End-of-life care 'deeply concerning'

By Nick TriggleHealth correspondent, BBC News

The review looked at the care given to over 6,500 people

The care given to people dying in hospital is "deeply concerning", according to doctors who have carried out a review of standards in England.

The audit found only a fifth of hospitals provided specialist end-of-life care seven days a week - 10 years after this was recommended.

Communication was also particularly poor, the joint Royal College of Physicians and Marie Curie review said.

More than 500,000 people die each year in England - half of them in hospital.

The review looked at the care given to more than 6,500 people who had died last year in 149 hospitals.

Some but not all of them had been on the controversial Liverpool Care Pathway.

This covers care given during the final stages of life and can involve withdrawal of medication, food and fluids, but is being phased out following criticism about how it was being used.

More than 800 bereaved relatives were also asked for their views. Three-quarters said they felt supported during their loved-one's final two days of life.

'Disappointing'

But the review also found:

• Just 45% of patients had been assessed to see if they needed artificial nutrition and 59% for hydration


• Getting medication for the key symptoms - pain, agitation, effects on breathing, and nausea or vomiting - varied from 63% to 81%


• Mandatory training in care of dying for doctors was only required in 19% of trusts and for nurses in 28% of trusts


• Nearly half of trust boards had not discussed care of the dying in the previous year or conducted a formal audit - despite recommendations this be carried out annually

Dr Kevin Stewart, who led the review, said: "Although some aspects of care are good, I am deeply concerned that some hospitals are falling short of the excellent care that should be provided to both dying people and those important to them.

"It is disappointing that hospitals don't seem to recognise this as an important issue, not just for those experiencing this in their own lives, but the wider pubic."

Patients Association chief executive Katherine Murphy added the issue was "extremely upsetting and distressing".

"Many of our callers feel very guilty for not having done enough for their loved ones and hearing about poor quality of care for their relatives at the end of their life in hospitals will only add to their guilt of and the feeling of helplessness."

Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb said: "All patients should be receiving high quality and compassionate care in their last days of life - there can be no excuse for anything less.

"This report shows evidence of very good care but I am seriously concerned about the variations in care, and improvements are needed in the way some clinicians communicate with patients and support families. I am determined this should improve."

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Published on: 9:28 PM

Kate Middleton 'hacked 155 times'

The Old Bailey heard Kate Middleton's phone was hacked on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2005

Former News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman hacked Kate Middleton's phone 155 times, a court has heard.

The phone-hacking trial was told Mr Goodman first hacked the now-Duchess of Cambridge's voicemail in December 2005.

He also hacked Prince William 35 times and Prince Harry on nine occasions.

This is the first time the jury has heard of William's phone being hacked. Mr Goodman, who denies conspiring to commit misconduct in public office, previously said he only hacked aides.

Mr Goodman is one of seven defendants, including ex-News of the World editors Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks, on trial at the Old Bailey. They all deny the charges against them.

He returned to the trial to resume giving evidence after a long period away due to illness.

The court heard how Mr Goodman hacked Ms Middleton on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day in 2005 - more than five years before she married Prince William.

He also hacked her on 7 August 2006, the day before he was arrested over allegations of phone hacking.

Prince William, pictured here hosting a charity gala on Tuesday night, was first hacked in January 2006

Prince William's voicemail was first intercepted in late January 2006, the court heard.

'Semi-royal status'

Mr Goodman, 56, denied he had "forgotten" about targeting the young royals when he said in evidence earlier in the trial that he had only hacked aides working for the royals.

The jury was also told that Mr Goodman hacked Michael Fawcett, a trusted aide of Prince Charles, 35 times.

Upon his return to the witness box, he was accused of being more heavily involved in phone hacking than was previously heard.

Mr Goodman and private detective Glenn Mulcaire were convicted in 2006 of intercepting voicemails of royal aides. But jurors were told their activities went much further.

Under cross-examination by Mr Coulson's lawyer Timothy Langdale QC asked him why Ms Middleton had been targeted.

"She was a figure of increasing importance around the Royal Family," Mr Goodman said.

"There were discussions about her and Prince William marrying, moving in, settling down. She started to receive semi-royal status and things were moving on."

'Open and honest'

The witness said he had been assured by the Crown Prosecution Service he would face no more hacking charges.

He told the court he was "not on trial for hacking" when he was presented with a list of victims, saying: "There has been no intention to deceive you or anybody else in relation to phone hacking."

He said he had been as "open and honest" about hacking as possible and that no-one had asked him questions about hacking royals.

Mr Goodman says Ms Middleton was a "figure of increasing importance" when he began hacking her voicemail

Mr Langdale said: "You knew perfectly well you hacked Prince Harry and Prince William didn't you?"

The defendant replied: "Nobody asked me."

The former royal editor had not been in court since the end of March after he was declared unfit to carry on. The trial continued in his absence.

The judge told the jury that Mr Goodman had been "ill", but the court was given a report from an independent medical expert declaring him "now fit" to continue.

Mr Justice Saunders also told the jury that he had "no alternative" but to keep them waiting because medical assessments were continually being submitted.

Mr Goodman will be allowed more time than usual to give the remainder of his evidence because medical experts have advised he may get tired more quickly.

The jury previously heard that the former royal editor of the now-defunct tabloid had undergone a minor heart procedure during the trial.

'Wider scale hacking'

Appearing on Wednesday in the witness box, with a small bandage over his left hand, he was asked what he knew about phone hacking before January 2005, when he said he had been told about it by a colleague.

Clive Goodman returned to court after illness

Before then, the News of the World colleague had passed pieces of information to Mr Goodman for stories. But the defendant said he never knew where it came from.

Mr Langdale asked Mr Goodman what he had known about Mulcaire. He replied that the private detective was known at the newspaper as someone who "provided results to a story that could not be cracked". But he denied he had put two and two together.

Mr Langdale said: "I'm going to suggest to you, you knew a great deal about phone hacking much earlier than you have told us."

The defendant said he could not recall at this distance.

Mr Langdale added: "I'm going to suggest you had direct contact with Glenn Mulcaire significantly before the time you have told us - that you yourself had been hacking on a much wider scale than you have told this court about."

Later, Mr Goodman told the court just how "valuable" Mulcaire had been to the paper.

"Like him or hate him - and people can make their own judgements about what we did - he was a valuable resource for the paper," he said.

"Virtually every story on the paper ground through the Glenn Mulcaire mill."

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Published on: 9:27 PM

Fury over worst Turkey mine disaster

The BBC's Beril Eski says Mr Erdogan antagonised local people in Soma

Anger has erupted against the Turkish government after a deadly coal mine disaster in the western town of Soma.

People in Soma hurled abuse as they surrounded PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's car during his visit to the scene of the tragedy, and protesters clashed with police in Istanbul and Ankara.

An explosion on Tuesday caused the pit to collapse, killing at least 274.

The latest rise in the death toll means it is the worst such incident in the country's history.

Rescuers are still hunting desperately for scores of miners who are missing feared dead, but Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said the mine was still on fire hampering their efforts.

Nearly 450 workers have been rescued, according to the mine operator, though government officials gave a lower figure of 363.

However, no survivors have been found since dawn on Wednesday and more than 100 are still thought to be unaccounted for.

Eighty of those rescued have been treated for injuries, none of which were described as serious.

'Insensitive' charge

Local media reports said protesters in Soma kicked Mr Erdogan's car and called for his resignation after he gave a news conference on the disaster.

He was booed as he emerged from his car. Some arrests were made amid the scuffles and pictures showed the prime minister, surrounded by bodyguards, seeking refuge in a shop. Protesters also attacked the town's ruling AK party offices.

Meanwhile police in the capital, Ankara, fired tear gas and water cannon at about 800 protesters who tried to march from a university to the energy ministry.

Tearful families wait for news

There were also reports of a protest in Istanbul outside the headquarters of Soma Holding, the company that owns the mine.

Mr Erdogan has faced criticism on social media for being insensitive, after he cited numerous mining accidents throughout the world, including in Britain in the 19th Century, in defending the Turkish government's record.

He said every effort would be made to find the missing miners, and promised a full investigation.

"I just want everybody to know that the disaster will be investigated in every aspect and will continue to be investigated and we are not going to allow any negligence, or leave any stone unturned," he said.

The BBC's James Reynolds in Soma says Mr Erdogan will see this tragedy as a test of his reputation, and he will be aware that the previous government lost an election after being seen to have mishandled the 1999 earthquake.

Earlier Mr Erdogan announced three days of mourning for the victims.

Electrical fault

Our correspondent says family members of missing miners gathered at the hospital. They told him they would not move from there until they got information about their loved ones.

Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said 787 people had been inside the mine when an electrical fault triggered the blast soon after midday on Tuesday. Many of them died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Fires were reportedly still burning in the mine 18 hours after the blast.

Dogan news agency reported that one of the dead miners, named as Kemal Yildiz, was only 15 years old.

The electrical fault triggered a power cut, making the mine cages unusable. Those trapped are reported to be 2km (1.2 miles) below the surface and 4km from the mine entrance.

Some arrests were made as protesters clashed with police in Soma

Protesters threw fire bombs at police in Ankara

Police responded with tear gas and made arrests

Scuffles have also broken out in Istanbul

People still waiting for news of missing relatives gathered at the hospital in Soma, Manisa province

Hours after the explosion, TV footage showed rescuers helping workers from the mine, their faces and hard-hats covered in soot and dust and some on stretchers.

Only the dead were being recovered by mid-morning on Wednesday.

Coal mining is a major industry in the Soma area, helping to supply a nearby lignite-fired thermal power plant, but safety has long been a concern. Nearly 40% of Turkey's electricity production depends on coal.

Turkish mining industry

1,308

Fatal accidents since 2000

• 263 Died in worst mining disaster in 1992

• 13,000 Miners involved in accidents in 2013

• 10.4% Of all work-related accidents last year

ILO, Turkish Statistical Institute

AP

The Soma mine was privatised in 2005.

An MP with Turkey's opposition CHP party has accused the government of rejecting a recent proposal for a parliamentary inquiry into mine accidents in Soma.

However, Reuters news agency quoted the Labour Ministry as saying its officials carried out regular inspections at the mine, most recently in March.

Turkey's worst mining disaster until now was in 1992, when 263 miners were killed near Zonguldak, on the Black Sea.

Are you in Soma? How have you been affected by the explosion? You can email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, using the subject line 'Turkey'.

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Published on: 9:23 PM

"Debt denial' worry about mortgage"

The number of houses will be withdrawn has dropped in recent years

Difficulties finding, deny an increasing number of people "Blame" and not to help for mortgage repayment, said the Financial Ombudsman.

The service said it had received a record number of complaints about mortgages, despite the fact that the repossession numbers dropped.

The Ombudsman said that it confirmed only by about one third of the complaints.

Some mortgage holders made appeals to lenders, unrealistic and sought help too late, they said.

Record figure

The Financial Ombudsman deals with disputes that cannot be resolved between a financial services company and a customer.

The service 13.659 complaints about mortgages and secured loans in the last year - a record high and an increase of 12.845 in the last 12 months.

Approximately 40% of cases involved homeowners the repayments have been heavy fighting.

This is only a fraction of all homeowners of who have fallen behind on their mortgage repayments.

Council Mortgage Lenders ' (CML) published figures showed that 138.200 mortgage arrears of more than 2.5% of the outstanding balance had in the first three months of this year. This was the lowest level for six years.

May be greater awareness of the Ombudsman concerning the increase in the complaints.

But the Chief Financial Ombudsman, Tony Boorman, said - for thousands of people - it was important to ask for help and orientation about arrears sooner rather than later.

"Mortgages are the most important most of us buy will make in our lives so that we understand why people might be reluctant to say that they pay for their home have to fight" he said.

"Many of the cases where people lose face their home have been heart-wrenching, but might be avoided."

He added that some homeowners would be unrealistic, are questions for debt debt relief or interest indefinitely suspended.

However, lenders can be "creative" ways people back on track with payments, he said.

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Published on: 11:55 PM

Wildfire causes evacuation orders for 20,000 area of San Diego real estate

May 13, 2014: a ridge more than a helicopter retardant on an out-of-control wildfire in San Diego watching firefighters.

SAN DIEGO-A wildfire roaring Southern California forced evacuation orders for more than 20,000 houses on Tuesday, but burned only a mobile home as a high pressure system thanks to heat and brought gusty winds to the dry state.

San Diego's emergency operations center said that most of the houses in the city and the northern San Diego County.

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The 700-acre blaze broke Tuesday morning, powered by gorges filled with brush and pushed by hot, dry winds. At least two schools and a primary school were also evacuated, police Detective Gary Hassen said.

Another fire destroyed a mobile home and the evacuation of five houses in the rural town of Campo in southern San Diego County, prompted, before it was largely surrounded, booth said fire Captain Kendal Bortisser.

North of Los Angeles, a wildfire threatened, the erupted Tuesday afternoon in Santa Barbara County, fast wind-150 hectares and it hit was 150 to 200 homes in the town of Lompoc, authorities said. Evacuations have been ordered.

There were power lines and heavy brush in the area, said David Sadecki of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

All blazes a half dozen other nationwide remained small, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of forestry and fire protection.

Record high temperatures probably North were bays by midweek from Southern California in the regions around Monterey and San Francisco, the national weather service said. Downtown Los Angeles was 92 degrees at noon, 18 degrees higher than normal.

With the combination of high temperatures, low relative humidity and the region notoriously gusty Santa Ana winds enabled Los Angeles and neighboring cities parking limits in certain areas make sure that emergency vehicles could get through, if dry brush fire broke out.

Months drought, much of the countryside burning ready. Downtown Los Angeles recorded just 6.08 inches rainfall with little time in July 1-Juni 30 rain year leave. That's less than half of its average annual rainfall.

"Fire season last year in Southern California never really end", Berlant said. His agency has more than 1,350 fires since January 1, reacts as compared to an average 700 through this time of the year.

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Published on: 11:38 PM

CHEATING THE BRAVE student lender fined $60 M for military overload

US Marines taking part in a U.S. South Korea joint landing drill operation in Pohang.Reuters

Student lender Sallie Mae agreed to resolve allegations of millions to $60, the them military service members excessive interest rates for student loans, the Federal Government charged announced Tuesday.

The offer is directed to a Government lawsuit, which claims that the student loan giant of military personnel injured by imposing interest rates above the 6 percent by federal law and improperly search allowed default judgments against them. The lawsuit first was the Ministry of Justice against the owner of the student loans.

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"We send a clear message to all lenders and Servicers, our service members of basic services and protection measures would deprive, to which they are entitled: this type of behaviour is more than just inappropriate;" It is not to apologize, said Attorney General Eric holder at a press conference."And it will not be tolerated."

Federal officials estimate that approximately 60,000 service members will be entitled to compensation as part of the settlement. An independent administrator is assigned to distribute refunds.

The settlement filed in Federal Court in Delaware has been and is waiting for approval of a judge.

As part of the deal will be Sallie Mae also committed to questions of the three major credit bureaus, negative credit histories as a result of due to delete.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan students completed loan "should have the peace of mind", said that borrowers they should be treated fairly.

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Published on: 11:35 PM

'YOU MAKE US PROUD' Army vet gets Medal of Honor for Afghan heroism

• 

  May 13, 2014: President Obama awards the Medal of Honor to former Army Sgt. Kyle J. White during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House.AP

• 

  April 23, 2014 file photo of U.S. Army Specialist Kyle White during a news conference in Charlotte, N.C.

A former Army sergeant who risked his own life to save a fellow soldier during a 2007 ambush in Afghanistan was awarded the Medal of Honor on Tuesday at the White House, becoming only the seventh living recipient of the top military honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. 

"You make us proud," President Obama said, in presenting the award to former Army Sgt. Kyle White. 

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White, in brief remarks after the ceremony, credited his team and described his "fallen brothers" as his heroes. 

"Without the team, there could be no Medal of Honor," he said. "That is why I wear this medal for my team." 

An Army account of the attack says White and his team of 14 U.S. soldiers, along with Afghan National Army soldiers, were ambushed Nov. 9, 2007, after attempting to hold a meeting with village elders in the village of Aranas in Nuristan province. 

During the exchange of fire, White was knocked unconscious. 

When he came to, most of his platoon had slid for cover down a cliff but he stayed. 

Left at the top with White were platoon leader 1st Lt. Matthew C. Ferrara, Spc. Kain Schilling, Marine Sgt. Phillip A. Bocks and the group's interpreter. White set about trying to assess the condition of his fellow soldiers, running and crawling through gunfire only to find Ferrara already was dead and Bocks badly wounded. Though he tried to stop Bocks' bleeding, the Marine later died. 

Suffering from concussions, White treated Schilling's injuries and used one of the unit's radios to call for help.

When a helicopter arrived after nightfall, White only allowed himself to be evacuated after the wounded were assisted.

The citation read at the ceremony said White acted "without hesitation," exposing himself to "heavy fire" to help the others. 

White, a 27-year-old Seattle native, is now living in Charlotte, N.C. 

White retired from the Army in 2011. He graduated from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte with a finance degree and now works as an investment analyst at a bank in Charlotte.

In his first public discussion of the attack, White said that after the ambush, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He urged veterans suffering from the illness to get help. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Published on: 9:13 PM

'Troops killed' in Ukraine ambush

Separatists have called for Russia to absorb Donetsk region

Seven Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in an ambush in the eastern Donetsk region, reports say.

A unit was attacked near the town of Kramatorsk by about 30 heavily-armed rebels, the defence ministry said. One rebel is also said to have died.

Correspondents say this is the most serious loss of life for the government in its operation against separatists.

Donetsk is one of two regions declared separate from Ukraine after referendums deemed illegal by Kiev, the US and EU.

The defence ministry said an armoured personnel carrier carrying paratroopers was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and exploded.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk says Moscow has "crossed red lines"

More soldiers were killed or injured in a firefight which ensued with the insurgents, who were said to be hiding in bushes.

On Monday, the pro-Russian separatists who declared independence in Donetsk said that all Ukrainian troops in the region would be viewed as occupying forces and should leave.

Their leader Denis Pushilin called on Russia to "absorb" Donetsk region.

Meanwhile in the neighbouring Luhansk region, separatists said an attempt was made on the life of a rebel leader.

Self-declared governor Valery Bolotov was shot and had lost a lot of blood, but his life was not in danger, the press office of the "Luhansk People's Republic" said.

'Crucial'

The BBC's Richard Galpin reports from Donetsk on the fears of some pro-unity residents

Earlier the Kiev-appointed governor of Donetsk region said Ukraine was planning a national referendum on devolving power to regions.

Speaking at a news conference in Donetsk, Mr Taruta called on parliament to pass legislation which would authorise a vote to help regions get more power while remaining within Ukraine.

Mr Taruta also described Sunday's separatist referendums in Donetsk and Luhansk as "an opinion poll".

He said the self-declared "People's Republic of Donetsk" did not exist legally or politically, and that the Donetsk region could not survive economically as an independent territory.

People in the east "should hear answers to the questions that they are concerned about", he said.

On a visit to Kiev, Germany's foreign minister urged talks between government and rebels.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed support for a national round table which the government is planning to hold on Wednesday.

Ukrainian officials say the meeting will include politicians and civic leaders from the country's east, but armed separatists have already refused to negotiate.

Mr Steinmeier also backed Ukraine's 25 May presidential vote, which he said would be "crucial" in bringing the country out of its crisis.

Ukrainian forces are holding positions outside the eastern town of Sloviansk

Ukraine PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk (L) signed a deal for 1bn euros in EU aid

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier hopes to mediate in the Ukraine crisis

Separatists in Luhansk declared a "sovereign state" after the referendum

Separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk say 89% and 96% respectively voted in favour of "self-rule" in the referendums.

Armed rebels remain in control of many official buildings across eastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russian gas company Gazprom has asked Ukraine to pay $1.66bn (£1bn) for gas deliveries in June.

Gazprom says Ukraine owes it $3.5bn. It recently doubled the price Ukraine must pay for gas - a move that Kiev has refused to accept.

But Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Russia should stop using gas as "a new type of weapon".

He also accused Moscow of seizing Ukrainian property including oil and gas during the annexation of Ukraine's southern autonomous republic of Crimea in March following a controversial referendum.

Mr Yatsenyuk was speaking in Brussels after signing a deal for 1bn euros in EU aid.

The Ukrainian government fears a similar outcome to the annexation of Crimea in Donetsk, Luhansk and parts of the south.

Nato believes some 40,000 Russian troops are deployed near Ukraine's border, although Moscow says they have been pulled back.

Are you in the Donetsk or Luhansk region, or elsewhere in Ukraine? Will you be voting in the presidential election on 25 May? What do you think of the "self-rule" referendums? You can send us your thoughts by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line "Ukraine".

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Published on: 9:12 PM

TOO BIG A 'HASSLE'? Police: Planned Parenthood worker withheld info on rape

This police booking photo provided by Pinal County Sheriff's Office shows Tyler Kost from Pinal County, Ariz. Kost, 18, is accused of being a serial sex predator who allegedly targeted fellow high school students. (AP/Pinal County Sheriff)

A Planned Parenthood counselor in Arizona intentionally miscoded a sexual assault as a consensual encounter to avoid the “hassle” of reporting it to authorities, months before other victims came forward to stop an alleged 18-year-old serial sex predator, a police report reveals.

Tyler Kost, of San Tan Valley, Ariz., has been charged with sexually assaulting 11 girls from the ages of 12 to 17 between October 2009 and April 2014, although authorities believe he has assaulted at least 18 students from Poston Butte High School. The mother of one 15-year-old victim, who became pregnant as a result of the alleged assault, told a Planned Parenthood Arizona staffer about the attack in December, a Pinal County Sheriff’s Office report shows.

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“The counselor intentionally miscoded the assault as a consensual encounter,” the report states. “The counselor told them that they did not want the hassle of having to report the assault to law enforcement as they were a mandatory reporter.”

Multiple messages seeking comment from Planned Parenthood officials were not returned Tuesday.

"The counselor intentionally miscoded the assault as a consensual encounter. The counselor told them that they did not want the hassle of having to report the assault to law enforcement as they were a mandatory reporter."

- Pinal County Sheriff's Office report

Laura Oxley, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Health Services, told FoxNews.com her office had not received any information from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office as of Monday pertaining to the possible violation of state law, which requires all incidents of suspected sexual abuse to be reported to law enforcement officials.

“There are no complaints on file,” Oxley told FoxNews.com.

Kost, who is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday, remains jailed without bail and faces more than 300 years in prison if convicted of all charges. Pinal County Attorney Lando Voyles has said he plans to try Kost as an adult on all charges. Multiple calls seeking comment from his attorney were not returned.

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu told FoxNews.com that Kost is an “aggressive predator” who carefully cultivated relationships with his victims to build a sense of trust before attacking them in his bedroom, in parked cars or at isolated locations.

“This is a very devious individual, to be this calculating and literally have no boundaries of conduct or behavior,” Babeu said. “It’s extremely concerning, the size and scope of this investigation. We do expect other charges to be filed; we literally compare it to an iceberg.”

Babeu said Kost knew each of his victims personally and clearly ignored repeated requests by his victims to stop.

“This is not just kids having sex,” Babeu said. “It’s very clear a lot of these females repeatedly said, ‘no, no, no,’ and physically resisted him as he removed their clothing. And it wouldn’t just end there, he would threaten them, blackmail them and threaten to ruin their reputation by making their lives a living hell.”

Babeu said he was “clearly troubled” by the allegations pertaining to the Planned Parenthood counselor.

“If this is true, they should absolutely be held accountable,” said Babeu, adding that the allegation by the girl’s mother has been forwarded to state officials. Any resulting prosecution would likely be handled by the state attorney general’s office, he said.

Two of Kost’s victims have moved out of Arizona following the assault, Babeu said, including one girl who “no longer eats” since the attack, according to a police report.

“As a result of what Tyler did, she moved to Texas, she no longer eats, she has thoughts of suicide, and self harms herself by cutting her arms,” the report reads. “She hopes that Tyler spends the rest of his life behind bars, so that he can no longer hurt anyone else like he did to her.”

The roughly 2,800 juvenile arrests for forcible rape in 2011 were the fewest such arrests in at least three decades, according to the National Center for Juvenile Justice. Director Melissa Sickmund characterized Kost’s as an outlier.

“The occurrence of it is low compared to other types of crime and it’s the lowest for juveniles that it’s been since 1980,” Sickmund told FoxNews.com. "So just that alone makes it a rare event and then you start adding the details of this particular case and it becomes more rarer still.”

The fact that Kost knew all of his victims, however, fits the typical narrative amongst juvenile sexual predators, making the victims particularly vulnerable, she said.

“The crimes that we are most afraid of are the horrible things done by strangers because that feels so unpredictable,” Sickmund said. “But the fact of the matter is, a lot of the time, the offender and the victim know each other, especially for kids because a child’s world is smaller. They aren’t out and about amongst strangers as much as adults are.”

One victim who attended prom with Kost during their 10-month relationship characterized him as an intelligent “smooth talker” with a very controlling demeanor.

“She was afraid of Tyler because he had an aggressive side and had told her that, if a girl were to strike him, he would strike her back,” the report reads. “She would then lie still and not resist him.”

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Published on: 9:07 PM

Police: 5 Shot Near High School in Atlanta

Police say five people have been shot near a high school in Atlanta. Officials say all five are believed to be students.

Sgt. Greg Lyon says the five were shot near Therrell High School on Tuesday afternoon. He says their injuries don't appear to be life-threatening. Police have said the shooting didn't happen on school property.

Atlanta Public Schools spokeswoman Kimberly Willis Green says the victims are believed to be students. It wasn't immediately clear if the shooter was also a student.

Police spokesman John Chafee says the shooter has not been apprehended.

Green says the school was locked down as a precaution, and all after-school activities have been canceled.

Further details were not immediately available.

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Published on: 8:57 PM

H.R. Giger Dead: Surrealist Artist Who Designed The Monster For The Film 'Alien' Dies At 74

BERLIN (AP) — Swiss artist H.R. Giger, who designed the creature in Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror classic "Alien," has died at age 74 from injuries suffered in a fall, his museum said Tuesday.

Sandra Mivelaz, administrator of the H.R. Giger museum in Gruyeres, western Switzerland, told The Associated Press that Giger died in a hospital on Monday.

Giger's works, often showing macabre scenes of humans and machines fused into hellish hybrids, influenced a generation of movie directors and inspired an enduring fashion for "biomechanical" tattoos.

"My paintings seem to make the strongest impression on people who are, well, who are crazy," Giger said in a 1979 interview with Starlog magazine. "If they like my work they are creative ... or they are crazy."

Born Hans Ruedi Giger on Feb. 5, 1940, in the southeastern Swiss town of Chur, he trained as an industrial designer because his father insisted that he learn a proper trade.

His mother Melli, to whom he showed a lifelong devotion, encouraged her son's passion for art, despite his unconventional obsession with death and sex that found little appreciation in 1960s rural Switzerland. The host of one of his early exhibitions was reportedly forced to wipe the spit of disgusted neighbors off the gallery windows every morning.

A collection of his early work, "Ein Fressen fuer den Psychiater" — "A Feast for the Psychiatrist" — used mainly ink and oil, but Giger soon discovered the airbrush and pioneered his own freehand technique. He also created sculptures, preferably using metal, styorofoam and plastic.

Giger's vision of a human skull encased in a machine appeared on the cover of "Brain Salad Surgery," a 1973 album by the rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Along with his design for Debbie Harry's solo album, "Koo Koo" (1981), it featured in a 1991 Rolling Stone magazine list of the top 100 album covers of all time.

Giger went on to work as a set designer for Hollywood, contributing to "Species," ''Poltergeist II," ''Dune," and most famously "Alien," for which he received a 1979 Academy Award for special effects. Frequently frustrated by the Hollywood production process, Giger eventually disowned much of the work that was attributed to him on screen.

The image of a brooding, mysterious artist was nurtured by Giger working only at night, keeping his curtains permanently drawn and dressing mainly in black — a habit he acquired while working as a draftsman because it made Indian ink stains stand out less on his clothes.

While his work was commercially successful, critics derided it as morbid kitsch. His designs were exhibited more frequently in "Alien" theme bars, short-lived Giger museums and at tattoo conventions than in established art galleries.

In 1998, Giger acquired the Chateau St. Germain in Gruyeres and established the H.R. Giger Museum.

Giger was pleased that his idea of machines with human skin became a popular motif in body art.

"The greatest compliment is when people get tattooed with my work, whether it's done well or not," he told Seconds magazine in 1994. "To wear something like that your whole life is the largest compliment someone can pay to you as an artist."

Details on survivors and funeral plans were not immediately available.

___

David Rising contributed to this report.

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Published on: 8:56 PM

Police: 5 Shot Near High School in Atlanta

Police say five people have been shot near a high school in Atlanta. Officials say all five are believed to be students.

Sgt. Greg Lyon says the five were shot near Therrell High School on Tuesday afternoon. He says their injuries don't appear to be life-threatening. Police have said the shooting didn't happen on school property.

Atlanta Public Schools spokeswoman Kimberly Willis Green says the victims are believed to be students. It wasn't immediately clear if the shooter was also a student.

Police spokesman John Chafee says the shooter has not been apprehended.

Green says the school was locked down as a precaution, and all after-school activities have been canceled.

Further details were not immediately available.

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Published on: 8:48 PM