Japan footballer Kaishu Sano has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman, local media reported on Wednesday. The 23-year-old defensive midfielder and two friends, also in their 20s, allegedly sexually assaulted the woman at a hotel in Tokyo on Sunday, Japan public broadcaster NHK and other media reported, citing unnamed police sources.

After responding to a call immediately after the alleged assault from the woman, reported to be in her 30s, police arrested the three near the hotel, the reports said.

Contacted by AFP, Japanese police were not immediately available for comment. Sano, who has made four appearances for Japan and was part of the squad at this year's Asian Cup in Qatar, signed for German Bundesliga club Mainz earlier this month from Kashima Antlers.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/football/lionel-messi-to-miss-two-inter-miami-matches-after-getting-injured-in-copa-america-final-741557">Lionel Messi to miss two Inter Miami matches after getting injured in Copa America final</a>

Kashima said it was "very concerned about the matter regarding its former player" in a statement. "Due to the nature of the matter, the club is unable to confirm further details but will keep a close eye on the situation," the J.League club said.

Japan's Junya Ito, who plays for French side Reims, left the Asian Cup in February after Japanese police said he was under investigation for an alleged sexual assault in Osaka last year. Ito denied the allegation and is suing his accusers for 200 million yen ($1.3 million) in damages.

Japan footballer Kaishu Sano has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman, local media reported on Wednesday. The 23-year-old defensive midfielder and two friends, also in their 20s, allegedly sexually assaulted the woman at a hotel in Tokyo on Sunday, Japan public broadcaster NHK and other media reported, citing unnamed police sources.

Japan footballer Kaishu Sano has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman, local media reported on Wednesday. The 23-year-old defensive midfielder and two friends, also in their 20s, allegedly sexually assaulted the woman at a hotel in Tokyo on Sunday, Japan public broadcaster NHK and other media reported, citing unnamed police sources. After responding to a call immediately after the alleged assault from the woman, reported to be in her 30s, police arrested the three near the hotel, the reports said. Contacted by AFP, Japanese police were not immediately available for comment. Sano, who has made four appearances for Japan and was part of the squad at this year's Asian Cup in Qatar, signed for German Bundesliga club Mainz earlier this month from Kashima Antlers. Also read: Lionel Messi to miss two Inter Miami matches after getting injured in Copa America final Kashima said it was "very concerned about the matter regarding its former player" in a statement. "Due to the nature of the matter, the club is unable to confirm further details but will keep a close eye on the situation," the J.League club said. Japan's Junya Ito, who plays for French side Reims, left the Asian Cup in February after Japanese police said he was under investigation for an alleged sexual assault in Osaka last year. Ito denied the allegation and is suing his accusers for 200 million yen ($1.3 million) in damages.

Japan's young footballer Kaishu Sano arrested for alleged sex assault, claim reports

A set designer has filed a complaint against French screen legend Gerard Depardieu for an alleged sexual assault during a 2021 film shoot, her lawyer told AFP Sunday.

Depardieu, 75, has been charged with rape in another case and has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by more than a dozen women. He denies the allegations.

The complainant's lawyer Carine Durrieu-Diebolt confirmed that she had forwarded this new complaint to the Paris public prosecutor's office on Friday, alleging sexual assault, harassment and abuse.

The Paris public prosecutor's office was unable to confirm that the complaint had been lodged, and Depardieu's lawyers did not comment.

Amelie, 53, told online newspaper Mediapart that Depardieu made several vulgar remarks on September 10, 2021 then later "brutally grabbed her" and "kneaded her waist and stomach up to her breasts".&nbsp;

The incidents were interrupted by a bodyguard on the film set of "Les volets verts" in Paris, the report said.

According to Mediapart, another woman accused Depardieu of twice touching "her breasts and buttocks" on the same set in August 2021.

Repeated allegations against Depardieu have become a culture-war front line in France, dividing the world of cinema and pitting feminist groups against the actor's defenders.

A set designer has filed a complaint against French screen legend Gerard Depardieu for an alleged sexual assault during a 2021 film shoot, her lawyer told AFP Sunday.

A set designer has filed a complaint against French screen legend Gerard Depardieu for an alleged sexual assault during a 2021 film shoot, her lawyer told AFP Sunday. Depardieu, 75, has been charged with rape in another case and has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by more than a dozen women. He denies the allegations. The complainant's lawyer Carine Durrieu-Diebolt confirmed that she had forwarded this new complaint to the Paris public prosecutor's office on Friday, alleging sexual assault, harassment and abuse. The Paris public prosecutor's office was unable to confirm that the complaint had been lodged, and Depardieu's lawyers did not comment. Amelie, 53, told online newspaper Mediapart that Depardieu made several vulgar remarks on September 10, 2021 then later "brutally grabbed her" and "kneaded her waist and stomach up to her breasts". The incidents were interrupted by a bodyguard on the film set of "Les volets verts" in Paris, the report said. According to Mediapart, another woman accused Depardieu of twice touching "her breasts and buttocks" on the same set in August 2021. Repeated allegations against Depardieu have become a culture-war front line in France, dividing the world of cinema and pitting feminist groups against the actor's defenders.

French actor Gerard Depardieu faces new sexual assault complaint from a former set designer

Around 150 protesters gathered outside a Bern stadium Saturday, trying to out-shout thousands of Rammstein fans pouring in to see their favourite band, despite a wave of sexual assault claims.

Brandishing banners with messages such as "I believe her", and "Stop the rape culture", the small crowd raised their middle fingers towards the concert venue and the far-larger gathering of black-clad fans of the German metal band.

The fans responded in kind, with a line of police officers separating them.

Some 40,000 fans were expected for the sold-out concert at Bern's Wankdorf Stadium, with another to follow on Sunday.

These are among the first concerts Rammstein have given since Berlin prosecutors this week opened an investigation against its frontman Till Lindemann following a slew of sexual assault claims.

Several women have come forward in recent weeks saying they were picked out at concerts and drugged to engage in sexual activity with Lindemann, 60, at Rammstein after-show parties.&nbsp;

The alleged assaults happened during an ongoing 35-date European stadium tour by the industrial metal band, known for grinding guitar riffs, taboo-breaking antics and theatrical stage shows heavy on pyrotechnics.

<h2>- 'Not shocked' -</h2>

The claims, which Lindemann has strenuously denied, did not dissuade the die-hard fans, decked out in black Rammstein T-shirts and many sporting tattoos of the band, flocking to the show.

"This doesn't affect us. We're not shocked at all," said Marie Rouillon, a 51-year-old Frenchwoman at the concert with her husband Arnaud.

The couple, who said they had been Rammstein fans for 15 years and have attended seven previous concerts, said they would of course be shocked if it turned out the allegations were true.

"But would that stop us from seeing them? I don't think so," Marie said.

Lara Andermatt, 20, agreed.

"Maybe it's true, maybe not, but I am here for the concert," she said, adding that she was just super excited to finally see her favourite band live for the first time.

If the allegations turn out to be true, she said, "it's not ok, but I will definitely still listen to Rammstein."

<h2>- 'Closing a chapter' -</h2>

Rachel Weyermann, a 24-year-old from Bern, meanwhile said this was her fourth Rammstein concert, but that she would not be able to continue listening to the band if there was proof the allegations were true.

"If I knew it was true, I think this would be my last concert," she said.

The scandal erupted after a young Irish woman posted on social media that she had been drugged and propositioned by Lindemann at a backstage party in Vilnius.

A wave of similar stories has since emerged through platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

One 20-year-old women who spoke with AFP before Saturday's concert, who gave her name only as Adriana, said she had been contacted ahead of the event by someone offering her a spot up front and after-show party access.

She said she had turned down that offer, but that she was eager to see the band she has worshipped for nearly a decade live for the first, and likely the last time.

"I am seeing them live today, it's like closing a chapter for me."

<h2>- 'Scandalous' -</h2>

The uproar around the allegations led to all after-show parties being cancelled at a series of Rammstein concerts in Munich last week.

It remained unclear if any after parties would be held following the two concerts in Bern this weekend.

Young Socialists Switzerland (JS), the Social Democratic Party's youth movement, and a number of feminist groups had launched a petition urging the promoters to call off the Bern gigs, which was signed by more than 7,500 people.

"We are clearly very disappointed that that didn't work," deputy-secretary Mathilde Mottet told AFP at Saturday's protest.

"You have 40,000 people coming to watch a potential rapist... It's completely scandalous."

Holding up a bullhorn, she and others led the protesters in a series of dances and chants, amid a chorus of boos from some of the fans as they began to file into the hall.

One chant repeated frequently and angrily was: "Till Verschwindemann" , translated to "Till, get lost, man". 
 
&nbsp;

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Around 150 protesters gathered outside a Bern stadium Saturday, trying to out-shout thousands of Rammstein fans pouring in to see their favourite band, despite a wave of sexual assault claims.

Around 150 protesters gathered outside a Bern stadium Saturday, trying to out-shout thousands of Rammstein fans pouring in to see their favourite band, despite a wave of sexual assault claims. Brandishing banners with messages such as "I believe her", and "Stop the rape culture", the small crowd raised their middle fingers towards the concert venue and the far-larger gathering of black-clad fans of the German metal band. The fans responded in kind, with a line of police officers separating them. Some 40,000 fans were expected for the sold-out concert at Bern's Wankdorf Stadium, with another to follow on Sunday. These are among the first concerts Rammstein have given since Berlin prosecutors this week opened an investigation against its frontman Till Lindemann following a slew of sexual assault claims. Several women have come forward in recent weeks saying they were picked out at concerts and drugged to engage in sexual activity with Lindemann, 60, at Rammstein after-show parties. The alleged assaults happened during an ongoing 35-date European stadium tour by the industrial metal band, known for grinding guitar riffs, taboo-breaking antics and theatrical stage shows heavy on pyrotechnics. - 'Not shocked' - The claims, which Lindemann has strenuously denied, did not dissuade the die-hard fans, decked out in black Rammstein T-shirts and many sporting tattoos of the band, flocking to the show. "This doesn't affect us. We're not shocked at all," said Marie Rouillon, a 51-year-old Frenchwoman at the concert with her husband Arnaud. The couple, who said they had been Rammstein fans for 15 years and have attended seven previous concerts, said they would of course be shocked if it turned out the allegations were true. "But would that stop us from seeing them? I don't think so," Marie said. Lara Andermatt, 20, agreed. "Maybe it's true, maybe not, but I am here for the concert," she said, adding that she was just super excited to finally see her favourite band live for the first time. If the allegations turn out to be true, she said, "it's not ok, but I will definitely still listen to Rammstein." - 'Closing a chapter' - Rachel Weyermann, a 24-year-old from Bern, meanwhile said this was her fourth Rammstein concert, but that she would not be able to continue listening to the band if there was proof the allegations were true. "If I knew it was true, I think this would be my last concert," she said. The scandal erupted after a young Irish woman posted on social media that she had been drugged and propositioned by Lindemann at a backstage party in Vilnius. A wave of similar stories has since emerged through platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. One 20-year-old women who spoke with AFP before Saturday's concert, who gave her name only as Adriana, said she had been contacted ahead of the event by someone offering her a spot up front and after-show party access. She said she had turned down that offer, but that she was eager to see the band she has worshipped for nearly a decade live for the first, and likely the last time. "I am seeing them live today, it's like closing a chapter for me." - 'Scandalous' - The uproar around the allegations led to all after-show parties being cancelled at a series of Rammstein concerts in Munich last week. It remained unclear if any after parties would be held following the two concerts in Bern this weekend. Young Socialists Switzerland (JS), the Social Democratic Party's youth movement, and a number of feminist groups had launched a petition urging the promoters to call off the Bern gigs, which was signed by more than 7,500 people. "We are clearly very disappointed that that didn't work," deputy-secretary Mathilde Mottet told AFP at Saturday's protest. "You have 40,000 people coming to watch a potential rapist... It's completely scandalous." Holding up a bullhorn, she and others led the protesters in a series of dances and chants, amid a chorus of boos from some of the fans as they began to file into the hall. One chant repeated frequently and angrily was: "Till Verschwindemann" , translated to "Till, get lost, man". WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Rammstein fans, sex assault protesters face off at Swiss concert

There&nbsp;was massive fury on social media after a video shared on twitter showed Iranian anti-riot police sexually assaulting a female protester as they attempted to arrest her.

The police chief's resignation and "justice" were among the demands made by the outraged social media users, who expressed their displeasure. Moreover, users who supported the government also denounced the offenders.

Iranians are still able to post stirring pictures of the protests online despite restrictions on some social media platforms.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-joe-biden-reiterates-support-for-iran-protests-525552">We stand with 'brave women of Iran,' says Joe Biden</a>

When rage over the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian Mahsa Amini in police custody flared, riots broke out last month, and steadily spread across the nation and beyond. She was beaten by morality police and died of injuries sustained in assault, claims her family. Authorities claim she died from an existing medical condition.

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دیروز بی‌بی‌سی فارسی، ویدیوهایی از تعرض نیروهای امنیتی به دختران معترض منتشر کرد که واکنش‌های گسترده‌ای با هشتگ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%B6?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#تعرض</a> برانگیخته است؛ از بغض و استیصال و نفرت و خشم تا یادآوری داعش و خرمشهر و «وعده حضور مصمم‌تر در خیابان و انتقام خشونت علیه معترضان.» 
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— BBC NEWS فارسی (@bbcpersian) <a href="https://twitter.com/bbcpersian/status/1580940568179650563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Both inside and outside of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kyiv-region-hit-by-air-strikes-after-un-condemns-annexations-524965">Iran</a>, a number of videos showing the protest have gone viral. In the most recent footage, which was captured on camera on Wednesday in Argentina Square in Tehran, officers are seen encircling a woman who is walking along a busy street.

In the video, she is taken by the neck by one of them, who then drags her into a group of roughly 20 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shooting-in-north-carolina-claims-five-lives-says-mayor-525252">policemen</a>, several of whom are riding motorbikes. Another officer comes up behind the woman and places his left hand on her bottom as she is being dragged toward one of the bikes.

Later, as more officers encircle her, the woman stoops to the ground. Behind the camera, a female voice can be heard stating, "They're ripping her hair."

As a form of protest in scenarios similar to those that have occurred in recent days across the nation, drivers in cars close to the action begin honking.&nbsp;

The woman is then seen getting up and fleeing the area while it appears she is not wearing a hijab, or headscarf.

"Look at him [the security force officer], he is laughing," the same voice from earlier in the footage is heard saying at this point.

The incident is being looked into, according to the police public relations office in Tehran, said state news agency Irna.

The police statement does not give details of what happened, but says that "enemies using psychological warfare tried to cause public anxiety and incite violence".

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There was massive fury on social media after a video shared on twitter showed Iranian anti-riot police sexually assaulting a female protester as they attempted to arrest her.

There was massive fury on social media after a video shared on twitter showed Iranian anti-riot police sexually assaulting a female protester as they attempted to arrest her. The police chief's resignation and "justice" were among the demands made by the outraged social media users, who expressed their displeasure. Moreover, users who supported the government also denounced the offenders. Iranians are still able to post stirring pictures of the protests online despite restrictions on some social media platforms. Also read | We stand with 'brave women of Iran,' says Joe Biden When rage over the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian Mahsa Amini in police custody flared, riots broke out last month, and steadily spread across the nation and beyond. She was beaten by morality police and died of injuries sustained in assault, claims her family. Authorities claim she died from an existing medical condition. دیروز بی‌بی‌سی فارسی، ویدیوهایی از تعرض نیروهای امنیتی به دختران معترض منتشر کرد که واکنش‌های گسترده‌ای با هشتگ #تعرض برانگیخته است؛ از بغض و استیصال و نفرت و خشم تا یادآوری داعش و خرمشهر و «وعده حضور مصمم‌تر در خیابان و انتقام خشونت علیه معترضان.» بیشتر:https://t.co/5XCSTSYJ0X pic.twitter.com/4Pay8TySCu — BBC NEWS فارسی (@bbcpersian) October 14, 2022 × Both inside and outside of Iran, a number of videos showing the protest have gone viral. In the most recent footage, which was captured on camera on Wednesday in Argentina Square in Tehran, officers are seen encircling a woman who is walking along a busy street. In the video, she is taken by the neck by one of them, who then drags her into a group of roughly 20 policemen, several of whom are riding motorbikes. Another officer comes up behind the woman and places his left hand on her bottom as she is being dragged toward one of the bikes. Later, as more officers encircle her, the woman stoops to the ground. Behind the camera, a female voice can be heard stating, "They're ripping her hair." As a form of protest in scenarios similar to those that have occurred in recent days across the nation, drivers in cars close to the action begin honking. The woman is then seen getting up and fleeing the area while it appears she is not wearing a hijab, or headscarf. "Look at him [the security force officer], he is laughing," the same voice from earlier in the footage is heard saying at this point. The incident is being looked into, according to the police public relations office in Tehran, said state news agency Irna. The police statement does not give details of what happened, but says that "enemies using psychological warfare tried to cause public anxiety and incite violence". WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Footage of Iran's anti-riot police sexually assaulting female protester provokes fury on social media

​The soldiers were driving back to the South Korean air force base after dinner and drinks on March 2. In the back seat, Master Sgt. Lee Ye-ram could be heard repeatedly begging her male colleague​, Master Sgt. Chang Dong-hoon, to stop sexually assaulting her.

“Can you please stop ​it,” she said, according to the conversation recorded by the car’s dashboard camera. What came after was the latest example of South Korea’s persistent struggle to rid its military of sex crimes​, even as the country tries to recruit more women amid a shortage of male conscripts.

When Lee reported that Chang kissed and groped her in the car that night, her superiors tried to bury the complaint, according to Defense Ministry investigators. The ​military did not bring formal charges against Chang until after Lee, 23, took her own life on May 21. Chang has since admitted to the assault and is facing trial.

It has become what some say is a pattern​ in South Korea​: One female​​ ​soldier after another has taken ​her own life ​in recent years after they reported being sexually assaulted in the military. Hundreds of sexual assaults are reported every year. At least four female victims have taken their own lives in the past eight years, including a ​navy ​chief petty officer who was found dead in her ​apartment in August.

The deaths have forced South Korea’s military to accept some long-delayed reforms. In August, the public uproar incited by Lee’s suicide prompted the National Assembly to revise a law stipulating that all sex crimes be investigated by the national police and tried in civilian courts as opposed to courts-martial. The move was meant to increase transparency and protect victims, but victims and their families say it is the military itself that needs to change.

“The moment a victim reports the assault, her entire unit goes to work to persuade and coerce her to bury the problem,” said Kim Jong-dae, a former lawmaker who sat on a civilian-military panel created to recommend solutions to the assaults. “The victim takes suicide as the only exit out of such a situation.” The panel recommended this week that the armed forces prepare detailed guidelines on how to protect victims of sexual violence.

So far, 15 people have been indicted in connection with Lee’s case, none of them high-ranking air force police officers or prosecutors accused of delaying the initial investigation. Her family has refused to bury her until the officials are punished, but Defense Ministry investigators have said there is not enough evidence. They wrapped up their work last week.

South Korean society has long understood the need to address widespread gender bias, but women in the armed forces are seen as particularly vulnerable. The country’s 550,000-member military is considered one of its most hierarchical, male-dominant and paternalistic institutions, and former soldiers say women are treated as playthings rather than colleagues.

The issue attracted national attention in 2013 when an army captain died by suicide after being abused by her boss. “I don’t want to die” were among her last words, said Kang Suk-min, the family’s former lawyer. After the captain’s death, her father said he hoped that South Korea would “never again have to see another female soldier die like my daughter.”

Eight years later, Lee’s father is making the same enraged appeal.

“It’s the male-dominant military culture that doesn’t treat female soldiers as colleagues that killed my daughter,” he said in an interview. “It’s the military culture that ostracizes the victim of sexual crime, not the predator, that killed my daughter.”

The day after her assault, two of Lee’s immediate bosses — an air force senior master sergeant and a warrant officer — discouraged her from taking her case to the military police, and one of the men suggested she act “as if nothing had happened,” according to the investigation. Lee eventually asked to be transferred to another unit, where she said she was treated as a troublemaker.

“I am not sure I can hold on,” she told her father in a desperate voice message on May 7.

The military has since arrested both bosses on charges of trying to coerce Lee into silence. The air force senior master sergeant died by suicide in July while in military custody. The warrant officer has denied all charges against him. Gen. Lee Seong-yong, the air force’s chief of staff, has stepped down.

More than 400 cases of sexual assault between soldiers have been reported annually from 2017 to 2020 in South Korea, according to data submitted to Kwon In-sook, a female lawmaker. Less than 40% of the accused have faced charges, and nearly 43% of those charged walked free after receiving suspended prison sentences.

Sexual assault victims and sexual minorities are often the ones who fear punishment. Gay soldiers have been indicted on a charge of sodomy, a crime under the military’s criminal code. A transgender woman who was expelled after gender-reassignment surgery died by suicide in March. (Last week, a local court ruled that her dismissal was illegal.) Yet as the military cracks down on sexual minorities, critics say, the sexual assaults continue.

“Most of the sexual violence in the military goes unreported,” said Lim Tae-hoon, head of the Center for Military Human Rights, a civic group in Seoul that has assisted victims of sexual violence. “You protest and ruin your chance for promotion or you leave the military.”

In a survey conducted by the Defense Ministry in 2019, fewer than one-third of those who said they had experienced sexual assault reported it to the authorities, mainly because they felt “nothing would happen.” The Defense Ministry has said that it was working to change military culture and adopt new policies to help fight sexual assaults, but former soldiers say male superiors are more concerned about damage control than accountability.

Much of the sexual harassment takes place off base during group dinners and drinking parties, according to investigators and former soldiers. In 2014, an army division commander stepped down after it was revealed that he had coerced female soldiers into joining drinking parties at his residence.

“They want their female subordinates to be there to act as ‘flowers,’ serving drinks,” said Bang Hye-rin, who was a Marine captain until 2017 and is now a counselor for victims of sexual assault at the Center for Military Human Rights. “Even if you feel disgusted to do so, you swallow your pride and do it because they have the power to affect your promotion.”

Women in the military are treated as “second-class, nonessential members of the armed forces” by their male colleagues and superiors, Bang said. “They don’t consider sexual harassment a serious crime, treating it like some social gaffe that can happen when men and women drink together.”

In a petition to parliament last year, an air force captain wrote bitterly about a colonel who pressured her to attend a party in 2019. She was sexually assaulted by one of his friends. “We have been promised a South Korea where women are respected and guaranteed equal opportunities and do not end their own lives out of disappointment and frustration,” she wrote. “Being summoned to a drinking party and serving as a sexual plaything is not part of serving the country as an air force captain, is it?”

Lee’s father remembered his daughter as a vivacious and caring woman. She wanted to enlist in the air force early on, joining a handful of girls who were accepted into a high school program run by the air force to train young cadets. She began her service in 2017 and thrived until the sexual assault left her dependent on sleeping pills, according to her father.

“My daughter chose to die rather than succumb to their coercion,” he said, looking at her photos in a mourning altar set up in a military hospital near Seoul. “She defended her principle through death.”

The initial internal report on Lee’s suicide identified her as a sexual assault victim and quoted her parents as saying that she was under duress from superiors demanding that she not press charges against Chang. But those findings were expunged from the report before it was delivered to the Defense Ministry two days after her death. Two air force colonels have been indicted on charges of falsifying the report to keep Lee’s suicide quiet.

It was not until May 31 — the day a local broadcaster broke the news about Lee’s death — that military prosecutors questioned Chang for the first time. In its investigation, the Defense Ministry found that Lee had ​also ​been sexually abused by two other superiors during her time in the air force.

Chang apologized to Lee’s family ​during a trial that began in August. Prosecutors have asked the court to sentence him to 15 years in prison. At a recent hearing, Lee’s father lunged toward Chang in a rage. He hurled curses and a water bottle before the soldier was whisked away by the military police.

The soldiers were driving back to the South Korean air force base after dinner and drinks on March 2. In the back seat, Master Sgt. Lee Ye-ram could be heard repeatedly begging her male colleague, Master Sgt.

The soldiers were driving back to the South Korean air force base after dinner and drinks on March 2. In the back seat, Master Sgt. Lee Ye-ram could be heard repeatedly begging her male colleague, Master Sgt. Chang Dong-hoon, to stop sexually assaulting her. “Can you please stop it,” she said, according to the conversation recorded by the car’s dashboard camera. What came after was the latest example of South Korea’s persistent struggle to rid its military of sex crimes, even as the country tries to recruit more women amid a shortage of male conscripts. When Lee reported that Chang kissed and groped her in the car that night, her superiors tried to bury the complaint, according to Defense Ministry investigators. The military did not bring formal charges against Chang until after Lee, 23, took her own life on May 21. Chang has since admitted to the assault and is facing trial. It has become what some say is a pattern in South Korea: One female soldier after another has taken her own life in recent years after they reported being sexually assaulted in the military. Hundreds of sexual assaults are reported every year. At least four female victims have taken their own lives in the past eight years, including a navy chief petty officer who was found dead in her apartment in August. The deaths have forced South Korea’s military to accept some long-delayed reforms. In August, the public uproar incited by Lee’s suicide prompted the National Assembly to revise a law stipulating that all sex crimes be investigated by the national police and tried in civilian courts as opposed to courts-martial. The move was meant to increase transparency and protect victims, but victims and their families say it is the military itself that needs to change. “The moment a victim reports the assault, her entire unit goes to work to persuade and coerce her to bury the problem,” said Kim Jong-dae, a former lawmaker who sat on a civilian-military panel created to recommend solutions to the assaults. “The victim takes suicide as the only exit out of such a situation.” The panel recommended this week that the armed forces prepare detailed guidelines on how to protect victims of sexual violence. So far, 15 people have been indicted in connection with Lee’s case, none of them high-ranking air force police officers or prosecutors accused of delaying the initial investigation. Her family has refused to bury her until the officials are punished, but Defense Ministry investigators have said there is not enough evidence. They wrapped up their work last week. South Korean society has long understood the need to address widespread gender bias, but women in the armed forces are seen as particularly vulnerable. The country’s 550,000-member military is considered one of its most hierarchical, male-dominant and paternalistic institutions, and former soldiers say women are treated as playthings rather than colleagues. The issue attracted national attention in 2013 when an army captain died by suicide after being abused by her boss. “I don’t want to die” were among her last words, said Kang Suk-min, the family’s former lawyer. After the captain’s death, her father said he hoped that South Korea would “never again have to see another female soldier die like my daughter.” Eight years later, Lee’s father is making the same enraged appeal. “It’s the male-dominant military culture that doesn’t treat female soldiers as colleagues that killed my daughter,” he said in an interview. “It’s the military culture that ostracizes the victim of sexual crime, not the predator, that killed my daughter.” The day after her assault, two of Lee’s immediate bosses — an air force senior master sergeant and a warrant officer — discouraged her from taking her case to the military police, and one of the men suggested she act “as if nothing had happened,” according to the investigation. Lee eventually asked to be transferred to another unit, where she said she was treated as a troublemaker. “I am not sure I can hold on,” she told her father in a desperate voice message on May 7. The military has since arrested both bosses on charges of trying to coerce Lee into silence. The air force senior master sergeant died by suicide in July while in military custody. The warrant officer has denied all charges against him. Gen. Lee Seong-yong, the air force’s chief of staff, has stepped down. More than 400 cases of sexual assault between soldiers have been reported annually from 2017 to 2020 in South Korea, according to data submitted to Kwon In-sook, a female lawmaker. Less than 40% of the accused have faced charges, and nearly 43% of those charged walked free after receiving suspended prison sentences. Sexual assault victims and sexual minorities are often the ones who fear punishment. Gay soldiers have been indicted on a charge of sodomy, a crime under the military’s criminal code. A transgender woman who was expelled after gender-reassignment surgery died by suicide in March. (Last week, a local court ruled that her dismissal was illegal.) Yet as the military cracks down on sexual minorities, critics say, the sexual assaults continue. “Most of the sexual violence in the military goes unreported,” said Lim Tae-hoon, head of the Center for Military Human Rights, a civic group in Seoul that has assisted victims of sexual violence. “You protest and ruin your chance for promotion or you leave the military.” In a survey conducted by the Defense Ministry in 2019, fewer than one-third of those who said they had experienced sexual assault reported it to the authorities, mainly because they felt “nothing would happen.” The Defense Ministry has said that it was working to change military culture and adopt new policies to help fight sexual assaults, but former soldiers say male superiors are more concerned about damage control than accountability. Much of the sexual harassment takes place off base during group dinners and drinking parties, according to investigators and former soldiers. In 2014, an army division commander stepped down after it was revealed that he had coerced female soldiers into joining drinking parties at his residence. “They want their female subordinates to be there to act as ‘flowers,’ serving drinks,” said Bang Hye-rin, who was a Marine captain until 2017 and is now a counselor for victims of sexual assault at the Center for Military Human Rights. “Even if you feel disgusted to do so, you swallow your pride and do it because they have the power to affect your promotion.” Women in the military are treated as “second-class, nonessential members of the armed forces” by their male colleagues and superiors, Bang said. “They don’t consider sexual harassment a serious crime, treating it like some social gaffe that can happen when men and women drink together.” In a petition to parliament last year, an air force captain wrote bitterly about a colonel who pressured her to attend a party in 2019. She was sexually assaulted by one of his friends. “We have been promised a South Korea where women are respected and guaranteed equal opportunities and do not end their own lives out of disappointment and frustration,” she wrote. “Being summoned to a drinking party and serving as a sexual plaything is not part of serving the country as an air force captain, is it?” Lee’s father remembered his daughter as a vivacious and caring woman. She wanted to enlist in the air force early on, joining a handful of girls who were accepted into a high school program run by the air force to train young cadets. She began her service in 2017 and thrived until the sexual assault left her dependent on sleeping pills, according to her father. “My daughter chose to die rather than succumb to their coercion,” he said, looking at her photos in a mourning altar set up in a military hospital near Seoul. “She defended her principle through death.” The initial internal report on Lee’s suicide identified her as a sexual assault victim and quoted her parents as saying that she was under duress from superiors demanding that she not press charges against Chang. But those findings were expunged from the report before it was delivered to the Defense Ministry two days after her death. Two air force colonels have been indicted on charges of falsifying the report to keep Lee’s suicide quiet. It was not until May 31 — the day a local broadcaster broke the news about Lee’s death — that military prosecutors questioned Chang for the first time. In its investigation, the Defense Ministry found that Lee had also been sexually abused by two other superiors during her time in the air force. Chang apologized to Lee’s family during a trial that began in August. Prosecutors have asked the court to sentence him to 15 years in prison. At a recent hearing, Lee’s father lunged toward Chang in a rage. He hurled curses and a water bottle before the soldier was whisked away by the military police.

Suicides pressure South Korea to confront sex assault within military 

A former model has accused US President Donald Trump of groping and forcibly kissing her in 1997 -- the latest allegation made against the Republican incumbent just weeks before he seeks reelection.

Amy Dorris told Britain's The Guardian that Trump sexually assaulted her in his VIP suite at the US Open tennis tournament in New York -- claims he denied via his lawyers.

"He just shoved his tongue down my throat and I was pushing him off. And then that's when his grip became tighter and his hands were very gropey and all over my butt, my breasts, my back, everything," Dorris said in an interview.

"I was in his grip, and I couldn't get out of it," she added.

Trump has faced more than a dozen allegations of sexual misconduct, including a claim by prominent American columnist E. Jean Carroll that he raped her in a department store changing room in the mid-1990s.

But he brushed them aside in his run for the White House.

Shortly before the 2016 election, a tape recording emerged from 2005 in which he was heard boasting about how his fame allowed him to "grab" women by the genitals when he wanted.

Trump dismissed this as "locker room banter" but subsequently apologized.

Dorris was 24 at the time of the alleged incidents. Trump was 51 and married at the time to his second wife, Marla Maples.

The accuser provided The Guardian with several photos showing her in Trump's company, and multiple people corroborated her account, saying she told them at the time.

She says she told Trump to stop but "he didn't care." She added: "I felt violated, obviously."

Asked why she continued to be around Trump in subsequent days, Dorris responded: "That's what happens when something traumatic happens -- you freeze."

But Trump's attorneys told the newspaper that her version of events was unreliable and there would be other witnesses if she had been assaulted.

They suggested in comments to The Guardian that the allegation could be politically motivated, coming weeks before Trump faces Joe Biden in the November 3 election.

Dorris, now 48, said she decided to come forward to be a role model for her teenage twin daughters.&nbsp;

She first told The Guardian her story more than a year ago, but asked the newspaper not to publish it.

"I'm sick of him getting away with this," Dorris said. 
&nbsp;

A former model has accused US President Donald Trump of groping and forcibly kissing her in 1997 -- the latest allegation made against the Republican incumbent just weeks before he seeks reelection.

A former model has accused US President Donald Trump of groping and forcibly kissing her in 1997 -- the latest allegation made against the Republican incumbent just weeks before he seeks reelection. Amy Dorris told Britain's The Guardian that Trump sexually assaulted her in his VIP suite at the US Open tennis tournament in New York -- claims he denied via his lawyers. "He just shoved his tongue down my throat and I was pushing him off. And then that's when his grip became tighter and his hands were very gropey and all over my butt, my breasts, my back, everything," Dorris said in an interview. "I was in his grip, and I couldn't get out of it," she added. Trump has faced more than a dozen allegations of sexual misconduct, including a claim by prominent American columnist E. Jean Carroll that he raped her in a department store changing room in the mid-1990s. But he brushed them aside in his run for the White House. Shortly before the 2016 election, a tape recording emerged from 2005 in which he was heard boasting about how his fame allowed him to "grab" women by the genitals when he wanted. Trump dismissed this as "locker room banter" but subsequently apologized. Dorris was 24 at the time of the alleged incidents. Trump was 51 and married at the time to his second wife, Marla Maples. The accuser provided The Guardian with several photos showing her in Trump's company, and multiple people corroborated her account, saying she told them at the time. She says she told Trump to stop but "he didn't care." She added: "I felt violated, obviously." Asked why she continued to be around Trump in subsequent days, Dorris responded: "That's what happens when something traumatic happens -- you freeze." But Trump's attorneys told the newspaper that her version of events was unreliable and there would be other witnesses if she had been assaulted. They suggested in comments to The Guardian that the allegation could be politically motivated, coming weeks before Trump faces Joe Biden in the November 3 election. Dorris, now 48, said she decided to come forward to be a role model for her teenage twin daughters. She first told The Guardian her story more than a year ago, but asked the newspaper not to publish it. "I'm sick of him getting away with this," Dorris said.

New sex assault allegation made against Trump

On Thursday, the onetime Hollywood heavyweight producer will be back in a New York courtroom as his star attorney Ben Brafman asks a judge to dismiss the sex assault charges against his client.

Brafman says police misconduct, specifically the work of one investigator, has "irreparably tainted" the case.

He will face off with prosecutors before Manhattan criminal court Judge James Burke for a hearing that could be a game changer for the 66-year-old&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/defense-seeks-to-toss-all-weinstein-sex-charges-175717">Weinstein</a>, who could face life in prison if convicted.

Though one charge against him has been thrown out,&nbsp;Weinstein who was arrested in May is still facing five counts over an alleged rape in March 2013 and a forced act of oral sex in 2006.

The disgraced movie mogul has been accused by more than 80 women of sexual misconduct. He insists that all of his sexual liaisons were consensual and is free on $1 million bails.

But the scandal upended his career and&nbsp;Weinstein&nbsp;became the poster boy for a cascade of abuse accusations against powerful men in Hollywood, the media and other industries.

His arrest and arraignments have led #MeToo campaigners to hope that the twice-married father of five will be put on trial, convicted and sent to prison.

But Brafman, one of America's most celebrated defence attorneys, has made several dents in the prosecution's case, including getting one count of a forced act of oral sex in 2004 &nbsp;lodged by former actress Lucia Evans thrown out in October.

Avalanche of mistakes

Prosecutors opted not to pursue the charge after it emerged that one detective who worked on the investigation had failed to disclose witness testimony that contradicted Evans's account.

A friend of Evans said she had heard her say that she had willingly engaged in oral sex with&nbsp;Weinstein&nbsp;to secure a movie role.

Brafman said the detective in question, Nicholas DiGaudio, made other mistakes.

He apparently told another accuser, Mimi Haleyi, who says&nbsp;Weinstein&nbsp;forced her into oral sex in 2006, to delete text messages that could be potentially embarrassing for her, despite prosecutors' advice not to do so.

Prosecutors also apparently failed to disclose to the defence affectionate text messages Haleyi sent to&nbsp;Weinstein&nbsp;after the alleged assault, which would have introduced a notion of doubt about the forced nature of the encounter.

Prosecutors nevertheless want the case to continue and reject Brafman's motion that the process is beyond repair.&nbsp;

They say everything in Haley's mobile phone was turned over to investigators, and that the detective's conduct only affected Evans' case. DiGaudio has since been removed from the case.

As for emails, prosecutors say they are not obliged to share any of those with the defence at this stage of the proceedings.

'Psychological coercion'

Nevertheless, since October, many experts speculate that the case against&nbsp;Weinstein&nbsp;has suffered a serious blow

Some even suggest that prosecutors will eventually cave, as they did in dismissing sex assault charges brought against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn also defended by Brafman&nbsp;in 2011.

Barbara Barron, a professor at Hofstra University School of Law, says the detective's conduct created a "surprise" in the&nbsp;Weinstein&nbsp;case.

"The issue to me is how much taint... how much the police officer's actions influence the other charges," Barron told AFP. "I don't know what the judge will consider."

For Bennett Gershman, a former prosecutor who teaches law at Pace University, prosecutors threw out the charge related to Evans precisely to avoid contaminating the rest of the case.

"I know Brafman is going to argue to dismiss the whole indictment. He is going to lose that without any doubt," Gershman said

He added that he still believes prosecutors have a solid case with the two remaining accusers, no matter what they said to&nbsp;Weinstein&nbsp;after the alleged assaults.

"These women saying nice things to&nbsp;Weinstein would that surprise anybody? You have a hugely powerful man who literally controlled their reputation and their careers," Gershman said.

If the case is not thrown out, Brafman will likely argue for all other&nbsp;Weinstein&nbsp;accusers to be barred from testifying.

In the case against veteran television star Bill Cosby, the depositions of five women who did not bring complaints against him were admitted into evidence for his second trial.&nbsp;

Cosby was convicted and sentenced to at least three years in prison in the first court win for the #MeToo movement.

If the judge decides to allow the case to continue, he could set a trial date on Thursday.

If that happens, Gershman says the jury will have to decide: "Did they consent or did they consent involuntarily?"

"If these women testify strongly on the witness stand,&nbsp;Weinstein&nbsp;will lose," he predicted.

On Thursday, the onetime Hollywood heavyweight producer will be back in a New York courtroom as his star attorney Ben Brafman asks a judge to dismiss the sex assault charges against his client.

On Thursday, the onetime Hollywood heavyweight producer will be back in a New York courtroom as his star attorney Ben Brafman asks a judge to dismiss the sex assault charges against his client. Brafman says police misconduct, specifically the work of one investigator, has "irreparably tainted" the case. He will face off with prosecutors before Manhattan criminal court Judge James Burke for a hearing that could be a game changer for the 66-year-old Weinstein, who could face life in prison if convicted. Though one charge against him has been thrown out, Weinstein who was arrested in May is still facing five counts over an alleged rape in March 2013 and a forced act of oral sex in 2006. The disgraced movie mogul has been accused by more than 80 women of sexual misconduct. He insists that all of his sexual liaisons were consensual and is free on $1 million bails. But the scandal upended his career and Weinstein became the poster boy for a cascade of abuse accusations against powerful men in Hollywood, the media and other industries. His arrest and arraignments have led #MeToo campaigners to hope that the twice-married father of five will be put on trial, convicted and sent to prison. But Brafman, one of America's most celebrated defence attorneys, has made several dents in the prosecution's case, including getting one count of a forced act of oral sex in 2004 lodged by former actress Lucia Evans thrown out in October. Avalanche of mistakes Prosecutors opted not to pursue the charge after it emerged that one detective who worked on the investigation had failed to disclose witness testimony that contradicted Evans's account. A friend of Evans said she had heard her say that she had willingly engaged in oral sex with Weinstein to secure a movie role. Brafman said the detective in question, Nicholas DiGaudio, made other mistakes. He apparently told another accuser, Mimi Haleyi, who says Weinstein forced her into oral sex in 2006, to delete text messages that could be potentially embarrassing for her, despite prosecutors' advice not to do so. Prosecutors also apparently failed to disclose to the defence affectionate text messages Haleyi sent to Weinstein after the alleged assault, which would have introduced a notion of doubt about the forced nature of the encounter. Prosecutors nevertheless want the case to continue and reject Brafman's motion that the process is beyond repair. They say everything in Haley's mobile phone was turned over to investigators, and that the detective's conduct only affected Evans' case. DiGaudio has since been removed from the case. As for emails, prosecutors say they are not obliged to share any of those with the defence at this stage of the proceedings. 'Psychological coercion' Nevertheless, since October, many experts speculate that the case against Weinstein has suffered a serious blow Some even suggest that prosecutors will eventually cave, as they did in dismissing sex assault charges brought against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn also defended by Brafman in 2011. Barbara Barron, a professor at Hofstra University School of Law, says the detective's conduct created a "surprise" in the Weinstein case. "The issue to me is how much taint... how much the police officer's actions influence the other charges," Barron told AFP. "I don't know what the judge will consider." For Bennett Gershman, a former prosecutor who teaches law at Pace University, prosecutors threw out the charge related to Evans precisely to avoid contaminating the rest of the case. "I know Brafman is going to argue to dismiss the whole indictment. He is going to lose that without any doubt," Gershman said He added that he still believes prosecutors have a solid case with the two remaining accusers, no matter what they said to Weinstein after the alleged assaults. "These women saying nice things to Weinstein would that surprise anybody? You have a hugely powerful man who literally controlled their reputation and their careers," Gershman said. If the case is not thrown out, Brafman will likely argue for all other Weinstein accusers to be barred from testifying. In the case against veteran television star Bill Cosby, the depositions of five women who did not bring complaints against him were admitted into evidence for his second trial. Cosby was convicted and sentenced to at least three years in prison in the first court win for the #MeToo movement. If the judge decides to allow the case to continue, he could set a trial date on Thursday. If that happens, Gershman says the jury will have to decide: "Did they consent or did they consent involuntarily?" "If these women testify strongly on the witness stand, Weinstein will lose," he predicted.

Weinstein back in court seeking dismissal of sex assault case

Former Taliban hostage Joshua Boyle, who is facing criminal charges in Canada related to incidents after his release from captivity, was granted bail by an Ontario court on Friday, local media reported.

Boyle, 34, was arrested by Canadian police in December 2017, two months after he was freed, along with his American wife and their three children, and returned to Canada.

The specifics of the accusations against Boyle have not been made public, though he faces 19 charges including assault, sexual assault, forcible confinement and uttering death threats.

The court has imposed a publication ban that prevents media from reporting on the bail proceedings or information that could identify any victims or witnesses.

Boyle and his wife, Caitlan Coleman, were kidnapped in October 2012 while backpacking in Afghanistan. They spent five years in captivity, during which their three children were born.

Boyle said a fourth child had been murdered and his spouse raped after their capture by the Taliban-allied Haqqani network. The Taliban denied the accusations of rape and murder.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC) reported from the Ottawa court on Friday that Boyle would be released on several conditions including that he stayed in his parents' home under house arrest and was monitored by GPS ankle bracelet. He must also surrender his passport, the CBC reported.

Joshua Boyle, 34, was arrested by Canadian police in December 2017, two months after he was freed, along with his American wife and their three children, and returned to Canada

Former Taliban hostage Joshua Boyle, who is facing criminal charges in Canada related to incidents after his release from captivity, was granted bail by an Ontario court on Friday, local media reported. Boyle, 34, was arrested by Canadian police in December 2017, two months after he was freed, along with his American wife and their three children, and returned to Canada. The specifics of the accusations against Boyle have not been made public, though he faces 19 charges including assault, sexual assault, forcible confinement and uttering death threats. The court has imposed a publication ban that prevents media from reporting on the bail proceedings or information that could identify any victims or witnesses. Boyle and his wife, Caitlan Coleman, were kidnapped in October 2012 while backpacking in Afghanistan. They spent five years in captivity, during which their three children were born. Boyle said a fourth child had been murdered and his spouse raped after their capture by the Taliban-allied Haqqani network. The Taliban denied the accusations of rape and murder. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC) reported from the Ottawa court on Friday that Boyle would be released on several conditions including that he stayed in his parents' home under house arrest and was monitored by GPS ankle bracelet. He must also surrender his passport, the CBC reported.

Former Taliban hostage facing criminal charges in Canada granted bail: Report

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