Today’s news briefs include the passing of the world’s oldest person; Trafficked woman sentenced for killing her abuser; Police must pay for arresting woman who was silently praying; Six more hostages found dead in Gaza.
World’s oldest person dies
Maria Branyas Morera died Monday in Spain at the age of 117, her family announced on social media. She passed peacefully at the nursing home in Catalonia, Spain, where she resided for the past two decades. “She has gone the way she wanted: in her sleep, at peace, and without pain,” reads a Facebook post from her family. Her family added that Morera told them shortly before her death: “I don’t know when, but very soon this long journey will come to an end. Death will find me worn down from having lived so much, but I want it to find me smiling, free, and satisfied.” In an interview i 2023, she credited her long life to “order, tranquility, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity, and staying away from toxic people.” She added, “I think longevity is also about being lucky. Luck and good genetics,” she added, according to CNN.
Woman arrested for silent prayer wins against police
A pro-life activist arrested for silently praying outside an abortion clinic in England has been awarded a financial settlement from police. The law firm ADF UK said Monday that Isabel Vaughan-Spruce had received a settlement of £13,000 ($16,893) from West Midlands Police as part of what the religious freedom legal nonprofit characterized as an “acknowledgment of her unjust treatment.” Her arrest for silently praying on a public sidewalk across the street from the clinic shocked religious rights groups around the world. “There is no place for Orwell’s ‘thought police’ in 21st century Britain, and thanks to legal support I received from ADF UK, I’m delighted that the settlement that I have received today acknowledges that,” said Vaughan-Spruce.
Bodies of six murdered hostages recovered in Gaza
Israel has recovered the bodies of six more hostages murdered by Hamas in Gaza. The IDF identified the remains of Chaim Perry, 80; Yoram Metzger, 80; Avraham Munder, 79; Alexander Dancyg, 76; Nadav Popplewell, 51; and Yagev Buchshtav, 35. Metzger, Munder, Popplewell and Buchshtav had family members who were also abducted but freed during a November cease-fire, reports AP. Munder, his wife, daughter, and 9-year-old grandson were among 80 kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. His son Roi was murdered that day. The community said in a statement that he died “after enduring months of physical and mental torture.” It is believed that Hamas still holds 110 hostages but intel reveals that as few as 20 to 30 may still be alive. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Egypt today participating in ceasefire talks.
Abuse victim found guilty of killing her trafficker
In what many are calling a miscarriage of justice, a Wisconsin woman has been found guilty for killing her sex trafficker in an effort to escape. A Kenosha County judge sentenced Chrystul Kizer to 11 years of initial confinement followed by 5 years of extended supervision in the 2018 death of Randall Volar, 34. The judge also prevented her from participating in an early-release program. CBS News reports that Kizer, now 24, said her trafficker had been molesting her and selling her as a prostitute over the year leading up to his death when she was just 17. She told authorities she shot him after he again attempted to molest her. Anti-violence groups supported Kizer, arguing in court briefs that trafficking victims feel trapped and helpless, taking matters into their own hands. The state Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that Kizer could raise the defense during trial.
–Dwight Widaman and wire services