Bill Cosby&#39;s lawyers will ask a Pennsylvania state judge on Tuesday to keep more than a dozen women who have accused the comedian of sexual assault off the witness stand at his trial on charges of molesting a former basketball coach at his alma mater.

More than 60 women have accused the 79-year-old entertainer, once beloved by Americans as the father on the 1980s TV hit &quot;The Cosby Show,&quot; of sexually assaulting them, often after plying them with drugs and alcohol, in a series of attacks dating back decades.

A surprising and sad fall&nbsp;from grace

The Cosby Show was important for, among other reasons, portraying an African American family as upper-middle class&nbsp;at a time when American TV&nbsp;was acutely short of such depictions of black families. Cosby&nbsp;was known for being safe&nbsp;because of his fatherly image playing Doctor&nbsp;Huxtable&nbsp;on TV, and offscreen he had a habit of making moral pronouncements that now stand in stark contrast to his alleged crimes.&nbsp;

In 2008 Cosby went on a nationwide tour emphasising the need for self reliance in the African American community rather than protesting systemic racism.&nbsp;As Ta-nehisi Coates put it in <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/05/-this-is-how-we-lost-to-the-white-man/306774/">The Atlantic</a>: &quot;Instead of focusing on some abstract notion of equality, he argues,&nbsp;blacks need to cleanse their culture, embrace personal responsibility, and reclaim the traditions that fortified them in the past.&quot; Cosby lamented for a bygone era: &quot;I&quot;m talking about a time when we protected our women and protected our children.&quot;

&nbsp;

Establishing a pattern

Despite the fact that Cosby has more than 60 accusers, only one of those claims resulted in criminal charges, filed against Cosby days before the statute of limitations was to expire. Andrea Constand, a former basketball coach at Cosby&#39;s alma mater Temple University, said he gave her pills before assaulting her at his Pennsylvania house in 2004.

Prosecutors have asked Judge Steven O&#39;Neill of Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania to allow 13 other women who have accused Cosby of sexual assault to testify at trial in order to show he engaged in a pattern of drugging and attacking his alleged victims.

Cosby has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. O&#39;Neill has scheduled two days of hearings on the proposed witnesses and other pre-trial matters.

In general, prosecutors are barred from introducing evidence of a defendant&#39;s unrelated prior bad acts for fear it could prejudice the jury. On rare occasions, however, judges will allow it if the evidence shows a clear and longstanding pattern of behavior.

Prosecutors are also seeking permission to use Cosby&#39;s sworn testimony from a deposition during Constand&#39;s 2005 civil lawsuit, in which Cosby acknowledged providing women with medication and then having consensual sexual encounters with them.

&nbsp;

Courtroom strategy

Cosby&#39;s lawyers have asked O&#39;Neill to bar that deposition from the trial, arguing that Cosby only agreed to testify after the then-Montgomery County district attorney assured him no criminal charges would be brought.

In addition, his lawyers have mounted yet another attempt to dismiss the case, this time based on the argument that prosecutors waited too long to bring the case.

In court papers filed last week, his attorneys said that Cosby is legally blind and has memory problems, preventing him from fully participating in preparing his own defense.

The trial is set for June 2017.

(With inputs from Reuters)

More than 60 women have accused the once beloved comedian and TV icon of plying them with drugs before committing rape

Bill Cosby's lawyers will ask a Pennsylvania state judge on Tuesday to keep more than a dozen women who have accused the comedian of sexual assault off the witness stand at his trial on charges of molesting a former basketball coach at his alma mater. More than 60 women have accused the 79-year-old entertainer, once beloved by Americans as the father on the 1980s TV hit "The Cosby Show," of sexually assaulting them, often after plying them with drugs and alcohol, in a series of attacks dating back decades. A surprising and sad fall from grace The Cosby Show was important for, among other reasons, portraying an African American family as upper-middle class at a time when American TV was acutely short of such depictions of black families. Cosby was known for being safe because of his fatherly image playing Doctor Huxtable on TV, and offscreen he had a habit of making moral pronouncements that now stand in stark contrast to his alleged crimes. In 2008 Cosby went on a nationwide tour emphasising the need for self reliance in the African American community rather than protesting systemic racism. As Ta-nehisi Coates put it in The Atlantic: "Instead of focusing on some abstract notion of equality, he argues, blacks need to cleanse their culture, embrace personal responsibility, and reclaim the traditions that fortified them in the past." Cosby lamented for a bygone era: "I"m talking about a time when we protected our women and protected our children." Establishing a pattern Despite the fact that Cosby has more than 60 accusers, only one of those claims resulted in criminal charges, filed against Cosby days before the statute of limitations was to expire. Andrea Constand, a former basketball coach at Cosby's alma mater Temple University, said he gave her pills before assaulting her at his Pennsylvania house in 2004. Prosecutors have asked Judge Steven O'Neill of Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania to allow 13 other women who have accused Cosby of sexual assault to testify at trial in order to show he engaged in a pattern of drugging and attacking his alleged victims. Cosby has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. O'Neill has scheduled two days of hearings on the proposed witnesses and other pre-trial matters. In general, prosecutors are barred from introducing evidence of a defendant's unrelated prior bad acts for fear it could prejudice the jury. On rare occasions, however, judges will allow it if the evidence shows a clear and longstanding pattern of behavior. Prosecutors are also seeking permission to use Cosby's sworn testimony from a deposition during Constand's 2005 civil lawsuit, in which Cosby acknowledged providing women with medication and then having consensual sexual encounters with them. Courtroom strategy Cosby's lawyers have asked O'Neill to bar that deposition from the trial, arguing that Cosby only agreed to testify after the then-Montgomery County district attorney assured him no criminal charges would be brought. In addition, his lawyers have mounted yet another attempt to dismiss the case, this time based on the argument that prosecutors waited too long to bring the case. In court papers filed last week, his attorneys said that Cosby is legally blind and has memory problems, preventing him from fully participating in preparing his own defense. The trial is set for June 2017. (With inputs from Reuters)

Bill Cosby's lawyers seek to bar some alleged victims from sexual assault trial

Dressed in black, thousands of Argentines took to the streets on Wednesday to protest the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl, the latest case of violence against women to shock the country.

The protesters,&nbsp;mostly women, but also some men, marched in memory of Lucia Perez, a high school student who died on October 8 after drug dealers allegedly raped her and impaled her on a spike.

&quot;If you touch one of us, we all react,&quot; said signs carried by many of the protesters, who staged an hour-long strike starting at 1&nbsp;pm (1400 GMT).

It was the latest in more than a year of mass marches to protest violence against women in Argentina, where, according to government figures, domestic violence kills one woman every 36 hours.

Perez&#39;s killing was just the latest horrific episode.

Last year in June, protests broke out nationwide over a trio of gruesome killings --&nbsp;a kindergarten teacher whose estranged husband slit her throat in front of her class; a 14-year-old girl whose boyfriend allegedly beat her to death because she got pregnant; and a woman whose ex-boyfriend stabbed her to death in broad daylight at a Buenos Aires cafe.

&quot;The case of Lucia Perez acted as a trigger to demand justice for all women who suffer sexist violence,&quot; said one protester in downtown Buenos Aires, Gabriela Spinelli.

Organisers said the goal was to condemn not only Perez&#39;s killing, but a culture that values women less than men -- which they said can be seen in statistics such as the unemployment and poverty rates.

Brutal rapes are the product of a society where boys are not raised to respect women, said demonstrator Karina Munoz.

&quot;A rapist isn&#39;t a monster. He&#39;s not sick. He&#39;s a healthy child of this system&nbsp;which produces men who don&#39;t respect it when women say no,&quot; she told AFP.

Despite a rainstorm that likely dented turnout in Buenos Aires, demonstrators managed to block off several avenues in the capital, as supporters applauded from office buildings.

In Spain, hundreds of women protested in solidarity in Madrid and Barcelona. Demonstrations were also held in various cities across Latin America, including Lima and Mexico City.

(AFP)

16-year-old Lucia Perez was killed on October 8, allegedly by drug dealers

Dressed in black, thousands of Argentines took to the streets on Wednesday to protest the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl, the latest case of violence against women to shock the country. The protesters, mostly women, but also some men, marched in memory of Lucia Perez, a high school student who died on October 8 after drug dealers allegedly raped her and impaled her on a spike. "If you touch one of us, we all react," said signs carried by many of the protesters, who staged an hour-long strike starting at 1 pm (1400 GMT). It was the latest in more than a year of mass marches to protest violence against women in Argentina, where, according to government figures, domestic violence kills one woman every 36 hours. Perez's killing was just the latest horrific episode. Last year in June, protests broke out nationwide over a trio of gruesome killings -- a kindergarten teacher whose estranged husband slit her throat in front of her class; a 14-year-old girl whose boyfriend allegedly beat her to death because she got pregnant; and a woman whose ex-boyfriend stabbed her to death in broad daylight at a Buenos Aires cafe. "The case of Lucia Perez acted as a trigger to demand justice for all women who suffer sexist violence," said one protester in downtown Buenos Aires, Gabriela Spinelli. Organisers said the goal was to condemn not only Perez's killing, but a culture that values women less than men -- which they said can be seen in statistics such as the unemployment and poverty rates. Brutal rapes are the product of a society where boys are not raised to respect women, said demonstrator Karina Munoz. "A rapist isn't a monster. He's not sick. He's a healthy child of this system which produces men who don't respect it when women say no," she told AFP. Despite a rainstorm that likely dented turnout in Buenos Aires, demonstrators managed to block off several avenues in the capital, as supporters applauded from office buildings. In Spain, hundreds of women protested in solidarity in Madrid and Barcelona. Demonstrations were also held in various cities across Latin America, including Lima and Mexico City. (AFP)

Raped & impaled, high school student's murder sparks protests in Argentina

An Indian court remanded the sacked Delhi minister Sanjeev Kumar linked to a sex video to three days in police custody today. 
 
Kumar was arrested on September 3 after a woman filed a sexual harassment complaint against him at a police station in north Delhi. She alleged that Kumar raped her 11 months ago when she had gone to his office seeking help. Kumar spiked her drink and took her to his house in an unconscious state, she said. 
 
He has been booked under section 376 (rape), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison with intent to commit an offence) of IPC, under section 67A of IT Act (punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act) and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration for an official act). 
 
The woman also alleged that Kumar had promised her help in securing a government benefits card and jobs for her children. 
 
Kumar was sacked as the women and child development minister on August 31, after a video of him and the complainant in a compromising position was released. 
 
&quot;He was arrested on a complaint filed by one of the woman seen in the video. She has alleged Kumar raped her. The investigations have just started,&quot; Vikramjit Singh, deputy police commissioner of Delhi, told AFP. 
 
The MLA from Sultanpur Majra, a Delhi assembly constituency, had surrendered before the investigators at the office of deputy commissioner of police (outer) in west Delhi&#39;s Pitampura where his statement was recorded, police officials had said, PTI reported. 
 
Soon after the video controversy, Kumar said that he had been targeted. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ??? , ????? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?? 3/3
&mdash; Sandeep Kumar (@SandeepKumar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SandeepKumar/status/771223739211972608">September 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
 
&#39;Baba Sahib Bhim Rao Ambedkar&#39;s statue stands in my home and I talk about Dalits, that is why I am being implicated,&#39; Kumar tweeted.
Delhi&#39;s ruling Aam Admi Party (AAP) led by anti-corruption campaigner Kejriwal has been hit by a series of controversies involving its legislators.&nbsp;Thirteen of its legislators have been charged with various crimes including rape, attempted murder and corruption since winning the elections in February 2015.
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The former minister was arrested on September 3 after a woman filed a sexual harassment complaint at a police station in north Delhi

An Indian court remanded the sacked Delhi minister Sanjeev Kumar linked to a sex video to three days in police custody today. Kumar was arrested on September 3 after a woman filed a sexual harassment complaint against him at a police station in north Delhi. She alleged that Kumar raped her 11 months ago when she had gone to his office seeking help. Kumar spiked her drink and took her to his house in an unconscious state, she said. He has been booked under section 376 (rape), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison with intent to commit an offence) of IPC, under section 67A of IT Act (punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act) and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration for an official act). The woman also alleged that Kumar had promised her help in securing a government benefits card and jobs for her children. Kumar was sacked as the women and child development minister on August 31, after a video of him and the complainant in a compromising position was released. "He was arrested on a complaint filed by one of the woman seen in the video. She has alleged Kumar raped her. The investigations have just started," Vikramjit Singh, deputy police commissioner of Delhi, told AFP. The MLA from Sultanpur Majra, a Delhi assembly constituency, had surrendered before the investigators at the office of deputy commissioner of police (outer) in west Delhi's Pitampura where his statement was recorded, police officials had said, PTI reported. Soon after the video controversy, Kumar said that he had been targeted. ????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ??? , ????? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?? 3/3 — Sandeep Kumar (@SandeepKumar) September 1, 2016 'Baba Sahib Bhim Rao Ambedkar's statue stands in my home and I talk about Dalits, that is why I am being implicated,' Kumar tweeted. Delhi's ruling Aam Admi Party (AAP) led by anti-corruption campaigner Kejriwal has been hit by a series of controversies involving its legislators. Thirteen of its legislators have been charged with various crimes including rape, attempted murder and corruption since winning the elections in February 2015. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Sex video case: Sacked Indian minister sent to 3-day police custody?

A 25-year-old woman was allegedly raped by three persons here after they lured&nbsp;the victim with the promise of getting her a bank job, police said today. 
 
According to DySP Pratap Baviskar, the incident took place on Saturday evening after which two persons&nbsp;identified as Vilas Haribhau Varpe (32) and Vilas Raghunath Shinde (30) were arrested yesterday. Varpe is&nbsp;working in a co-operative bank at Supa tehsil in the district. 
 
The third accused is absconding and police have launched a manhunt to trace him, he said. 
 
The accused abused the woman -- a science graduate -- after taking her to an isolated spot in Dharmadi hills in&nbsp;Rahuri tehsil, 48 kms from here. 
 
The trio also filmed the act and threatened the girl from disclosing anything, police said.&nbsp;The victim was also robbed off her mobile and cash. 
 
Soon after the incident, an FIR was registered in Rahuri Police station under sections 376, 392 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on Saturday after the woman lodged a complaint. 
 
Varpe, one of the accused, is working in one of the Co-operative Banks at Supa tehsil in the district, police&nbsp;added. 
 
(PTI)

The third accused is absconding and police have launched a manhunt to trace him

A 25-year-old woman was allegedly raped by three persons here after they lured the victim with the promise of getting her a bank job, police said today. According to DySP Pratap Baviskar, the incident took place on Saturday evening after which two persons identified as Vilas Haribhau Varpe (32) and Vilas Raghunath Shinde (30) were arrested yesterday. Varpe is working in a co-operative bank at Supa tehsil in the district. The third accused is absconding and police have launched a manhunt to trace him, he said. The accused abused the woman -- a science graduate -- after taking her to an isolated spot in Dharmadi hills in Rahuri tehsil, 48 kms from here. The trio also filmed the act and threatened the girl from disclosing anything, police said. The victim was also robbed off her mobile and cash. Soon after the incident, an FIR was registered in Rahuri Police station under sections 376, 392 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on Saturday after the woman lodged a complaint. Varpe, one of the accused, is working in one of the Co-operative Banks at Supa tehsil in the district, police added. (PTI)

Woman gangraped in India's Ahmednagar, 2 arrested

An Austrian court remanded nine Iraqi migrants in custody today for their alleged involvement in the gang rape of a German tourist on New Year&#39;s Eve in Vienna. 
 
The men, aged between 21 and 47, were arrested over the weekend at raids across Austria after months-long police investigations.&nbsp;They were put in detention at a jail in Vienna pending trial, a court spokeswoman said. 
 
The suspects are accused of bringing the 28-year-old victim, who was under the influence of alcohol, to one of the suspects&#39; flats and taking turns in raping her on the night of December 31, 2015.&nbsp;The men have rejected the allegations, but investigators found DNA traces of four of the accused at the alleged scene of the crime. 
 
It is not clear yet how long the Iraqis have been in Austria, but one applied for asylum after the incident took place, police said.&nbsp;Allegations of sexual assault involving migrants have been on the rise in Austria since the start of the European Union&#39;s worst refugee crisis since World War II last summer. 
 
The country has received one of the bloc&#39;s biggest influxes of asylum seekers per capita, boosting the popularity of the far-right.&nbsp;Earlier this month, neighbouring Germany passed a law making it easier to deport foreign nationals committing sex crimes, after more than 1,000 women reported sexual assaults and robberies in the city of Cologne on New Year&#39;s Eve. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

The men, aged between 21 and 47, were arrested over the weekend at raids across Austria after months-long police investigations

An Austrian court remanded nine Iraqi migrants in custody today for their alleged involvement in the gang rape of a German tourist on New Year's Eve in Vienna. The men, aged between 21 and 47, were arrested over the weekend at raids across Austria after months-long police investigations. They were put in detention at a jail in Vienna pending trial, a court spokeswoman said. The suspects are accused of bringing the 28-year-old victim, who was under the influence of alcohol, to one of the suspects' flats and taking turns in raping her on the night of December 31, 2015. The men have rejected the allegations, but investigators found DNA traces of four of the accused at the alleged scene of the crime. It is not clear yet how long the Iraqis have been in Austria, but one applied for asylum after the incident took place, police said. Allegations of sexual assault involving migrants have been on the rise in Austria since the start of the European Union's worst refugee crisis since World War II last summer. The country has received one of the bloc's biggest influxes of asylum seekers per capita, boosting the popularity of the far-right. Earlier this month, neighbouring Germany passed a law making it easier to deport foreign nationals committing sex crimes, after more than 1,000 women reported sexual assaults and robberies in the city of Cologne on New Year's Eve. (AFP)

Nine Iraqis held over gang rape of German tourist in Vienna

The Cuban men&#39;s volleyball team will compete in the Rio Olympics despite the detention of six of its players in Finland over a suspected aggravated rape, said an official at the National Sports Institute (INDER), according to website Cubadebate and other state-run news outlets on Wednesday. 
 
The island nation will be sending 120 athletes to the games in Rio de Janeiro to compete in 18 disciplines, said Jos? Antonio Miranda, INDER director of high performance sports, the media outlets reported. 
 
&quot;After not qualifying in volleyball for 16 years, we had 18 athletes in our preselection and we are going to be there with 12 in the Olympic games,&quot; Miranda was quoted as saying. 
 
Police detained eight players earlier this month in the Finnish city of Tampere, where the Cuban team was playing in a World League tournament. The suspected rape occurred at the hotel where the team was staying. 
 
Two of the men were then released and are no longer suspects. The other six will remain in custody while the investigation continues. 
 
&quot;Preliminary information suggests that (these players) are linked to acts completely unrelated to the discipline, sense of integrity and respect that govern our sport,&quot; Cuba&#39;s Volleyball Federation said in a statement. 
 
Cuba performed better than any other Latin American country at the 2012 Olympic games, earning sixteenth place in the medals table. 
 
(Reuters)

Police detained 8 players in Tampere over suspected aggravated rape. Two were released, 6 are in custody while the investigation continues

The Cuban men's volleyball team will compete in the Rio Olympics despite the detention of six of its players in Finland over a suspected aggravated rape, said an official at the National Sports Institute (INDER), according to website Cubadebate and other state-run news outlets on Wednesday. The island nation will be sending 120 athletes to the games in Rio de Janeiro to compete in 18 disciplines, said Jos? Antonio Miranda, INDER director of high performance sports, the media outlets reported. "After not qualifying in volleyball for 16 years, we had 18 athletes in our preselection and we are going to be there with 12 in the Olympic games," Miranda was quoted as saying. Police detained eight players earlier this month in the Finnish city of Tampere, where the Cuban team was playing in a World League tournament. The suspected rape occurred at the hotel where the team was staying. Two of the men were then released and are no longer suspects. The other six will remain in custody while the investigation continues. "Preliminary information suggests that (these players) are linked to acts completely unrelated to the discipline, sense of integrity and respect that govern our sport," Cuba's Volleyball Federation said in a statement. Cuba performed better than any other Latin American country at the 2012 Olympic games, earning sixteenth place in the medals table. (Reuters)

Cuba's volleyball team to compete at Olympics despite rape probe

An Indian court today sentenced a Bollywood director to seven years in jail for raping an American research scholar last year, the victim&#39;s lawyer said. 
 
Mahmood Farooqui, best known for co-directing the popular 2010 satire Peepli Live on farmer suicides, was convicted on Saturday after a fast-track court in New Delhi found him guilty of the March 2015 attack. 
 
The victim, then aged 35, had travelled to India to seek Farooqui&#39;s assistance with her research when the assault took place at his home in an upscale area of the capital.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The court sentenced him to seven years (of imprisonment), which is the minimum jail term for this offence,&quot; the victim&#39;s lawyer, Vrinda Grover, told AFP. 
 
Grover, who had argued for the maximum term of life imprisonment, said the court had also imposed a 50,000 Rupee ($747) fine. 
 
Farooqui, who pleaded not guilty, was taken into custody at the weekend. 
 
The woman returned to the US shortly after the incident but came back to report the matter to police. 
 
&quot;Peepli Live&quot;, which explores the divide between urban and rural India, was produced by Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan. 
 
Farooqui co-directed it with his wife, Anusha Rizwi. 
 
India introduced tough laws against sex offenders in the wake of the fatal gang-rape of a Delhi student in the capital in December 2012 that sparked mass street protests. 
 
But high levels of sexual violence against women continue. 
 
(AFP)

The victim had travelled to India to seek Mahmood Farooqui's assistance with her research when he assaulted her at his home

An Indian court today sentenced a Bollywood director to seven years in jail for raping an American research scholar last year, the victim's lawyer said. Mahmood Farooqui, best known for co-directing the popular 2010 satire Peepli Live on farmer suicides, was convicted on Saturday after a fast-track court in New Delhi found him guilty of the March 2015 attack. The victim, then aged 35, had travelled to India to seek Farooqui's assistance with her research when the assault took place at his home in an upscale area of the capital. "The court sentenced him to seven years (of imprisonment), which is the minimum jail term for this offence," the victim's lawyer, Vrinda Grover, told AFP. Grover, who had argued for the maximum term of life imprisonment, said the court had also imposed a 50,000 Rupee ($747) fine. Farooqui, who pleaded not guilty, was taken into custody at the weekend. The woman returned to the US shortly after the incident but came back to report the matter to police. "Peepli Live", which explores the divide between urban and rural India, was produced by Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan. Farooqui co-directed it with his wife, Anusha Rizwi. India introduced tough laws against sex offenders in the wake of the fatal gang-rape of a Delhi student in the capital in December 2012 that sparked mass street protests. But high levels of sexual violence against women continue. (AFP)

India court jails 'Peepli Live' director for 7 years over rape

The United Nations has documented at least 120 cases of rape since a recent flareup of violence in South Sudan and is investigating allegations that its peacekeepers did nothing to stop the violence, a spokesman said yesterday. 
 
&quot;We take very seriously the allegations that peacekeepers did not render aid to civilians in distress,&quot; said UN spokesman Farhan Haq. 
 
&quot;Of course that is exactly what they are supposed to do and there would be serious repercussions if they failed in their duty,&quot; he added. 
 
Media reports quoted witnesses who said peacekeepers looked on and did nothing during at least one assault on a woman. 
 
The Associated Press interviewed a witness who said at least 30 peacekeepers from Chinese and Nepalese battalions watched as a woman screamed for help during an assault by two soldiers near the base&#39;s gate. 
 
Haq said the command of the UN force in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, was looking into the allegations that peacekeepers failed to protect civilians. 
 
South Sudanese soldiers in uniform and men in plain clothes were allegedly involved in the sexual violence, including gang rapes, against civilians near a UN base in Juba and other areas of the capital, said Haq. 
 
Some of the victims were minors, he added. 
 
Juba was rocked by several days of heavy fighting starting on July 9 between government forces and those loyal to rebel chief Riek Machar, the latest upsurge in the two and half year war. 
 
Nearly 300 people died in the violence and thousands rushed to UN peacekeeping bases for safety. 
 
In response to the increase in rapes, UN peacekeepers have stepped up patrols around the base and in the city. 
 
They are also accompanying women who venture out of the base to collect firewood and procure other items, said Haq. 
 
UNMISS has 13,500 troops and police deployed across South Sudan under a mandate that calls for the protection of civilians. 
 
(AFP)

Chinese and Nepalese battalions watched as a woman screamed for help during an assault by two soldiers, a witness told Associated Press

The United Nations has documented at least 120 cases of rape since a recent flareup of violence in South Sudan and is investigating allegations that its peacekeepers did nothing to stop the violence, a spokesman said yesterday. "We take very seriously the allegations that peacekeepers did not render aid to civilians in distress," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq. "Of course that is exactly what they are supposed to do and there would be serious repercussions if they failed in their duty," he added. Media reports quoted witnesses who said peacekeepers looked on and did nothing during at least one assault on a woman. The Associated Press interviewed a witness who said at least 30 peacekeepers from Chinese and Nepalese battalions watched as a woman screamed for help during an assault by two soldiers near the base's gate. Haq said the command of the UN force in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, was looking into the allegations that peacekeepers failed to protect civilians. South Sudanese soldiers in uniform and men in plain clothes were allegedly involved in the sexual violence, including gang rapes, against civilians near a UN base in Juba and other areas of the capital, said Haq. Some of the victims were minors, he added. Juba was rocked by several days of heavy fighting starting on July 9 between government forces and those loyal to rebel chief Riek Machar, the latest upsurge in the two and half year war. Nearly 300 people died in the violence and thousands rushed to UN peacekeeping bases for safety. In response to the increase in rapes, UN peacekeepers have stepped up patrols around the base and in the city. They are also accompanying women who venture out of the base to collect firewood and procure other items, said Haq. UNMISS has 13,500 troops and police deployed across South Sudan under a mandate that calls for the protection of civilians. (AFP)

UN peacekeepers accused of failing to stop South Sudan rapes

Ukrainian activist Anastasiya Melnychenko&#39;s campaign to shatter taboos over rape opened floodgates in her homeland and neighbouring Russia recently. It was yet another online discussion blaming a rape victim for provoking her attacker that prompted her courageous move.&nbsp; 
 
In response Melnychenko typed out an unflinching account of a string of sexual assaults she suffered throughout her life, then posted it on Facebook with the hashtag #IAmNotAfraidToSpeak, later repeated in Ukrainian and Russian. 
 
Melnychenko&#39;s campaign lead hundreds of women in Ukraine and Russia to share their own personal stories of sexual violence, a subject that is more often hushed up or ignored.&nbsp;For many of the women, it was a powerful way to release pent-up painful memories. 
 
&quot;I was a schoolgirl&nbsp;when it happened. A young guy followed me to my house, pulled me by the jacket and put his hands up my skirt&quot;, wrote 30-year-old art critic Asia Bazdyrieva. 
 
&quot;I was 19, it was my boyfriend&#39;s pal. He was two metres (six foot five) tall, very big and strong. The street was completely empty and I was afraid to resist. He raped me,&quot; posted mother-of-four Valeriya Bezlepkina. 
 
&quot;I was a young girl with freckles from a poor district. Violence was a common thing there, familiar to every girl I knew&quot;, shared famous restaurant critic Aurora Ogorodnyk. 
 
Melnychenko&#39;s openness helped to break down a wall of silence that activists say exists around the issue of sexual violence - and especially rape - in the ex-Soviet region. 
 
&quot;In our society blaming the victim is the norm,&quot; Melnychenko shared. 
 
&quot;That is why women are silent about the abuse. They do not talk about these incidents to their relatives or to the police because they are afraid of being condemned.&quot; 
 
&#39;Violence loves secrecy&#39;&nbsp; 
 
In Ukraine - a country of some 45 million inhabitants - only around 320 cases of rape or attempted rape were registered by the authorities last year. 
 
Rights activists insist that the small number of reported attacks does not represent the true scale of the problem.&nbsp;&quot;Sexual violence is a subject that gets disregarded&quot;, says Anna Sayenko, a lawyer from La Strada Ukraine, an international women&#39;s rights centre.&nbsp;In most cases women do not immediately go to a police station for a forensic examination due to fears of being judged by society, Sayenko said. 
 
Psychologist Alevtyna Shevchenko says such sharing of experiences works as a sort of group therapy, where the interaction between the participants encourages even those who are usually silent to talk. 
 
&#39;Brave pioneers&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Not all reaction to the campaign has been positive, however. 
 
Some online commentators, mainly men, accused the participants of &quot;exhibitionism&quot; and performing a &quot;public striptease&quot;, with one labelling the campaign a &quot;festival of homemade porn&quot;. 
 
But broadly speaking the response appears to have been supportive and a Ukrainian lawmaker on Tuesday said that deputies were already collecting signatures to change legislation on sexual violence against women after reading the posts. 
 
Melnychenko hopes that she and the women who have come forward with their experience -- especially those who spoke about being raped - have sparked a shift in the discussion that will bring about a real change in Ukraine. 
 
&quot;Public debate is a big step for our society,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;Thanks to these brave pioneers, other women have realised that they are not alone and they have more support than they thought.&quot; 
 
By breaking through the fear of how people will react, Melnychenko&#39;s online campaign appears to have struck a deep chord with women in both Ukraine and Russia. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Yet another online discussion blaming a rape victim for having provoked her attacker prompted her to start

Ukrainian activist Anastasiya Melnychenko's campaign to shatter taboos over rape opened floodgates in her homeland and neighbouring Russia recently. It was yet another online discussion blaming a rape victim for provoking her attacker that prompted her courageous move. In response Melnychenko typed out an unflinching account of a string of sexual assaults she suffered throughout her life, then posted it on Facebook with the hashtag #IAmNotAfraidToSpeak, later repeated in Ukrainian and Russian. Melnychenko's campaign lead hundreds of women in Ukraine and Russia to share their own personal stories of sexual violence, a subject that is more often hushed up or ignored. For many of the women, it was a powerful way to release pent-up painful memories. "I was a schoolgirl when it happened. A young guy followed me to my house, pulled me by the jacket and put his hands up my skirt", wrote 30-year-old art critic Asia Bazdyrieva. "I was 19, it was my boyfriend's pal. He was two metres (six foot five) tall, very big and strong. The street was completely empty and I was afraid to resist. He raped me," posted mother-of-four Valeriya Bezlepkina. "I was a young girl with freckles from a poor district. Violence was a common thing there, familiar to every girl I knew", shared famous restaurant critic Aurora Ogorodnyk. Melnychenko's openness helped to break down a wall of silence that activists say exists around the issue of sexual violence - and especially rape - in the ex-Soviet region. "In our society blaming the victim is the norm," Melnychenko shared. "That is why women are silent about the abuse. They do not talk about these incidents to their relatives or to the police because they are afraid of being condemned." 'Violence loves secrecy' In Ukraine - a country of some 45 million inhabitants - only around 320 cases of rape or attempted rape were registered by the authorities last year. Rights activists insist that the small number of reported attacks does not represent the true scale of the problem. "Sexual violence is a subject that gets disregarded", says Anna Sayenko, a lawyer from La Strada Ukraine, an international women's rights centre. In most cases women do not immediately go to a police station for a forensic examination due to fears of being judged by society, Sayenko said. Psychologist Alevtyna Shevchenko says such sharing of experiences works as a sort of group therapy, where the interaction between the participants encourages even those who are usually silent to talk. 'Brave pioneers' Not all reaction to the campaign has been positive, however. Some online commentators, mainly men, accused the participants of "exhibitionism" and performing a "public striptease", with one labelling the campaign a "festival of homemade porn". But broadly speaking the response appears to have been supportive and a Ukrainian lawmaker on Tuesday said that deputies were already collecting signatures to change legislation on sexual violence against women after reading the posts. Melnychenko hopes that she and the women who have come forward with their experience -- especially those who spoke about being raped - have sparked a shift in the discussion that will bring about a real change in Ukraine. "Public debate is a big step for our society," she said. "Thanks to these brave pioneers, other women have realised that they are not alone and they have more support than they thought." By breaking through the fear of how people will react, Melnychenko's online campaign appears to have struck a deep chord with women in both Ukraine and Russia. (AFP)

Ukrainian activist talks about rape on Facebook, and floodgates open

The Supreme Court of India will today begin its hearing in the appeals filed by the four accused in the landmark December 16 gang rape case which had rocked the nation. 
 
Twenty three-year-old Nirbhaya was brutally assaulted and gang-raped by six people in a moving bus in the capital city of New Delhi on the night of December 16, 2012 and thrown out of the vehicle. She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29. 
 
A special bench of the Indian apex court hearing the plea of convicts awarded death in the case has decided to sit two hours beyond its working time to ensure speedy disposal of the case that has been pending in the court for more than two years. 
 
The convicts Vinay Sharma (23), Akshay Thakur (31), Mukesh (29) and Pawan Gupta (22) were awarded death sentence by a trial court in September 2013 and six months later the Delhi High Court upheld their conviction and sentence. All the convicts then approached the Supreme Court which in 2014 had stayed their execution and the matter is pending in the top court since then. 
 
The Delhi High Court had upheld their conviction and award of death penalty by terming the offence as &#39;extremely fiendish&#39; and &#39;unparalleled in the history of criminal jurisprudence&#39; and said the exemplary punishment was the need of the hour. 
 
Though arguments started in April before a three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra, arguments will have to be made afresh since the combination of judges in the bench has been changed. 
 
The bench comprises Justices Dipak Misra, C. Nagappan and Ms. R. Banumathi. 
 
(ANI)

Jyoti Singh Pandey (23) was assaulted and gang raped by six on December 16, 2012. She died on Dec 29

The Supreme Court of India will today begin its hearing in the appeals filed by the four accused in the landmark December 16 gang rape case which had rocked the nation. Twenty three-year-old Nirbhaya was brutally assaulted and gang-raped by six people in a moving bus in the capital city of New Delhi on the night of December 16, 2012 and thrown out of the vehicle. She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29. A special bench of the Indian apex court hearing the plea of convicts awarded death in the case has decided to sit two hours beyond its working time to ensure speedy disposal of the case that has been pending in the court for more than two years. The convicts Vinay Sharma (23), Akshay Thakur (31), Mukesh (29) and Pawan Gupta (22) were awarded death sentence by a trial court in September 2013 and six months later the Delhi High Court upheld their conviction and sentence. All the convicts then approached the Supreme Court which in 2014 had stayed their execution and the matter is pending in the top court since then. The Delhi High Court had upheld their conviction and award of death penalty by terming the offence as 'extremely fiendish' and 'unparalleled in the history of criminal jurisprudence' and said the exemplary punishment was the need of the hour. Though arguments started in April before a three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra, arguments will have to be made afresh since the combination of judges in the bench has been changed. The bench comprises Justices Dipak Misra, C. Nagappan and Ms. R. Banumathi. (ANI)

Final hearing in India's landmark gang rape case to begin today

The German parliament is set to pass a new law on Thursday broadening the definition of sex crimes and making it easier to deport foreign nationals who commit them. 
 
After years of debate on the need for tougher treatment of rape by the criminal justice system, the new legislation finally came together following a rash of sexual assaults in crowds on New Year&#39;s eve in the Western city of Cologne. 
 
Dubbed the &quot;No means No&quot; law by the media, it explicitly covers cases in which a victim withheld consent but did not physically fight back. 
 
The legislation, entitled &quot;improving the protection of sexual self-determination&quot;, also lowers the bar for deporting sexual offenders, classifies groping as a sex crime and targets assaults committed by large groups. 
 
&quot;It is crucial that we finally embed the principle &#39;No means No&#39; in criminal law and make every non-consensual sexual act a punishable offence,&quot; said deputy Eva Hoegl of the Social Democrats, one of the law&#39;s sponsors.&nbsp; 
 
Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s cabinet signed off on the measure in March after the attacks in Cologne, where more than 1,000 women reported sexual assaults and robberies on New Year&#39;s Eve. 
 
The attacks were blamed largely on Arab and North African men. 
 
The city&#39;s police chief conceded that most culprits may never be caught over the spate of assaults, which ranged from groping to rape and which inflamed public debate about a record influx of refugees and migrants. 
 
Justice Minister Heiko Maas acknowledged that under German law there were &quot;unacceptable gaps in protection&quot; against sexual coercion and assault. Currently, victims reporting a rape to police must not only demonstrate that they verbally declined sex but also that they physically resisted their assailant. 
 
The new law is intended to cover &quot;the actual situations in which most attacks occur&quot;, Maas said. 
 
These include cases in which the victim is taken by surprise, intimidated or threatened with other violence, for example in an abusive relationship. 
 
Parliament had already in January made it easier to expel migrants and refugees convicted of crimes.&nbsp; 
 
But along with sexual offences, it required proof of additional &quot;violence, threats or physical endangerment&quot; and generally a prison sentence of at least one year before an attacker could be deported.&nbsp; 
 
The reform means any sexual assault can be used against an applicant in an immigration or asylum hearing. 
 
It also specifically upgrades groping to a sex crime with sentences of up to two years&#39; jail or a fine. 
 
Merkel&#39;s conservative parliamentary group included a stipulation making it illegal to be part of a group committing assaults in a crowd, rather than requiring proof that a specific person attacked a victim. 
 
Anyone &quot;who at least tacitly accepts that crimes are committed by a group they are a part of&quot; can now be prosecuted. 
News agency DPA cited figures that 8,000 rapes are reported in Germany each year but that only one in 10 victims files charges. Moreover, only one in 10 rape complaints leads to a conviction. 
 
The latest reform drive began in 2011 with the passage of a Council of Europe convention on preventing and combatting violence against women, requiring signatories including Germany to penalise all &quot;non-consensual&quot; sexual acts. 
 
(AFP)

More than 1000 women had reported sexual assaults and robberies, mostly against Arab and North African men on New Year's Eve

The German parliament is set to pass a new law on Thursday broadening the definition of sex crimes and making it easier to deport foreign nationals who commit them. After years of debate on the need for tougher treatment of rape by the criminal justice system, the new legislation finally came together following a rash of sexual assaults in crowds on New Year's eve in the Western city of Cologne. Dubbed the "No means No" law by the media, it explicitly covers cases in which a victim withheld consent but did not physically fight back. The legislation, entitled "improving the protection of sexual self-determination", also lowers the bar for deporting sexual offenders, classifies groping as a sex crime and targets assaults committed by large groups. "It is crucial that we finally embed the principle 'No means No' in criminal law and make every non-consensual sexual act a punishable offence," said deputy Eva Hoegl of the Social Democrats, one of the law's sponsors. Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet signed off on the measure in March after the attacks in Cologne, where more than 1,000 women reported sexual assaults and robberies on New Year's Eve. The attacks were blamed largely on Arab and North African men. The city's police chief conceded that most culprits may never be caught over the spate of assaults, which ranged from groping to rape and which inflamed public debate about a record influx of refugees and migrants. Justice Minister Heiko Maas acknowledged that under German law there were "unacceptable gaps in protection" against sexual coercion and assault. Currently, victims reporting a rape to police must not only demonstrate that they verbally declined sex but also that they physically resisted their assailant. The new law is intended to cover "the actual situations in which most attacks occur", Maas said. These include cases in which the victim is taken by surprise, intimidated or threatened with other violence, for example in an abusive relationship. Parliament had already in January made it easier to expel migrants and refugees convicted of crimes. But along with sexual offences, it required proof of additional "violence, threats or physical endangerment" and generally a prison sentence of at least one year before an attacker could be deported. The reform means any sexual assault can be used against an applicant in an immigration or asylum hearing. It also specifically upgrades groping to a sex crime with sentences of up to two years' jail or a fine. Merkel's conservative parliamentary group included a stipulation making it illegal to be part of a group committing assaults in a crowd, rather than requiring proof that a specific person attacked a victim. Anyone "who at least tacitly accepts that crimes are committed by a group they are a part of" can now be prosecuted. News agency DPA cited figures that 8,000 rapes are reported in Germany each year but that only one in 10 victims files charges. Moreover, only one in 10 rape complaints leads to a conviction. The latest reform drive began in 2011 with the passage of a Council of Europe convention on preventing and combatting violence against women, requiring signatories including Germany to penalise all "non-consensual" sexual acts. (AFP)

Germany to bolster rape law after Cologne mob assaults

Eight members of Cuba&#39;s national volleyball team, playing a tournament in Finland, were questioned on Sunday in connection with an aggravated rape case, local police said. 
 
Three of the unnamed players were picked up by police on early Saturday, after a complaint was made, and questioned with the aid of an interpreter. 
 
The other five, including the national team captain, were brought in for questioning on Sunday after a match in the Volleyball World League taking place in the southern Finnish town of Tampere. 
 
The police did not divulge the circumstances of the alleged rape attack. 
 
According to local press, the alleged crime took place in the Tampere hotel where the Cuban team are staying. 
 
The first three players questioned on Saturday will appear before a judge on Monday or Tuesday who will free them or place them under provisional detention. 
 
Three Cuban players were notable by their absence from the match on Saturday when they lost to the Finnish team.&nbsp; 
 
Their no-show led some media outlets to suspect that they had defected. &quot;That&#39;s not the case,&quot; said police commissioner Joni Lansipuro. 
 
(AFP)

According to local press, the alleged crime took place in the Tampere hotel where the Cuban team are staying

Eight members of Cuba's national volleyball team, playing a tournament in Finland, were questioned on Sunday in connection with an aggravated rape case, local police said. Three of the unnamed players were picked up by police on early Saturday, after a complaint was made, and questioned with the aid of an interpreter. The other five, including the national team captain, were brought in for questioning on Sunday after a match in the Volleyball World League taking place in the southern Finnish town of Tampere. The police did not divulge the circumstances of the alleged rape attack. According to local press, the alleged crime took place in the Tampere hotel where the Cuban team are staying. The first three players questioned on Saturday will appear before a judge on Monday or Tuesday who will free them or place them under provisional detention. Three Cuban players were notable by their absence from the match on Saturday when they lost to the Finnish team. Their no-show led some media outlets to suspect that they had defected. "That's not the case," said police commissioner Joni Lansipuro. (AFP)

Cuban volleyball players questioned over alleged rape case in Finland

A woman&#39;s forehead and other body parts were inked with expletives in northwestern India after she failed to fulfill her in-laws dowry demands, police said today. 
 
In her police complaint, the 25-year-old victim has also alleged rape by her brother-in-law and husband&#39;s nephew. 
 
She said two years after her marriage to a man based in Alwar district of Rajasthan state, her in-laws started demanding money and motorbike as dowry. When she resisted their demands, expletives were tattooed on her forehead and arms. 
 
The victim now lives with her family in Jaipur district of the state, where she filed the police complaint. 
 
&quot;She alleged in her complaint that she was raped by her brother-in-law and nephew and she was tortured by her husband and others with expletive tattoos on her forehead and other parts of body over dowry. 
 
&nbsp;She also told us that when this matter came to light they (in-laws) tried to erase the tattoos with acid. We have registered a complaint and investigation is underway,&quot; said senior police official, Abdul Wahid. 
 
He added that the victim would be sent for medical examination to ascertain the allegations of rape. 
 
The victim alleged that her husband threatened to kill her if she failed to fulfill his dowry demand. 
 
&quot;He (husband) asked me to get a motorbike and money from my parents, failing which he would stab me to death,&quot; she said. 
 
A report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) said there were 337,922 reports of violence against women such as rape, molestation, abduction and cruelty by husbands in 2014, up by nine per cent since 2013. 
 
(Reuters)

She alleged that her nephew and brother-in-law raped her, while her husband and others tattooed her body with abusive words

A woman's forehead and other body parts were inked with expletives in northwestern India after she failed to fulfill her in-laws dowry demands, police said today. In her police complaint, the 25-year-old victim has also alleged rape by her brother-in-law and husband's nephew. She said two years after her marriage to a man based in Alwar district of Rajasthan state, her in-laws started demanding money and motorbike as dowry. When she resisted their demands, expletives were tattooed on her forehead and arms. The victim now lives with her family in Jaipur district of the state, where she filed the police complaint. "She alleged in her complaint that she was raped by her brother-in-law and nephew and she was tortured by her husband and others with expletive tattoos on her forehead and other parts of body over dowry. She also told us that when this matter came to light they (in-laws) tried to erase the tattoos with acid. We have registered a complaint and investigation is underway," said senior police official, Abdul Wahid. He added that the victim would be sent for medical examination to ascertain the allegations of rape. The victim alleged that her husband threatened to kill her if she failed to fulfill his dowry demand. "He (husband) asked me to get a motorbike and money from my parents, failing which he would stab me to death," she said. A report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) said there were 337,922 reports of violence against women such as rape, molestation, abduction and cruelty by husbands in 2014, up by nine per cent since 2013. (Reuters)

Woman inked with expletives over dowry in northwestern India

Teenage recruits into the Australian military were forced to rape each other, often as part of brutal initiation practices, a public inquiry into child sex abuse heard on Tuesday. 
? 
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse has already examined churches, sports bodies and the entertainment industry with its focus now on the Australian Defence Force (ADF) 
 
The spotlight is on two former training establishments used from the 1960s to 1980s -- HMAS Leeuwin in Western Australia where junior naval recruits were trained, and an army apprentice school at Balcombe in Victoria state. 
 
Counsel assisting the inquiry Angus Stewart said the commission had been contacted by 111 people about incidents of child sexual abuse within the ADF -- and 50 of these involved either Leeuwin or Balcombe. 
 
Survivors giving evidence to the inquiry would reveal that they were sexually abused during their first six months at Leeuwin, when they were 15 or 16 years old, he said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The Royal Commission will hear that most of the abuse was perpetrated by older recruits as part of an informal hierarchy in which older recruits physically and sexually abused more junior recruits as part of ritualised practices of &#39;bastardisation&#39; &nbsp;that were designed to &#39; break in&#39; &nbsp;and humiliate new entrants to the navy,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
This bullying included &quot;blackballing&quot; or &quot;nuggeting&quot; in which a junior recruit was held down as boot polish or toothpaste was smeared on his private parts, sometimes with a harsh brush, and &quot;gotcha&quot; in which a recruit&#39;s private parts were grabbed, usually while they showered. 
 
Another practice was the &quot;royal flush&quot; in which junior recruits held the head of one of their number in a used toilet bowl and flushed. 
 
&quot;The survivors will give evidence that they were subjected to serious forms of sexual abuse, including fondling of the genitals, masturbation, oral sex, and anal penetration by a penis or other object,&quot; Stewart said. 
 
Survivors rarely reported the crimes, overcome by shame and fear, while those who did have claimed they were not believed or were told such experiences were &quot;a rite of passage&quot;, he said. 
 
One survivor, known as CJA, &quot;will give evidence that he was regularly forced to perform and receive oral and anal sex on other junior recruits during his first six months at Leeuwin&quot;. 
 
CJA, who was 16 at the time in 1967, would tell the inquiry that his complaints went nowhere and he was described as a troublemaker, Stewart said. 
 
Survivors from Balcombe, where apprentices were often as young as 15, were subject to similar practices as those at Leeuwin, the inquiry heard. 
 
The Australian military has been subject to two major inquiries into abuse over the last five years, with complaints dating from the 1940s. The ADF has since embarked on cultural reforms. 
(AFP)

Survivors have given evidence of sexual abuse to the inquiry in two former training establishments that operated from the 1960s to 1980s

Teenage recruits into the Australian military were forced to rape each other, often as part of brutal initiation practices, a public inquiry into child sex abuse heard on Tuesday. ? The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse has already examined churches, sports bodies and the entertainment industry with its focus now on the Australian Defence Force (ADF) The spotlight is on two former training establishments used from the 1960s to 1980s -- HMAS Leeuwin in Western Australia where junior naval recruits were trained, and an army apprentice school at Balcombe in Victoria state. Counsel assisting the inquiry Angus Stewart said the commission had been contacted by 111 people about incidents of child sexual abuse within the ADF -- and 50 of these involved either Leeuwin or Balcombe. Survivors giving evidence to the inquiry would reveal that they were sexually abused during their first six months at Leeuwin, when they were 15 or 16 years old, he said. "The Royal Commission will hear that most of the abuse was perpetrated by older recruits as part of an informal hierarchy in which older recruits physically and sexually abused more junior recruits as part of ritualised practices of 'bastardisation' that were designed to ' break in' and humiliate new entrants to the navy," he said. This bullying included "blackballing" or "nuggeting" in which a junior recruit was held down as boot polish or toothpaste was smeared on his private parts, sometimes with a harsh brush, and "gotcha" in which a recruit's private parts were grabbed, usually while they showered. Another practice was the "royal flush" in which junior recruits held the head of one of their number in a used toilet bowl and flushed. "The survivors will give evidence that they were subjected to serious forms of sexual abuse, including fondling of the genitals, masturbation, oral sex, and anal penetration by a penis or other object," Stewart said. Survivors rarely reported the crimes, overcome by shame and fear, while those who did have claimed they were not believed or were told such experiences were "a rite of passage", he said. One survivor, known as CJA, "will give evidence that he was regularly forced to perform and receive oral and anal sex on other junior recruits during his first six months at Leeuwin". CJA, who was 16 at the time in 1967, would tell the inquiry that his complaints went nowhere and he was described as a troublemaker, Stewart said. Survivors from Balcombe, where apprentices were often as young as 15, were subject to similar practices as those at Leeuwin, the inquiry heard. The Australian military has been subject to two major inquiries into abuse over the last five years, with complaints dating from the 1940s. The ADF has since embarked on cultural reforms. (AFP)

Australian defence recruits forced to rape each other: Inquiry

At least 17 million women and girls in Africa collect water every day, which increases their risk of sexual abuse, disease and dropping out of school, a study published recently has found.

It is one of the first studies to calculate how many women and children were responsible for water collection in Africa, the researchers said.

Using datasets from the World Bank, the UN&nbsp;children&#39;s agency UNICEF, and the US&nbsp;Agency for International Development, researchers found that around 3 million children and 14 million women collect water in sub-Saharan Africa.

&quot;The absolute number of adult females affected by this practice was a shock to me,&quot; Jay Graham, lead author of the study, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

&quot;I knew it would be large... but I didn&#39;t realise it would be that high,&quot; added Graham, who is professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University.

The daily practice causes musculoskeletal damage, soft tissue damage and can lead to early arthritis, Graham said.

People also have to contend with water-borne diseases like schistosomiasis, an infection caused by parasitic worms living in fresh water, he said.

Across all 24 countries examined, including Sierra Leone, Malawi and Niger, more girls were tasked with water collection than boys. Women were also the primary water collector in all countries.

Children are pulled out of school for the daily task, and many women cannot earn an income because of the time and energy it takes to collect water, Graham said.

Since they often need to walk long distances to find water, women and children are also at a higher risk of sexual abuse, he added.

In a statement issued last month, the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone said drought was putting even more pressure on children to find water.

&quot;Children, particularly girls, are out in the street very late at night or as early as 4a.m. in search of water,&quot; the statement read.

&quot;This heightens their vulnerability and contributes to increase in teenage pregnancy, child labour, high rates of school drop outs, and poor school performance,&quot; it said.

Demand for water is expected to increase by 2050 as the world&#39;s population is forecast to grow by one-third to more than 9 billion, according to the United Nations.

As climate change strengthens, drought is becoming more frequent and severe in southern Africa, and that &ndash; combined with this year&#39;s El Nino phenomenon &ndash; is taking a heavy toll on rural lives and economies.

&quot;With climate change, it&#39;s going to be more of an uphill battle,&quot; said Graham. &quot;If there&#39;s focused attention on it and resources, we can improve upon the situation but I do think it&#39;s going to become more difficult.&quot;

But it also crucial to address gender inequality and to recognise the unpaid labour that women do across the globe, he said, which he believes is the underlying issue.

&quot;There is a need to address cultural values and really shifting the belief that women and men are equal too.&quot;

Many have to travel real far to collect water, thus exposing them to the risk of being sexually abused. And there is the added threat of a water-borne disease and other ailments.

At least 17 million women and girls in Africa collect water every day, which increases their risk of sexual abuse, disease and dropping out of school, a study published recently has found. It is one of the first studies to calculate how many women and children were responsible for water collection in Africa, the researchers said. Using datasets from the World Bank, the UN children's agency UNICEF, and the US Agency for International Development, researchers found that around 3 million children and 14 million women collect water in sub-Saharan Africa. "The absolute number of adult females affected by this practice was a shock to me," Jay Graham, lead author of the study, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "I knew it would be large... but I didn't realise it would be that high," added Graham, who is professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. The daily practice causes musculoskeletal damage, soft tissue damage and can lead to early arthritis, Graham said. People also have to contend with water-borne diseases like schistosomiasis, an infection caused by parasitic worms living in fresh water, he said. Across all 24 countries examined, including Sierra Leone, Malawi and Niger, more girls were tasked with water collection than boys. Women were also the primary water collector in all countries. Children are pulled out of school for the daily task, and many women cannot earn an income because of the time and energy it takes to collect water, Graham said. Since they often need to walk long distances to find water, women and children are also at a higher risk of sexual abuse, he added. In a statement issued last month, the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone said drought was putting even more pressure on children to find water. "Children, particularly girls, are out in the street very late at night or as early as 4a.m. in search of water," the statement read. "This heightens their vulnerability and contributes to increase in teenage pregnancy, child labour, high rates of school drop outs, and poor school performance," it said. Demand for water is expected to increase by 2050 as the world's population is forecast to grow by one-third to more than 9 billion, according to the United Nations. As climate change strengthens, drought is becoming more frequent and severe in southern Africa, and that – combined with this year's El Nino phenomenon – is taking a heavy toll on rural lives and economies. "With climate change, it's going to be more of an uphill battle," said Graham. "If there's focused attention on it and resources, we can improve upon the situation but I do think it's going to become more difficult." But it also crucial to address gender inequality and to recognise the unpaid labour that women do across the globe, he said, which he believes is the underlying issue. "There is a need to address cultural values and really shifting the belief that women and men are equal too."

The risks more than 17 million African women and girls have to take to fetch water

The Brazilian Senate has approved a bill that will increase penalties for gang rapes. 
 
At present, Brazil`s Criminal Code establishes penalties between six and 10 years in prison for rape, and up to 12 years if the sexual assault is committed by more than two people, EFE news reported. 
 
With the new law approved by the Senate on Tuesday, the penalty for gang rape would be increased up to over 13 years, although the sentence could be higher if the victim is under 14 or dies after the assault. 
 
President of the Senate Renan Calheiros said the bill is in response to the rape of a 16-year-old girl in a slum of Rio de Janeiro, a video of which was made available online. 
 
The girl told police that she was drugged, raped and when she woke up, she was surrounded by 33 men armed with guns and rifles. 
 
The police confirmed that the rape is &quot;proven&quot; and that the number of rapists who took part in the assault is being investigated. 
 
The case, which came to light last week, deeply saddened Brazil and prompted a string of condemnations including from the suspended President Dilma Rousseff and interim head of state Michel Temer. 
 
While the investigations continue, the government announced the establishment of a new department to fight the crimes against women, which will be under the justice ministry.

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly drugged and raped by 30 men in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The incident sparked an immediate backlash on the social media with a video of the rape getting viral on Twitter and other platforms.

The Brazilian Senate has approved a bill that will increase penalties for gang rapes. At present, Brazil`s Criminal Code establishes penalties between six and 10 years in prison for rape, and up to 12 years if the sexual assault is committed by more than two people, EFE news reported. With the new law approved by the Senate on Tuesday, the penalty for gang rape would be increased up to over 13 years, although the sentence could be higher if the victim is under 14 or dies after the assault. President of the Senate Renan Calheiros said the bill is in response to the rape of a 16-year-old girl in a slum of Rio de Janeiro, a video of which was made available online. The girl told police that she was drugged, raped and when she woke up, she was surrounded by 33 men armed with guns and rifles. The police confirmed that the rape is "proven" and that the number of rapists who took part in the assault is being investigated. The case, which came to light last week, deeply saddened Brazil and prompted a string of condemnations including from the suspended President Dilma Rousseff and interim head of state Michel Temer. While the investigations continue, the government announced the establishment of a new department to fight the crimes against women, which will be under the justice ministry.

Brazilian Senate approves increased penalties for gang rape

Former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre was found guilty on Monday of raping a woman, the first conviction in several charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. 
The court`s Burkinabe president Gberdao Gustave Kam said testimony from Khadija Hassan Zidane had established &quot;non-consensual sexual relations on three occasions, and a non-consensual oral sex act,&quot; committed by Habre.

Hissene Habre, former dictator found guilty of rape

Former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre was found guilty on Monday of raping a woman, the first conviction in several charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court`s Burkinabe president Gberdao Gustave Kam said testimony from Khadija Hassan Zidane had established "non-consensual sexual relations on three occasions, and a non-consensual oral sex act," committed by Habre.

Former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre convicted of rape

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