Owens</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/middlebury-1247">Middlebury</a> “It’s alive!” Dr. Frankenstein cried as his creation stirred to life. But the creature had a life of its own, eventually escaping its creator’s control. Much like Frankenstein’s monster, traditions are also alive, which means they can change over time or get reinvented. Built from a hodgepodge of diverse parts, Halloween is one such tradition that has been continually reinvented since its ancient origins as <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/T/bo46408548.html">a Celtic pagan ceremony</a>. Yet beneath the superhero costumes and bags of candy still beats the heart of the original. The Celts lived in what’s now Ireland as far back as 500 B.C. They celebrated New Year’s Day on Nov. 1, which they called <a href="https://www.loc.gov/folklife/halloween-santino.html">Samhain</a>. They believed that leading up to the transition to the new year, the door between the worlds of the living and the dead swung open. The souls of the recently dead, previously trapped on Earth, could now pass to the underworld. Since they thought spirits came out after dark, this supernatural activity reached its peak the night before, on Oct. 31. The Celts invented rituals to protect themselves during this turbulent time. They put on costumes and disguises to fool the spirits. They lit bonfires and stuck candles inside carved turnips – the first jack-o’-lanterns – to scare away any spirits looking for mischief. If all else failed, they carried a pocketful of treats to pay off wayward spirits and send them back <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/halloween-9780195168969?cc=us&lang=en&">on their way to the underworld</a>. Sound familiar? <a href="https://theconversation.com/halloweens-celebration-of-mingling-with-the-dead-has-roots-in-ancient-celtic-celebrations-of-samhain-191300">Although focused on the dead</a>, Samhain was ultimately <a href="https://utpress.org/title/halloween-other-festivals/">for the living</a>, who needed plenty of help of their own when transitioning to the new year. Winter was cold and dark. Food was scarce. Everyone came together for one last bash to break bread, share stories and stand tall against the dead, strengthening community ties at the time they were needed most. When Catholics arrived in Ireland around A.D. 300, they opened another door between worlds, unleashing considerable conflict. They sought to convert the Celts by changing their pagan rituals into Christian holidays. They rechristened Nov. 1 “All Saints Day,” which today remains a celebration of Catholic saints. But the locals held on to their old beliefs. They believed the dead still wandered the Earth. So the living still dressed in costumes. This activity still took place the night before. It just had a new name to fit the Catholic calendar: “All Hallows Eve,” which is <a href="https://www.loc.gov/folklife/halloween-santino.html">where we got the name Halloween</a>. Irish immigrants <a href="https://www.irishpost.com/heritage/how-irish-great-famine-brought-halloween-to-america-161376">brought Halloween to America in the 1800s</a> while escaping the Great Potato Famine. At first, Irish Halloween celebrations were an oddity, viewed suspiciously by other Americans. As such, Halloween wasn’t celebrated much in America at the time. As the Irish integrated into American society, Halloween was reinvented again, this time as an all-American celebration. It became a holiday primarily for kids. Its religious overtones faded, with supernatural saints and sinners being replaced by generic ghosts and goblins. Carved turnips gave way to the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-history-of-jack-o-lantern">pumpkins</a> now emblematic of the holiday. Though trick-or-treating resembles ancient traditions like guising, where costumed children went door to door for gifts, <a href="https://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/jack-santino-five-myths-about-halloween/article_6fe79e19-d106-52cc-a895-4a3a72d09c93.html">it’s actually an American invention</a>, created to entice kids away from rowdy holiday pranks toward more wholesome activities. Halloween has become a tradition many new immigrants adopt along their journey toward American-ness and is increasingly <a href="https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-4438-0153-9">being exported around the world</a>, with locals reinventing it in new ways to adapt it to their own culture. What’s so special about Halloween is that it turns the world upside down. The dead walk the Earth. Rules are meant to be broken. And kids exercise a lot of power. They decide what costume to wear. They make demands on others by asking for candy. “Trick or treat” is their battle cry. They do things they’d never get away with any other time, but on Halloween, they get to act like adults, trying it on to see how it fits. Because Halloween allows kids more independence, it’s possible to mark significant life stages through holiday firsts. First Halloween. First Halloween without a parent. First Halloween that’s no longer cool. First Halloween as a parent. Growing up used to mean growing out of Halloween. But today, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/10/24/halloween-adults-costumes-elvira-mistress-of-the-dark/1593177/">young adults</a> seem even more committed to Halloween than kids. What changed: adults or Halloween? Both. Caught between childhood and adulthood, today’s young adults find Halloween a perfect match to their struggles to find themselves and make their way in the world. Their participation has reinvented Halloween again, now bigger, more elaborate and <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/halloween-prices-cost-more-expensive-pumpkin-candy-costumes-1754635">more expensive</a>. Yet in <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-has-halloween-become-so-popular-among-adults-104896">becoming an adult celebration</a>, it comes full circle to return to its roots as a holiday celebrated mainly by adults. Halloween is a living tradition. You wear a costume every year, but you’d never wear the same one. You’ve changed since last year, and your costume reflects that. Halloween is no different. Each year, it’s the same celebration, but it’s also something totally new. In what ways are you already reinventing the Halloween of the future today? <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/linus-owens-457047">Linus Owens</a>, Associate Professor of Sociology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/middlebury-1247">Middlebury</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-was-halloween-invented-once-a-celtic-pagan-tradition-the-holiday-has-evolved-to-let-kids-and-adults-try-on-new-identities-192379">original article</a>. </div>

Art

We know parents shape their children’s reading – but so can aunts, uncles and grandparents, by sharing beloved books

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-grace-baulch-1399683">Emily Grace Baulch</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> <a href="https://creative.gov.au/news/media-releases/revealing-reading-a-survey-of-australian-reading-habits/">Over 80%</a> of Australians with children encourage them to read. Children whose parents enjoy reading are <a href="https://www.booktrust.org.uk/news-and-features/news/news-2023/new-research-from-booktrust-reveals-the-impact-of-parental-reading-enjoyment-on-childrens-reading-habits/">20% more likely</a> to enjoy it too. My research has found parents aren’t the only family members who play an important role in developing a passion for reading – extended family, from grandparents to siblings, uncles and great-aunts, also influence readers’ connections to books. I surveyed 160 Australian readers about their home bookshelves and reading habits. More than 80% of them acknowledged the significant influence of family in what and how they read. Reading to children is often <a href="https://www.booktrust.org.uk/globalassets/resources/research/booktrust-family-survey-research-briefing-2-reading-influencers.pdf">the invisible workload of mothers</a>: 95% of mothers read to children, compared to 67% of fathers. Yet intriguingly, those I surveyed – whose ages ranged from their early 20s to their 70s – collectively talked about books being passed down across eight generations. Family members were associated with their most valued books – and their identities as readers. <h2>Treasured possessions</h2> Books passed down through generations often become treasured possessions, embodying a shared family history. One person discussed an old hardcover copy of <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780732284350/blinky-bill/">Blinky Bill</a> by Dorothy Wall. Originally given to her father and his siblings by their great-aunt in 1961, the book’s pages are now discoloured and falling out. “Although I always think of my mother as having been my reading role model,” she wrote, “actually my father had an equally big impact, just in another way.” Her father is a central organising figure on her home bookshelf: she has dedicated a whole shelf to the books he liked. The story she tells about his old copy of Blinky Bill, however, crosses generations. The book’s battered state is a testament to its longevity and well-loved status. Its inscription to her family members makes the copy unique and irreplaceable. Another person remembered a set of Dickens’ novels, complete with margin notes and century-old newspaper clippings, carefully stored with her most special books. These volumes, initially owned by her great-great-grandmother and later gifted by her great-aunt, represent a reading bond passed down through generations. Such books can never be replaced, no matter how many copies might be in circulation. These books are closely associated with memories and experiences – they are invaluable for who they represent. A third person has her father’s “old” Anne McCaffrey’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/40323-dragonriders-of-pern">Dragonriders of Pern</a> series: he read it to her as a teenager, then passed it down. The book “sparked” her interest in science-fiction, and she now intends to pass it on to her own teenager. Her book, too, is “battered”, with “chunks falling out when you read it”. The cover is falling off. The deteriorating state of a book is part of the book’s legacy. It shows how loved it has been. Reading passions can be deliberately cultivated through family, but their value is less connected to reading comprehension or literacy than a sense of connection through sharing. Inherited, much-loved books bind families together. They can anchor absent family members to the present. These books can come to symbolise love, connection and loss. The family members who’ve passed down their books might not be physically present in children’s lives – they may not be reading aloud to them at bedtime – but through their books, they can have a strong presence in their loved ones’ memories. That indelible trace can be sustained into adulthood. <h2>Buying books for the next generation</h2> Another way relatives contribute to a family reading legacy is by buying new copies of much-loved books for the next generation. Theresa Sheen, from The Quick Brown Fox, a specialist children’s bookstore in Brisbane, notes that customers often ask for copies of books they had when they were younger. They may have read them to their children and now want them for their grandchildren. For example, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/40767-the-baby-sitters-club">The Babysitters Club series</a> by Ann M. Martin was mentioned multiple times as a nostalgic favourite, now being sought after by grandparents. Readers’ habits of re-buying favourite books can affect the publishing industry. With older children’s classics still selling, publishers seek to update the text to reflect contemporary cultural mores. Enid Blyton is one author who endures through intergenerational love and nostalgia. However, her work is regularly <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/books-magazines/books/enid-blytons-famous-five-books-edited-to-remove-offensive-words/news-story/47a63bb79a5d870f19aed58b19469bb5">edited and bowdlerised</a> to update it. Books can be imbued with the voices and emotions of others. They are more than just physical objects – they are vessels of shared experiences that can be passed down, up and across generations. This enduring bond between family members does more than preserve individual stories. It actively shapes and sustains a vibrant reading culture.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/232372/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-grace-baulch-1399683">Emily Grace Baulch</a>, Producer at Ludo Studio & Freelance Editor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-know-parents-shape-their-childrens-reading-but-so-can-aunts-uncles-and-grandparents-by-sharing-beloved-books-232372">original article</a>. </div>

Family & Pets

Father breaks silence after wife and two children die in tragic drowning

Hoai Nguyen, 32, and her two children, Mitchell, 7, and Hazel, 5, were enjoying a day out at Shearer Park in south-west Sydney, and were walking down to a small pier on the waterfront before they were spotted <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/unimaginable-sorrow-mother-and-two-children-drown-during-family-outing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struggling in the Georges River</a> about 10.15am on Saturday. Hoai was pulled to shore shortly afterwards, but despite desperate attempts by rescuers and bystanders she could not be revived. The bodies of the two children were recovered a few hours later, metres from a jetty. The children's father, Dinh Nguyen, had been at work during the incident and only found out about the tragedy when police showed up at his house. He has since broken his silence, and told The Sydney Morning Herald that his wife was navigating a mental illness prior to her death. “She has bipolar disorder, and she has some ups and some downs,” he told the publication. “She takes medicine. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.” He also recalled one of the last conversations the couple had, the night prior to the tragedy. “She told me the last night she didn’t sleep so she wanted to stay at home,” he said. According to The Daily Telegraph, detectives are now probing whether the incident was premeditated as they continue their investigations into the tragedy. The southwest Sydney community has since rallied around the family's loved ones, with bouquets of flowers and tributes seen at the riverbank as part of a growing memorial. A close friend of the family, Sarah Vu, has also organised a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/hoai-mitchell-and-hazel-nguyen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page for the family which has since raised over $60,600 of their $40,000 goal. “I sincerely thank the entire community for their contributions,” she wrote in a social media tribute on Monday. “The family have decided to bring Hoai and the kids back to Vietnam. “The fund has currently exceeded my expectations, but I will keep the link open for anyone who still wants to donate.” "All we can do now is pray for you and the little ones to depart peacefully,” she added with a video of two young kids holding hands and skipping down a street together. Need to talk to someone? Don't go it alone. Lifeline: 13 11 14, <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifeline.org.au </a> SANE Support line and Forums: 1800 187 263, <a href="https://saneforums.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saneforums.org</a> Headspace: 1800 650 890, <a href="https://headspace.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headspace.org.au</a> Beyond Blue: 1300 224 635, <a href="beyondblue.org.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beyondblue.org.au </a> Images: Facebook/ GoFundMe

Caring

Are older adults more vulnerable to scams? What psychologists have learned about who’s most susceptible, and when

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/natalie-c-ebner-1527554">Natalie C. Ebner</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-florida-1392">University of Florida</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/didem-pehlivanoglu-1527551">Didem Pehlivanoglu</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-florida-1392">University of Florida</a> About 1 in 6 Americans <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/05/2020-census-united-states-older-population-grew.html">are age 65 or older</a>, and that percentage <a href="https://www.ncoa.org/article/get-the-facts-on-older-americans">is projected to grow</a>. Older adults often hold positions of power, have retirement savings accumulated over the course of their lifetimes, and make important financial and health-related decisions – all of which makes them attractive targets for financial exploitation. In 2021, there were more than 90,000 older victims of fraud, according to the FBI. These cases resulted in <a href="https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2021_IC3ElderFraudReport.pdf">US$1.7 billion in losses</a>, a 74% increase compared with 2020. Even so, that may be a significant undercount, since embarrassment or lack of awareness <a href="https://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/fraud-victims-11.pdf">keeps some victims from reporting</a>. <a href="https://ncea.acl.gov/elder-abuse#gsc.tab=0">Financial exploitation</a> represents one of the most common forms of elder abuse. Perpetrators are often individuals in the victims’ inner social circles – family members, caregivers or friends – but can also be strangers. When older adults experience financial fraud, they typically <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/AgeandFraud/Infographic">lose more money</a> than younger victims. Those losses can have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2012.11">devastating consequences</a>, especially since older adults have limited time to recoup – dramatically reducing their independence, health and well-being. But older adults have been largely neglected in research on this burgeoning type of crime. We are <a href="https://ebnerlab.psych.ufl.edu/natalie-c-ebner-phd/">psychologists who study social cognition</a> and <a href="https://ebnerlab.psych.ufl.edu/didem-pehlivanoglu/">decision-making</a>, and <a href="https://ebnerlab.psych.ufl.edu/">our research lab</a> at the University of Florida is aimed at understanding the factors that shape vulnerability to deception in adulthood and aging. <h2>Defining vulnerability</h2> Financial exploitation involves a variety of exploitative tactics, such as coercion, manipulation, undue influence and, frequently, some sort of deception. The majority of current research focuses on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3052">people’s ability to distinguish between truth and lies</a> during interpersonal communication. However, deception occurs in many contexts – increasingly, over the internet. Our lab conducts laboratory experiments and real-world studies to measure susceptibility under various conditions: investment games, lie/truth scenarios, phishing emails, text messages, fake news and deepfakes – fabricated videos or images that are created by artificial intelligence technology. To study how people respond to deception, we use measures like surveys, brain imaging, behavior, eye movement and heart rate. We also collect health-related biomarkers, such as being a carrier of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8346443/">gene variants</a> that increase risk for Alzheimer’s disease, to identify individuals with particular vulnerability. And <a href="https://doi.org/10.20900/agmr20230007">our work</a> shows that an older adult’s ability to detect deception is not just about their individual characteristics. It also depends on how they are being targeted. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/593784/original/file-20240513-16-j9zy1i.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/593784/original/file-20240513-16-j9zy1i.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/593784/original/file-20240513-16-j9zy1i.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/593784/original/file-20240513-16-j9zy1i.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/593784/original/file-20240513-16-j9zy1i.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/593784/original/file-20240513-16-j9zy1i.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/593784/original/file-20240513-16-j9zy1i.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/593784/original/file-20240513-16-j9zy1i.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A figure with two circles and an arrow between them. One circle shows icons that symbolize individual susceptibility to deception -- like a brain, and a walking cane -- while the other has icons of types of deception, like mail or a text message." /></a><figcaption>Vulnerability depends not only on the person, but also the type of fraud being used. Natalie Ebner and Didem Pehlivanoglu</figcaption></figure> <h2>Individual risk factors</h2> Better cognition, social and emotional capacities, and brain health are all associated with less susceptibility to deception. Cognitive functions, such as how quickly our brain processes information and how well we remember it, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691619827511">decline with age</a> and impact decision-making. For example, among people around 70 years of age or older, declines in analytical thinking are associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000426">reduced ability to detect false news stories</a>. Additionally, low memory function in aging is associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gby036">greater susceptibility to email phishing</a>. Further, according to recent <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/osf/6f2y9">research</a>, this correlation is specifically pronounced among older adults who carry a gene variant that is a genetic risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Indeed, some research suggests that greater financial exploitability may serve as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104773">an early marker</a> of disease-related cognitive decline. Social and emotional influences are also crucial. Negative mood can enhance somebody’s ability to detect lies, while <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000426">positive mood in very old</a> age can impair a person’s ability to detect fake news. Lack of support and loneliness exacerbate susceptibility to deception. Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaa077">increased reliance on online platforms</a>, and older adults with lower digital literacy are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnac188">more vulnerable to fraudulent emails and robocalls</a>. Finally, an individual’s brain and body responses play a critical role in susceptibility to deception. One important factor is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2020.10.007">interoceptive awareness</a>: the ability to accurately read our own body’s signals, like a “gut feeling.” This awareness is correlated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igad104.3714">better lie detection</a> in older adults. According to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glx051">a first study</a>, financially exploited older adults had a significantly smaller size of insula – a brain region key to integrating bodily signals with environmental cues – than older adults who had been exposed to the same threat but avoided it. Reduced insula activity is also related to greater difficulty <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1218518109">picking up on cues</a> that make someone appear less trustworthy. <h2>Types of effective fraud</h2> Not all deception is equally effective on everyone. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3336141">Our findings</a> show that email phishing that relies on reciprocation – people’s tendency to repay what another person has provided them – was more effective on older adults. Younger adults, on the other hand, were more likely to fall for phishing emails that employed scarcity: people’s tendency to perceive an opportunity as more valuable if they are told its availability is limited. For example, an email might alert you that a coin collection from the 1950s has become available for a special reduced price if purchased within the next 24 hours. There is also evidence that as we age, we have greater difficulty detecting the “wolf in sheep’s clothing”: someone who appears trustworthy, but is not acting in a trustworthy way. In <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50500-x">a card-based gambling game</a>, we found that compared with their younger counterparts, older adults are more likely to select decks presented with trustworthy-looking faces, even though those decks consistently resulted in negative payouts. Even after learning about untrustworthy behavior, older adults showed greater difficulty overcoming their initial impressions. <h2>Reducing vulnerability</h2> Identifying who is especially at risk for financial exploitation in aging is crucial for preventing victimization. We believe interventions should be tailored, instead of a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, perhaps machine learning algorithms could someday determine the most dangerous types of deceptive messages that certain groups encounter – such as in text messages, emails or social media platforms – and provide on-the-spot warnings. Black and Hispanic consumers are <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/combating-fraud-african-american-latino-communities-ftcs-comprehensive-strategic-plan-federal-trade/160615fraudreport.pdf">more likely to be victimized</a>, so there is also a dire need for interventions that resonate with their communities. Prevention efforts would benefit from taking a holistic approach to help older adults reduce their vulnerability to scams. Training in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-019-01259-7">financial, health</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-08437-0.pdf">digital literacy</a> are important, but so are programs to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10363-1">address loneliness</a>. People of all ages need to keep these lessons in mind when interacting with online content or strangers – but not only then. Unfortunately, financial exploitation often comes from individuals close to the victim.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/227991/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/natalie-c-ebner-1527554">Natalie C. Ebner</a>, Professor of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-florida-1392">University of Florida</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/didem-pehlivanoglu-1527551">Didem Pehlivanoglu</a>, Postdoctoral Researcher, Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-florida-1392">University of Florida</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-older-adults-more-vulnerable-to-scams-what-psychologists-have-learned-about-whos-most-susceptible-and-when-227991">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

New $1m reward for cold case murder of three children

A new $1 million reward is being offered for information about each of the murders of three First Nations children around 34 years ago. Four-year-old Evelyn Greenup, Clinton Speedy-Duroux, 16, and Colleen Walker-Craig, 16, disappeared from Bowraville, a town in northern NSW over a five-month period from September 1990. Evelyn and Clinton's remains were found in nearby bushland, but Colleen's have never been found. The murders were initially investigated separately before being linked by the homicide squad. Now, after various appeals over the decades, NSW Police have issued a re-appeal for information into the murders, with a particular focus on locating the remains of Colleen. “A $1 million reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each of the children’s murder remains in place, as well as for information leading to the location and recovery of Colleen’s remains,” NSW Police said on Monday. Detectives are also going to be spending the week in Bowraville to speak to locals who may have information about the children's deaths. A man, who can't be named for legal reasons, was acquitted of Clinton's murder in 1994, and Evelyn's murder in 2006. The case was the subject of two police investigations, multiple trials, a coronial inquest, and a parliamentary inquiry. In 2018, the government tried to convince the NSW court of criminal appeal that there was fresh and compelling evidence – related to the disappearance of Colleen – in attempt to overturn the two acquittals and instead have a new single trial on three murder charges. However, the court refused to grant special leave to the NSW government to appeal against the decision. In 2019, hundreds protested in front of the gates of the Court of Appeal when a retrial was denied. Images: 7pm TV News NSW/ ABC News

Legal

"Unimaginable sorrow": Mother and two children drown during family outing

A mother and two children have died after struggling to swim in a Sydney waterway, with tributes and donations flowing in to support the grieving father. Hoai Nguyen, 32, and her two children, Mitchell, seven, and Hazel, five, were enjoying a day out at Shearer Park in south-west Sydney on Sunday, when they were spotted in distress in the waters of the Georges River. Hoai was pulled from the river, but despite the best efforts of bystanders and paramedics, she was unable to be revived. Police and volunteers from the State Emergency Service launched a large search and rescue operation for the two children, with divers locating their bodies in the water hours later, metres from a jetty. According to <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-news-georges-river-mother-hoai-nguyen-and-children-drown-lansvale/c8601ec9-47a1-4a79-8a12-67c3ff18f3ea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a>, the children's father and Hoai's husband had been at work during the incident and was only alerted to the tragedy when police showed up at his house. A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/hoai-mitchell-and-hazel-nguyen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page has been set up by a family friend to support the children's father, Hoai's husband, and their one-year-old brother during the "time of unimaginable sorrow". "A beloved mother and her two young children tragically drowned... leaving behind a profound void in our hearts and a father and baby who is only 1 years old," the fundraiser reads. An investigation into how the mother and her children ended up in the water is ongoing, as NSW Police acting superintendent Luke Scott yesterday described the tragedy as "beyond words". Image credits: GoFundMe

Caring

"No consideration": Tough new penalties introduced for "thoughtless" drivers

One Australian state is set to introduce a new law to enforce harsher penalties on "thoughtless" drivers who endanger the lives of children. South Australian independent Frank Pangallo has proposed legislation that would see prison terms of up to three years and fines of up to $5,000 for drivers found guilty of aggravated driving offences while children under 16 are present. “Like most people in the community, I am deeply alarmed at the number of thoughtless people who have no qualms about getting behind the wheel of a car and drive like a moron while there are kids in the car,” Mr Pangallo <a href="https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/independent-mlc-frank-pangallo-to-introduce-bill-would-impose-tougher-penalties-on-drivers-caught-speeding-drink-driving-with-children-in-the-car/news-story/343d31f4cb6c249a644ac2d45748daef" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-tgev="event119" data-tgev-container="bodylink" data-tgev-order="343d31f4cb6c249a644ac2d45748daef" data-tgev-label="news" data-tgev-metric="ev">told </a><a href="https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/independent-mlc-frank-pangallo-to-introduce-bill-would-impose-tougher-penalties-on-drivers-caught-speeding-drink-driving-with-children-in-the-car/news-story/343d31f4cb6c249a644ac2d45748daef" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-tgev="event119" data-tgev-container="bodylink" data-tgev-order="343d31f4cb6c249a644ac2d45748daef" data-tgev-label="news" data-tgev-metric="ev">the Advertiser</a>. “Not only are they putting their own lives at risk, but far more critically, the lives of innocent children in the vehicle." “I have spoken to a number of senior police who are astounded by the stupidity of these drivers who have absolutely no consideration for the dangers they are placing those children in.” Pangallo was prompted to urge the reforms after the state saw two horror crashes over the past weeks that have involved children. In one accident, an eight-year-old child was pulled from the wreckage of a vehicle and was lucky to survive, with the 40-year-old driver allegedly returning a positive breath test. “I would describe that driver as being an irresponsible moron,” Mr Pangallo said of the crash. “I hope they throw the book at that driver.” In another recent incident, a woman - who was pulled over for using her mobile phone while driving - allegedly blew six times the legal blood alcohol limit with two children under 16 years old in her car. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas offered his support for tougher laws in a press conference, saying, “I think it is perfectly reasonable for the law to discriminate between offenders who have children in the car or not. I think that’s a reasonable principle.” Image credits: A Current Affair

Legal

Mother helps raise over $1 million for her children ahead of her death

A single mother from America has left an enduring financial legacy to her two young children in the weeks before her untimely death. Erika Diarte-Carr, 30, started a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-erika-and-her-children-with-funeral-expenses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer in order to cover costs of her own funeral, as well as providing funds to raise her two kids, Jeremiah, 7, and Aaliyah, 5. After setting the fundraising goal for $5,000 USD, generous members of her community spread the word of her selfless actions, with the fundraiser now reaching over $1.7 million USD and counting. Titled “Support Erika: A Mother planning her own funeral”, the page has garnered more than 38,000 individual donations. The page reads, “Dear family, friends and to all of those of you who may or may not know know me..." “My name is Erika Diarte-Carr. I am 30 years old and a single mother of two beautiful children. Jeremiah (7) and Aaliyah (5). ❤️ They are my whole life, light and soul. My children are my fight and what keep me going.” The mother then shared the tragic details of her cancer journey, as she recalled being diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer in May 2022 after presenting for “normal shoulder surgery”. “By that point, the damage had already been done. In that moment, mine and my kids’ entire lives had changed forever, as well as all of those around us,” she wrote. On top of her cancer diagnosis, Erika was hit with another blow in January 2024 as she was diagnosed with Cushing's Syndrome, which resulted in rapid weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, and further debilitating symptoms the mother claimed had “taken so much away” from her family. The page was updated in mid-September upon advice Ms Diarte-Carr had just three months to live and that treatments would “no longer help”. The mother added to the GoFundMe page how the excess funds would be allocated, writing, “For anyone’s concern, all the funds that have exceeded my funeral costs goal will be now put into a trust fund for my babies that way I can leave behind something for them and I can still ensure they are going to be ok as they grow up." On October 4th, the mother thanked donors and announced she and her family were able to take one final trip together hoping to leave her kids with “memories that’ll last a lifetime”. Just days later, Erika's cousin shared a post to social media to announce that Erika had passed away on October 12th. “It is with a heavy heart that this is the final update I will be giving for my cousin Erika,” she wrote on Facebook. “She fought a long and hard battle. She was strong and held on as long as she could for her babies. I know she was so thankful for all of your support and love and prayers.” Image credits: GoFundMe

Caring

“Enough is enough”: Albanese to introduce social media ban for children

Australian children could soon be banned from accessing social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok amid growing concerns around its impacts on young minds. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Tuesday that his government would introduce landmark legislation to enforce a minimum age limit for access to social media, with the minimum age yet to be determined. This follows similar announcements made from Victoria and South Australia, with SA proposing an outright ban for kids under 13 and parental consent between the ages of 14 and 15, an option that is being considered to be implemented across the country. “We are taking this action because enough is enough,” Albanese said in a statement provided before the announcement. “Parents are worried sick about this. “The safety and mental and physical health of our young people is paramount.” The legislation will be introduced before the end of this year, after an age verification trial, although the age limits and start date have yet to be finalised. The government said the legislation would be worked on in national cabinet and draw on a report by former High Court Chief Justice Robert French commissioned by the SA government and released on Sunday. The report includes a draft bill to ban children under 14 from social media and making mandatory for companies to gain parental consent for 14 and 15-year-olds to use their platforms. On Tuesday morning, Albanese told Sunrise host Natalie Barr that he wanted to see kids “off their devices and on to the footy fields or the netball courts to get them interacting with real people having real experiences." “And we know that social media is doing social harm. “We want to make sure we get it right, but we want to make sure as well that we act which is why we have said we will introduce legislation before the end of this year." When the Sunrise host pointed out that "no country in the world has successfully been able to do this," with young teens finding alternative ways to access adult sites including using a VPN, Albanese replied: “that is why we are doing the trial to get it right”. “If it was easy it would have been done around the world. But just because something is hard doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try. “We want to work with parents to work with companies, to work with state and territory governments to make sure that we act in this area.” Albanese also said that allowing children unfettered access to smartphones and social media have had devastating impacts for some families, including through online bullying and access to material which causes social harm. “The safety and mental and physical health of our young people is paramount,’’ he said. “We are taking this action because enough is enough.” Investigations, trials and negotiations with social media companies are currently ongoing, with Albanese saying the social media giants also needed to take responsibility. “They’re not above everyone else. They can’t just say, ‘We’re a big multinational company. We can do whatever we like’, regardless of the harm that’s being caused,” he said. SA Premier Peter Malinauskas, who led the change to introduce the bans, said his state’s bill would require platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to ensure they took all reasonable steps to prevent children from getting access. “This is a problem that demands swift and decisive leadership, and I thank the Prime Minister for demonstrating it,’’ the SA Premier said. “The evidence shows early access to addictive social media is causing our kids harm. “This is no different to cigarettes or alcohol. When a product or service hurts children, governments must act.” The National Cabinet discussed the issue formally and informally last week, with all jurisdictions committed to tackling the issue. Image: Viktollio / Shutterstock.com

Legal

Mother furious after toddlers escape daycare onto busy road

A young mother is demanding answers after her toddler managed to flee his daycare centre and walk onto a busy road. Adelaide mum Makayla Lill dropped her son Wyatt off at the Goodstart Early Learning Blair Athol on Monday, when only hours after, Wyatt and another toddler were seen climbing through a hole in a broken fence. The two children ran out towards the busy road, which is regarded as a notorious accident blackspot, forcing traffic to slow down to avoid hitting the children. The staff quickly realised the children had escaped and ran to retrieve them. "I am pretty furious. There’s no excuse,” Makayla said. After the children were secure, the staff rang Ms Lill to inform her of the incident, which is now under investigation. “The first thing she said was ‘I’m just letting you know Wyatt is safe’”, Ms Lill said. “That straight away makes you think ‘What’s happened?’” "They said he was there for a maximum, this is what makes me upset, 10 seconds," Lill said. The mother said staff told her the gap in the fence was missed on a routine perimeter check. George Mavromatis was nearby when the incident occurred and said he heard the staff's screams from across the road. "This is a very bad intersection. We've seen multiple car accidents, it was very lucky to come out of that lightly to tell you the truth," he told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/two-children-found-wandering-near-busy-road-after-leaving-childcare-centre-adelaide/3c0164f9-d799-45e2-806b-1db00bc67e22" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">Nine News</a>. Makayla Lill has made a formal complaint with the centre, as some parents have pledged to remove their children from the daycare centre, while others have said they hoped it was just an isolated incident. The incident is now under multiple investigations by the centre and the Education Standards Board of South Australia, as South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said SafeWork may have a role to play in the investigation. "I think any parent would be horrified when they see these images. They're pretty confronting. I think it begs the question of what went wrong in this circumstance," Malinauskas said. Image credits: Nine

Family & Pets

Readers response: What’s your favourite travel memory with your children?

One of the best parts about travelling is having your kids, or even grandkids, in tow to experience a unique holiday together. We asked our reader what their favourite travel memory they're shared with their children is and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. Lynne Fairbrother - All the camping trips we made when they were kids, great family fun. Karen Ambrose - A long boat trip on the canals in England…. fabulous. Christine Whyte - Lovely family holidays where I holidayed with my parents, aunties, uncles, and cousins every year for over 18 years. Great summers of beach and fishing and fun times. Suzie Justinic - Many overseas trips we had as a family to see family in other countries. Cathrine Stanton Hillier - Sleeping in the back window ledge of the car. Mum made a small sleeping bag for me. Margie Buckingham - Every year, one holiday was an ‘away holiday’ while the other 3 were spent at nanny’s beach house, which were just the best! Touring Tassie on the Spirit was a great holiday. So was the Gold Coast doing the Theme Parks. But I think the best was driving to Sydney for the Olympics 2000. Barbara Holmes - The great holidays staying at Cairns Colonial Resort in the 80’s! Jill Harker - Emigrating from the UK to Australia on the ship in 1970 when the boys were about 7 and 8! Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Tips

Readers response: What is the best piece of advice you've passed down to your children?

if there's one thing you can count on your parents or grandparents for, it's to hand down valuable advice that will work its way through generations. This advice could be simple everyday words of wisdom, or more life-altering affirmations. We asked our reader what is the best piece of advice they have passed down to their children and grandchildren, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what you said. Margaret Barnes - Treat other people as you would like them to treat yourself. Kate Stephens - Listen to your mother. Keryn Bache - I recently advised my 22 year old granddaughter that if you have nothing nice to say, then say nothing at all. Linda Kauffman - Be careful in relationships. Janice Evans - Live within your means. Norell Standley - Learn self defence to protect yourselves. Les Thornborough - Look after your parents in their old age. Linda Kauffman - Thinking before acting. Liz N Jeff Busky - Don't try drugs, you may just like them. Rick Dayes - Mind your own business. Margie Buckingham - Live respectfully. Marian Arakiel - Get a job, get up, dress up and show up. Image credits: Shutterstock

Family & Pets

TV star charged over making indecent images of children

Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has been charged with making indecent images of children. The 62-year-old, who left the UK public broadcaster in April after 40 years, faces three charges over alleged activity between December 2020 and April 2022. Police claim the offences are claimed to be linked to images shared on WhatsApp. After being arrested in November last year by London's Metropolitan Police, he was charged with the offences on June 26th. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said of the arrest, “Huw Edwards, 62, of Southwark, London has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children following a Met Police investigation." “The offences, which are alleged to have taken place between December 2020 and April 2022, relate to images shared on a WhatsApp chat. Edwards was arrested on 8 November 2023. He was charged on Wednesday, 26 June following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service." “He has been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 31 July." Married dad-of-five Edwards resigned from the BBC three months ago after a stellar career spanning almost 40 years. The BBC revealed their star presenter’s resignation in a short statement on April 22nd, writing, “Huw Edwards has resigned and left the BBC." “After 40 years of service, Huw explained that his decision was made on the basis of advice. The BBC has accepted his resignation.” Image credits: BBC

Legal

Man arrested after BBC presenter's wife and children murdered

British police have apprehended the man they believe is responsible for a brutal crossbow attack on the wife and two children of a well-known BBC radio presenter. In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon (early Thursday AEST), Hertfordshire Police said 26-year-old Kyle Clifford had been located in the Enfield area of north London and that he was receiving medical treatment for injuries. The BBC confirmed that the women killed were the family of its well-known radio racing commentator John Hunt — his 61-year-old wife Carol Hunt and their daughters Louise and Hannah, aged 25 and 28 respectively. Their tragic death prompted a major manhunt for the 26-year-old, as the public were urged not to approach Clifford. "Following extensive inquiries, the suspect has been located and nobody else is being sought in connection with the investigation at this time," Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit said. "This continues to be an incredibly difficult time for the victims' family and we would ask that their privacy is respected as they come to terms with what has happened." A colleague of Hunt's and BBC 5 Live's lead presenter Mark Chapman struggled to hold back the tears as he expressed everyone's shock and pain. "We have a football match to bring you tonight ... and we will start our buildup to it shortly but this has been a heartbreaking day," he said as he opened Wednesday's coverage on 5 Live of England's semifinal match against The Netherlands in soccer's European Championship. "John Hunt is our colleague and our friend, not just to the current 5 Live sport team but to all of those who've worked here with him over the past 20 years, and also to all of you who have enjoyed his superb commentaries," Chapman said. "So on behalf of everyone connected to 5 Live Sport, our love and thoughts and support are with John and his family." Police were first alerted to the violent killings on Tuesday evening when emergency services were called to a house in Bushey, a residential area in north-western London. Paramedics tried to revive the women, but they died at the scene. While police have yet to establish a link between the suspect and the family, some British media outlets have claimed Clifford, who served in the British Army between 2019 and 2022, was an ex-boyfriend of one of the daughters. Image credits: Peter Manning/LNP/Shutterstock Editorial/Hertfordshire Police

Legal

Boomer couple divide audiences after revealing they're spending their children's inheritance

A couple from Victoria have ignited a fierce debate over spending their children's inheritance, after they revealed they are happy to spend the money on holidays during their retirement years. Leanne and Leon Ryland appeared on the SBS show Insight, along with their son Alex, to discuss how they are spending their retirement fund without considering leaving their cash flow to their two grown up kids. The couple have spent $170,000 on travelling so far, with their goal to visit the wonders of the world taking them to Machu Picchu in Peru, India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, with the US being next on their agenda. The couple joked the only thing their two sons would inherit would be their “shelf of s***”, a pile of cheap trinkets from their travels. However, the couple also own a home, and have been using their superannuation, pension and savings to fund their travels. Their jet setting comes after they saw a financial planner before they retired about four years ago after saving their whole lives. “We’ve done all the right things by investing in property, boosting up our super, making sure that was healthy, going without a lot of things,” Ms Ryland said. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9JyzoDvYkM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9JyzoDvYkM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Insight at SBS (@insightsbs)</a> </div> </blockquote> “And he said, ‘You’re crazy if you don’t retire when you can, because you’ll spend most of your wealth on travel or whatever in the first 10 years and then after that it slows down’." “It’s changing your mindset. You get into a phase now where you actually spend instead of save.” The cashed-up boomers run a Facebook group called “SKIclub”, which stands for “spending kids inheritance”, where retirees can share travel tips. Ms Ryland said she’s trying to convince her husband they have to “spend now, because if we don’t spend it, you know he gets it”, pointing to her son. “We’re not going be able to spend all this money so let’s do it because in another 10 years we won’t be climbing the Great Wall of China. We won’t be going up Machu Picchu,” she said. “We won’t be doing those things. So we’ve gotta do it now because what else is there?” The attitude of the couple quickly welcomed a wave of criticism online, who were quick to brand the pair as “entitled”. “SBS Insight tonight is hilarious — boomer privilege at its best & still not conscious of it. So entitled,” one person wrote on X. “Boomers are evil … bragging about overseas holidays with no regard for the environment, spending all their money so their kids have no inheritance,” another wrote. “Clogging healthcare due to their perceived entitlement for health and refusal to die. Selfish and privileged.” However, despite the views of many on social media, the couple’s son Alex appeared to support his parents' decision. “It’s their money,” he told the program. “They’ve worked hard their entire life and invested well in order to get that money so I think they should be able to do whatever they’d like with it.” Alex's sentiment was echoed by others online, with one person saying, "They have a right to do what they want, after the years of being so amazing and responsible for raising a kids, their turn is now." Another simply stated, "It's their money, they can do what they want." Insight’s ‘The Boomer Economy’ is available to stream on <a title="https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/news-series/insight" href="https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/news-series/insight" data-outlook-id="534ae148-66c7-42db-b3ee-8f15bf016de4">SBS On Demand</a> now. Image credits: SBS

Retirement Life

Three children dead after allegedly being forced into house fire

Warning: This article contains disturbing content that readers may find distressing. Three children have tragically died in a house fire in Sydney's west, with police allegedly treating the incident as a domestic violence attack. At 1am on Sunday morning, neighbours raised the alarm after spotting the fire in a family home in the suburb of Lalor Park. Firefighters arrived on the scene in six minutes to battle what neighbours called an "intense" blaze. "The flames were shooting out the front window at 20 feet," Brett said. Two adults and seven young children were inside when the fire broke out, with neighbours saying they were awoken by screaming. Two boys aged three and six years old were given CPR on the street but could not be revived, and a 10-month-old baby girl was also found dead inside the home. As rescue crews, emergency services and locals battled to extinguish the powerful flames and rescue those inside, father Dean Heasman was allegedly seen pushing the children back in. "We're alleging that 28-year-old man took direct actions to prevent the rescue of those young lives that were lost," NSW Police Homicide Squad Superintendent Danny Doherty said. "We will allege that this 28-year-old man's actions were directly the cause of the death of these three young people." "We've seen three young lives have just been taken away in the most tragic of circumstances, quite unimaginable how the family is coping with this." A 29-year-old woman, a nine-year-old girl, and three boys aged four, seven and 11 were also in the house during the blaze, but escaped and were rushed to Westmead hospital. Neighbours said the surviving children told them the man ordered them to stay inside the home as it burned, one of them claiming he tried to fight in a bid to save his siblings. "Dad tried to kill us," the child allegedly told rescuers. Residents claimed they saw the man attempting to drag the terrified children back inside, as they said he was shouting "leave me here to die". It's understood the man, who was arrested at the scene and remains in a coma with significant injuries, was not previously known to police and had no existing apprehended violence order against him. NSW Premier Chris Minns labelled the incident "horrifying and senseless" and offered the family support, as an investigation into the cause of the blaze begins. Image credits: Nine News

Legal

What you need to know about protecting your children’s inheritance

For many people, ensuring that their children’s inheritance is protected is of paramount importance to them. There are a number of strategies that you can put in place to achieve this objective, you just need to determine which one bests suits you and your family’s circumstances. Put a Will in place By putting a Will in place, you get to decide who your assets go to, allowing you to make provision in your Will for them to pass to your children upon your death. If you do not have a Will in place then it is up to the government where your assets get paid and this may mean that your assets do not pass to your children, or do not pass to them in the manner that you desire. Play it safe and ensure things go the way you want them by taking the time to put a Will in place. Testamentary trust Let me introduce you to Testamentary Trusts. These amazing vehicles allow you to transfer your wealth to your children in the most asset protective and tax effective way possible. With an increasing number of marriages crumbling and divorce rates soaring, the last thing you want is your hard earned wealth passing to your child’s estranged partner in the event of one of your child’s marriage breakdown. By making provision in your Will leaving your children’s inheritance in a Testamentary Trust it protects their inheritance from any divorce or family law risks if your child’s relationship breaks down. Additionally, you may have a child who works in a high-risk occupation – a doctor, financial advisor or perhaps carrying on the role of a director. Alternatively, your child may be an entrepreneur, taking risks in their own business operations. If something adverse happened to your child whilst they were undertaking these roles and they were sued, they could be personally liable for them for any actions brought upon them by the aggrieved party. Creditors and other associated parties could only seek recourse to moneys owed by your child from them in their own personal capacity. If your child had received their inheritance in their own name, and hence the assets were now individual assets, the creditors and other associated parties would have recourse in recovering funds owed to them by your child. However, if your child’s inheritance was paid to a Testamentary Trust for their benefit at the time of your death then these assets would be held on trust for them and are not personal assets, hence the creditors and other associated parties would not have recourse in respect to these assets. Blended marriages If you have children from a previous marriage, it’s imperative that you obtain the appropriate legal advice in respect to how to protect your assets for your children. There are a number of options that you can put in place including a Binding Financial Agreement and a Mutual Wills Agreement. There are also strategies that you can put in place which ensure that your assets pass to your children upon your death. Options are also available where you may wish for your partner to receive some benefit of some of your assets during your lifetime with all assets passing to your children upon your partner’s death. Choose the right executor If you have young children, it will be your executor who looks after your children’s inheritance until your children reach the age that you have stipulated in your Will that you would like them to receive your assets. It is therefore imperative that you have the best person possible to undertake this role as you are effectively giving them the keys to everything that you own and control. That’s big. You need to appoint someone that you trust implicitly to undertake this role. You need to appoint your most trusted ally. Your executor also needs to be financial savvy or receptive to obtaining the appropriate financial advice to enable them to look after and grow your children’s inheritance. It is important that you seek the appropriate advice so that you can put the best strategies in place that protect your children’s inheritance in the best manner possible. There are a number of ways that you can protect your children’s inheritance, you just need to find the best one that works for you and your children. Melisa Sloan, author of Big Moments, expert advice for conquering those moments that define us, is a lawyer, industry leader, author and board director who loves helping people put in place beautiful legacies. For more information visit www.melisasloan.com.au Image credits: Shutterstock

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