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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.”
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
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
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
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.
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