Latest news with #victimblaming
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Moment Australian model has her phone snatched for the SECOND time in three months - then chases masked thieves
Horrifying footage shows the moment an Australian model had her mobile phone stolen for the second time in three months in a 'safe' neighbourhood. Emma Van Der Hoek claimed the ordeal took place in broad daylight on Tuesday while she was walking alone along the pavement. Dramatic CCTV footage shows the influencer looking down at her phone along a straight path. A man dressed in black and wearing a face mask suddenly comes up behind her and snatches the mobile out her hand before sprinting round a corner. Ms Van Der Hoek bravely chases after him but is not quite quick enough to catch up with the thief. Another man also dressed in black appears to follow behind the thug and model as they sprint out of view. Taking to Instagram to share the incident, the influencer wrote: 'My phone got stolen yesterday in London!!! This is the second time in three months that this has happened - all within my so called "safe" neighbourhood.' She then complained she had received abuse by online trolls, who blamed her for the daylight robbery. 'This video is at nearly 500k views on TikTok and the amount of victim blaming comments is actually insane,' she wrote. 'People have got so used to theft in London that they've started blaming the victims instead of holding criminals accountable. 'If you are one of the boys that stole my phone, return it and I'll delete the video. If anyone's knows anything, please message me!' It comes as phone thefts in London have hit a record high with a shocking 37 people having their mobile stolen every day in the capital's West End alone, it was reported last month. Recent data revealed almost 231,000 phone thefts and robberies were recorded over the past four years in the capital, a threefold increase. The epicentre for these brazen crimes is in the world's theatre capital, the West End, a magnet for tourists where around 40,000 phones were reported stolen over the same period, data by the Metropolitan Police shows. Phone thefts in London have soared to record levels, with organised gangs targeting busy areas such as the West End and St James's, where luxury streets and royal residences sit side by side with swarms of unsuspecting tourists and shoppers. One major hotspot identified is the area surrounding St James's Park, where Piccadilly and Haymarket meet Pall Mall and Clarence House, home to exclusive members' clubs and high-profile buildings. Analysis by The Times show the West End and St James's now account for a third of all phone thefts reported in the capital, up from a quarter in 2021. Scotland Yard figures show a staggering 81,256 mobile phone crimes were recorded in 2023, a 20 per cent year-on-year rise, and the highest on record. Police believe the true number is even higher, as many incidents go unreported. Other major hotspots include Bloomsbury, Holborn, Covent Garden, Shoreditch, Borough, London Bridge, Waterloo, South Bank, Camden Town, Regent's Park and Stratford. Since 2022, theft rates have risen in more than 200 suburbs across the capital — meaning over a third of London is now affected by the growing crisis. Most thefts are carried out by gangs on electric bikes, who either snatch phones directly from people's hands or operate in crowded areas to pickpocket victims. Police say the surge is fuelled by international black markets, where stolen devices are either sold on or stripped for parts — an illicit industry now worth over £50 million a year. Officers are urging Londoners to stick to well-lit, busy areas, remain alert, and keep valuables out of sight to avoid falling prey to the increasingly brazen criminals.
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Moment London model has her phone snatched for the SECOND time in three months - then chases masked thieves
Horrifying footage shows the moment a London model had her mobile phone stolen for the second time in three months in a 'safe' neighbourhood. Emma Van Der Hoek claimed the ordeal took place in broad daylight on Tuesday while she was walking alone along the pavement. Dramatic CCTV footage shows the influencer looking down at her phone along a straight path. A man dressed in black and wearing a face mask suddenly comes up behind her and snatches the mobile out her hand before sprinting round a corner. Ms Van Der Hoek bravely chases after him but is not quite quick enough to catch up with the thief. Another man also dressed in black appears to follow behind the thug and model as they sprint out of view. Taking to Instagram to share the incident, the influencer wrote: 'My phone got stolen yesterday in London!!! This is the second time in three months that this has happened - all within my so called 'safe' neighbourhood.' She then complained she had received abuse by online trolls, who blamed her for the daylight robbery. 'This video is at nearly 500k views on TikTok and the amount of victim blaming comments is actually insane,' she wrote. 'People have got so used to theft in London that they've started blaming the victims instead of holding criminals accountable. 'If you are one of the boys that stole my phone, return it and I'll delete the video. If anyone's knows anything, please message me!' It comes as phone thefts in London have hit a record high with a shocking 37 people having their mobile stolen every day in the capital's West End alone, it was reported last month. Recent data revealed almost 231,000 phone thefts and robberies were recorded over the past four years in the capital, a threefold increase. The epicentre for these brazen crimes is in the world's theatre capital, the West End, a magnet for tourists where around 40,000 phones were reported stolen over the same period, data by the Metropolitan Police shows. Phone thefts in London have soared to record levels, with organised gangs targeting busy areas such as the West End and St James's, where luxury streets and royal residences sit side by side with swarms of unsuspecting tourists and shoppers.
CBC
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
'He's still collecting the cheque': Will the Diddy verdict have any consequences on the mogul?
Social Sharing WARNING: This story contains allegations of sexual violence and may affect those who have experienced it or know someone impacted by it. The split verdict for the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs came in yesterday. The jury found the hip-hop mogul guilty of two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution, and not guilty of three charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, which could have put him behind bars for life. But the online chatter around Diddy and his legacy have become just as big a conversation as the trial. Today on Commotion, guest host Rad Simonpillai is joined by Refinery29 Diddy trial reporter Taryn Finley and hip-hop broadcaster Jay Smooth to react to the news, the discourse around the case and what it all might mean for Diddy's pop legacy moving forward. We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player. WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube: Rad: Can you talk to me about the online discourse and what stood out to you about how people have been discussing this trial? Taryn: A lot of it has just been plain ugly. I want some of these folks to just say that they hate women with their chest and move on because that's really what they mean when they're using this victim-blaming language with Cassie [Ventura, Diddy's ex-girlfriend] and these other accusers saying, "Oh, they just want money" and "Oh, it wasn't a problem when XYZ." That, again, shows how deeply flawed and deeply ignorant a lot of people are to the pain and suffering that these victims have gone through. When you listen to what they're saying, even on a human level, it doesn't add up to me how a lot of comments can be so cruel and how folks can be outside of the courthouse post verdict, dousing themselves and each other in baby oil. Unfortunately, again, it's not surprising. We've seen this kind of rallying around Tory Lanez and R. Kelly and Bill Cosby and so many others. And the lack of empathy that is being extended for these victims is not only dark and dehumanizing, but we've become so desensitized to sexual assault and violence allegations in the worst way. And we have to do better. Jay: Yeah, it really was such a grotesque spectacle. And what was interesting to me is the vibe of some of those videos outside the courtroom. They reminded me of some of the clips we saw on Jan. 6 outside the Capitol, this similar sort of lunatic energy. And I don't think that's a coincidence. Because just like our politics are being poisoned by this whole right-wing, manosphere media ecosystem, on the cultural side, those people outside the courtroom are forming their worldview from a steady diet of these garbage drama channels and influencers whose whole business model is to peddle misinformation on a case like this that taps into your worst instincts and prejudices, just like we watched people make millions of dollars from demonizing Megan Thee Stallion for three years. Those people outside of the courtroom have had an appetite for this salacious dehumanization of these women, and of course we see them go out there and treat the whole situation like a farce. So I think it's a really telling sign of the times, in a lot of ways, for how unserious we are and how much of an appetite we have for hating women, like Taryn said. Rad: That is so depressing to hear all of that. I want to get into another aspect of it — setting aside the trial and everything — but just thinking about Diddy as someone who's had this undeniable impact on pop music, pop culture as we know it. How do you think the split verdict then impacts his legacy moving forward? Taryn: I think a lot of his fans and a lot of folks will also be split. It will be a split decision culturally, where some folks will continue to dance to his music and Diddy bop and do all of that, while others will boo the DJ and tell him to turn it off. But bigger than music, though, we also have to consider this is a businessman and he has been a businessman for decades. And even though he's sullied his name and sits in prison now, he's still collecting the cheque. And that won't end. He'll no longer be able to be the face of brands like DeLeón [tequila] and Revolt [media company] and be the head of these big media companies, but Diddy is savvy and well-connected. And many won't want to touch him publicly, not necessarily just because of the moral aspect, but because they're afraid of their reputation being hurt, which is a whole other conversation in itself. But there always will be someone who will. Jay: My personal feeling is I don't care what happens to Diddy's legacy. This is not like a Dr. Dre situation, where you have a genuinely great artist who made big contributions creatively and he also has an ugly history of abuse. That's not who Diddy is. Diddy, I guess, he ushered in the shiny suit era of vapid materialism into music — which is like, thanks a lot. Other than that, he's a megalomaniacal businessman who's really good at self-promotion and finagled his way into a lot of production credits he only halfway deserves. So as far as I'm concerned, throw that legacy away. Use AI to take him off the Biggie tracks and we can move on. The reality is, of course, he's going to be fine, for all the reasons Taryn said. And really, when I think about legacy, I look at all these women who stepped up to tell their story and I want to know: will they get to have a legacy? And that's going to be up to us with what we do to take what they did and make it count. At the risk of being cheesy, I think that's what I'm more concerned with in terms of legacy.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Did Diddy's Defense Attorney Discuss 'Handsome' Michael B. Jordan During Closing Arguments?
Diddy's attorney told the jury that Cassie was "a beautiful, sexy person" — and was not sexually victimized by Diddy He brought up the relationship between Cassie and Michael B Jordan He further said Ventura has "sexual confidence," seemingly in attempt to undermine prosecution's claims that she had been coerced into sexual activities with other menSean 'Diddy' Combs' defense attorney attempted to convince the jury that his former girlfriend — and the prosecution's star witness, Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura — was not a victim, even referencing actor Michael B. Jordan in his closing arguments. Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo was animated, often walking back and forth in the courtroom, as he rested his case before a Manhattan jury on Friday, June 27. He pushed back against the prosecution's claims that Ventura and another of Combs' former girlfriends, who testified under the pseudonym 'Jane,' were sex trafficked. He tried to convince the jury that both Ventura and Jane willingly participated in the swinger-style lifestyle, and were not victims of coercion. "God bless her. She's a beautiful, sexy person," Agnifilo said about Ventura. When Ventura wasn't dating Combs, "she was with Michael B. Jordan, the most handsome man in the world," Agnifilo said, further claiming Ventura has "sexual confidence." "She is not clutching her pearls," he added. Combs' high-profile trial, where a jury must decide if he is guilty of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, is nearing its end after weeks of testimony from his personal and professional associates. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. Read the original article on People
National Post
14-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Players failed to confirm woman's consent, Crown says as closing arguments end at Hockey Canada trial
'Myths and stereotypes' about sexual assault shouldn't have had a place at the trial of five 2018 Team Canada world junior hockey players, but the Crown on Friday said they have taken centre stage. Article content At the end of the prosecution's lengthy closing argument, Crown attorney Meaghan Cunningham said the defence teams' strategies relied heavily on attacking the credibility of the 27-year-old woman who says she was sexually assaulted in a London hotel room seven years ago – instead of addressing evolving legal standards around consent. Article content Article content 'Relying on myths and stereotypes to discredit sexual assault complainants is an error of law,' Cunningham said to Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia. Article content Article content The Crown has argued the men who had sexual contact with the woman inside Michael McLeod's room at the Delta Armouries hotel in London on June 19, 2018, did not obtain the legal consent and should be found guilty. However, Cunningham said the defence leaned on victim-blaming, painting the woman – who was 20 at the time – as someone who 'abandoned restraint' and offered sex to the men in Room 209. Article content Cunningham said it is a stereotype that 'women signal their sexual availability by drinking and going out and getting drunk and dancing and flirting on the dance floor, that all of these things make it more likely that she also chose to engage in sexual activity with the men back at the hotel. Article content 'It's not only a myth, but I submit it is not what happened here on the evidence.' Article content McLeod, 26, Carter Hart, 26, Dillon Dube, 26, Alex Formenton, 25, and Cal Foote, 26, have each pleaded not guilty to sexual assault. McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to a second charge of sexual assault for being a party to the offence. Article content Article content The case surrounds a night of partying in London on June 18 and 19, 2018, when the Canadian world junior team was in the city for a Hockey Canada gala and golf tournament celebrating the team's gold medal months earlier. Article content McLeod and the woman met at Jack's bar on Richmond Row and returned to his hotel room for consensual sex. What happened after is at the heart of the trial. Article content The woman has testified that when she emerged naked from the bathroom, she found a group of players in the room invited by McLeod for sexual activities. Article content Along with being drunk, the woman said she had a trauma response and felt her mind separate from her body to cope with the demands of the men who directed her to participate in several sexual activities. The Crown says the woman was vulnerable, outnumbered and went along with what happened. Article content The defence has pointed to the woman as the aggressor and instigator of the sexual activity, first masturbating in front of them while on a bedsheet spread on the floor, then begging and taunting the men for sex. Some took her up on her offers and insist she consented to the activities.
