Abuse victims become abusers

ABUJA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria is recording an increasing trend of drug abuse, especially in areas of conflict and in post-conflict settings, such as among the internally displaced persons and in refugee camps, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said on Monday. This trend has become a "special concern" to the Nigerian authorities, Osinbajo said at an event organized in commemoration of the 2022 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking in Abuja, the Nigerian capital. "As we are in the throes of civil conflict and terrorism, resulting in the displacement of large numbers of our population, the problem is a hydra head," Osinbajo said, noting the prevalence of drug abuse in Nigeria called for attention. He called on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other stakeholders to step up efforts toward breaking illicit drug supply and distribution chains while also commending the agency for an impressive number of drug users it had counseled and … [Read more...] about Nigeria records increasing trend of drug abuse: vice president

A female university student reports being raped or sexually assaulted every 12 hours, new figures suggest. A Sunday People survey found there had been 2,000 abuse claims in three years – almost two a day. In the vast majority of cases, male students are the prime suspects. Our research revealed that some male students avoided being kicked out after taking part in a ­consent training course or signing a good conduct agreement. And some universities stopped victims from speaking out by making them sign non-disclosure papers. Higher Education Minister Michelle Donelan told how she is pushing for tough new measures that could see universities fined up to £500,000 and even risk losing their degree-awarding powers for failing to properly tackle sexual misconduct. She said: “Sexual assault is an abhorrent crime and I am on a mission to stamp it out on university campuses. “This Government is the first to tackle the use of non-disclosure agreements by universities to silence … [Read more...] about University sex attacks reported ‘every 12 hours’ with 2,000 abuse claims in 3 years

Ghislaine Maxwell , the jet-setting socialite who once consorted with royals, presidents and billionaires, is set to be sentenced Tuesday for helping the wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls. The 11 a.m. sentencing in New York is the culmination of a prosecution that detailed how the power couple flaunted their riches and prominent connections to lure vulnerable girls as young as 14, and then exploit them. Prosecutors said Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial, sexually abused children hundreds of times over more than a decade, and couldn’t have done so without the help of Maxwell, his longtime companion and onetime girlfriend. “Maxwell’s conduct was shockingly predatory. She was a calculating, sophisticated, and dangerous criminal who preyed on vulnerable young girls and groomed them for sexual abuse,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing. In December, a jury convicted Maxwell of sex trafficking, transporting a minor to … [Read more...] about Ghislaine Maxwell to be sentenced in Epstein sex abuse case

The dad of a Rotherham survivor says it’s “atrocious” that no police have been arrested over the scandal - yet he was held by officers twice. John, not his real name, told The Mirror how he was ‘arrested’ by police for breaching the peace as he tried to rescue his daughter. He said he admits ‘kicking off’ more than a decade ago but explains he was outside a flat where his daughter was being abused by a paedophile gang. John, who has suffered a stroke and a heart attack, was diagnosed with secondary PTSD, which has been blamed on the trauma his family has endured. To add to the stress they have also received death threats and in one incident a fake gravestone was dumped in front of his bungalow with his name on it. The dad of a Rotherham survivor says it’s “atrocious” that no police have been arrested over the scandal (file photo) ( Image: Sunday Mirror) Reacting to the IOPC report, he agrees with his daughter and said: “These reports are a complete and utter waste … [Read more...] about Dad of Rotherham survivor hits out at ‘sickening and atrocious lack of justice’

A top Nigerian politician and his wife have been identified as the couple charged with a child organ harvesting plot in the UK. District senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, and Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, both Nigerian nationals, will appear at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Thursday. The pair were charged with conspiracy to transport a child into the UK in order to harvest organs and remanded in custody. Police confirmed that the child, whose age and identity remains unknown, has been safeguarded and taken into care. Mr Ekweremadu, a lawyer and politician, served three terms as deputy president of the senate in Nigeria from 2007 to 2019. He is a member of the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) and has been a senator since the year 2003. Ike and Beatrice Ekweremadu Organ harvesting involves removing parts of the body, often for commercial gain and against the will of the victim. An investigation was launched after detectives discovered potential offences under … [Read more...] about Nigerian politician and wife charged with plotting to harvest child organs in UK

A damning new report has revealed how a 12-year-old girl was repeatedly raped by different men, hours after police ignored her pleas for help. The girl, who was identified only as Sophie, was abused after “significant opportunities” were missed to protect her when the incident occurred back in 2006. After the youngster was molested in a churchyard, she went to Oldham Police Station, in Manchester, hoping officers would bring her attackers to justice. Instead, her cry for help was ignored and she was turned away for being “drunk” and a time-waster. In a devastating twist, the girl was picked up outside the police station by two more vile sexual predators, who raped her in their vehicle before taking her to a house - where she was the victim of several more incidents of assault. Shakil Chowdhury, who was jailed for six years back in 2007 for six counts of rape ( Image: PA) The refusal of help sparked a devastating chain of events in which she suffered more … [Read more...] about Girl, 12, repeatedly raped after police ignored her pleas as report exposes failings

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri on Monday condemned the arrest of social activist Teesta Setalvad and former Gujarat Director-General of Police R.B. Sreekumar by the Gujarat police after the Supreme Court upheld the clean chit given to Narendra Modi, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, in the 2002 riots case. Mr. Alagiri said the Supreme Court had a duty to protect those fighting for justice. “It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court has called for action to be taken against Teesta Setalvad and others who were fighting against the ruling party, and is protecting people in the ruling party,” Mr. Alagiri said. Mr. Alagiri wondered how social activists and human rights organisations could function if the courts supported what he called the “vindictive action” against those standing up for justice. “The country is moving towards autocracy. It signals the beginning of the end of those in power,” Mr. Alagiri claimed. People’s Union for Civil Liberties, civil … [Read more...] about Alagiri condemns arrest of Teesta Setalvad

With Roe v. Wade overturned , exceptions to abortion bans — such as in the case of rape or incest, or for a pregnant person’s safety — are expected to be the only avenue to getting abortions in many states. But meeting the qualifications for those asterisks to the bans can be complex and traumatizing, experts say. For starters, exceptions for rape and incest are uncommon. The Guttmacher Institute , a research organization that supports reproductive rights, anticipates 26 states certain or likely to ban abortion now that there are no federal protections. Among those 26 states, there are about 41 abortion bans total, with some states having more than one ban, it said. Just 10 of the 41 bans have exceptions for rape and incest. In the states that do have rape and incest exceptions, requirements vary. Many, such as Utah, require victims of sexual assault to file a police report. Given that more than 2 out of 3 sexual assaults go unreported, according to the Rape, Abuse … [Read more...] about Post-Roe, exceptions to state abortion bans won’t be easy to acquire