Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

EasyJet manager sacked after calling colleagues ‘lovely ladies’

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Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

Let's not lean into the "you just can't say anything these days" panic, when writing headlines about employment law.

He was sacked after saying “I’m not doing anything. I’m just staring at your ass” (and worse).

www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/...

Male cabin staff member claimed his comments were ‘flirty banter’ but an employment tribunal dismissed his appeal

Legal rights ‘persuade couples to marry instead of cohabiting’

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Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

A common misconception about common law marriage: that it offers the same legal protections as marriage.

It doesn't, not quite. We see too many people who assumed they were covered, only to find out they weren't. Ask a lawyer, not the internet.

www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

One in five adults would not make their partnership official if they had the same protection as married people, a study has found

Vicar claimed £30,000 from church in bogus charges

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Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

Why does @churchofengland.org insist on coddling "charismatic young priests" while ignoring its own survivors of clergy sexual abuse?

Apart from the money, this vicar created a safeguarding nightmare with an app showing exactly which children attended services.

www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

‘Talented and charismatic young priest’ has been banned from holding services for two years after claiming £500 a month in ‘clergy spouse’ payments

Metropolitan Police detectives arrested over ‘sex assault cover-up’

Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

I wish I could say that I was surprised. But having the clients that I do, I'm not.

The Met wouldn't be so hard to clean up, if there were no cover-ups.

www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

Five officers have been detained in anti-corruption raids related to a complaint made after a CID Christmas party

From Noel Clarke to Gregg Wallace, why is the UK still battling a toxic TV culture?

Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

Easy. Sexual harassment is endemic.

And a creative industry with intermittent funding, powerful gatekeepers for projects and precarious working conditions remains the perfect breeding ground for toxicity.

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/a...

Power imbalances and precarious employment for production staff mean whistleblowing remains a rarity

Ministers vow to give sexual violence victims ‘the justice they deserve’

Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

Care to calculate the odds for a just sentence for a rape victim? Or the toll of getting "justice"?

Less than 2% of rape claims go to court. Less than 1% result in a conviction.

And 62% cases referred Unduly Lenient Sentencing Scheme are for sexual violence.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Exclusive: Figures show proportion of sentences referred back as unduly lenient has risen in England and Wales

Fertility rate hits record low in England, Scotland and Wales

Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

How weird, given how available, affordable and excellent child care is and how little pregnancy discrimination women face at work.

It's just inexplicable that women have fewer children, later.

They must just not know their own interests.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Last year’s total fertility rate of 1.41 for England and Wales was lowest since comparable data was first collected in 1938, ONS says

Ten organisations write urgent letter to home secretary over violence against women and girls strategy

Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

Male violence against women becomes so entrenched because it starts when we're girls.

What is the government's thinking here? That girlhood is this magical, golden safe space and all the violence and abuse start on our 18th birthday?

news.sky.com/story/urgent...

Groups including the NSPCC, Barnardo's and The Children's Society wrote to Yvette Cooper to say that violence against women and girls and child sexual abuse are "inherently and deeply connected".

news.sky.com

Denmark Summons U.S. Envoy Over Espionage Allegations

Reposted by Ann Olivarius

Will Saletan @saletan.bsky.social · Aug 27

“Denmark summoned the head of the U.S. Embassy … after allegations emerged that three Americans with close ties to President Trump were running ‘covert influence operations’ in Greenland.”

Is there a Nobel prize for creating a conflict by threatening to seize the territory of a democratic ally?

www.nytimes.com

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Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

It's deeply gratifying that the judge saw through Clarke's claims of victimisation and his "well, it was funny at the time" defence.

A hopeful day for survivors, their lawyers and the brave reporters who investigate. Well done!

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Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

Lucy Osborne and Sirin Kale did excellent and sensitive reporting, capturing all the complexities of why it's so difficult to be a victim of sexual harassment in the creative industries (and in any industry).

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Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

Clarke claimed to be the victim of a conspiracy between the Guardian and 21 women who somehow all had a grudge against him.

He wanted an astronomical £70m in damages, a clear deterrent for future reporting on sexual misconduct and for survivors coming forward.

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/a...

Noel Clarke loses libel case against Guardian over sexual misconduct investigation

High court rejects actor’s claim that accusations against him by more than 20 women were false and part of a conspiracy

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Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

Luckily, victims don't have to rely on the Church of England to do the right thing. If so, they'd be waiting a long time, the Church doesn't move fast to held itself accountable. In this case, the Crown Prosecution Service did a stellar job. When it can't or doesn't, victims can go civil.

Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

The sorry last chapter - when the scandal has broken and the perpetrator escaped accountability, there's instead a performative "reckoning", with little aftercare for the victims, much less compensation or justice.

Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

This is what a lawyer calls "notice". There's usually someone, somewhere, who sounded the alarm.

And they're usually ignored. Because, when you're a star, they let you do it.

Especially if the institution is faltering and desperate for a success.

Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

Victims (especially women) are conveniently always crazy, mentally ill, hysterical, vengeful, jealous or obsessed.
This gives those who should have acted an excuse to not act ("poor woman, she was awfully unwell, I understand").

Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

It's not abusive, creepy sex, it's, uh, a new "Post-modern definition of sexuality". What a relief!

It's profoundly difficult to go against a cult leader when you're in the cult. To be able to label wrong-doing as something else instead can be a relief.

Ann Olivarius @annolivarius.bsky.social · Aug 29

"Chrissnapping". Classic cult dynamic to normalise abuse by creating a cute moniker or developing specific in-group euphemisms.

Abuse is more readily accepted when it's called something else, by everyone else. This increases the plausible deniability for all involved.