Latest news with #WhiteRibbon
RNZ News
28-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
More sexual assault victims making police reports, some experts credit Me Too movement
More sexual assault victims are making police reports, and a victims' advocate is crediting the Me Too movement. Photo: 123RF Warning: This story contains references to sexual assault. The proportion of adult sexual assault victims making police reports has more than quadrupled since 2018, and a victims' advocate is crediting the Me Too movement. In 2018, seven percent of sexual assault victims went to the police but that rose to 32 percent last year, the Ministry of Justice's Crime and Victims Survey data revealed. The number of victims reporting grew from 5000 to 28,000, and the number of assaults reported grew from 9000 to 51,000. Around two percent of adults have been sexually assaulted and that stayed steady in the last six years, it showed. The ministry's 'Key Stories' report - a deep dive into some of the survey results - showed more people perceived sexual assaults as serious crimes, said its sector insights general manager, Rebecca Parish. "We're largely putting that down to an increased awareness through campaigns like the Me Too campaign, White Ribbon, also reporting on some higher profile cases that are going through the courts ... understanding of exactly what sexual assault encompasses, and that it's not okay," she said. There is a caveat to the data: the trend over time is not consistent. "Reporting rates for sexual assault are relatively volatile and additional years of reporting data will be important for verifying this trend," the report said. While the increase in reporting of sexual assault was significant, it still meant 68 percent of victims stayed silent. Last year, 22 percent of victims who did not report an assault to police said they did not think police could do anything. "This belief is reasonable," the report said. It noted in 2021 police laid charges for only 40 percent of reported sexual assaults. Of those, 12 percent resulted in a conviction and nearly 70 percent of victims waited at least two years for an outcome in court. The executive director of sexual abuse prevention and survivor support organisation HELP Auckland, Kathryn McPhillips, said the rise in reporting was more than she expected. The country was "some years into a significant period of change", she said, thanks to campaigns like those Parish noted, and government investment. HELP Auckland executive director Kathryn McPhillips. Photo: Photo / Sarah Robson But McPhillips believed one of the reasons people did not report being assaulted was that they viewed the justice system as slow and adversarial. Waiting years to be heard, then taking the stand and being accused of lying was a tough ask, she said. "Lots of people ... if they report it, they don't start healing till after the process has ended because it's kind of like holding your breath. "You know you're still going to have to go through this re-traumatising process." A change in courtroom procedure for sexual assault cases would help by having the judge ask most of the questions and lawyers only pose supplementary ones, she said. McPhillips also said the successful pilot of specialist sexual violence courts in Auckland and Whangārei was due to be rolled out nationally, but she did not know where it had got to. "If that could happen, that would certainly make a difference." A June 2019 report evaluating the pilot said there was "unanimous support" for it to be extended to courts across the country. RNZ has asked the Ministry of Justice for further comment. A higher proportion of victims also needed to seek medical help after being sexually assaulted: 20 percent in 2024, compared to 5 percent two years prior (data was not available as far back as 2018). That was unsurprising, McPhillips said. "That's certainly in line with what we're seeing of the physical violence which is happening with sexual assaults associated with people meeting up from dating apps," she said. McPhillips put that down to pornography becoming more violent. "People are using that as their sexual education, if you like, and so thinking that the things they see on screen, that it's acceptable for them to do those things to other people, which of course it's not." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
West Midlands railway murals ask how men can stand up for women
Murals asking what men can do to tackle violence against women and girls have been put up at five railway stations in Birmingham and stations together serve more than 1.8m passengers a year and the artworks are visible from the trains passing by Midlands artist Emily Kaye, they were developed for West Midlands Railway (WMR) and London Northwestern Railway (LNR).The murals ask how men can intervene in situations including online discussions, whether they speak up to encourage positive attitudes, if they actively stand up against male violence, and whether they do enough. One artwork asks the question: "Which man are you online?"It gives several options as an answer – the man who started the thread, forwarded the photo, laughed, lurked, or made the images, or the man who reported it. Jonny Wiseman, WMR customer experience director, said the rail operators' charity partner was White Ribbon UK, which advocates against violence towards women and girls, with a three-year action plan in place to raise awareness of the charity's work. Lynne Elliott, chief executive of White Ribbon UK, said: "By placing these artworks where thousands pass through daily, we're encouraging people, especially men, to pause, reflect, and consider the steps they can take."She said the charity was already working with many "brilliant, inspiring men", who were working to build a world where everyone was equal, safe and respected, adding: "We want more to join in." The artworks, commissioned by Heart of England Community Rail Partnership, can be seen at Tile Hill, Adderley Park, Hampton-in-Arden, Marston Green and Stechford stations. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NRL boss fires back as 17-year partnership ends due to 'tone deaf' Trump move
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo has defended the league's invitation for US President Donald Trump to attend the season-opening games in Las Vegas after fresh backlash around the move. Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) chair Peter V'landys appeared on American breakfast TV recently to make a personal plea for the President to attend this weekend's Vegas spectacle after insisting it would provide the sport with exposure that 'money cannot buy'. But anti-domestic violence charity, White Ribbon, has slammed the move as being "tone deaf" and subsequently ended its 17-year partnership with the NRL. In a letter sent to league officials and seen by AAP, White Ribbon signalled an end to its partnership with the NRL that dates back to 2008 after citing the league's decision to associate with "well-known perpetrators of abuse and violence against women". The letter does not specifically reference the US President by name, but it's understood the Vegas invitation was behind the charity's bombshell decision. Mr Trump is a convicted felon and was found liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of female journalist E Jean Carroll after a civil case in 2023. He was ultimately ordered to pay the journalist and author $5 million in damages. The Canberra Raiders also approached UFC boss Dana White with an offer to blow the Viking Horn that has become a tradition before kick-off for their games. The Raiders and Sharks are set to open the NRL's new season in Vegas on Sunday morning (11am AEDT), before Cronulla take on four-time defending premiers Penrith later in the day. The UFC boss has also been embroiled in drama involving a woman after being caught on camera slapping his wife in a Mexican night club on New Year's Eve in 2022. It's understood White is unable to attend the Vegas games because of a scheduling clash, while President Trump is yet to take up the invitation from V'landys to be a special guest at the league extravaganza. Employing all his charm and natural TV presence, rugby league boss Peter V'landys begs Donald Trump to attend the NRL's Las Vegas extravaganza — australian kitsch 🦘 (@OzKitsch) February 17, 2025 Speaking in response to the boycott from White Ribbon, the NRL CEO defended the league's invitation for the American President and pointed out that the same offer was extended to former President Joe Biden last year. Mr Abdo says the NRL does not have any "affiliation" with America's political parties and suggested it was an "appropriate" way to acknowledge the NRL's international hosts and leverage the game off the enormous profile of the US leader. "We are playing this match in America, we are being hosted by America. Last year we invited (then-president) Joe Biden, this year we invited Donald Trump," NRL CEO Abdo said in Las Vegas. "That's not to say we have any political affiliation with any party. Sending an invite to the sitting president of this country is appropriate and that's what we did." The league boss was quick to stress that the NRL is still committed to equality, inclusion and stamping out violence against women. "We're about bringing people together no matter what your political beliefs, no matter your background. We're a sport for everyone, the greatest game for all," he said. White Ribbon has not worked on a campaign with the NRL since 2020 but was still listed as one of the NRL's partners on the league website. That has since been removed after a request from the charity. White Ribbon's letter also called for the invitations to be officially rescinded by the NRL and questioned whether most league fans would approve of them anyway. In a statement provided to AAP, White Ribbon chief executive Merinda March said it was "tone deaf" for the NRL to associate themselves with "well-known perpetrators" of violence against women. "While the NRL has continued to promote their association with us, this decision by the NRL is wildly misaligned with our values and lacks integrity and respect," March said. RELATED: Kevvie goes public with reveal about Walsh's daughter amid backlash Cameron Smith drops truth about Slater becoming Melb Storm coach Dylan Brown at risk of losing $6m in fresh contract twist for Eels star "We believe the fans and participants of the NRL - almost half of whom are female - deserve better. They deserve the values of respect, integrity and fair play - both on and off the field. We call on them now to appeal to the administrators of their beloved sport to represent them with these values on the world stage." The White Ribbon CEO says the charity could work with the league again "when the NRL is ready to commit to an authentic zero-tolerance stance to abuse and violence against women." with AAP
The Guardian
27-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
NRL defends its invite to Donald Trump in Las Vegas after charity backlash
The NRL has defended the decision to invite Donald Trump to its Las Vegas fixtures after an anti-domestic violence charity severed ties with the league over what it called a 'tone deaf' offer. White Ribbon penned a letter to the NRL this week that ended a partnership dating back to 2008, citing the league's decision to associate with 'well-known perpetrators of abuse and violence against women'. The letter, seen by AAP, did not specifically reference Trump, but it is understood a VIP invitation to the American president was at the centre of the charity's concerns. Trump, a convicted felon, was found liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of E Jean Carroll in a civil case in 2023 and ordered to pay the journalist and author $5m. Australian Rugby League chair Peter V'landys directly addressed Trump in a public video ahead of the league's second foray into the American market, which kicks off at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday (AEDT). 'Mr President, we want to introduce you to the toughest game on Earth, rugby league, in the world's sport and entertainment capital, Las Vegas,' V'Landys said in the video. UFC boss Dana White had also been approached by NRL club Canberra with an offer to blow the customary Viking Horn ahead of kick-off in Vegas. White was caught on camera slapping his wife in a Mexican night club on New Year's Eve in 2022. As of Wednesday evening local time, Trump had not accepted the invitation, but White is believed to be unavailable to attend because of a scheduling clash. The NRL remains hopeful Trump may still attend the four games, and was adamant it was appropriate to invite him. 'We are playing this match in America, we are being hosted by America. Last year we invited [then-president] Joe Biden, this year we invited Donald Trump,' NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said in Las Vegas. 'That's not to say we have any political affiliation with any party. Sending an invite to the sitting president of this country is appropriate and that's what we did.' Abdo insisted the NRL remained committed to inclusion. 'We're about bringing people together no matter what your political beliefs, no matter your background. We're a sport for everyone, the greatest game for all,' he said. White Ribbon and the NRL first officially partnered in 2008 under the administration of former chief executive David Gallop, but the two organisations had not undertaken work with each other since 2020. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion But the league had still listed White Ribbon as a partner on its website, which has since been removed at the request of the charity. The letter also suggested the invitations be rescinded by the NRL, flagging the league's responsibility to promote a culture of safety for its fans. It also questioned whether most NRL supporters would actually approve of the invitations. White Ribbon chief executive Merinda March told AAP in a statement that it was 'disappointing and frankly, tone deaf' for the NRL to associate themselves with 'well-known perpetrators' of violence against women. 'While the NRL has continued to promote their association with us, this decision by the NRL is wildly misaligned with our values and lacks integrity and respect,' March said. 'We believe the fans and participants of the NRL - almost half of whom are female - deserve better. They deserve the values of respect, integrity and fair play - both on and off the field. 'We call on them now to appeal to the administrators of their beloved sport to represent them with these values on the world stage.' White Ribbon is open to reactivating its partnership with the NRL in future - under one condition. 'When the NRL is ready to commit to an authentic zero-tolerance stance to abuse and violence against women, White Ribbon Australia would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss an opportunity to collaborate on an organisation-wide intervention,' March said.
BBC News
14-02-2025
- BBC News
Kent domestic abuse services issue love bombing warning
Domestic abuse services across Kent are urging people to be aware of the dangers of "love bombing" this Valentine's manipulation tactic is often used by abusers to overwhelm a partner with affection and declarations of love as a way of gaining power and Baldwin, children and young people's service manager at the Oasis Domestic Abuse Service said this abuse "often follows a cycle".She said there was a "honeymoon" period of "love bombing" before "tension building as the abuse starts" then "a growing sense of danger, followed by explosion" which repeats again and again. According to the Office for National Statistics, about 2.3m people aged 16 and over experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales in year ending March the Children's Commissioner found that more 24,000 children in Kent and Medway were living in a household where an adult was experiencing domestic Gough, leader of Kent County Council and a White Ribbon Ambassador, said: "Many people may receive lots of romantic messages and gestures on Valentine's Day but will nonetheless spend the day in fear whilst still expected to be a loving partner and pacify their abuser."
