Violence – BARONESS-J.COM

The Kentucky doctor dragged off a United Airlines flight from Chicago earlier this month has received a financial settlement from the airline.

Lawyers for Dr David Dao, 69, say a condition of the payout is that the “amount remain confidential”.

United boss Oscar Munoz “said he was going to do the right and, and he has”, Dr Dao’s lawyers said in a statement.

Dr Dao was violently removed by airline law enforcement officers after refusing to give up his seat to United staff.

Video of the bleeding Vietnamese-American doctor went viral online and sparked international outrage.

The airline had asked Dr Dao to leave his seat in order to allow four United staff members to get from Chicago to Louisville.

He refused, saying he had patients to see the next day.

Mr Dao’s lawyer, Thomas Demetrio, said his client “has become the unintended champion for the adoption of changes which will certainly help improve the lives of literally millions of travellers”.

Mr Dao suffered a concussion, a broken nose, and lost his two front teeth in an experience that his lawyer said was “more horrifying and harrowing” than his experiences during the Vietnam War.

What the plaintiff’s attorneys described as an “amicable settlement” comes on the same day that United Airlines announced a shakeup of its booking policy.

Passengers will now be offered up to $10,000 (£7,700) for giving up their seats, among other changes that Mr Dao’s lawyer said should be “applauded”.

However, aviation experts doubt that many passengers will actually be offered such a large sum.

Delta Airlines also increased its maximum payout to $9,950 and Southwest Airlines said they will no longer overbook flights “as part of our selling process”.

“Every customer deserves to be treated with the highest levels of service and the deepest sense of dignity and respect,” Mr Munoz said in announcing the airline carrier’s change in policy.

“Two weeks ago, we failed to meet that standard and we profoundly apologise.”

On Wednesday United Airlines once again found itself in the headlines, when a giant rabbit travelling onboard one of its planes died.

The airlines has launched an investigation into the death of the 90cm-long bunny named Simon.

The number of children carrying knives in London’s schools has doubled in the last five years, shocking new figures reveal today.

Statistics released by the Met police show that the number of knife related crimes in schools is also rising as politicians described the figures as a “wake up call” for London.

The data shows that the number of pupils caught in possession of knives in schools has risen for a fifth successive year, with 299 students found with knives in 2016, compared to 236 in 2015 and 203 in 2014. In 2011, there were 152 children caught carrying knives in schools.

Figures also show a 26 percent increase in the number of knife related crimes taking place in London schools since 2014.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, whose party uncovered the figures, said: “These figures are deeply worrying. We need to get these weapons out of our schools.”

He called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to do more, saying : “Most schools provide a secure environment where children enjoy learning, but some are failing our children and becoming more unsafe.

“Carrying a weapon in school does not mean it is just a school matter – the police will become involved and take action. The Mayor needs to do more to keep weapons out of our schools.”

He added: “As a Dad with children at school this should be a wake-up call.”

London has been shocked by a number of fatal stabbings in recent months.

The figures emerged as police are battling a year on year 14 per cent rise in knife crime across the capital. Nationally knife crime hit a four year high in 2016, after a significant decline in incidents from 2008 onwards.

He said: “Young people often hold a number of irrational beliefs and misconceptions about carrying a knife. Some young people believe that carrying a knife will protect them, when in fact the opposite is true.”

“In our experience most of the young people who hold these assumptions have been victims of crime in the past and fear further victimisation. For a smaller number of the others it is a status thing, they feel it helps them establish respect in their group.”

Brooke Kinsella, the Eastenders actress who founded the Ben Kinsella Trust after her 16-year-old brother was stabbed to death in Islington in 2008, was commissioned by David Cameron to write a report on knife crime in 2011.

She found that prevention groups were finding it “extremely difficult” to get into schools to get their message across.

However Mr Green added: “There are still schools who are failing to engage with organisations who can help their pupils understand the risks associated with carrying knives.”

The Met recorded 67 knife crime offences in London schools in 2014, 71 offences in 2015, and 85 in 2016.

The rising numbers could partly be down to improved reporting following the death of teacher Ann Maguire in 2014 who was stabbed by one of her pupils.

Martin Powell Davies, London Regional Secretary, National Union of Teachers, said schools need more resources and time in the curriculum to be able to pick up issues and educate young people about the dangers of carrying knives.

The Met’s Trident gangs unit has already delivered educational presentations on knife crime to 14,000 young people across London and there are 292 Safer Schools Officers deployed across 550 London schools.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s Office for Policing and Crime also want to increase the number of schools officers to cover every secondary school and college in the city.

London’s deputy mayor for policing and crime, Sophie Linden, said: “The Mayor’s top priority is keeping Londoners safe, and both he and I are deeply concerned about the rise in knife crime in the capital.

“Our schools should be places of safety, so we’re working with police to take knives off London’s streets by targeting those who carry weapons, placing officers in schools to educate young people about the dangers of carrying a knife, and working with retailers to explore what more can be done to reduce the underage sale of knives.”

Later this month Mr Khan will launch the Mayor’s Police and Crime Plan that makes tackling knife and gang crime a core priority, which follows his Knife Crime Summit held last Autumn.

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