The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Lawyer says she can’t believe Meghan would ever bully staff
The Duchess of Sussex’s lawyer has said allegations of bullying made against Meghan do not “match my experience of her”.
Jenny Afia, speaking during a BBC podcast, said the duchess denied the claims but she did not “want to negate anyone’s personal experiences”.
Ms Afia, head of legal at law firm Schillings, told broadcaster Amol Rajan the term bullying gets used “very very casually” and was damaging for “career women”.
Jason Knauf, the Sussexes’ then communications secretary, made the bullying complaint in October 2018 in an apparent attempt to force Buckingham Palace to protect staff.
Mr Knauf reportedly sent an email outlining the duchess’s alleged actions to Simon Case, the Duke of Cambridge’s then private secretary and now the cabinet secretary, after conversations with Samantha Carruthers, the head of human resources.
Buckingham Palace launched an investigation into the claims last March, and invited past and present employees to speak in confidence about their experiences of working for Meghan, after it was alleged she drove out two personal assistants and staff were “humiliated” on several occasions.
When asked if Meghan bullied staff, Ms Afia told the podcast series Harry, Meghan And The Media: “No, absolutely not. And I think first thing is to be really clear about what bullying is.
“So the term gets used very, very casually. My daughter called me a bully last week when I asked her to brush her teeth – she’s seven years old.
“So the term is used very freely, and it’s a very very damaging term as we know, particularly I think, for career women.
“What bullying actually means is improperly using power repeatedly and deliberately to hurt someone, physically or emotionally.
“The Duchess of Sussex absolutely denies ever doing that. Knowing her as I do, I can’t believe she would ever do that.
“I wasn’t there at the time, but it just doesn’t match my experience of her at all.”
Kazakhstan’s president has authorised security forces to shoot to kill those participating in unrest, opening the door for a dramatic escalation in a crackdown on antigovernment protests that have turned violent.
The Central Asian nation this week experienced its worst street protests since gaining independence from the Soviet Union three decades ago, and dozens have been killed in the unrest.
The demonstrations began over a near-doubling of prices for a type of vehicle fuel but quickly spread across the country, reflecting wider discontent with authoritarian rule.
In a televised address to the nation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev used harsh rhetoric, referring to those involved in the turmoil as “terrorists”, “bandits” and “militants” – though it is unclear how peaceful protests gathered steam and then descended into violence.
No leaders have emerged so far.
“I have given the order to law enforcement and the army to shoot to kill without warning,” Mr Tokayev said. “Those who don’t surrender will be eliminated.”
He also condemned calls by some countries for talks with the protesters as “nonsense”.
“What negotiations can be held with criminals, murderers?” Mr Tokayev asked.
Yesterday, Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry reported that security forces have killed 26 protesters during the unrest, which escalated sharply on Wednesday.
Another 26 were wounded and more than 3,800 people have been detained.
A total of 18 law enforcement officers were reported killed, and more than 700 injured.
The numbers could not be independently verified, and it was not clear if more people may have died in the melee as the protests turned extremely violent, with people storming government buildings and setting them ablaze.
Amid the growing crackdown, internet service has been severely disrupted and sometimes blocked, and several airports closed, including one in Almaty, the country’s largest city – making it difficult to get information about what is happening inside the country. Mobile phone service has been severely disrupted as well.
Mr Tokayev has also called on a Russia-led military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, for help, and troops began arriving on Thursday.
Their involvement is an indication of concern among Kazakhstan’s neighbours, particularly Russia, that the unrest could spread.
More skirmishes in Almaty were reported yesterday morning.
Russia’s state news agency Tass reported that the building occupied by the Kazakh branch of the Mir broadcaster, funded by several former Soviet states, was on fire.