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Actor Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for rape
The former star of That '70s Show was convicted on 2 counts of rape in May
The Associated Press · Posted: Sep 07, 2023 11:49 AM PDT |
Danny Masterson was sentenced Thursday to 30 years to life for rape. (Rich Fury/Invision/The Associated Press)
Warning: This story contains disturbing details
A judge sentenced That '70s Show star Danny Masterson to 30 years to life in prison Thursday for the rapes of two women two decades ago.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo handed down the sentence to Masterson, 47, after hearing statements from the women about the trauma they experienced and the suffering caused by the disturbing memories in the years since.
The actor, who has been in custody since May, sat in court wearing a suit. He watched the women without visible reaction as they spoke.
"When you raped me, you stole from me," said one woman who Masterson was convicted of raping in 2003. "That's what rape is, a theft of the spirit.
"You are pathetic, disturbed and completely violent," she said. "The world is better off with you in prison."
The other woman Masterson was found guilty of raping said he "has not shown an ounce of remorse for the pain he caused." She told the judge, "I knew he belonged behind bars for the safety of all the women he came into contact with. I am so sorry, and I'm so upset. I wish I'd reported him sooner to the police."
After an initial jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of rape in December and a mistrial was declared, prosecutors retried Masterson on all three counts earlier this year.
A jury of seven women and five men found Masterson guilty of two counts on May 31 after seven days of deliberations.
Masterson waived his right to speak before he was sentenced and had no visible reaction after the judge's decision, nor did the many family members sitting beside him. His wife, actor Bijou Phillips, was tearful earlier in the hearing.
Danny Masterson and his wife Bijou Phillips arrive for closing arguments in his second trial on May 16.
(Chris Pizzello/The Associated Press)
Both attacks took place in Masterson's Hollywood-area home in 2003, when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox network sitcom That '70s Show.
The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend.
Read much more at: 'Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here'
Spanish prosecutors charge Luis Rubiales with sexual assault
over Hermoso kiss
Spanish state prosecutors have accused Luis Rubiales of sexual assault and coercion for kissing a player on the lips without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final, the country’s prosecutors’ office said Friday.
Issued on: 08/09/2023 - 15:04; 3 min
By: NEWS WIRES
The president of the Spanish soccer federation Luis Rubiales speaks during a meeting in Las Rozas, Friday, August 25, 2023. © Europa Press via AP
Rubiales, the now-suspended president of the Spanish soccer federation, kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the awards ceremony after Spain beat England to win the title on Aug. 20 in Sydney, Australia.
Prosecutors presented a case against Rubiales to Spain’s National Court in Madrid two days after Hermoso formally accused him of sexual assault.
According to a sexual consent law passed last year, Rubiales could face a fine or a prison sentence of one to four years if found guilty of sexual assault. The new law eliminated the difference between “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault,” sanctioning any unconsented sexual act.
Prosecutors added Friday that Rubiales could have committed an act of coercion when, according to Hermoso, he pressured her to speak out in his defense immediately after the scandal erupted regarding his behavior.
Rubiales has insisted the kiss was consensual. Hermoso has denied that in statements issued by her and her players’ union.
Prosecutors have asked the judge that Rubiales appear before a court to give preliminary testimony. If the National Court judge agrees the hear the case, it would lead to a formal court investigation that will end with a recommendation for the case to either be dismissed or go to trial.
Hermoso, a 33-year-old forward, now plays for Mexican club Pachuca after a long career with top Spanish and European clubs, including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid. She returned to her Mexican club on Thursday.
The 46-year-old Rubiales faces threats other than a possible criminal trial.
He was suspended from his post by FIFA on Aug. 27, a day after he refused to step down when he delivered a defiant speech to the general assembly of his federation in which he said he was victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists.” Rubiales was banned from his post for 90 days while FIFA disciplinary judges consider his case. Soccer's governing body can impose sanctions on individuals ranging from warnings and fines to suspensions from the sport.
Rubiales also faces action from the Spanish government. A government legal panel overseeing sports has opened a probe to determine if he abused his authority by kissing Hermoso or tainted the image of Spain with his conduct. He faces being deemed unfit to hold his post for up to two years.
Rubiales’ behavior at the final, which included a lewd crotch grab while next to dignitaries including Spain’s queen and teenage princess, combined with his controversial speech have tarnished the Women's World Cup title and damaged his own federation.
Spain’s women’s players have said they won’t play again for their nation until big changes are made in the federation. The federation fired coach Jorge Vilda, but the players have yet to say if they consider that sufficient.
The accusation by prosecutors against Rubiales came as the players for Spain's women's league began their strike on the opening day of the competition after salary talks with the league broke down. The league, called Liga F, was one of the first soccer institutions to criticize Rubiales' conduct.
Rubiales, a former player and former head of Spain’s biggest players’ union, has run the federation since 2018. He has boosted revenues and funding for lower-level soccer and the women’s game, but his successes have normally been tinged with scandal.
Rubiales revolutionized the Spanish Super Cup in 2019 by taking it to Saudi Arabia — now the big draw for top European talent like Cristiano Ronaldo — in exchange for $40 million a year. The move was criticized by women’s and human rights groups for the regime’s treatment of women and minorities. Spanish authorities also scrutinized the deal, and an investigative judge is probing the legality of the Super Cup contracts.
Rubiales increased his power by becoming a vice president of European soccer body UEFA, and was supposed to lead the bid by Spain, Portugal and Morocco to host the 2030 men’s World Cup. Spain's government has since warned that the bid to host one of the world's biggest sporting events is at risk of being sullied.
(AP)
Japanese media apologize for ignoring sex abuse by top J-pop agent
Johnny Kitagawa, late founder of Japanese talent agency,
abused hundreds of boys and young men
Thomson Reuters · Posted: Sep 08, 2023 3:59 PM PDT | Last Updated: September 8
J-pop musician Kauan Okamoto, speaking a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday, said he had been
the target of repeated and unwanted sexual attention by his late talent agent Johnny Kitagawa.
(Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
After Japan's top talent agency Johnny & Associates apologized on Thursday for decades of sexual abuses committed by its late founder, local broadcasters issued rare mea culpas of their own for failing to report on the allegations for years.
The abuses by Johnny Kitagawa, the man behind some of the most popular Japanese boy bands such as SMAP and Arashi, had been reported by local tabloid Shukan Bunshun as far back as 1999. Kitagawa sued the magazine, but major media outlets steered clear of covering the lawsuit or chasing the story.
It was only after Britain's BBC aired a tell-all documentary in March — four years after Kitagawa's death at the age of 87 — that local mass-media followed suit, stirring national outrage.
"This issue had been reported frequently in weekly magazines and other publications, and the Tokyo High Court's ruling on the fact of sexual assault was confirmed in 2004," public broadcaster NHK said in a statement on Thursday.
"But NHK's awareness over this issue was wanting, and we never followed up with deeper reporting or chose to take it up."
Junya Hiramoto, second right, and Shimon Ishimaru, left, with other members of the Johnny's Sexual Assault Victims Association, attend a press conference at Japan National Press Club in Tokyo Thursday.
(Kyodo News/The Associated Press)
A third-party committee set up to investigate the allegations reported last week that Kitagawa had sexually abused hundreds of boys and young men, and faulted the media for its silence.
Kauan Okamoto, a victim of Kitagawa's abuses, has said he had not been aware of allegations prior to joining the agency because they were scarcely reported.
Other major broadcasters including NTV, TV Asahi and Fuji TV, also issued statements promising to do better.
"The conduct of the media on the issue of sexual assault is also being questioned (with this case)," TV Asahi said. "We will heed the voices of victims, the (third-party team's) report, and the opinions and suggestions of viewers seriously, and reflect them in our future broadcasts and activities."
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