Category: News

A father and son flew 10,000 ft up into the sky to break a record that had stood for more than 20 years.

David Scutchings and his son Max (both Australia) achieved the most inside loops performed consecutively in a glider – a total of 45.

Above the skies of Gawler, South Australia, they obliterated the existing record of 24 that had been in place since 2001.

And to make it all the more special, they did it on 26 January – Australia Day.

The idea to break a record came about for Dave as he approached his 50^th birthday, and he’s incredibly proud to have earned the title alongside 16-year-old Max in a twin-seat DG-1000 glider.

Dave, who also shares a daughter with his wife Nat, has been flying gliders since he was 14.

Dave in the glider

After earning his pilot license, he joined the South Australia Police, where he has served as an officer for more than 30 years, flying the force’s helicopter for 12.

Max started gliding when he was about the same age and hopes to join the Air Force once he’s done with school.

He thinks breaking this record will show other kids they can achieve anything they set their mind to.

Max in the glider

Dave added: “Throughout my whole life I’ve been trying to set myself as a role model for young people, in particular my family, to show that goal setting, working hard, having discipline and really trying hard is the way to get what you want to achieve, and that’s what we did with this record.”

He also wants to show young people that aviation is “one of the best things you can do in your life”.

Preparation for their world record attempt was tough, with the father and son completing 12 months of planning and training.

The pair were taken 10,000 ft into the air by a tug plane, with Dave sat in the back of the glider and Max in the front.

While Dave controlled the glider, Max was in charge of counting the loops, watching the air space and checking the altimeter.

Their friends and family watched from the ground as they looped around and around in the glider.

Max landed the glider safely when they’d completed all their loops.

“There were probably about 40 or 50 people watching so there was a lot of pressure,” Max confessed.

“The most exciting part of the flight was the landing, coming down knowing we’d broken the record.”

Dave chipped in: “To achieve it on Australia Day in front of our friends and family is something I’ll never ever forget.

“We worked so hard and we put so much into it and it came off like clockwork and we are very excited.”

While they’re thrilled to have the record, Dave says he’d help anyone who wanted to attempt it so they could enjoy the same feeling of accomplishment.

They also raised money for SA Police Legacy, which provides financial, social and emotional assistance to South Australian police officers and their families during difficult times.

Raising money for charity is something Dave is passionate about, with one of his previous events raising a massive $1.6 million.

Former Hollyoaks stars Lucy-Jo Hudson and Owen Warner have reunited for a new project.

The played mother and son Donna-Marie Quinn and Romeo Nightingale in the Channel 4 soap, first arriving in 2018.

Lucy-Jo left the show in September 2023, when the character decided to depart the village for rehab, fearing that her addiction issues would destroy her relationship with her children.

Six months later, Owen made his exit – on horseback (yes, really) – after escaping prison on a murder charge.

Ironically, the character that Romeo murdered is played by Owen’s real life girlfriend Jemma Donovan.

Now he’s working on a top secret new project, that he has penned himself.

Whilst exact details are yet to be released, we do know that he will be starring in the short film, and reuniting with his on-screen mum Lucy-Jo.

The 41 year old actress, who found fame as Coronation Street’s Katy Harris, has shared a number of snaps of them filming ‘something special’ together.

‘Back filming something special with @_owenwarner’ she wrote on Instagram.

‘We haven’t worked together for a couple of years now…. But yesterday we were back on location shooting a short film that Owen has written himself

‘I cannot wait to show you all…. But I have a few [behind the scenes] for you to check out…. 

‘Do you have any idea what it’s about?’

The photos show the two sat on some decking in a wooded area, with other pictures seeming to show them wearing lab coats in a photography studio.

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A clapperboard has revealed that the film is titled ‘Goodb.Ai’, suggesting that it may centre around artificial intelligence.

Owen shared his love for Lucy-Jo, commenting: ‘You smashed it as per usual, it was amazing to work together again.’

Jemma Donovan added a number of love heart emojis, with Lucy replying: ‘So lovely to see you Jem.’

Liberty Savage star Jessamy Stoddart added: ‘Obsessed.’

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The Bevan Foundation’s Head of Policy (Poverty), Steffan Evans takes a look at some new data on childcare costs across GB

Ensuring access to good quality, affordable, childcare is vital if any progress is to be made in reducing child poverty in Wales. Over recent weeks there has been some welcome progress in terms of making this a reality. The announcement that an extra £30m will be allocated towards childcare costs in Welsh Government’s final budget was welcomed by the Bevan Foundation. This extra funding should ensure that the money is in place to allow the Welsh Government to deliver on its pledge to roll out the childcare element of Flying Start to all 2 year olds.

New data published this week, however, highlights just how much more work needs to be undertaken to ensure that Wales’ childcare system tackles rather than exacerbate poverty and inequality. Indeed, the latest data points to a growing childcare premium that is faced by Welsh parents when compared to their counterparts in England and Scotland.

Do Welsh parents spend more on childcare?

For a number of years Coram Family and Childcare have undertaken a childcare survey looking at the cost, availability and perceived quality of childcare across England, Scotland and Wales. The survey has become the authoritative data source on childcare costs across GB. It’s recently published 2025 survey report make for stark reading for those based in Wales.

Coram’s data shows that average childcare costs for a child aged 2 and under are significantly higher in Wales than in England and Scotland. A parent of a child aged under 2 in Wales is, on average, spending around £2,600 a year more to send their child to nursery on a full-time basis than a parent in England, this rises to almost £4,400 for parents who send their child to nursery on a part time basis. Parents of a child aged under 2 in Wales spend, on average, around £1,700 a year more to send their child to nursery on a full time and part time basis than a parent in Scotland. Similar differences can be seen when looking at children aged 2.

Whilst childcare costs in Scotland have historically been lower than childcare costs in Wales, this is the first year that nursery costs have appeared higher in England than in Wales. At the time of the 2024 survey parents in England were actually spending between £1,000 and £2,000 a year more to send a child under 2 to nursery (depending on the number of hours they attended) than a parent in Wales.

Why are English childcare costs now lower?

Childcare costs in England have reduced significantly since the 2024 survey. On average, a parent of a child aged 2 and under is now spending around 22% less on childcare if their child attends nursery on a full-time basis and around 56% less if their child attends nursery on a part time basis. By contrast the average cost of childcare for children aged 2 and under in Wales has increased by between 7 and 9% depending on the exact age of the child and whether they attend nursery on a full or part time basis (similar increases have been reported in Scotland).

The reason for this reduction is simple. Since April 2024, parents of children aged 9 months to 2 years old in England have been entitled to 15 hours a week of funded childcare for 38 weeks a year if they and their partner (if they have one) earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage and their earnings don’t exceed £100,000 a year. In Wales, whilst around 60% of children aged 2 are expected to be able to access 12.5 hours a week of funded childcare through Flying Start from this month onwards, the support available is far less generous, with no support at all on offer for children aged under 2.

This gap is set to open further by the time of Coram’s next survey results. From September 2025 parents in England will be entitled to 30 hours of funded childcare a week. In Wales, it appears unlikely that the full rollout of 12.5 hours funded childcare to all two year olds through Flying Start will even be complete at that point.  

What are the lessons for policy makers in Wales?

The reforms introduced in England are no panacea. There are concerns that emerge through Coram’s work about whether there are enough childcare spaces to enable all children to access childcare, whilst the focus on supporting parents that are in work does mean that children from families who are not in work may miss out on the benefits of childcare and early learning.

Given some of the weakness of the English model, there are good reasons for the Welsh Government to take a different approach to childcare in Wales. The fact that the UK Government’s policy in England has been so successful in reducing average childcare costs does demonstrate however, that it is possible for government to take action to meaningfully make the cost of childcare more affordable for parents and to do so relatively swiftly. With the childcare premium faced by Welsh parents set to increase further over the coming months, it seems inevitable that the Welsh Government will come under greater and greater pressure to deliver swift reforms itself.  

Slate Plus members get more Care and Feeding every week. Have a question about kids, parenting, or family life? Submit it here!

Dear Care and Feeding, 

My husband “Simon” and I have been married for five years. Three months ago, we welcomed our daughter, “Eva,” who is the joy of our lives. The issue I’m having is something my grandmother said about my daughter that I simply cannot forgive.

Simon is African American and has a lighter skin tone, and Eva is light to the point where she looks white. My husband had a sister who passed away from cancer when she was a teenager, and we named Eva in her memory. Eva’s real name is something that people would identify as sounding African American. When I sent my grandmother pictures of my daughter shortly after she was born, I, of course, included her name. When my grandmother and I spoke on the phone a day later, she asked, “Why in the world would you give her a name like THAT? She could have ‘passed.’” That was the last time I communicated with her.

In the intervening three months, my mother has been pressuring me to forgive my grandmother and give her another chance. She’s made excuses on her behalf, ranging from saying, “She’s from a different generation” to claiming she didn’t realize she was being offensive. My response has been that she has been around long enough to understand what racism is and the harm it causes—and at least now I know what she thinks of my daughter and husband. If she truly was sorry, I pointed out, she would have apologized, and it’s been crickets from her.

Simon has said that while my grandmother’s comments were hurtful, this could be a “teachable moment” for her and that he is open to allowing her back into our lives if I’m OK with it. Eva may be an infant now and not able to understand the situation yet, but I can’t get what my grandmother said about her out of my head. I understand that I won’t be able to shield her from racism forever, but I don’t want to open my family to a situation where she can cause my husband, my daughter, and any kids we may have in the future further pain. As far as I’m concerned, I’m done with her. Is this the best decision?

—Her Name Is Just Fine

Dear Name, 

I can’t tell you whether you made the best decision. I don’t know your grandmother, so I’m missing what might be important context about her character and past comments. Moreover, your line in the sand may be different than another person’s, and that is to be expected; aside from the most extreme circumstances, there is no objectively correct cut off point for bigotry. Only you get to determine what is “racist enough” in your book to eliminate contact.

That said, I think your mother and Simon made points you should consider. What your grandmother said was offensive, and it should give you serious pause about what other comments might await your family in the future. But did it come from malice or genuine ignorance? For example, did she make the comment because she sees dark skin as something negative, or because she thinks society does? Did she think she was standing up for Eva, in a very misguided way? Perhaps you already know the answer—or a conversation with Grandma could provide some insight.

As you alluded to in your letter, I don’t think age is an automatic get-out-of-jail-free card when it comes to bigotry. But I also think it is really hard for folks to rewrite their generational values and knowledge. You might open the lines of communication a crack and see what happens from there—especially since Simon is open to it. (If he wasn’t, that would be a different story.) Explain that you were really hurt by what she said and why, and allow her to respond. You can then decide whether to ease back into a relationship or go back to a no-contact state. If the answer is still to cut Grandma out of your life, you’ll know you made an effort.

All of that said, if reading my reply fills you with anger or resistance, then I think that tells you what you need to know. Advice can help you decide what to do, but when it strikes you as vehemently wrong, that is often just as illustrative. You’re the person who has a history with with your grandmother; if building a bridge strikes you as the wrong thing to do, it’s OK to trust your gut.

—Allison

More Advice From Slate

I am struggling with my mother-in-law’s treatment of my children. My husband and I have two kids, ages 6 and 3, and my husband’s sister also has two, ages 4 and 2. The cousins love each other and get along well. My husband and I are close with his sister and her husband, and we all really enjoy each other’s company. But Grandma has a very clear preference for her daughter’s children.

Gisèle Pelicot’s son has opened up about the moment he discovered his father was a “monster”.

David Pelicot’s father Dominique was among the 51 men found guilty last year of raping or sexually assaulting his mother, after he had drugged her and invited them to join him in the horrific sexual abuse of his now-ex-wife.

David, the couple’s eldest son, said he will never forgive his father, and that he is still haunted by the question of why he committed such heinous crimes against his mother.

Meanwhile, he described his mother as a “heroine” who endured “unspeakable pain” but “gave immense hope to all women who suffer sexual violence”.

He has now recounted the life-changing moment when his family was destroyed as his mother disclosed to him what had happened to her at the hands of his father.

David told Sky News on Monday: “It’s a moment that will remain etched in my memory forever … He was my father, but he’s not anymore – today he’s a monster.”

The 50-year-old also said he believes his sister Caroline Darian claims that she was abused by their father too as he promised to help her in her battle for justice.

It comes after Ms Darian hit out at Ms Pelicot, claiming their mother “did not want to believe or hear” that her daughter was potentially abused.

When asked about the allegations, Ms Pelicot’s lawyer Stéphane Babonneau previously told The Independent: “Caroline has the feeling that she may have been the victim of more, but without evidence she remains with doubt.”

He added that the Pelicot family had been “torn apart” by sexual violence, which he described as “absolutely common”.

David said it was his wife who picked up his mother’s call the evening when he found out about his father’s crimes. He described her face turning pale before she handed him the phone. Then he heard his mother’s voice, gently asking him to find somewhere quiet where he could be alone. This was when she broke the unfathomable news that she had been repeatedly raped by his father as well as dozens of other men.

David told the broadcaster: “What she told me was like a tsunami. I felt so many emotions rising within me…

“And then the nausea, which had been mounting during the entire conversation reached a peak. I hung up the phone and it felt like the floor gave way under my feet, and I felt sick. I went to the bathroom and threw up.”

Before this point, David described loving and trusting his father, who he now refers to by his full name.

He said: “The moment we were told that she had been abused by more than 50 men was very difficult to hear, because this man, Dominique Pelicot, was the backbone of the family. He’d taught me to respect women, so when I heard what he’d done to our own mother, as the eldest son, I was filled with anger and total incomprehension.”

In attempting to make sense of how Pelicot had managed to trick the family so hideously and so completely, David suggested his father is a Jekyll and Hyde type of character.

David said he had cut Pelicot off when he found out about his crimes, but he received a letter from his father before the start of the trial.

He said: “The first thing I asked myself was why is he writing to me? Is he writing to apologise? To ask for forgiveness? Or to try to manipulate me? So, I read his letter carefully, but quite honestly, I tore it up and threw it in the bin. Personally, I will never forgive him.”

David said the only thing he still wants to ask his father is ‘why?’, although he does not believe Pelicot will ever tell the full truth about his crimes.

He said: “I have no doubt he’ll die in prison, but I’m convinced that he’ll take many of his secrets to the grave.”

When it comes to his mother, David reflected on his thoughts on her becoming a global icon after she waived her anonymity in the trial in Avignon, France, and declared: “Shame must change sides.”

He said: “First and foremost, she’s our mum. She’s also our children’s grandmother, but today, and for the rest of her life, she’ll be a heroine.”

David said his mother and the rest of the family are now trying to slowly rebuild themselves.

He said: “We must continue to live, give meaning to our lives and not forget that in the world, there are other women who cannot speak and who absolutely must be helped … Not only bad came from this case. There was also a lot of positivity – today people are free to speak out.”

•  Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com

By CHLOE LOUISE FOR MAILONLINE

Published: 10:14 GMT, 24 March 2025 | Updated: 10:14 GMT, 24 March 2025

Vodafone, in partnership with online community Peanut, is urging UK employers to consider inclusive policies for returning parents to support their work-life balance and wellbeing, while progressing in their career.

• Allowing parents to work flexibly to support childcare needs could unlock more than £10 billion for the UK economy and bring 440,000 parents back into the workforce, according to new research from Vodafone.
• Parent burnout is real, with more than half (52%) experiencing it within just one month of being back in the office after family-related leave.
• Flexible working is vital in navigating the transition successfully, with over three quarters of parents (78%) reporting better work-life balance when using flexible working policies, and 68% seeing improved mental wellbeing.
• Vodafone’s family friendly policies include: leading family-related leave*; paid leave for parents and carers; and the opportunity for any employee having a baby to work 80% of their hours for 100% of pay, benefits and holiday, for the first six months back at work.

New polling¹ and modelling² commissioned by Vodafone UK suggests family friendly policies that provide new parents with flexibility for unplanned time off could unlock over £10 billion in annual productivity gains for the UK economy,

In an additional significant economic boost, 440,000 parents of young children could potentially return to the workforce if family friendly policies were more widely available.

For new parents, support in the initial months after returning to work is vital for navigating the transition successfully. The research highlights that over three quarters (77%) of new parents report feeling ‘burnt out’ following their return to work, with over half (52%) feeling this way within the first month.

New research from Vodafone finds one-in-five younger workers in the UK have quit their job due to poor parental leave support

New research from Vodafone reveals the cost to businesses of having poor parental leave.

Family friendly policies such as Vodafone’s – which allow employees (including non-birthing parents) to return to a four-day working week with full pay for the first six months after family-related leave – are shown to have a positive impact.

Three in four parents (78%) report better work-life balance, while 68% report improved mental wellbeing. However, 77% of parents surveyed were unaware of these types of enhanced policies before the study. Upon learning about them, 91% indicated they would take advantage if they were offered.

For those needing to take unplanned time off to care for a dependent in the case of sickness or an emergency, Vodafone also offers an emergency care leave policy for parents and carers, with up to five days of additional paid leave**.

The research found that companies also benefit from offering flexible working to parents. Managing the juggle between childcare and parenting helps parents ‘hack’ transferrable skills that benefit the workforce, including improved multi-tasking (43%), time management (36%), and patience (36%). In addition, half of parents felt flexible working policies ‘supercharged’ greater productivity for them at work.

Despite this, the study also highlights a continued ‘parent penalty’ where parents felt limited progression opportunities, with 45% not applying to new roles because of the lack of flexible working options, and one in three (35%) saying the balance of work and caring duties made it difficult to progress in their careers.

Help is at hand: A guide to free online support for new parents

Having a new baby can be isolating, expensive and bewildering. Following distressing stories of new parents watering down baby formula to save money, we explore the diverse range of financial, technical and emotional support available to families online.

Vodafone UK has partnered with online parenting community Peanut to highlight the benefits that inclusive working policies can bring parents and employers, particularly those that support parents’ transition back into the workplace after maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave.

Together, they are encouraging UK employers to consider how they support parents who want to progress in their career – without sacrificing wellbeing and work-family balance.

Nicki Lyons, Chief Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Officer, Vodafone UK, said: “Better productivity, improved time management, an increased ability to multitask – our study shows just some of the skills working parents bring to an organisation. But businesses have a responsibility to ensure the right support is in place for parents returning to work.

“At Vodafone, we’ve seen firsthand how parent friendly policies can help employees thrive both at work and home through our 80/20 offering, which allows parents to work 80% of their hours for 100% of their pay, benefits and holiday, for six months. That’s why we’ve partnered with Peanut to share our experiences and encourage UK employers to put extra support in place through this transitional period.”

How supporting new parents makes for a happier company

As Vodafone publishes its latest report, Clare Corkish, Vodafone’s UK Director of Human Resources, reflects on what more businesses should be doing to support new parents and caregivers.   

Michelle Kennedy, CEO, Peanut, said: “Returning to work after parental leave is one of the hardest transitions parents have to make. They are expected to just snap back – to their job, career ambitions and the people they were before – when in reality, everything has changed.

“The support to make this transition easier is still rare, which is why policies such as Vodafone’s 80/20 matter. Parents bring immense value to the workplace and, as the study shows, essential skills don’t disappear when you have a baby, they sharpen. When you support parents properly, everyone wins – families, businesses, and the economy alike.”

Stay up to date with the latest news from Vodafone by following us on LinkedIn and Twitter/X, as well as signing up for News Centre website notifications.

-Ends-

¹ By One Poll conducted between 17 – 24 February 2025 of 1,000 UK-based parents of Under 5s, and Peanut polling of their online community between 21 – 26 February 2025.

² Development Economics, February 2025.

* Vodafone employees having a baby (birthing parent), adopting a child, or becoming a parent through surrogacy, are entitled to paid leave for the first 39 weeks and the remaining 13 weeks will be unpaid.

** Employees will be paid their normal basic salary for up to the number of days in their standard working week; e.g.  if they work five days per week then their allowance would be five days per calendar year.

Notes to editors

Vodafone UK employee case studies

Derek, a Talent Acquisition Manager, shared that the policy was a key factor in his decision to join Vodafone. He explained that it allowed him and his wife to better balance childcare responsibilities, enabling them both to pursue their careers “in equal measure.” Reflecting on his experience, he noted how attending baby classes – often as one of the only dads present – made him realise that “men don’t always have the opportunity to spend time with their children in the early months.”

Rebecca, a Security Assurance Manager, described one of the biggest challenges of returning to work: transitioning between “parent mode” and “work mode.” She found that working 80/20 helped her maximise productivity within her available time, allowing her to be more present at home with her partner and children, while also reducing childcare costs.

Rhiannon, a Service Manager, made use of the 80/20 policy having returned from family-related leave after having both of her sons, and commented on the positive culture set by leadership around the work-family blend. Rhiannon said seeing her boss signal ‘I’m a human and I have children and a life outside work” by blocking out time in her diary for school drop-offs was so important, while noting the positive impact of having senior people in the business who are “open about working flexibly”.

Methodology

Polling – OnePoll

The polling was conducted by OnePoll, with 1,000 respondents (parents of children aged 5 and under who took parental leave for over three months) in the UK between 17.02.25 – 24.02.25. All participants are double opted in to take part in the research and are paid an amount depending on the length and complexity of the survey. OnePoll are MRS Company Partners, corporate membership of ESOMAR and Members of the British Polling Council.

Economic Modelling 

The economic modelling figures are estimates that are derived from a model developed and analysis undertaken by Development Economics Limited. The model builds on data and findings yielded by the OnePoll survey. Apart from the survey findings, the modelling of potential effects utilised appropriate data sources sourced from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) including demographic and economic activity data from the Labour Force Survey, the Annual Population Survey, and the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Additional data used in the analysis includes data from the Annual Business Survey conducted by the ONS.

The 440,000 potential new parent returners number was derived from taking the proportion of working age people who are economically inactive due to family caring commitments and who look after younger children (around one million people), and then applying the findings from the Peanut survey that 80% of those surveyed said they were inactive ‘because of their children’ and 55% could have been tempted back to work with a Vodafone style flexible policy. The £11 billion boost comes from OnePoll insights on the amount of unplanned absence from work new parents amass and what this costs in terms of lost output when applied to the total population of working parents in the UK who have at least one child aged four years or younger.

Additional insights used in the assessment were obtained from a desk-based review of academic and non-academic literature, including previous surveys and reports commissioned by Working Families and the online community Peanut.

Polling – Peanut 

721 members of Peanut’s community in the UK responded to a survey between 21st February and 4th March. Of the respondents, 78.2% were mothers, 19.7% were pregnant, and 2.1% trying to conceive. Analysis was conducted in-house by Peanut’s team.

About Peanut

Peanut is the first online community to help women throughout all stages of motherhood find their village. Whether you’re navigating fertility, pregnancy, motherhood or menopause, the app provides access to a community who are there to listen, share information and offer valuable advice.

Created for and by women, Peanut is a safe space to meet women nearby and have conversations across meaningful topics from sex and health to IVF, pregnancy, first years, midlife and beyond. With over 3.5M+ women using the app and recent accolades including Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies 2023, TIME100’s Most Influential Companies 2022, Apple’s Trend of the Year 2021, Peanut has become a coveted destination for women looking to connect, ask questions and find support.

For more information about Peanut, please visit www.peanut-app.io

Princess Beatrice made a stunning return to the spotlight yesterday, gracing the pages of British Vogue for her first-ever personal essay since giving birth to her second daughter, Athena.

For the cover page, Princess Beatrice wore a breathtaking blue wrapped dress from Emilia Wickstead, a design previously donned by her cousin-in-law, Princess Kate.

The £1,475 'Elta' crepe midi dress, which boasts elegant long sleeves and a sculpted wrap detail at the waist, was first spotted on Princess Kate in a butter-yellow hue at the Service of Thanksgiving in 2022.

Related: Princess Beatrice shares ‘complications, fears’ of second pregnancy

Prince William's cousin and Kate Middleton often share style notes with eachother. 

From garden parties to Royal Ascot and official royal engagements, the duo has worn the same clothes on a number of occasions.

In her personal essay for the publication, King Charles’ niece opened up about the “fears” and “complications” she experienced during the birth of her newborn.

"Nothing quite prepares you for the moment when you realise your baby is going to arrive early. There's so little control. Will she arrive healthy? Will there be complications? How will you juggle the rest of family life while trying to keep a tiny human safe and well?” she wrote in the essay.

Princess Beatrice shares daughters Sienna and Athena with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

Related: Princess Beatrice's husband reacts to her essay about daughter's premature birth

As family, friends, and mourners gathered to bid farewell to Martha Ahumuza Murari, the 23-year-old woman who died mysteriously at a Kampala nightclub, Mezo Noir, on Wednesday night, her father, Seth Murari, delivered a heartfelt plea, condemning the social media speculation, which he said has added to the family’s pain.

Speaking at Martha’s burial in Mbarara district on Sunday, Murari strongly condemned what he called the spread of misinformation and speculation on social media surrounding his daughter’s mysterious death.

Murari expressed deep frustration over online users who, instead of offering condolences, were mocking his grieving family and distorting facts. He urged the public and media to respect their mourning period and refrain from politicizing the tragedy. Murari warned that such reckless behavior could interfere with ongoing investigations.

“Today, we have come to bid farewell to Martha, but I have urgent remarks to make. I wish, and I humbly request on on social media that what they are doing is mocking this family. I have lost my daughter today, but tomorrow they will lose theirs. Losing life, no one creates; it’s only God, and losing life, it’s only God who takes and gives. So, if you lose a child and someone is mocking you online, you are really pushing us to the extreme. There is what they call humanity; humanity is part of being Godly. If you cannot have humanity for such moments, when will you have it? If you have your political differences, don’t bring them into family matters and start speculating about different things and fake information. You are disorganizing investigations. Such incidents have happened before in this country, and the media has distorted information and disorganized investigations,” he said.

He also criticized individuals politicizing Martha’s death, reiterating that speculation and misinformation disrupt ongoing investigations.

“There is time for politics; we shall do that; this is not time for politics. So, I appeal to everyone, to the public, to the media fraternity, and to everyone: whatever you’re doing on social media, please, this is not the right time. Let us grieve; let us put our child to rest, and then you can start whatever you want to call it. Please, this is not the right time. I kindly and humbly request the media, the social media, and those guys posting whatever they are posting,” Murari reiterated.

While expressing gratitude to those who offered genuine condolences, he warned that spreading false information surrounding his daughter’s death could have legal consequences under the Computer Misuse Act.

“People who are condoling with us, we thank you so much, and thank you for standing with us, but those who are being political and disorganized online, some are sending hurtful messages; it’s not the right thing to do. There are offenses charged under the Computer Misuse [Act]; we can go through that. If you start mocking us online, I can also have a way of finding you; I am not threatening, I am informing you,” Murari said.

He told mourners that the family is awaiting a police report to confirm the cause of death.

Martha was laid to rest at her ancestral home in Mbarara district on Sunday.