Latest news with #victimsupport
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Who is this man? Detectives issue appeal after woman in her 30s is sexually assaulted as she walks alone in London in early hours
Police have issued an urgent appeal for information after a woman in her 30s was allegedly sexually assaulted while walking alone in London. The victim is understood to have been followed by a man as she walked past Hammersmith tube station, located in west London, at around 3.40am on Sunday, May 18. The man, who is then said to have caught up with the woman, sexually assaulted her before running towards Hammersmith Broadway. He is described as white with dark hair and in his 20s. Approximately 5ft 8in to 6ft tall, the suspect was also wearing a black North Face jacket, black trousers and white trainers at the time of the alleged assault. Having reported the incident to police, an immediate investigation was launched, with the victim currently receiving specialist support. Using CCTV footage, officers were then able to track the man's movements ahead of the alleged attack. There, he was seen leaving the popular station before walking along King Street, located in the heart of the west London suburb, briefly walking past another pedestrian. Following the reported incident, he was then captured running along Park Road towards Browning Avenue before officers eventually lost sight of him as he headed in the direction of a residential area. Detective Superintendent Lucy O'Connor, who is leading the Metropolitan Police's investigation into the reported incident, said that the force are urgently 'asking the public to help' them find the man in question. DSI O'Connor added: 'Women and girls should be safe to walk the streets of London without being attacked. 'That is why we need to identify a man in connection with this incident and are now asking the public to help. 'If you were in the area on the morning of Sunday, 18 May or if you recognise the man in the footage, please contact us as soon as possible.' Those with relevant information have been asked to contact the Metropolitan Police by calling 101 with the reference 01/7513051/25 or message @MetCC on X.
Japan Times
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Sex-abuse priest's promotion draws attacks on Catholic Church
A French archbishop's decision to promote a priest who was sentenced to jail for raping a teenage boy has drawn new condemnation of the Roman Catholic Church for its record on sex abuse. Victim support groups and traditionalists have expressed outrage over the case of Dominique Spina, who was found guilty of raping a 16-year-old boy in 2006 and sentenced to five years in prison. The archbishop of Toulouse, Guy de Kerimel, set off the controversy in June when he named Spina as diocesan chancellor, putting him in charge of archives. The canonical code lays down that the chancellor must be "of honest reputation and above all suspicion." Kerimel said he had acted out of "mercy" in making the appointment and that he had "nothing to reproach" the priest for in an "administrative function." In a statement released Thursday in the face of mounting protests, Kerimel acknowledged the "incomprehension" and "questions" among Catholics but said again that without "mercy" Spina risked a "social death." "This is in no way about downplaying a crime" and the victim must be "recognized and helped," he insisted. Because of the sensitivity of the topic, Catholic leaders have been reluctant to speak publicly, but one bishop said, on condition of anonymity, that the appointment was "a great shame" for the Church. "A priest convicted of serious sexual acts cannot hold a position of responsibility again. We should be able to say that," the bishop added. In a joint statement, several groups of victims of sexual abuse in Catholic schools expressed their "deep indignation" and "anger" at the appointment. The Catholic media has also lambasted the appointment. La Croix, a Catholic daily newspaper, said that "the principle of mercy cannot be used as a hasty justification." The traditionalist website Riposte Catholique called the appointment "unjustifiable" and said the Vatican should intervene. "Compassion does not consist of rehabilitating a condemned man to a canonical position," commented the christian website Tribune Chretienne, known for its conservative line. France's Catholic Church is already reeling from several sexual scandals in schools it runs and accusations of longtime sexual abuse made against Abbe Pierre, once an icon of the defense of the poor who died in 2007. The Church has set up two commissions on acknowledging and compensating for the widespread abuses uncovered by an independent inquiry released in 2021.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- CTV News
Accused Windsor officer set to testify in sexual assault trial: Defence lawyer
An Ontario Superior Court of Justice building can be seen on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. (Michelle Maluske/CTV Windsor) WARNING: Content in this article may be disturbing to some readers. Reader's discretion is advised. Staff Sgt. Ken Price is scheduled to defend himself Thursday on four allegations of sexual assault against a former female auxiliary force member. The complainant in the case, who cannot be identified because of a standard publication ban, spent the last three days explaining what happened to her between 2011 and 2015. 'There was a progression in his behaviour,' the woman said Wednesday. 'He targeted me.' While she was a member of the auxiliary force, the woman alleges she had several 'negative interactions' with Price. They started with sexualized comments and advanced to inappropriate physical contact, she told the court. The woman said he would make 'unwarranted' comments 'out of nowhere' about the men she dated or the way she looked. It turned physical – the woman alleges – sometime in 2012 or 2013 during a training exercise when she volunteered as an 'actor'. 'I'm playing the wife,' the woman testified. 'I just remember him (Staff Sgt. Price) on top of me, dry humping me during the scenario.' In another incident she accuses Price of pressing his body against her back and 'sniffing' her hair. She told the court she responded by saying 'Stop! You are such a weirdo.' Another officer, who witnessed the alleged interaction, 'downplayed' what Price did, according to the woman, asking her to 'forgive him' because she 'reminds Price of his wife'. Defence lawyer Dan Scott accused the woman of 'misleading the court'. Scott said the woman never filed a formal complaint with the police force after the alleged assaults and inappropriate behaviour. The woman insists she told 'everyone' about the alleged sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact but 'the service did not come to help me out of the gate.' 'I have no faith in the Windsor Police Service,' the woman told the court. The woman filed a complaint to the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD), but court learned they couldn't investigate because she was an employee of the service at the time. The complaint however was sent to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) which ultimately laid charges against Price. Scott questioned why the woman made no note of potential witnesses to her alleged assaults at the time but mentioned officers by name to the SIU. 'You're making this up,' Scott suggested to her Wednesday. The woman was very emotional in her response. 'I don't want to be here. I don't want to sit here being judged by everyone,' the woman said. 'This is the pain behind my trauma.' The Assistant Crown Attorney will re-examine the woman's evidence Friday, before handing the case to the defence. Scott confirmed to CTV News his client will be testifying Friday.
NHK
09-07-2025
- NHK
Thai people fight to stop domestic violence
A group in Thailand helping domestic violence victims has drawn attention to the issue through its campaign that features an AI video of a young woman who was abused.
BBC News
08-07-2025
- BBC News
Calderdale child sex abuse investigators make 16 arrests
Sixteen people have been arrested as part of an investigation into historical child sex abuse in Yorkshire Police said 15 men and a woman, aged between 39 and 73, were detained in Halifax, Dewsbury, Oldham, Manchester and offences were reported to have taken place in the Calderdale area between 2000 and 2004 and involved two female victims.A force spokesperson said all of the suspects had been interviewed and either released under investigation or bailed pending further inquiries. Det Ch Insp Claire Smith urged anyone who had been a victim of sexual abuse, regardless of how long ago, to report it to the police. "Please be assured that you will be listened to, taken seriously and supported by professionals with experience of dealing with these kinds of offences," she added. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
