Perverted Lives of the Rich and Famous > Gucci Granddaughter Outs the Family; The IOC's Indifference to Athletes; Real Madrid, France Star; Epstein

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Gucci granddaughter: Child sexual abuse can happen to anyone.

I am living proof of it.

No one wants to admit when sexual abuse happens within their family.

For the sake of victims, we must bravely speak out and hold abusers accountable.

Alexandra Zarini, Opinion contributor

Alexandra Zarini is an heiress of the Gucci family and granddaughter of Aldo Gucci. She is the Founder of Gucci Children’s Foundation.

The name Gucci conjures a picture in the mind. Jet-setters, celebrities, artists and models living their best lives. The projection of wealth, status and success. All derived from the perceived life experience of the brand’s original creators, the Gucci family.

The movie “House of Gucci” depicts the family as glamorous Italian socialites living fantasy lifestyles beyond the comprehension of most mortals. But it only scratches the surface. There’s another dark side to the family the movie doesn’t cover. I know, because I’m living it.

I am the granddaughter of Aldo Gucci, the family patriarch portrayed by Al Pacino. For 15 years, my sister and I were sexually abused by our stepfather, Joseph Ruffalo.

My mother enabled my abuser 

For me, it started when I was six and continued until I was 22. To protect the family name, I am convinced my mother, Patricia Gucci, colluded with him to conceal it. Unsurprisingly, Ruffalo has denied the abuse ever occurred and my mother and grandmother deny having known about it. I believe Ruffalo has tried to stop me from speaking my truth by pressuring my mother and grandmother, in hopes that I will drop a pending lawsuit against him and my family. 

“If this suit moves forward, and it will if something is not done to stop it, damage will extend, beyond the obvious, and issues could arise that would seriously affect your entire estate,” Ruffalo wrote in a 2020 email to my mother and grandmother. “There is a tax issue you may feel free from, but it is definitely not the case.” 

Alexandra Zarini in Los Angeles, Calif., in August, 2020.

I always suspected Ruffalo was holding something over my mother in exchange for her silence. Her father, Aldo Gucci, went to prison for tax evasion. It has become clear to me that her fear of facing the same fate may have guided her decision to stay quiet.

I will not be silenced. I will not live another day in shame. I will not live in fear because of what my stepfather did to me. I will no longer be controlled by my family. And I will no longer worry about the reputations that will suffer by exposing the facts about my abuse.

I am also not alone. Far too many families conceal or ignore child sex abuse. Darkness to Light estimates that 1-in-10 children will be sexually abused before his or her 18th birthday. 

That's an under-estimate as D2L does not include peer-on-peer child sexual abuse stats. The real rate is close to twice that.

And 91% of child sexual abuse is conducted by someone known either to the child or the child’s family. It exists in every community in every state across America – and in every country around the world. No one wants to admit it when it happens within their family. Yet that’s precisely when families must step forward, and speak out. 

When we pretend it doesn’t happen, or worse, seek to cover it up, we give abusers exactly what they want – license to do it again. Violence against children, in all its forms, must be confronted and their abusers held accountable, regardless of how difficult or painful the experience may be, to protect those who cannot protect themselves. 

Coming together to fight sexual abuse

There’s reason to be hopeful. Thursday marks the first-ever World Day for Prevention, Healing and Justice to End Sexual Violence Against Children and Adolescents. It’s the work of the Keep Kids Safe Movement, led by nine child safety organizations committed to the cause. This is a moment that cannot be lost in the fight to rid the world of this plague. 

The stigma of child sexual abuse must end. It will take all of us – parents, teachers, bystanders – to recognize the warning signs, and take action when we see or hear something that troubles us. It starts with a willingness to have an open and honest conversation about the topic. If we stay quiet, abusers win. We must make the protection of children a priority and break the silence. There’s hope for all survivors of child sexual abuse. I am living proof of it.

Alexandra Zarini is the founder of the Gucci Children’s Foundation, an advocacy group committed to ending child sexual abuse.

God bless and protect you Alexandra.

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IOC has ‘abhorrent indifference’ towards sexual violence

& female stars, claims athlete group

22 Nov, 2021 11:39

Olympic bosses have been criticized for their approach towards the Peng Shuai scandal

© Toby Melville / Reuters

An athletes' group has accused Olympic bosses of pretending that Peng Shuai never made sexual assault allegations against China's former vice premier, drawing parallels between the scandal and the execution of a wrestler in Iran.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach claimed Peng was "doing fine" during a 30-minute video chat on Sunday, although no mention was made of the troubling sexual assault allegations she made against former Chinese Communist Party top dog Zhang Gaoli.

In a lengthy social media post that was removed within 30 minutes before she appeared to disappear from public view for three weeks, former doubles champion Peng accused Zhang of attempting to force her to have sex with him as part of a long abusive relationship which also involved his wife.

A succession of photos and videos showing Peng were released via Chinese state-affiliated media over the weekend, leaving skeptics as unconvinced as they were by an initial purported statement from her that was widely regarded not to have been written by the 35-year-old.

"We are relieved that Peng Shuai is alive but the IOC’s confirmation of a call with the tennis star does not ensure her safety or wellbeing," responded the campaigning Global Athlete group in a statement.

"The IOC’s press release is a harmful attempt to appease both concerned athletes and the Chinese authorities.

"The IOC showed a complete disregard for allegations of sexual violence and abuse against athletes.

"By taking a nonchalant approach to Peng Shuai’s disappearance and by refusing to mention her serious allegations of sexual assault, IOC President Thomas Bach and the IOC Athletes’ Commission demonstrate an abhorrent indifference to sexual violence and the well-being of female athletes.

"The release pretends that Peng never made sexual assault allegations and has not been missing for more than two weeks.

"The statements make the IOC complicit in the Chinese authority’s malicious propaganda and lack of care for basic human rights and justice.

"Bach extended an invitation to Peng for dinner rather than ensuring her safety, and by doing so he made a mockery of a deadly serious situation that is regrettably all too familiar for many female athletes."

The group is calling on the IOC to "immediately" suspend the Chinese Olympic Committee until Peng is given "safe passage out of China" alongside a full investigation into the allegations.

In an earlier statement, the group likened the scandal to the execution of wrestler Navid Afkari in Iran in 2020 after he was convicted of murdering a security guard during the 2018 Iranian protests.

"The IOC tried 'quiet diplomacy' in Iran and failed," it claimed. "The result was the execution of [Afkari].

"China is using Peng’s sport popularity to silence athletes and the people of China. Retribution towards athletes for using their voice must never be tolerated.

"As China prepares to host the Olympic Games, every athlete is watching to see what action the IOC will take to protect athletes and their fundamental human rights."

Women's Tennis Association chief Steve Simon reiterated over the weekend that his organization's relationship with China is "at a crossroads" over the saga.

World number one Novak Djokovic has backed the potential withdrawal of events from China if Peng's safety is not conclusively demonstrated.

"The IOC’s actions today again demonstrate that the organization fails athletes, aligns with abusive authoritarian regimes, and disregards human rights," added Global Athlete, emphatically condemning Olympic chiefs ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing next February.

"Athletes and the international political community must hold the IOC accountable for their actions."

Of course, the IOC is predominantly a political organization. They deal with heads of state and enormous amounts of money. In that context, the safety and well-being of Olympic athletes are relatively insignificant to them.

Real Madrid star Benzema guilty in sex tape blackmail case

24 Nov, 2021 09:21

Karim Benzema has been convicted in a case involving a former teammate. © Reuters

Real Madrid and France star Karim Benzema has been found guilty of conspiring to blackmail former teammate Mathieu Valbuena in a sex tape scandal, receiving a one-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of €75,000.

The verdict at the Court of Versailles ends a saga stretching back over six years for the striker. 

Continually claiming his innocence through his lawyers, the 33-year-old missed France's run to the Euros final on home soil in 2016 and their 2018 World Cup win in Russia as a consequence of the scandal.

Through his legal representative, Benzema told reporters that he intends to appeal against the verdict for "complicity" in the plot.

The case began when another defendant, Axel Angot, discovered a sexually explicit video on Valbuena's phone once the winger asked him to transfer its content to a new mobile device. 

Mustapha Zouaoui, another defendant, tried to use this as an excuse to extort money from Valbuena, who was playing for Benzema's boyhood club Lyon at the time and France. 

Another two defendants involved were Youness Houass and Karim Zenati – a childhood friend of Benzema's who prosecutors say recruited the Ballon d'Or hopeful as a "middleman."

Valbuena contacted police about the threats, which triggered a sting operation.

And then in October 2015, Benzema chatted to Valbuena with regards to the tape when the pair were at a France training camp together. 

Denying any wrongdoing, Benzema has insisted he was merely attempting to resolve the situation and warn his colleague to "be careful" while describing the men blackmailing him as "serious criminals".

Yet police and prosecutors saw this differently and interpreted the events as Benzema offering assistance and abetting the blackmail plot.

In the fallout from the scandal, Benzema and Valbuena were immediately cut from the Les Bleus fold by coach Didier Deschamps and took no part in either Euro 2016 or the 2018 World Cup.

On the eve of Euro 2020, however, Benzema received a shock return call=up, and it has already been said by French FA president Noel Le Graet even before the verdict that he will not be excluded from plans for Qatar 2022.

While Benzema has scored nine goals in his last 11 outings for France, Valbuena, who now plays for Olympiacos in Greece, has not been used by Deschamps since 2015.

Good for almost a goal a game, it appears France is willing to overlook his character.

Football icon Ronaldinho faces threat of new arrest

24 Nov, 2021 03:34

Former Brazil star Ronaldinho © Christian Hartmann / Reuters

Barcelona and Brazil legend Ronaldinho could be arrested again after reports from his homeland claimed he has until December 1 to straighten out alimony payments to his ex-fiancee.

The 2002 World Cup winner was given the warning earlier this month after dozen of fruitless attempts by bailiffs in Rio de Janeiro to find him, according to a report.

If Ronaldinho does not pay former partner Priscilla Coelho, who he was reported as living with in 2018 alongside another lover, Beatriz Sousa, he may have his assets frozen and be arrested, Globo has said.

Coelho's lawyer, Bruno Medrado, is quoted as saying that the 41-year-old ex-striker has no right to appeal because the provisional alimony payments of 100,000 Brazilian reais ($17,700) per month were already agreed, with Ronaldinho beginning to pay them.

That is said to have come after what was considered a common-law marriage between the pair, who purportedly lived together following their break-up in 2019 after a six-year relationship.

"If he wants to reverse this decision, he has to go through the main proceedings, which are what granted this provisional alimony. Now it's either pay or pay," Medrado added.

Ronaldinho's whereabouts are said to have been unknown until employees at the apartment building where he lives, in Rio's upscale Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood, told bailiffs. 

He is believed to be in Qatar on business, with the developments potentially marking a fresh set of legal issues for the 2005 Ballon d'Or recipient.

In March 2020, shortly before the start of the pandemic, Ronaldinho was accused of using a fake passport to enter Paraguay from Brazil with his brother and agent Roberto de Assis, and faced five years behind bars in total.

Reportedly competing in a futsal tournament where the victor won a suckling pig, Ronaldinho turned 40 in Paraguayan detention but was released on August 25 after a judge agreed to a $90,000 plea deal from the Brazilian.

Ronaldinho had reportedly been set to take a behind the scenes role at Barca before his imprisonment.

Although that prospect has not been discussed under the reign of new club president Joan Laporta, Ronaldinho was reported by El Pais as having earned more than five million reais (almost $900,000) since leaving prison. 

Amid trips to Europe including a visit to former teammate Lionel Messi in Paris in October, he appears to have fallen behind on his financial commitments to Coelho. 

A film with Ronaldinho as its focus is set to be released this year. "A difficult stage is coming to an end, thank God," he wrote when its trailer was released.

"I have no words to thank you for all the care and support that I have received in recent months."

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New documents shed light on Jeffrey Epstein’s time in jail

24 Nov, 2021 15:11

Jeffrey Epstein © New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services / Handout via REUTERS

Convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein denied having suicidal thoughts before apparently hanging himself, though prison staff had observed signs of worrying behavior, according to newly released prison documents.

Epstein, who committed suicide by hanging in prison two years ago, denied being suicidal. The recent documents from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), obtained by The New York Times and CNN, construct a detailed timeline of the lead up to Epstein’s death. Risk factors for suicide ‘specific to sex offenders’ as well more general risk factors were likely present, documents show.

Epstein was described by a facilities assistant as “distraught, sad, and a little confused” when he arrived at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in July 2019. He was seen as “dazed and withdrawn,” despite claiming he felt fine and denying suicidal thoughts in a routine intake screening.

On July 8, he was put on psychological observation – not as restrictive as suicide watch – due to certain risk factors. A psychologist then assessed he should remain under observation “out of an abundance of caution” but the observation ended the next day for unclear reasons. Two weeks later, following another risk assessment, he was placed on suicide watch for one day, before being put back on psychological observation.

Epstein was also experiencing trouble sleeping and finding it challenging to adjust to the changes in his environment. He was also concerned for his safety and complained about noise in the facilities, reports say. He described himself on two occasions as a “coward” who can't handle pain. The day before his death, new details of alleged abuse emerged and he was likely realizing he faced spending his life in prison, which were likely contributing factors to his suicide, documents say.

However, Epstein, I believe, still have many cards to play considering the number of very high-profile clients with whom he was associated. I seriously doubt he would have given up hope that quickly.

BOP staff also made repetitive procedural errors prior to Epstein’s death, with regards to provisions and receipt of basic services. On several occasions it was unclear if Epstein had been given dinner, took a shower or had recreation time. Logbooks also showed a surprising lack of detail about some basic facts. For instance, the day before his death he told prison staff he was calling his mother, who has been dead since 2004. Someone filling out a form had also listed him as a “black male” with “No Sexual Offense Convictions.”

There needs to be a serious inquiry into the complete failure of BOP to protect Epstein either from himself or from others. The absurdly negligent care he received, for such a high-profile prisoner, is unexplainable. Supervisors must be held responsible for this. Everyone knew his life was in great danger, except, it seems, anyone in BOP.

The newly released documents come six days before the start of Epstein-associate Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial over criminal sex trafficking charges. Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to all charges against her.

Holy Man; Slaves; Coach; Footballers; Lead Today's Long Global Pervs and Pedos List

British judge gives 'classic psychopath' rapist

33 life sentences

By Don Jacobson

(UPI) -- Serial British rapist Joseph McCann was sentenced Monday to 33 life sentences for a two-week run of sex crimes and abductions earlier this year that targeted 11 victims, including a young boy.

McCann, who embarked on the crime spree in April after he was mistakenly released from prison, received the sentence three days after he was convicted on 37 criminal charges at London's Old Bailey Court. He was found guilty Friday on multiple counts of rape, sexual assault, kidnapping and false imprisonment.

McCann's 11 victims ranged from an 11-year-old boy and his teenage sister to a 71-year-old woman.

At Monday's hearing, Judge Andrew Edis called McCann "a coward, a violent bully and a pedophile" who'd carried out a campaign of rape, violence and abduction on a level he'd never seen or heard of before.

"You have never expressed a word of regret or concern for your victims," he said. "You are entirely obsessed with yourself and believe you are entitled to use other people in any way you want. You think that other people exist only for your pleasure. You are a classic psychopath."

McCann refused to attend the trial or address the victims.

The life sentences are to be served concurrently with a minimum term of 30 years in jail. McCann was also sentenced to three 10-year sentences and a 14-year sentence, all to be served concurrently with the life terms.

I don't understand the concurrent sentences. It sounds like 33 life sentences and a few other assorted sentences should keep this animal incarcerated for the rest of his life. This is as it should be, a psychopath with no sense of guilt, shame, or compassion for his victims should never be allowed to walk the streets freely ever again. And while this unfortunate report doesn't give us McCann's age, he appears to me to be in his late 30s. After 30 years in prison he will still, most likely, be a danger to every girl, boy or woman who has the misfortune of encountering him.

Judge Edin rightly calls for an investigation into the errant release of McCann for failing to protect his victims, and yet, here he has a chance to protect victims 30 years from now and, instead, he runs all his charges concurrently. It makes no sense to me.

Edis also called for an independent investigation into how the British penal system "failed to protect" McCann's victims by releasing him from prison, where he was serving time on a burglary charge. He was freed in February despite being under a special sentencing protocol that expressly required parole board approval for any release.

Quebec man faces 36 counts sexual assault of

children, luring, and pimping 

CTV and The Montreal Gazette are covering this story with extremely brief articles and no information on Amuli's background. No other MSM outlets in Canada are even giving that much - PCMadness.

Ali Taghva, The Post Millennial

A Quebec man faces more than three dozen charges.

Twenty-eight-year-old Christian-Amisi Amuli should appear in court in Quebec City this Tuesday to face 36 charges of sexual assault of children, online luring, and pimping.

According to Quebec City police, Christian-Amisi Amuli came under investigation last April after seven women who were minors at the time of the alleged incidents filed complaints with authorities.

As a result, Quebec City Police, alongside the Sûreté du Québec’s major crimes division, arrested the suspect.

If you have information regarding Christian-Amisi Amuli, it can be sent to the SPVQ by calling 911 for immediate intervention. The case number is QUE190424-057.

Police probing 'modern slavery' find 11 Eastern European women and a child during brothel raids in Luton, UK - eight arrests for 'human trafficking'

By RAVEN SAUNT FOR MAILONLINE

Police have rescued 11 Eastern European women and a child from brothels after smashing an alleged modern slavery ring in Luton.

The victims, from Romania and Hungary, were rescued in raids on 17 properties in the Bedfordshire town as part of a human-trafficking investigation run by local police, the council and Britain's FBI, the National Crime Agency.

Four men and four women aged between 20 and 50 have been arrested overnight. Pictured: Luton Town Centre

Four men and four women aged between 20 and 50 have been arrested overnight. 

The 11 women rescued have since been offered support through the national referral mechanism for victims of modern slavery after the raids in Luton on Tuesday evening.

A child was also found and rescued from one of the properties.

Bedfordshire Police and the National Crime Agency worked with specialist support workers from Luton Borough Council and human-trafficking charity Azalea, meaning more than 150 professionals were involved during the operation.

A male in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of human-trafficking.

Another man and two women in their 30s as well as a man and a woman in their 20s were arrested on suspicion of keeping a brothel. 

The woman in her 20s was also held on suspicion of money-laundering.

A further male suspect in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of money-laundering, possession of a firearm and assault on an emergency worker while another in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm.

Police Inspector Jim Goldsmith said the operation has potentially protected 'incredibly vulnerable' people from being exploited.

'Women in this industry are often lied to, coerced and abused, as well as being plied with drugs and subject to debt bondage in order to line the pockets of criminal gangs,' he said in a statement.

'We won't stand for this and yesterday's action was just the start of our efforts to dismantle the criminal networks behind these brothels and bring their ringleaders to justice.'

Azalea chief executive officer Ruth Robb said the operation was a 'massive success'.

'We are huge believers in partnership working to address this problem and end the commercial sexual exploitation of women,' she said in a statement. 'This was a perfect example of such work, with the police, ourselves and other partners providing a holistic service to potentially protect vulnerable victims.'

Update on Kashmir's shambolic trial of 'holy man' who has raped thousands of children

Prevent Child Sexual Abuse
Musab Omer

It has been a while since I last posted about the case against Kashmir’s serial child rapist- #AijazSheikh.

All witnesses, except two, had testified by April of this year. Since then, the case has slowed down once again. The Investigating Officer, who was supposed to depose against Sheikh didn’t show up in any of the hearings that took place since April.

The #Article370 crisis made things worse because since August 5 no hearing has effectively taken place. The latest I heard from our lawyer was that the next date of the hearing has been set for December 2, 2019.

Moreover, the judge who was hearing the case has also been transferred.

Meanwhile, some people told me that Sheikh’s business of faith healing is flourishing once again, and is currently at its best. People could be seen visiting his house in good numbers for faith healing and I fear that he is still keeping children at his house for the night. Sheikh didn’t stop raping children for more than 25 years, how can he give up now? I wish I could stop these ignorant people from leaving their children at his place for the night.

Kashmir peer has traumatised a generation of children (3rd story on link)

Kashmir's Unspoken Epidemic: Child Sex Abuse

Trial of Super-Paedophile Aijaz Sheikh Finally Progressing in Kashmir

The Making of One of the Worst Monsters in the World

The Extremely Frustrating Case against Aijaz Sheikh in Kashmir

71 y/o Sydney tennis coach charged over

sexual abuse of 12-y/o girl

By Tom Livingstone • Associate Producer, 9News

A 71-year-old tennis coach has been charged over the alleged sexual abuse of a child he was coaching on Sydney's Upper North Shore.

Detectives attached to the NSW Police Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad began an investigation after a 12-year-old girl came forward claiming she had been sexually assaulted several times by her coach.

Just after 1pm yesterday, officers attended a reserve in Lindfield and arrested the man. "We believe this person has been her coach for just over two years now," Detective Superintendent John Kerlatec said.

Superintendent Kerlatec would not disclose if investigators believe there may be more victims yet to come forward, but he encouraged anyone with concerns to contact police.

"Any child that raises any concerns about any sexual offending – we encourage to certainly contact police and reach out – it is a serious matter."

It is alleged the man sexually abused the young girl on several occasions while travelling with her across NSW for tennis tournaments between July and December.

Why would you leave your 12 y/o daughter alone with a grown man, over and over?

3 Spanish footballers jailed for 38 years over

gang rape of 15yo girl

Three Spanish football players have been sentenced to 38 years in jail each after being found guilty of raping a 15-year-old girl in 2017.

Raul Calvo (21), Carlos Cuadrado (26), and Victor Rodriguez (24), who were playing for third division Spanish side Arandina, were arrested in December 2017 after the victim brought charges against them.

The girl, whose name has not been revealed, claimed to have been raped by all three players after being invited to an apartment the three shared.

The victim said she was forced to undress and perform sex acts on the players, who denied any wrongdoing and insisted they didn’t have any sexual relations with her.

The trial was held behind closed doors to prevent any contact between the defendants and the victim and her family.

The judges ruled that the players knew the girl was underage, sentencing them to 38 years in jail.

Wow! I thought only the USA issued sentences like that!

The players, who were immediately expelled from Arandina in the wake of the scandal, are expected to appeal the verdict.

Sold as a Chinese bride, she came home to Pakistan on brink of death

Mysterious death highlights mistreatment and abuses against women trafficked as brides

AP

Pakistani Christian woman Samiya David shows her picture with Chinese husband, in Gujranwala, Pakistan. Samiya had been in China just two months when her brother got a phone call telling him to pick her up at the airport. When he arrived, he found Samiya in a wheelchair, malnourished and too weak to walk, said her cousin Pervaiz Masih. She died barely five weeks later. Masih was among the relatives who prepared Samiya's grave and attended her burial in May. Image Credit: AP

MAZAIKEWALE, Pakistan: Sold by her family as a bride to a Chinese man, Samiya David spent only two months in China. When she returned to Pakistan, the once robust woman was nearly unrecognisable: malnourished, too weak to walk, her speech confused and disjointed.

“Don’t ask me about what happened to me there” was her only reply to her family’s questions, her cousin Pervaiz Masih said.

Within just a few weeks, she was dead.

David’s mysterious death adds to a growing body of evidence of mistreatment and abuses against mainly Christian women and girls who have been trafficked to China as brides.

Investigations have found that traffickers have increasingly targeted Pakistan’s impoverished Christian population over the past two years, paying desperate families to give their daughters and sisters, some of them teenagers, into marriage with Chinese men. Once in China, the women are often isolated, neglected, abused and sold into prostitution, frequently contacting home to plead to be brought back. Some women have told The Associated Press and activists that their husbands at times refused to feed them.

A list attained by the AP documented 629 Pakistani girls and women sold to China as brides in 2018 and up to early 2019. The list was compiled by Pakistani investigators working to break up the trafficking networks.

“These poor people have given their daughters for money, and [in China] they do whatever they want to do with them. No one is there to see what happens to the girls,” said David’s cousin, Masih. “This is the height of cruelty. We are poor people.”

David’s death, at the age of 37, shows the extremes of the cruelties trafficked women face. Other women have described being cut off without support, abused physically and mentally. Previously, the AP spoke to seven girls who were raped repeatedly when forced into prostitution. Activists say they have received reports of at least one trafficked bride killed in China but have been unable to confirm.

David now lies buried in an unmarked grave in a small Christian graveyard overgrown with weeds near her ancestral village of Mazaikewale in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province.

Before her marriage, she lived in a cramped two-room house with her brother Saber and her widowed mother in Francisabad Colony, a congested Christian neighbourhood of small cement and brick houses in a warren of narrow streets in the Punjab city of Gujranwala. Christians are among the poorest in Pakistan, a mostly Muslim nation of 220 million people.

Her brother took money from brokers to force her into marriage with a Chinese man, Masih said, though the brother denied doing so. The marriage certificate was signed by a local pastor who has since fled police seeking him on suspicion of working with traffickers in multiple cases. A few months after their marriage in late 2018, David and her husband left to China. “When she left for China she was healthy. She looked good and strong,” said Masih.

Her husband was from a relatively poor, rural part of eastern Shandong province. The conservative culture in such areas strongly favours male offspring, which under China’s strict population control policies meant that a great deal of little girls were never born, hence the demand for trafficked foreign wives. Overall, China has about 34 million more men than women.

After two months, her brother got a phone call telling him to pick his sister up at the airport in Lahore. He found David in a wheelchair, too weak to walk.

The AP met David in late April. Living again in the house in Francisabad Colony, she showed her wedding photos, taken six months earlier. In one, she was dressed in a white gown, smiling, looking robust, with long, flowing black hair.

David barely resembled the woman in the picture. Her cheeks were sunken, complexion sallow, her tiny frame emaciated and frail. She seemed confused, her speech incoherent. When asked about her wedding or time in China, she lost focus _ her words wandering _ and at one point suddenly stood to make tea, mumbling about the sugar. She paced, repeating, “I am OK. I am OK.” When asked why she looked so different in the wedding photos, she stared vacantly into space, finally saying, “There is nothing wrong with me.”

“She has the evil eye,” said her brother, who was present at the interview.

She died a few days later, on May 1.

DrMeet Khan Tareen treated David on her one visit to his clinic in Lahore.

“She was very malnourished and very weak,” with anaemia and jaundice, he said in an interview. Preliminary tests suggested several possible ailments, including organ failure, and he said he told her brother she needed to be hospitalised. “She was so malnourished … a very, very, very low weight,” he said.

Her death certificate listed cause of death as “natural”. David’s cousin said the family is hiding the truth because they sold her as a bride. “They have taken money. That is why they are hiding everything,” said Masih, who is a member of the town’s Union Council, which registers marriages and deaths.

Breaking a family’s silence is difficult, said a senior government official familiar with the investigations into the sale of brides.

Pakistani investigators say hundreds of girls and women being sold to China — but neither country will act (2nd story on link)

In this May 22, 2019 photo, Sumaira a Pakistani woman, shows a picture of her Chinese husband in Gujranwala, Pakistan. Sumaira, was raped repeatedly by Chinese men at a house in Islamabad where she was brought to stay after her brothers arranged her marriage to an older Chinese man. Image Credit: AP

“They might sell their daughters, and even if they discover that the marriage was bad or she is suffering, they would rather ignore it than lose face in front of friends and family,” he said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

The trafficking networks are operated by Pakistani and Chinese brokers who cruise Christian areas willing to sell daughters and sisters. They are known to pay off pastors, particularly at small, evangelical churches, to encourage their flock to do so.

Christian activist Salim Iqbal, who was among the first to sound the alarm last November about bride trafficking, is in touch with a number of Pakistani women in China via groups on the messaging app WeChat. He said one girl recently told him her husband doesn’t give her food or medicine.

Another woman, Samia Yousaf, who was 24 when she was forced into marriage, told the AP of the abuses she suffered in China.

She and her husband went there after she became pregnant. When she arrived, nothing was as her husband had promised. He wasn’t well off. They lived in one room on the edge of a field, infested with spiders.

She gave birth by caesarean section. Her husband’s sister refused to let her hold her son after the birth and controlled when and for how long she could see the child during her six days in the hospital. “I started screaming at her one time when she took my baby,” Yousaf recalled.

Her husband refused to let her breastfeed her son until doctors implored him to allow her to, she said. Unable to walk without assistance, the doctors asked her husband to take her for a walk and he repeatedly let her fall, refusing to help her back up.

After she left the hospital, abuses continued. Her husband denied her food. “He was cruel. I thought he wanted to kill me,” she said.

Three weeks later, authorities threatened her with jail because her visa had expired. Her husband had kept her passport. Frightened and unwell, she pleaded with him to let her and her son go home to Pakistan.

But he refused to let her take the baby. She discovered her name was not on her son’s registration, only her husband’s.

The last time she saw her son was in September 2017, just before her return.

“Every day I think of my baby,” said Yousaf, who works as a nanny in Lahore. “I wonder what he looks like. My heart is always sad.”

Another incident of rape, this time a 5 y/o girl,

rocks Andhra Pradesh, India

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Assault comes soon after Andhra Pradesh passes new law to hang rapists

Mohammad Siddique, Correspondent
Gulf News

Hyderabad: Even as Andhra Pradesh legislative Assembly on Friday passed a radical law providing for hanging of rapists, another incident of rape of a five-year-old girl has rocked the state.

The state assembly passed the AP Criminal Law (amendment) Act 2019 providing for capital punishment to the convicts of rape and gang rape, was moved by Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy government soon after a horrifying incident of gang rape and killing of veterinary doctor on the outskirts of Hyderabad about a fortnight ago.

While the new strict law, under which the probe and trial will have to be completed in three weeks, was hailed by the masses and gave a hope of bringing the spiralling graph of serious crimes against women, an incident of rape of a minor girl came to light in Guntur district, neighbouring the state capital Amaravati.

District police arrested a junior college student Lakshman Reddy in Ramireddy Nagar area for allegedly raping the five-year-old daughter of his neighbour.

The incident came to light after the girl complained of stomach pain. When her parents took her to a doctor, it was found she had fallen victim to a sexual predator. Swinging into action, Guntur police arrested the youth who lived on the ground floor of the same house in which the victim’s family lived on the first floor.

The youth was being questioned. Earlier in Guntur a rickshaw-puller had raped a young girl and even as the police were searching for him he allegedly committed suicide by hanging from a tree.

Under the new law, police will complete the investigation of a rape case in a week’s time and a fast track court will complete the trial in another two week. In serious crimes against the women the convicts can be awarded death sentence by the court.

Moving the bill, known as ‘Disha Bill’ after the victim of gang rape in Hyderabad, Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy said his government was very serious to curb the crimes against women and children. “Crime against women and children were increasing and sending children out had become a nightmare for the parents. To stop serious crimes, radical steps are needed”, he told the House.

The Disha rape incident in Hyderabad has left the entire country shocked and the people were demanding that the perpetrators of such offences should be punished immediately, Jagan said.

Canadian human trafficking hotline that started 6 months ago already has over 1,000 calls

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Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking says highest number of calls
come from Ontario

Talia Ricci · CBC News 

In addition to assisting victims and survivors, the hotline also provides information to the public on what human trafficking is and how to recognize the signs that a loved one is being exploited. (The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking)

Kaitlin Bick says when she was being sex trafficked in the GTA, she had no idea what was happening to her.

"I thought I had a crappy boyfriend," she said.

Young, vulnerable and without a support network, she was exploited for years. It only stopped when the car she and her two traffickers were in was pulled over in Marathon, Ont., more than 1,000 kilometres northwest of Toronto.

Bick, who was then 24 and had been in and out of the sex trade for almost a decade, says it's common for traffickers to move their victims along highways. 

"It's just to not be detected," Bick says. She says traffickers often move their victims hundreds of kilometres to steer clear of law enforcement.

"It's a circuit, and people are moving to get new business, to get more money, to not be detected by police."

Bick says at the time she and her traffickers were pulled over, they were arrested for drug possession. When the officer asked Bick what the men's names were, she said, "I told them the names they gave me and those were the incorrect names."

Full of fear in that moment, her journey to recovery began.

Stories like this are not uncommon to Toronto police, or those operating The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking. It's the reason the centre launched a human trafficking hotline six months ago. To date, the hotline has had over 1,000 phone calls, emails and messages to its online forum.

Bick, now 31, leads a youth group in Toronto and works with people facing housing and addiction issues. She says she was happy to hear about the launch of the hotline.

"Because being a survivor of domestic sex trafficking, it's very lonely," she said.

Kaitlin Bick, 31, is a survivor of human trafficking. Now she leads a youth group in Toronto and works with people facing housing and addiction issues in the Greater Toronto Area. (Talia Ricci/CBC)

"I didn't know what was happening to me, and when I figured it out, having someone to talk to about it and reaching out to a specialist is very unique."

Bick explains how common it is for traffickers to recruit young women.

"There are people waiting outside the bus stations, malls, movie theatres, high schools," she said, noting that shelters and social assistance offices can also be places where traffickers target young and vulnerable people.

"They'll ask, 'Are you lost? Do you need a bus ticket? You look like you need a friend.'"

Bick becomes emotional as she describes how traffickers manipulate young women to recruit other young women.

"I think about all those young people that are recruiting other young people. It's survival," she said, adding that many of the young people doing the recruiting have been trafficked themselves.

There is more on this story at CBC.

PSNI arrest several people in child sex abuse investigation

By Rodney Edwards

A number of people have been arrested by detectives investigating historical child sexual abuse in Fermanagh, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has confirmed. 

It comes as another alleged victim has this week claimed that she was sexually abused by an RUC officer when she was 14, an allegation she says “nobody” including church officials “wanted to know”. She claims the Orange Order member abused her at least once a month for two years.

The PSNI launched a major investigation earlier this year after more than 70 people approached this newspaper to make allegations that they were sexually abused as children over many decades by different men and woman from across the county, many of whom held positions of trust.

Almost 40 weeks since the first alleged victim broke his silence by claiming he had been abused by several businessmen as part of a suspected paedophile ring in Enniskillen, the PSNI has announced a significant development.

In a statement yesterday (Wednesday) Head of Public Protection Branch Detective Chief Superintendent Paula Hilman  said the investigation into historical child sexual abuse is “actively ongoing” but to protect the integrity of each of these individual investigations she said police “remain limited in the information we can provide at this time”.

“We can confirm that a number of individuals have been arrested and interviewed during the course of our inquiries. We are not in a position to elaborate on these or share further information about those individuals at present as these are very much live and ongoing investigations, however I want to give reassurance to both victims and the local community that we are actively working on the reports made to us in recent months,” said Ms. Hilman.

She acknowledged the huge number of people who have spoken out in recent months and report allegations of child sexual abuse.

“It is welcomed that victims have felt confident to come forward over recent months and speak to us about their experiences. Their wellbeing is first and foremost our priority and our working relationships with partner agencies, including both local and regional support services, have been essential in ensuring that victims receive the help and support that they need.

“We are very aware of recent media coverage and ongoing commentary and speculation in the Fermanagh area and we would continue to reach out to victims, as we have done in all our previous appeals, to encourage anyone with information that may not have been disclosed to police already, to please make that information available to us.

“We treat every allegation of sexual abuse seriously and we remain absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our investigations are thorough, gathering all relevant information, and that victims are treated with the utmost sensitivity.

“We would urge anyone with any information about historical sexual abuse to come forward and contact police and seek professional support through our specialist detectives or through one of the dedicated support services specially trained to support victims,” she said.

Non-registration of India's shelter homes has led to

child sexual abuse, trafficking: Retired Justice Lokur

 ANI 

New Delhi: Former Supreme Court Justice Madan B Lokur on Saturday said that non-registration of shelter homes across the country despite various directions given by the courts, central and state government has led to cases of child sexual abuse and trafficking.

Addressing an event organized by UNICEF, Justice Lokur said, "The courts, central and state government have time and again issued directions regarding registration of shelter homes but it has yet not been done and that is why there are cases of sexual abuse of children and trafficking."

Speaking at the same event pursuant to Justice Lokur, Justice D Y Chandrachud also expressed similar sentiments and said that India has "amazing legislation" but there is no implementation of the law.

Alluding to alleged sexual and physical assault of several girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur, he said that the problem lies in the "absence of a standard and its enforcement".

Raking up the issue of rampant violation of child rights in shelter homes, Supreme Court Justice Deepak Gupta said that the focus should be shifted to alternate care and betterment of care provided in the institutions.

"We have a plethora of laws for the betterment of children. Various schemes have been initiated by the government but we cannot say that everything is working perfectly on the ground level. There are rampant violations of child rights," he said.

Referring to a possible solution to the issue, he suggested that alternative care should be provided to the child rather than sending them to the shelter homes.

"Every child has a right to be brought up in his or her environment. The aim should to reduce institutionalization and give alternate care to children."

Of course, that comes with its own set of problems.

He said that shelter homes should be properly monitored. "There are institutions that are poorly run and exploit children. We heard a case where the children would be sent out for begging by the institutions run on government funding."

And where does that money go?

Justice Gupta the shelter homes should be managed by a computerized system. "Most importantly, Juvenile Justice Committees should be wound up and the Ministry of Women and Child Development should do the duty and ensure that children are given the protection they deserve."