Salon.com > Violence Against Women

Disagreement over path to reforming military’s sexual assault problem

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:09:00 +0000

The epidemic of sexual assault in the military has reached an unprecedented level of visibility. And, as Salon's Irin Carmon notes, there is also an unprecedented willingness to act coming from Congress and military leadership.

But that doesn't mean everyone agrees on the best way forward, as the New York Times reports:

[On] Thursday, Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, the New York Democrat who has made this her signature issue this year, will introduce legislation that would give military prosecutors rather than commanders the power to decide which sexual assault cases to try...

The legislation, which many military justice experts said they believed was key to stemming the problem, is gaining some support but also prompting ambivalence on Capitol Hill, where many lawmakers are reluctant, for various and often opposing reasons, to remove prosecutorial powers from military commanders...

While the dissent breaks down somewhat along party lines, it appears to be more determined by the background of the lawmaker, with many former prosecutors in Congress saying the complex task of investigating sexual assault should not be left in the hands of commanders, and those with close ties to the military uncomfortable with a change to a 200-year-old tradition that many Western allies have abandoned.

Security secretary to women in Hong Kong: Drink less and you won’t get raped

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:36:00 +0000

In comments that have already stirred criticism among women's rights advocates, Hong Kong's security secretary Lai Tung-kwok announced in a press conference on Wednesday that women can help prevent rape by not drinking "too much" alcohol.

“Some of these cases … involved the victims being raped after drinking quite a lot of alcohol,” Tung-kwok told reporters. “So I would appeal that young ladies should not drink too much.”

Tung-kwok's comments come in response to a government report showing that rape cases in Hong Kong have increased 60 percent from the previous year. In addition to the spike in reported rapes, sexual assaults rose by 18 percent.

Anti-sexual assault advocates are concerned that his remarks will have a chilling effect on women hoping to report an assault, who may now fear they will be blamed, as the Wall Street Journal reports:

Does porn cause violence?

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Today a press release from Morality in Media celebrating a supposed "anti-porn initiative" landed in my inbox -- and you can imagine my shock at realizing that I actually agree with the conservative, faith-based organization on something. Which is to say that I too believe that it was appropriate for Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to announce last week, following an outrageously high estimate of sexual assault within the armed forces, that all military workplaces would be searched for inappropriate sexual material that might contribute to a hostile work environment.

Enforcing basic sexual boundaries in the workplace is one thing. Blaming sexual assault on pornography, which is what the MIM press release goes on to do, is another. It reads, "Research overwhelmingly demonstrates a link between pornography consumption and increased sexual violence." What that sentence suggests is that there is a demonstrated link between porn-watching and an increase in perpetration of sexual violence -- and that is patently untrue. The availability of Internet porn has been shown to be associated with a decrease in sex crimes.

The woman behind Anonymous’ Steubenville operation

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:08:00 +0000

Before hacker collective Anonymous put the Steubenville rape case on the map, Michelle McKee, a 51-year-old activist in Washington state, had spent weeks trying to bring national attention to the assault and the community's role in covering it up.

As Josh Harkinson reports for Mother Jones, after calling journalists and applying pressure to the local high school with a blogger friend, McKee came across Anonymous' #OpAntiBully, an anti-bullying subgroup, and something clicked: "People from Anonymous came and kicked [cyberbully] ass," she told Harkinson. "And I'm thinking, this is what [the rape victim] needs," she said.

So McKee reached out to the group, uncertain of how they would react to her request to get involved; their interest was immediately sparked, as Harkinson reports:

Pentagon study reveals sharp increase in military sexual assault

Tue, 07 May 2013 23:00:00 +0000

The Pentagon released a study on Tuesday estimating that 26,000 military service members were sexually assaulted in 2012, up from an estimated 19,000 the previous year.

The report comes only days after Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, chief of the Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response branch at the Pentagon, was arrested and charged with sexual battery in Virginia, an incident that has, once again, brought a military culture plagued by rampant sexual violence and failures of accountability from military leadership into stark relief.

Military sexual assault prevention officer charged with sexual battery

Mon, 06 May 2013 21:03:00 +0000

Chief of the Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response branch at the Pentagon Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski was arrested and charged with sexual battery in Virginia over the weekend.

Krusinski is accused of drunkenly fondling a woman in a parking lot, according to Arlington County police.

As reported by local news site ARLnow:

“A drunken male subject approached a female victim in a parking lot and grabbed her breasts and buttocks,” according to a Arlington County Police Department crime report. “The victim fought the suspect off as he attempted to touch her again and alerted police.”

“Jeffrey Krusinski, 41, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with sexual battery,” police said. “He was held on a $5,000 unsecured bond.”

An Air Force spokeswoman confirmed Jeffrey’s rank, job title and the fact that he works at the Pentagon to ARLnow.com, but had no further comment.

The victim did not know Krusinski, according to the police report.

Saudi Arabia launches first anti-domestic violence campaign

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:46:00 +0000

According to the World Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia ranks 131st out of 135 countries on gender parity and opportunities for women. Progress in the country has been slow, but local feminists and other women's rights groups have continued to agitate for more representation in the Saudi government, increased mobility in their day-to-day lives and other egalitarian gains in a country where women are still legally considered minors and require permission from male guardians for simple things like travel and work.

But the culture is changing, albeit slowly. Close on the heels of a law allowing women to ride bicycles in "enclosed areas" for "recreational purposes," two female Saudi Olympians competing in London and the swearing-in of 30 female members of the Shura Council comes a new anti-domestic violence campaign. The very first of its kind in Saudi Arabia.

The "No More Abuse" campaign is sponsored by the nonprofit King Khalid Foundation, and is intended to raise awareness about available resources for women and children experiencing violence in their homes and families. The ads depict a woman wearing a hijab but with a clearly visible black eye, and the Arabic text roughly translates to "The tip of the iceberg." An English language version reads: "Some things can't be covered."

Home: America’s most dangerous place

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:23:00 +0000

Since the Newtown massacre, visions of unfathomable crazy mass killers and armed strangers in the night have colonized the American mind. Proposed laws have been drawn up that would keep potential mass murderers from getting their hands on assault weapons and high-capacity clips, or that would stop hardened criminals from buying guns. But the danger out there is both more mundane and more terrible: you're more likely to be hurt or killed by someone you know or love. And you'll probably be at home when it happens.

Organic restaurant ad “jokes” that “beer should be like violence: domestic”

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:01:00 +0000

As a Brooklyn resident, I have read my share of ridiculous cafe signboards. ("I drink therefore I am," "Make pie, not war," "Death before decaf," etc.), but this Texas organic restaurant takes the (gluten- and dairy-free) cake.

As reported by the Houston Press, local eatery Roots Bistro posted the tone-deaf message that "Beer should be like violence: domestic" on its marquee this weekend. And while the manager claims the sign was only up for 10 minutes, the "joke" outraged local residents and almost all of the Internet.

According to the House Press:

When contacted about the sign and its intentions, a manager on duty who identified himself as Kenneth offered the following explanation: "That sign is not up now. It was up literally for 10 minutes and it was pulled down..."

"Obviously no one here would condone any type of violence, domestic or otherwise," Kenneth said, although he couldn't explain why no one thought the sign was tacky, tasteless or offensive until a customer dining on the patio pointed it out...

"Everyone makes mistakes," said Kenneth. "We completely deserved the backlash, and I can't be mad at anyone but myself."

American student gang-raped aboard a moving van in Brazil

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:53:00 +0000

A 21-year-old American student was brutally raped and beaten by three men on moving a public van in Brazil.

The assault took place over a six-hour period near Copacabana, during which the woman's attackers beat her and her male companion with metal bars and repeatedly raped the young woman.

As The New York Times reports:

The assault on the American woman here, police investigators said, began early Saturday, just after midnight, when the attackers forced other passengers out of the van, which picks up passengers along the street and can seat about a dozen people. The woman was raped by all three men, who took turns driving the vehicle, the police said. “It was a gang rape,” said Jayme da Costa Rosa Neto, a police official investigating the attack.

After the couple were freed about 6 a.m. Saturday and left at a bus station, the woman was taken to two public hospitals, Miguel Couto and Rocha Maia, for treatment including the administering of a cocktail of drugs containing the morning-after pill, to prevent pregnancy, and other medications to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

The police said that the American victim had severe swelling around her nose, and that her companion, 23, had been hit in the area around one of his eyes. The woman left Brazil after registering the crime and undergoing preliminary medical treatment, while her companion remained here, where he is cooperating with the police, said Alexandre Braga, a senior police investigator with Rio’s special police unit for crimes involving tourists.

Bra-clad “zombie ex-girlfriend” target bleeds when you shoot it

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:54:00 +0000

Target manufacturer ZMB Industries is selling a bra-clad "zombie ex-girlfriend tactical mannequin target" that bleeds when you shoot it. How do you know it's a "zombie" and not just a bleeding woman wearing a half-torn shirt?

Because ZMB Industries says so, that's how.

The description for the target (which its manufacturers will predictably defend as "all in good fun" and "in no way condoning violence against women):

Be warned, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned but a man scorned is nothing to mess with! A young gent from Louisiana, we’ll call him Andre to protect his identity, was deeply committed to his one true love and her to him, or so he thought. While partying with her friends during one particular Mardi Gras, she took several suitors over the course of the festivities. Andre felt something odd indeed, so he paid a visit to his great aunt, Marie, who helped him see the truth. With a few eggs, candles lit and kiss upon his forehead, her voodoo curse was set in motion. Late each night while lying in bed, a smile would appear across his face, for a slight breeze would travel through a cracked window bringing with it, a faint whiff of decay and a unnatural cry of regret.

Ford apologizes for ads depicting bound, gagged women in trunk of car

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:23:00 +0000

The Ford Motor Co. and Indian ad agency JWT issued an apology on Monday for a series of misogynistic ads depicting women with their hands and feet bound and mouths gagged being stowed in the trunk of a car.

The tag line? “Leave Your Worries Behind.”

In a statement to Business Insider, JWT apologized for the sexualized images of violence against women, explaining they were "never intended for publication":

We deeply regret the publishing of posters that were distasteful and contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within WPP Group. These were never intended for paid publication and should never have been created, let alone uploaded to the internet. This was the result of individuals acting without proper oversight and appropriate actions have been taken within the agency where they work to deal with the situation.

Sounds vaguely reminiscent of a certain 17-year-old convicted rapists' statement that "No pictures should have been taken, let alone sent around,” no?

Australian radio host asks victim if sexual abuse might have been her fault

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:27:00 +0000

This week, Australian radio host John Laws conducted an on-air interview with a woman who was the victim of years of sexual abuse at the hands of her five male relatives.

In response to the woman's disclosure, Laws asked her if she may have somehow provoked the abuse or if it was "in any way" her fault.

The exchange, as reported by Anette Sharp at The Daily Telegraph:

"My God they were having a good time with you," said the broadcasting legend, missing the sensitivity of the subject matter.

"Was it in any way your fault?" he then asked.

"No, I don't think so," the woman, a nurse, said.

"You weren't provocative?" Laws pressed.

"I was a little girl. I don't think so John. No, I was just a little girl."

After nine years of abuse the woman finally found the courage to consult a social worker at age 15 - the year before her father kicked her out of home.

As she broke down on air, Laws asked: "Are you unattractive?"

"I don't think so. I think I'm all right," she said.

"You sound all right," Laws encouraged.

Fighting sexual assault on campus, college activists learn as they go

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:44:00 +0000

Without much precedent to guide federal lawsuits over sexual assault cases on college campuses, members of a national network of activists have turned to one another for advice.

Through a network that is both an inspiration in its national scope and a disheartening reminder that sexual assault on college campuses is widespread, activists from across the country have shared legal tips on filing Title IX claims, guidance on going public with stories of abuse -- and the emotional support necessary to keep pushing for campus accountability.

As the New York Times reports:

Frustrated and angry over the handling of sexual assault cases at Occidental College in Los Angeles, a group of students and faculty members recently decided to take the matter to the federal government as a civil rights case. Few people had explored this legal terrain, so the Occidental group reached out to women at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who had filed a similar complaint – which this month prompted a federal investigation – for insights on how to press their case.

The North Carolina group had taken inspiration, and a few strategic cues, from students who last fall drew attention to the mishandling of sexual assaults at Amherst College in Massachusetts. The Amherst students had, in turn, consulted extensively with women at Yale University.

Teen girls arrested for menacing Steubenville rape survivor

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:26:00 +0000

Two teenage girls have been charged with using Facebook and Twitter to threaten the life of the 16-year-old victim in the Steubenville rape case.

According to a statement from Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, a 16-year-old girl has been charged with aggravated menacing after using Twitter to threaten the life of the victim and a 15-year-old girl is charged with one count of menacing after making a threat on Facebook.

And an already grim story gets somehow grimmer.

The two girls will appear before a juvenile court judge in Steubenville on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

Echoing earlier statements about holding the small football town accountable for its actions (and inaction) around the sexual assault of an unconscious minor, DeWine said: "Let me be clear, threatening a teenage rape victim will not be tolerated. If anyone makes a threat verbally or via the Internet, we will take it seriously, we will find you, and we will arrest you."

Investigators have already completed 56 interviews, including other teenage partygoers, the high school principal, superintendent and 27 football coaches.

Delhi men take to the streets in solidarity with survivors of sexual violence

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:31:00 +0000

The brutal gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old medical student on a moving Delhi bus last December sparked a wave of protests across India, and inspired a newly-strengthened set of laws on rape, street harassment and other forms of violence against women. But ongoing reports of sexual violence, and news of yet another gang rape in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, is proof that -- in India and everywhere else -- there is no silver bullet for sexual violence.

Indian feminists have long argued that in addition to stronger laws, cultural attitudes towards women, sex and consent -- and views about the role of men in stopping violence against women -- need to change. And while the country reels from another brutal rape case, a group of men in Delhi are trying to start the shift.

As Joanna Sugden at The Wall Street Journal reports:

“Top of the Lake”: Like the best crime series, it’s about much more than crime-solving

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:55:00 +0000

In ‘Top of the Lake," Jane Campion’s extraordinary new crime series, beginning tonight on the Sundance Channel, Holly Hunter plays GJ, a plainspoken spiritual guru, tending to a flock of lost middle-aged women — among them, a sex addict, a woman reeling from the loss of her beloved chimpanzee — with minimal spiritual mumbo jumbo, maximum hard truths. She wears her hair long and white, her shirts buttoned up to the collar, looking like an impatient Mexican gangster lost in the New Zealand bush (or as Emily Nussbaum points out in her review of the series, something like Jane Campion). I’m going to channel GJ’s particular harsh bluntness here, because “Top of the Lake,” gorgeous and ambiguous and gripping like a hallucination, deserves it: Watch it. Do it now.

Ohio attorney general’s investigation continues in Steubenville

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Judge Thomas Lipps issued his verdict in the Steubenville rape case on Sunday, convicting Trent Mays and Mal'ik Richmond in the rape of a 16-year-old girl. But a wider investigation about the role of parents, coaches and school officials in the sexual assault coverup is ongoing.

As the Associated Press reports:

The announcement of the guilty verdict was barely an hour old Sunday when state Attorney General Mike DeWine said he was continuing his investigation and would consider charges against anyone who failed to speak up after the attack last summer. That group could include other teens, parents, school officials and coaches for the high school’s beloved football team, which has won nine state championships.

A grand jury will meet in mid-April to consider evidence gathered by investigators from dozens of interviews, including with the football team’s 27 coaches.

When the right to bear arms trumps a woman’s right to safety

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:11:00 +0000

Domestic violence survivors and victims' rights groups have long advocated for stricter laws to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, but powerful lobbying by the National Rifle Association has succeeded in keeping such regulations from taking effect in all but a handful of states.

As a result, far too few judges have the legal authority to order the surrender of firearms when issuing protection orders in domestic violence cases. And according to a harrowing report in The New York Times on Monday, the consequences have been deadly:

Another brutal gang rape sends shockwaves through India

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 18:59:00 +0000

Indian media are reporting that five men have confessed to gang raping a Swiss tourist in central India. Police continue to search for two other men believed to have been involved in the attack. Twenty people have also been detained for questioning, authorities say.

The woman was camping with her husband in the central state of Madhya Pradesh when she was allegedly attacked by the group of men. Local police superintendent C. S. Solanki told the Press Trust of India that the men beat the couple, stole their belongings and brutally gang raped the woman after tying her husband to a tree.

According to NDTV, the Madhya Pradesh Police have recovered stolen items belonging to the Swiss couple from one of the men in custody. "We have arrested six accused persons who raped the Swiss woman and recovered her mobile and laptop," SM Afzal, Inspector General Chambal Range, said.

The attack comes only months after the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old medical student on a moving Delhi bus. The young woman died of injuries sustained during the assault, and the profile of the case prompted stricter laws on sexual assault in the country.