In County Durham, the police and county council have started jointly funding “ambassadors” to run a “Respect” programme with families that need help.
Young people and parents have their own workers who then come together over time to make changes.
Jackie Staff, one of the support workers, says violence towards parents and guardians is only just really starting to be discussed more openly, but things are changing as a result.
“We’re getting some real successes from the families,” Ms Staff says.
“They’re telling us that it is working and the behaviour has reduced.”
But Joy Allen, Durham’s Police and Crime Commissioner, says a lot of parents are still suffering in silence.
“One in 10 women who’ve been murdered by a man have been murdered by their son,” she says.
“That’s a significant fact that we need to address and early intervention is much better than escalating.
“We want people to have the confidence to come to us for support. It isn’t anything to be ashamed of and there is help out there.”
A mother left her nine-day-old baby and toddler sister home alone to get drunk at a bar, then crashed into a pole and ended up in jail.
The neglected infants were not rescued until 14 hours after Sandra Henriquez, 32, left her home at 12.30am and drove to the Big Shots Pub in Muncie, Indiana.
Her little girls were only saved when neighbors called police saying they heard babies crying inside the home at 2.22pm.
Henriquez had already downed a whole six-pack of 16oz Budweiser cans at home before she abandoned them to drink all night.
After the bar closed, she tried to drive home but collided with a utility pole about 5.30am on Wednesday, where she was caught by police.
She refused to answer when responding officers asked if she had children, as she had a baby’s car seat, and they hauled her away from the wreck to the Delaware County Jail.
Then at 7.27am she allegedly told jail staff that she had ‘no dependents’, but but about 8am had changed her tune to say she did have children.
However, the infants were still hours away from rescue because she allegedly wouldn’t give officers her address or phone number.
Sandra Henriquez, 32, left her nine-day-old baby and toddler sister home alone to get drunk at a bar in Muncie, Indiana, then crashed into a pole and ended up in jail
Henriquez posted photos of her new baby girl on Facebook the next morning, wrapped up in swaddling cloth at the hospital
Police finally arrived at 2.31pm and forced open the door after learning Henriquez was behind bars, and found the children covered in feces.
Both were rushed to hospital and though the older girl was healthy, the baby had to be fed through a feeding tube because she was in such bad shape.
The newborn was ‘urgently cyanotic’ with blue hands, feet, and mouth due to malnutrition, and weighed less than she did when she was born on March 3.
Henriquez posted photos of her new baby girl on Facebook the next morning, wrapped up in swaddling cloth at the hospital.
‘After about 11hrs of labor she made her debut at 10.14pm on 3/3/25 (4 days after [her sister’s] Birthday)’ she wrote.
Henriquez was held on $42,500 bail and charged with four counts of neglect of a dependent, including one of causing serious injury, along with obstruction of justice
‘She came in at a tiny 5lbs, 12oz and 17 inches long. Happy and healthy. Happy Birthday, momma loves you much and can’t wait to see what this crazy world brings you.’
Hours before she gave birth, Henriquez posted about her older daughter’s birthday first party, including pictures of a pink cake, a video of the girl’s first words.
There were also photos of family and friends celebrating – none of whom were aware of the children’s predicament two weeks later.
Instead of cake, family, and party costumes, police found open cans of alcohol and a small dog in a cage with no food or water.
Henriquez was transferred to the Criminal Investigation Division, and allegedly told jail staff how she left her kids at home to go to the bar after drinking the cans.
‘Henriquez had multiple opportunities to inform officers and other staff about her children being home alone,’ police wrote in a probable cause affidavit.
‘Henriquez was even asked about children, but refused to provide that information.’
Hours before she gave birth, Henriquez posted about her older daughter’s birthday first party, including pictures of a pink cake, a video of the girl’s first words
Henriquez had already downed a whole six-pack of 16oz Budweiser cans at home before she abandoned her daughters to drink all night
The older girl’s father posted celebratory photos of her as a newborn a year ago, smiling in cute snaps of mother and son.
‘She couldn’t wait to meet mommy and daddy! Mommy was only in labor for 2 1/2 hours and she did GREAT!’ he wrote.
‘Thank you Jesus for a smooth delivery. Blessed is an understatement. This little beautiful lady stole my heart and gave me my first experience of love at first sight.’
Henriquez now lists herself as single on Facebook.
She was held on $42,500 bail and charged with four counts of neglect of a dependent, including one of causing serious injury, along with obstruction of justice.
When going through a difficult health issue, you often need at least basic support from family, and you may not want your issues broadcast to everyone.
What would you do if your father kept trying to make it about him and even told his new girlfriend, whom you have never met, about your private health problems?
That is what the athlete in this story is going through, and she wants to know if she is out of line for getting upset that her dad told his girlfriend.
Let’s read all the details.
I (20F) have a large hemorrhagic cyst on my ovary.
Its potentially dangerous, with my doctor telling me to immediately go to the emergency room if I feel any acute pain in my abdomen.
Probably sports-related hormonal issues caused it as I was a pro athlete and he refuses to understand that those are correlated.
I warned my father about it, stating that I am going to stay with my friend for a bit and that he will call my father if I go to the ER.
Some people have a hard time not talking about themselves.
Instead of focusing on the actual medical issue, he went on a tangent about protein intake, blood sugar, and how *he feels better when he eats a certain way.
I tried to bring the conversation back to what I’m dealing with, but he just kept talking about himself.
Then, he mentioned that he had already told his new girlfriend (he has been with her for 2 or 3 months”, we’ll call her “Maria” (she is in her forties but I don’t know exactly) about my situation—without asking me.
This is a very reasonable request.
I told him that in the future, I’d like him to check with me before sharing my private medical info.
His response?
That he tells Maria everything and I should just accept it.
He also said that since he has a young kid (with another woman) and a “new family” my mom should “step up” because he’s done his part.
Keep in mind this woman is a complete stranger to me, I have never even spoken to her or seen her.
She clarified.
I made it clear that I wasn’t asking him for anything except basic support.
I just wanted him to focus on my issue, not turn it into a discussion about his diet or what “Maria” thinks.
But then he doubled down, saying he prioritizes Lola and my mom’s opinions (he did not actually write my mom anything, I asked her) over an actual doctor’s because, in his words, “when it comes to your privates, I will, of course, prioritize what Maria and your mom have to say.”
Additionally, adding that he thinks I only use him for money and never write unless I need something.
All she really wanted was him to respect her privacy.
Which I can accept to some degree, but I don’t usually write because somehow everything always turns into a circus.
At this point, I’m just tired of this.
I don’t think I was asking for much—support and the courtesy of not sharing my medical info without permission.
Am I wrong for wanting privacy and support without it turning into a discussion about him and his new girlfriend’s opinions?
AITA?
It sounds like there are lots of issues in this relationship, but asking for basic privacy is absolutely not out of line.
Let’s see what the people in the comments on Reddit say about this story.
The Shrewsbury woman has been jailed for 28 months after her “unsophisticated but planned” campaign of lies which included 21 false crime reports.
Her bogus claims resulted in her ex being arrested three times and court orders being imposed to prevent him from seeing the children.
The woman, who we are not naming to protect the identity of the children, also used taxpayer-funded legal aid to fight her battles.
Shrewsbury Crown Court judge Anthony Lowe described her behaviour as “wicked”, and added that “other mothers up and down the country need to know the consequences” of committing such crimes.
“Sadly it is not uncommon where there are relationship breakdowns involving children, the mothers make false allegations against the father to prevent contact between the children and their father,” he said. “It is very hard for the innocent party to prove they have not done something.
“Each step is planned to try and get the father of her children in trouble to stop him seeing them.
Shrewsbury Crown Court
“I have first hand knowledge of the effect this has in the family court. The family court is ill-equipped to deal with it and the police don’t always get involved.
“The harm is almost incomprehensible. The sheer frustration he must have felt… the amount of police time wasted, children’s services time wasted, legal aid wasted.
When my phone pinged for the 57th time, alerting me to new messages in one of the parent WhatsApp groups I belonged to, I thought it surely meant that something, you know, important was happening. Clicking on the little green icon to check what major catastrophe must have occurred, I was met, instead, with post after post about House colours and what shade of blue was the correct hue to wear at next week’s sports day.
At this point, you’re doing one of two things: nodding your head with great enthusiasm, with an “ah, yep, I feel you” expression on your face, or you’re reading on in bewilderment because you use the app with vigour and are just like the parents who have, at one point, found me with clumps of hair in my hands (lucky I have a lot of it.)
While some parents are steadfast about their benefits for parenting admin, or even as a portal to the relevant community, for the most part, whether these WhatsApp groups were created for school, pre-school, or co-curricular activity parents, they are a platform where absolutely infuriating behaviour takes place – behaviour that often drives most (sensible) parents to hit mute or leave the group they probably never wanted to be a part of.
When you see 86 new message notifications in the parents’ chat. Credit: Getty
RELATED:
Toxic behaviour in parents’ WhatsApp groups
Because let’s be honest, most of the communication within these groups is unnecessary, often the questions being asked could easily be answered by reading the school communication – like newsletters or the form sent via the school’s app.
Sometimes, there are questions asked, or issues raised publicly that very clearly shouldn’t be.
No, not all the parents of the school’s Grade 2 cohort need to know that Billy was the initial source of the head lice outbreak (again) and needs better treatment, so it doesn’t keep returning. Communicate privately with a teacher! Believe it or not, they too have email, you can often pop in to see them and they are typically responsive.
On the other side of the coin, there are the parents who must give their two cents to these specific issues or answer questions, even if the answer has already been provided. Because they, too, knew, and they want you to know that they knew. Who knew?!
Types of parents in the class WhatsApp chat
Mum and comedian Kelly Taylor regularly parodies WhatsApp chats on TikTok, with one outlining some of the typical school parents on school WhatsApp groups – the class rep, the disorganised parent, the activist/complainer. That particular post has accumulated over 29 thousand likes and many comments. Other videos by Kelly poke fun at group messages about everything from the end of year performance to the dreaded Book Week and more.
“I muted the class WhatsApp. Made it easier,” wrote one.
“School WhatsApp gives me so much anxiety!,” another parent added.
“Why don’t parents just ask the teacher?” wrote another. (And yes, I hear you.)
While all of this is super frustrating, my biggest gripe is that many of the parents’ WhatsApp groups I’ve been in or have heard about from friends often cross the line from respectful to petty and immature as if some parents are returning to their Mean Girl days of high school. And in my forties, I just don’t need that. Who does?
Not just mums suffering in the parents chat
Evidently, it’s not just the mums who are feeling the ‘ick’ over this form of incessant communication, with Australian comedian, Sammy J hilariously posting a clip of him performing a parody about parents’ WhatsApp groups.
“I’m in a parent WhatsApp group. My life was going fine, now I’m spending all my time in a parents’ What’s App group,” he sings.
“It starts off really well, we’re all happy and excited then you find out there’s a class party and your kid wasn’t invited,” he continues.
“I feel seen. I can never escape,” posted one parent in response.
“Absolute facts,” wrote another.
As well as the pettiness of the groups, Sammy J also touches on break-out WhatsApp groups, where parents go rogue in defiance or to escape the frustrations of the original group, only to create something even more toxic.
“None told me it’d be like I’m in primary school again,” he sings.
Escaping WhatsApp
Jokes aside, sometimes posts on WhatsApp or other social media platforms can have serious and potentially illegal repercussions, including cases of defamation.
One such case involved Tamborine Mountain State High School principal Tracey Brose.
SHOP:
Brose was briefly suspended in 2016, on full pay, following a complaint and subsequent follow-up comments, made by parents on a school Facebook page about the way a child was disciplined.
Ultimately unproven, Brose was reinstated a couple of months later and eight parents were sued for defamation resulting in a substantial payout for Brose.
Maybe something to mention in your parent WhatsApp group?
Or, perhaps, an even better solution is to do what I did, and that is to leave the parent WhatsApp groups entirely. Because nearly a year later, I can definitely say that as a school parent I am still very much across all of the school communication (newsletters are great like that), just sans the gossip, drama and the godforsaken alerts that are enough to drive anyone up the wall.
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A picture of the store, which first opened in 2003, back in its market stall days. Picture: Debra Winter
Debra previously told KentOnline how running a business wasn’t “for the light-hearted” and hoped to be at the centre for another 10 years before retiring.
However, last July, Mark was offered a job at a large construction firm, and by January Debra decided to reduce the store’s opening hours.
The 58-year-old has now announced that next Sunday (March 23) will be their last day of trading at their store in Dartford.
She attributed the decision to a recent parking price hike at the complex.
“I used to pay £16.60 every week – which is approximately £66 a month,” Debra explained.
The mum-of-three has thanked customers for their continued support over the years. Picture: Debra Winter
“Around two weeks ago I went to pick the option on the app and it had gone, instead I could only choose a monthly permit of £120.
“I just can’t warrant paying that. I was quite upset and angry.
“I rang up and was told they were making the car park the same price and in line with all the others in Dartford.”
The multi-storey is owned by the shopping centre and tickets can be purchased via a machine or on the RingGo app.
It charges £3 for two hours, £5 for three and £10 up to four. The centre also offers a three-monthly permit for £400.
The boutique sells a variety of baby clothes and accessories, including comforters, bibs, soft-sole shoes, head bows, blankets and personalised items.
Debra pictured with Pat Harris, a former customer and now friend of more than 15 years. Picture: Debra Winter
Debra says the rise of TikTok Shop, an e-commerce feature of the popular social media app, and fast-fashion brands such as Temu and Shein has also hit the business hard.
She also claims people are choosing to visit Bluewater – which has no parking charges – instead of heading into the town centre.
Since the announcement, Debra has received dozens of well-wishes from customers and generations of families who have bought from them over the last two decades.
The mum-of-three added: “I can’t believe how many people have messaged me asking why we are going.
“Many of them say they just don’t come to Dartford anymore or haven’t been in ages – which as a business is not what you want to hear.”
Lewis Hamilton‘s father Anthony Hamilton was one of the first people to console Isack Hadjar after the F1 rookie crashed out of the Australian Grand Prix.
Racing Bulls driver Hadjar suffered a disastrous start to his F1 career when he crashed out in wet conditions on the formation lap ahead of the season-opener in Melbourne.
Hadjar was left distraught by the accident and appeared to be crying as he prepared to make his way back to the pitlane.
The 20-year-old Frenchman, who finished runner-up in the Formula 2 championship last year, looked inconsolable as he trudged down the Melbourne paddock with his helmet still on.
As cameras were trained on Hadjar, Hamilton’s father was seen putting his arm around the youngster before they walked through the paddock together.
It was a touching moment given the clear disappointment Hadjar was feeling following his big mistake which has overshadowed his F1 debut.
Sky Sports F1 co-commentator Martin Brundle said: “There is one very, very distraught young man. That’s sad. Nobody wants to see that.”
Isack Hadjar ’embarrassed’ by crash
“He told me to keep my head high and be proud and he did say I did well yesterday,” Hadjar told Sky Sports when asked what Hamilton Sr had said to him.
“It’s a nice gesture from him.”
On his crash, Hadjar added: “Not great. I just lost the rear end of the car and in these conditions they just snap so fast and it’s unsaveable.
“I couldn’t get the grip back. I tried to save it but it was just…
“I knew it was going to be tricky. Even on the laps to the grid I was like ‘ok this is tricky’ but it was definitely drivable.
“I’m just sorry for the team right now and my close ones watching the race. It’s just embarrassing.”
Cotswold Farm Park’s mum’s go free offer will take place on Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30.
Guests can treat their mums to a chance to witness live lambing, meet up to 50 rare breeds, and enjoy a meal from the Ox Shed restaurant.
When guests book to visit the farm park online, they can select one free ticket for a mother per paying adult or child.
As well as the free ticket, guests will be able to enjoy the farm’s spring activities, making it a special Mother’s Day gift.
From February to the end of April, a variety of commercial and rare breed ewes, including Kerry Hills, Herdwicks, and the local Cotswold breed, will give birth in the animal barn.
Expert talks will run every day at 11am, 12.45pm, 2.30pm, and 3.45pm, included in the farm park admission ticket.
The farm park offers a chance to learn about a large range of the rare animal breeds present in the park and the importance of conservation.
The Ox Shed restaurant will be serving a wide range of options, including dietary choices, using locally sourced ingredients.
The farm park’s gift shop offers a selection of homewares and unique gifts.
New for 2025, the farm park is also offering a Mother’s Day afternoon tea and pottery painting event.
Starting at £24.95 for children and £42.95 for adults, this exclusive event does not include entry to the farm park.
People can book online, with adult tickets starting from £17, seniors from £16, children from £14, and toddlers from £13.
Babies under one year old can enter for £1.
Cotswold Farm Park is located in Guiting Power, near Cheltenham, and is open from 10am to 5pm, with last entry at 4pm.
For more details see the Cotswold Farm Park website.
HALF of adults over 30 don’t have a will but it’s vital you have one.
It helps protect your loved ones and lets you decide what happens to your money, property and possessions after you die.
1
A will dictates what will happen to your estate when you die
Without it, your money could be shared with the wrong people or even go to the crown.
If your will isn’t up to date then it could be invalid or it may not include a new partner, child or grandchild.
This week LIZ EDWARDS and ADELE COOKE explain how to make a will and even get one for free.
WHY DO I NEED A WILL?
A will can ensure that your money and possessions are shared among your friends and family as you wish.
It includes what type of funeral you want, any charities you would like to donate to and instructions for items you want to be given to certain people.
It is important you make a will if you have savings, own your own home, are married or have children.
If you die with surviving relatives but no will, it can lead to your children or grandchildren receiving nothing.
Unmarried couples or those not in a civil partnership can suffer if there is no will in place too.
For example, if your partner dies and they don’t have one written up, you won’t be automatically entitled to anything.
Lawyer Melinda Giles has dealt with many cases where there is no will, it was out of date or not valid.
She said: “I’ve seen first-hand the devastating impact of a will not being in place.
“I recently worked with a family whose relative had passed away, leaving behind a significant estate.
“Before she died, she’d started the process of making a will, but she sadly lost capacity and died before it was signed. This meant the estate went back to the crown.”
You have to choose an executor when writing a will – this is the person that will carry out its wishes.
HOW TO MAKE A WILL
It’s important to use a qualified lawyer to write your will or it could be invalid.
Around one in five UK adults aged 30 or over have tried to draft their own will, according to the Association of Lifetime Lawyers.
Doing so could put your estate and loved ones at risk.
You can find a solicitor by searching for registered lawyers on The Law Society website.
What you pay depends on the complexity of your will, but prices range between £150 and £500.
For a will to be legally valid you must be 18 or over, make it writing, be of “sound mind” and sign it in the presence of two witnesses (who are both over 18). They must also sign the will.
GET A FREE WILL
You could get a free will this month as part of Free Wills Month.
In March, lawyers across the country give anyone aged 55 and over the chance to have their will written or updated for free.
A basic will would normally set you back at least £150.
There are a limited number of free sessions with a solicitor so you will need to be quick to book one.
Any appointments are face to face – but you may be offered a remote one depending on the solicitor.
You can use the session to get a will or update an existing one.
Some charities including Cancer Research UK and The Stroke Association offer free will writing services, in the hope that you leave them a donation.
If you’re a member of a trade union, such as the Fire Brigades’ Union or Unison you may be able to get a free will.
Some employers also offer a will writing service as part of their legal assistance to staff.
However, check how it works. If it’s just filling in a template then it would be better off to use a solicitor-based service.
EDITOR Jon, 55, lost his 86-year-old uncle Roger in January this year.
Roger, a retired print-maker who lived alone in east London, had not written a will or left instructions for his funeral.
He had no children and his nieces and nephew are his closest living relatives.
Jon, from London, said: “It’s a difficult time for the family. We’re grieving for Roger, and at the same time we’re trying to figure out what he wanted.
“It’s hard to know how to honour his wishes when you don’t know for sure what they were. We didn’t have a chance to discuss them.”
Although Roger did not own his own house he did have savings.
Once his funeral is paid for there will be several thousand pounds left.
But without instructions it is impossible to know how Roger would have wanted this money to be shared.
Jon said: “We trawled through his bank statements to find out which charities he supported, but beyond that, we’re not really sure.
“He loved animals and regularly donated to several animal charities, including WWF and the RSPCA, so we’ve guessed that he would have wanted to leave them some money.”
Dolcie-Mae Edwards-Raymond was diagnosed with HLH, a rare and life-threatening blood disorder, at just one month old.
Now, three months on, a donor has been found for the little baby as doctors treat the condition.
Baby Dolcie-Mae with her mother Courtney-Jade after her transplant (Image: Courtney-Jade Edwards) Dolcie-Mae’s mother, 22-year-old Courtney Jade Edwards, said: “We are all anxious and nervous holding our fingers crossed that Dolcie-Mae’s body accepts her new cells.
“The side effects from the chemotherapy are due to show this week and the following week, so it’s going to be so heart-breaking to see her little body go through so much.”
Baby Dolcie-Mae has received new stem cells from a donor (Image: Courtney-Jade Edwards) While a donor has been found for Dolcie-Mae, the stem cells used to treat her were not an exact match, and it is unclear how she will recover.
In an emotional post on social media, Courtney wrote: “Although there were lots of risks and complications that came with the mismatch, the risk of not taking the chance was a lot more. I pray we will have a happier and healthier future.
“My heart goes out to her donor for giving my baby a second chance at life because life wasn’t fair the first time around. I couldn’t thank you enough.
“I also want to thank all the amazing nurses and doctors that got us where we are today.”
The medical team at Newcastle RVI that’s been looking after Dolcie-Mae (Image: Courtney-Jade Edwards) Speaking about the experience, Courtney told the Argus: “We are overwhelmed with all the lovely messages, but as I said this isn’t the end of her journey.
“It’s just a milestone to show us how far she’s came, and now our new journey starts here.”
Dolcie-Mae was airlifted to Newcastle RVI from Cardiff hospital on December 19 so she could receive specialist treatment for her illness.
The family are currently in Newcastle for the foreseeable future as Dolcie-Mae moves into the next phase of her treatment.
