600 Girls Reported Missing From Ashram in India
By India.com News
Rajasthan, June 17: Self-styled godman Daati Maharaj who has been accused of rape is still missing and so does nearly 600 girls from his ashram in Rajasthan’s Alawas.
As claimed by the self-styled godman earlier, there were at least 700 girls in the ashram- out of which only 100 have been found while the rest 600 are reportedly missing. With Daati Maharaj on the run and a huge number of girls missing from the ashram, police are now investigating the sudden disappearance of these girls. As per Zee News report, the police is probing the matter and considering every angle- from the girls being sent away by the ashram to them being on vacation.
The shocking incident came to light after a 25-year-old woman, a follower of the ‘baba’, leveled charges against the godman saying he and two of his other disciples had raped her. The woman who had been an ardent follower for almost a decade left the ashram once the incident took place. The woman went on to say that another female follower would force her into the Maharaj’s room and tell her it was a norm since other disciples too slept with him. She added that she was not only abused in Rajasthan but also in Delhi’s ashram. She only gathered the courage to file a report once she told her parents about the heinous crime which left her traumatized for quite a long period of time.
Meanwhile, Daati Maharaj who is absconding from his ashram had earlier said that all the accusations were completely false and charges were being leveled against him to frame him. He assured full cooperation but went missing after the incident took place. As of now, the crime branch is on the lookout for the self-styled godman. A 12-member team of the Delhi crime branch raided the ashram for nearly three hours and also retrieved documents with regard to the case.
Is there an ashram in India, or anywhere in the world, where there are no accusations of sex abuse and child sex abuse?
Court orders retrial for Russian rights activist,
child porn probe resumed
Historian Yuri Dmitriev walks inside a court building in Petrozavodsk © STRINGER / Reuters
A court in the North Russian region of Karelia has canceled the sentence for human rights activist Yuri Dmitriyev, recently acquitted of making child porn and ordered a new investigation into the case.
Dmitriyev’s lawyer, Viktor Anufriyev, broke the news to the media, adding that the court also canceled the sentence, of two and a half years under police supervision, given to his client for illegal possession of firearms parts.
“The court has canceled both the acquittal and the conviction. The case was sent for a retrial to the Petrozavodsk City Court,” the lawyer told the RBC news agency. The court also ordered that Dmitriyev must remain under travel ban for the time of the new investigation.
In a more emotional comment with the Petrozavodsk newspaper, Anufriyev also shared his suspicion that the court decision was caused by someone’s “influence.”
“My forecast that they will invent some new abomination has proved a hundred percent true. And they have lowly left it for the very last stage. I have not expected this to be performed in such a Jesuitical way,” he said.
However, in the same interview, the lawyer revealed that the decision to cancel the court rulings had been made after looking into a fresh report from a forensic psychologist which contained some “new circumstances” disclosed during a new examination of Yuri Dmitriyev’s adopted daughter.
Yuri Dmitriyev is the head of the Karelian branch of the Russian NGO Memorial, that deals mainly with the history of Stalinist purges.
Dmitriyev was initially detained in late 2016 and charged with making child pornography and corrupting his underage adopted daughter. The charges were based on the anonymous letter that claimed that between 2008 and 2015 the activist had repeatedly photographed the girl naked. The activist was then put in pre-trial custody, where he spent 13 months.
The activist, who was 60 at the time of his detention, pleaded not guilty and said that, although he did make the photos, his purpose was completely innocent – he wanted to monitor the girl’s physical condition and have proof that her health was not deteriorating in case the local family attempted to take the girl away on these grounds.
Dmitriyev also insisted that the case against him was an alleged attempt by regional officials to punish him for uncovering the history of mass executions and other totalitarian crimes committed in Karelia during Joseph Stalin’s rule.
In January this year, forensic experts from Moscow officially recognized Dmitriyev as sane, not a pedophile and said his photographs were not pornographic. He was then released from pre-trial custody and put under a travel ban.
In April, Dmitriyev was acquitted of creating child pornography, but received a minor sentence for illegal possession of firearms parts – when investigators searched his home they found an old sawn-off rifle which was described during the case as “basic firearms parts.” Illegal possession of such items is an offense in Russia and the court sentenced Dmitriyev to two and a half years under police supervision.
Karelia, Russia
Twenty year limit on prosecution of sexual offences lifted in South Africa
Victims of sexual abuse will now be able to lay charges against perpetrators even after 20 years of the crime being committed.
The Constitutional Court in session in Johannesburg
THE Constitutional Court on Thursday lifted a 20 year limit on the prosecution of sexual offences.
This landmark judgment means victims of sexual abuse will now be able to lay criminal charges against their perpetrators even after 20 years of the the crime being committed.
The ConCourt ruled that the limit is ‘inconsistent with the Constitution and invalid to the extent that it bars, in all circumstances, the right to institute a criminal prosecution for all sexual offences other than rape or compelled rape, trafficking of persons for sexual purposes and using a child or person who is mentally disabled for pornographic purposes.
The unanimous judgment has been referred to as the ‘Frankel 8’ case, in reference to a group of women who sought to lay criminal charges against now late stockbroker Sidney Frankel, who they accused of being a paedophile.
Parliament has been given 24 months to ‘cure the constitutional defect’ in the Criminal Procedure Act.
‘During the period of suspension, section 18(f) of the Criminal Procedure Act is to be read as though the words ‘and all other sexual offences whether in terms of common law or statute’ appear after the words ‘the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act‚ 2007‚ respectively’.
‘Should Parliament fail to enact remedial legislation within the period of suspension‚ the interim reading-in remedy shall become final‚’ the judgment reads.
Non-Profit Organisation Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA) says this judgment is ‘a huge victory for children and adult survivors of child sexual abuse as no one should be forced to disclose their sexual abuse within a time frame in order to open a criminal case against their abuser.
‘There are many factors why children who have been sexually abused do not disclose their abuse for many decades.
‘The law acknowledged rape survivors’ rights to come forward after 20 years, but not survivors of other sexual offences. But now this judgment has changed the landscape for other survivors,’ WMACA said.
EastEnders' Leslie Grantham involved in child sex abuse case, murder, etc.
JADE HAYDENLeslie Grantham was allegedly involved in a sexual abuse case involving a young girl, a former police officer has said.
Former police officer and investigative journalist Mark Williams Thomas said that he had been contacted by the girl following the Jimmy Savile investigation in 2012.
Writing on Twitter, he said:
"EastEnders actor Leslie Grantham (71) best known as rogue "Dirty Den” in the BBC One soap, has died. I investigated him as a result of information back in 2012 following the expose of Savile."
He also added that he had received "compelling evidence" against Grantham.
Later, Williams Thomas told The Sun that the girl alleged Grantham had sexually abused her at the age of 14 or 15 in 2009 and 2010.
He said the case never went further because the alleged victim had not wanted it to.
“I referred it to Operation Yewtree at the Met police who investigated it. They came to a collective decision, based on her wishes and not because of a lack of evidence.
“It’s difficult, does one stay quiet about this or do you speak out to try to help victims deal with these issues. I know that even in the death of offenders, many victims of child abuse still suffer in silence.
“I highly suspect there will be other victims out there.”
Williams Thomas said he knew Grantham was never arrested for the alleged attack and that he didn't know whether police ever spoke to him about it.
Grantham was involved in an online sex scandal in 2004 when images of him masturbating from his dressing room via webcam were published in a Sunday newspaper.
He also served 10 years in prison in the 1960s for the murder of a taxi driver in West Germany.
The cause of his death is not yet known.
Sussex Police detective guilty of gross misconduct over child sex abuse claims probe
Amir Razavi @AmirRazavi19A DETECTIVE has been found guilty of gross misconduct over her handling of child sexual abuse allegations.
Detective Constable Celia MacDonald, who served with Sussex Police for more than 29 years, failed to accurately record and investigate claims made by a 17-year-old girl that her stepfather inappropriately touched her and her five-year-old stepsister on April 14, 2016.
The teenager, known as female A, told MacDonald and her colleague PC Michelle Hayes the man did it to the child while changing her.
Her cousin, a 16-year-old girl known as female B, also alleged the man touched parts of her body inappropriately and “hugged her too hard” at times. The five-year-old was not present at the home visit.
MacDonald, 49, was working in the Horsham safeguarding investigations unit (SIU) at the time of the report. She allowed the investigation to be carried out by Social Services without any police input during the visit as the senior officer, though disputed her role.
A misconduct hearing panel made up of Chief Superintendent Neil Honnor, chairwoman Alice Sims and independent member Helen Elliott heard she should have recorded each allegation for each girl as a crime due to the nature of the report – something she failed to do, saying there was “no clear disclosure” made to training detective PC Hayes, who conducted the interview as her superior took notes.
The case had been in another detective’s log for the following 13 months and was passed back to MacDonald in May last year. She made the decision to close the case on May 17, 2017, again citing “no clear disclosure”.
The panel was told an experienced detective would have pursued the investigation further rather, and this was seen as a breach of professional standards as she acted without integrity.
MacDonald retired on Sunday knowing she faced a misconduct hearing, which was held in her absence at Sussex Police’s Lewes headquarters and concluded yesterday.
She did not attend the hearing due to suffering from stress, anxiety and low mood, and has been prescribed antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication.
She faced three allegations, which were:
Following the home visit, she failed to accurately record and investigate allegations of child sexual abuse.
MacDonald allowed allegations of sexual abuse to be conducted as a single agency investigation by Social Services with no police input.
Finally, she was accused of entering a false record on to an occurrence entry log on May 17, 2017, which provided an inaccurate representation of what took place on April 14, 2016.
Martin Forshaw, presenting the case for Sussex Police, identified the third allegation as a breach of professional standards by being dishonest – in a phone call with PC Hayes – and acting with a lack of integrity.
MacDonald was found guilty of all three claims against her.
The fact she acted without integrity was the panel’s reason for their finding of gross misconduct rather than just misconduct. However, the aspect of dishonesty was unproved.
Delivering the panel’s verdict, Ms Sims said: “The finding in this case is gross misconduct. Allegations one, two and three have been proved. In relation to (allegation) three, we find DC MacDonald acted without integrity in her actions in closing the case.”
MacDonald had denied gross misconduct but accepted misconduct for some allegations.
Her evidence, read to the hearing by her solicitor Adam James, said: “I have found this (the misconduct investigation) to be a traumatic experience. I was disappointed to be the subject of gross misconduct and I feel I have been treated differently to some of my colleagues.
“I co-operated fully with the interviews. This was emotionally very challenging for me. I feel I am unable to attend the misconduct hearing. I am concerned of the effect it will have on my health. I do not feel resilient enough to answer the same questions again.”
On her decision to retire, MacDonald said: “I am afraid I just cannot take it any more and I am disappointed my integrity has been called into question. My reputation that has been built over 30 years has been tarnished. I felt let down by the organisation I loyally served for 30 years.”
In her statement, MacDonald said it was a “collective failure” from the SIU, with other officers equally at fault in the investigation. She also said she does not believe her role warranted dismissal.
MacDonald said she “genuinely believed” she made an accurate recording of the sexual abuse claims made by the children. However, she did accept she failed to properly investigate the allegations.
“There was a collective failure from all involved and it was my honest held belief that I was not the officer in charge,” MacDonald said.
She said that it is “fair to point out” the fact the investigation did not appear in her computer system in the 13 months after it was reported, adding: “My honest held belief was PC Hayes would continue with the investigation.”
MacDonald said this has been a “painful experience”.
She said: “I would like to express my apologies for my failings. I have always prided myself on being a good police officer and this is not how I wanted to end my career. I have learnt a lot from this painful experience.”
The inquiry was adjourned for the panel to decide what the outcome of the disciplinary action would be. There was no case law around what can be done now as this may be the first time a retired officer has been found guilty of gross misconduct.
Sussex Co., UK
UK closes in on paedophiles who watch online as children abused
STEPHEN WRIGHT London - Eight suspected British paedophiles are being investigated over claims they watched live online broadcasts of children being horrifically abused in the Far East.
The National Crime Agency has referred the cases to police in the Philippines.
Colonel Villamor Tuliao, a senior officer in the Philippines National Police, said growing numbers of Westerners watching Filipino children being abused online was now ‘a very serious problem’.
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| Brit Timothy Ford |
But Colonel Tuliao conceded the scale of online child sexual exploitation is likely to be much higher, as the crime is often hidden on the internet and difficult to detect without the help of internet firms.
Western paedophiles are using Western Union, PayPal and even cryptocurrency Bitcoin to pay people in the Philippines to rape and sexually abuse children – with some spending as little as £15 to watch online.
The International Justice Mission, a global organisation that protects the poor from violence throughout the developing world, released to the Daily Mail a series of harrowing photographs from the Philippines of victims of online child sexual exploitation being rescued, their abusers being arrested and crime scenes.
It said it had assisted in the rescue of dozens of child abuse victims as a result of information about British paedophiles.
The pictures showed children being led away by social workers. Images were also released of the interior of properties, where the young victims were subjected to appalling ordeals, on the orders of Western paedophiles watching online. Children’s toys could be seen in some of the pictures.
Photographs of equipment such as smartphones and laptops used to transmit footage of the sex attacks were also disclosed.
The International Justice Mission said: ‘Criminals engage in online sexual exploitation because they can make easy money... and they think they won’t get caught.’
So far this year, at least 27 children have been rescued by the Philippines police from online child sex abuse directed by Western paedophiles. Last year 70 children were removed from danger while in 2016 the figure was 48.
Those rescued from abuse include a three-month-old baby. Colonel Tuliao said: ‘Based on the rescue operations we have conducted, the victims are usually given toys, bags, cell phones for their services.
‘There are two methods used by Westerners in sexually exploiting children online. One, there is a facilitator who sells the children online – they make the children perform the sexual acts in front of a camera on the web.
‘The other is they befriend the children, aged 13-17 years old, through social media. They make them friends and lure them by giving them money or other material things, and then they meet them in the Philippines and have a sexual encounter with them. Most of the facilitators of abuse are close relatives of the children who are offering them to foreigners over the web.‘They are using different platforms to stream the abuse or send images of it... Facebook Messenger, Skype, and other social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Snapchat.’
He said Facebook and Skype have a ‘social responsibility’ to stop Western paedophiles watching live streams of children being abused online.
The senior officer said the amounts paid for a child to be molested over social media – on the instructions of a Western paedophile – ‘varies from 20 US dollars (£15.05) up to 500 US dollars (£376.37) or more’.
‘It is a very serious problem in the Philippines now,’ he said. ‘We need the help of these internet companies in dealing with crimes against children – for them to raise a red flag about child abuse and explicit materials on the internet.’
Facebook said: ‘We have zero tolerance for child exploitation. It is immediately removed and reported to relevant law enforcement agencies when it is detected.’
Skype had not responded to requests for comment last night.
You Can Save A Child from Sexual Abuse While Travelling
Man arrested for alleged sexual assault of
11yo girl in Australia
By Rachael Jones
A man was arrested just after midday on Saturday. (Supplied: Ty Brennock )
Just after 9:15am on Tuesday, the 11-year-old girl was walking through Hudson Park on Terrance Street in Adamstown Heights when she was allegedly approached and threatened by a man who claimed he was armed with a knife.
The girl was allegedly sexually assaulted before being forced into a red car and driven to bushland where she was further sexually assaulted.
At about 2:00pm, the girl was released at Kotara Railway Station from which she returned home and notified police.
She was taken to John Hunter Hospital for medical examination and later released.
A crime scene was established at Hudson Park where a forensic examination of the area was carried out.
An 11-year-old school girl was allegedly snatched from Hudson Park on June 12. (ABC News: Colin Kerr)
Detectives from NSW Crime Command's Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad and Newcastle City Police District established Strike Force Bradly to investigate the incident.
Following extensive inquiries, Strike Force detectives, assisted by local police, arrested a 47-year-old man during a vehicle stop on Beaumont Street, Hamilton, just after midday on Saturday.
Commander of the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad, Detective Superintendent John Kerlatec, said police worked throughout the night to lead to the arrest.
"This is an outstanding result insomuch as the police commitment to this crime but also by the overwhelming support provided by members of the community who have provided valuable information that assisted us in making this arrest," he said.
"We've had people contact Crimestoppers, we've had people review their own CCTV, their own dashcam which helped us.
"It's been a traumatic few days, a very challenging few days."
Superintendent Brent Greentree added: "This is a crime that has sent shivers down the spine of every Novacastrian right across the Hunter and certainly across the state."
The man has been taken to Newcastle Police Station where he is expected to be charged.
N.Z. school rugby coach charged with further counts of sexual abuse, bringing total to 83
Fresh charges of sexual abuse have been levelled at an Auckland school rugby coach.
He appeared in the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday for a callover, where the court heard Taimo was facing two more charges.
That brought the total number of complainants to 18. In all, Taimo is facing 83 charges of sexual abuse.
They include committing an indecent act on a child under 12, indecency with a boy aged 12-16, and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.
If convicted on all charges Taimo would be confirmed as one of New Zealand's worst school sex offenders.
Taimo will go to trial in August.
I've caught childminders having an affair with the husband, and I've seen them abuse children - Irish private investigator
Geraldine Gittens An Irish private investigator and veteran senior detective has lifted the lid on how couples who don’t fully vet their children’s nanny or creche can end up regretting it down the line.
Liam A Brady (63), who has worked as a professional investigator for 42 years, and developed his own “nanny cam” over 35 years ago says he has seen “everything and anything” in relation to negligent and abusive nannies.
He has seen nannies perpetrate and facilitate horrific abuse of children, steal food and money from families, and drug the children with Calpol or alcohol.
And his services have also been engaged by wives who are suspicious that their husband is having an affair with the nanny or childminder.
“I have caught nannies that have other people hidden living in the house, nannies that would have been abusing and sexually abusing the children.”
“It was a desperate situation where money had been stolen in this house by what was suspected to be the cleaner. It turned out not to be the cleaner but the babyminder.”
“The babyminder was caught not only taking the money but she was caught out on several different things, like removing a lot of food from the house; and she used to feed the child with Calpol to get the child to sleep.”
More often than not, problems happen when the childminder hasn’t been fully vetted. Parents must do their own vetting beyond asking the childminder to provide proof that they’re garda vetted, Mr Brady insists. References and driver’s licences can be forged, for example, so parents must be scrupulous before they hire their childminder.
Mr Brady, who was appointed Peace Commissioner by the Department of Justice in 1991 and Commissioner for Oaths by the Supreme Court in 2016, is quick to point also out that good professional nannies do great work and can develop important caring bonds with children.
“The most serious case that we had was child abuse. The children were being videoed while being sexually abused. On several occasions we’ve come across that.”
“You then have children that are being overdosed with Calpol, which is the most common sedative for children, and the child can sleep for 8 hours then. They obviously sweat a lot while they sleep and then they’re cleaned by the time the parents come home.”
“A lot of nannies leave the children in soiled nappies until the parents ring to say they’re on way home, which parents have a habit of doing. That’s when all hell breaks loose to get everything cleaned up and tidied.”
“You have the nannies who’ve had affairs in the house with the husband. The mother is away quite a lot. The father is there, and affairs have developed. The husband and the nanny are just there on their own and it turns out that they just get romantically involved, an affair develops and that affair ends up devastating everything.”
“When they come to me they have a suspicion, a feeling that there is something wrong. That’s normal. In any case of adultery or whatever.”
“We’ve had situations where we’ve had nannies raped by the husband. We’ve had sexual abuse from women towards nannies as well, and when the nanny complains about the sexual abuse [then we install the cameras]. Or if a husband has raped the nanny, the wife will have the cameras put in the house. That’s happened several times.”
Negligent nannies who’ve been watched by Brady and his team have also been caught feeding the wrong foods to children on restrictive diets for serious illnesses.
“For diabetics, for example, the nanny would give them a lollipop or a sweet to pacify them. They’d take a lollipop out of their bag and give it to them.”
He added: “We’ve had children scalded, children killed, everything you can imagine that’s happened.”
“The types of accidents are huge. I had a case not too long ago where I put in the cameras and this girl was allowing her boyfriend to sexually abuse the little girl and film it. That’s how big a problem it is.”
65 cases of Irish children left at risk by Tusla;
165 year-old cases yet to be assessed
Seán McCárthaigh, Ellen CoyneThe Times
Fred McBride, Tusla chief executive, said none of the children identified at risk had been directly harmed - LEAH FARRELL/ROLLING NEWS
In its audit of the way the agency handles child sex abuse allegations, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) found inconsistencies in the way staff screened claims and compiled safety plans.
The watchdog also found a lack of urgency in responding to historical cases, meaning the agency was missing cases of children who were potentially at risk from adults who were alleged to have abused in the past, it said.
Hiqa acknowledged that appropriate action was taken in cases where children were at an immediate and serious risk, but found system failures in other cases.
From Irish Times
A 308-page report found there was a significant risk that deficiencies in reporting and investigating allegations of child sexual abuse “may be replicated across the wider child protection and welfare services”.
The failings, ranging from inadequate management oversight to poor record-keeping to delays in responding to referrals of child sex abuse allegations, stem from a gap between Tusla’s policies and “what is actually happening on the ground”, the watchdog said.
Tusla could not blame recurring staff shortages and a difficulty in recruiting social workers “as a default reason” for failing to deliver a safer service for children, it said in the report.
15% of year-old cases of CSA yet to be assessed
About one in seven open cases concerning child sexual abuse allegations against an adult in 2017 were still awaiting an initial assessment by Tusla, the State’s child protection agency, an investigation has found.
Some 165 - or 15 per cent - of 1,083 open child sexual abuse referrals against an adult that required an initial assessment, as of May 1st, 2017, still awaited that assessment to be carried out, Tusla reported.
Two more Pakistani Muslims charged with
Rotherham child sexual abuse
Two men have been charged as part of a wide-ranging inquiry into child sex abuse in Rotherham.
Abid Saddiq, 37, from Masbrough, and Waseem Khaliq, 33, from Sheffield, each face three counts said to have taken place between July 2000 and July 2001.
Mr Saddiq is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl, while both men have been charged with child abduction.
Both defendants are due to appear at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on 21 June.
Mr Saddiq is charged with rape, aiding and abetting indecent assault and child abduction for the purposes of sexual activity.
Mr Khaliq is charged with indecent assault, aiding and abetting rape and child abduction for the purposes of sexual activity.
They were charged as part of Operation Stovewood, the National Crime Agency's investigation into non-familial sexual abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
