Latest news with #violenceagainstwomen
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
'Stop letting criminals choose their own gender', UN warns after UK police forces allow 49 rapists to identify as female offenders
The United Nations has warned over letting criminals choose their own gender, after a new report found that 49 rapists were allowed to identify as female offenders in the UK. Reem Alsalem, the UN's special rapporteur for violence against women and girls, said at least a third of UK forces were still collecting data on criminals and victims' self-identified gender rather than their assigned sex at birth. Criticising British institutions, she said that the approach 'neglects women's and girls' specific needs' and increases safety risks, Ms Alsalem said in her interim report, which was published on Friday. Over the last 10 years, 49 convictions for rape have been listed as female, despite the fact the offenders were born male. Ms Alsalem added that the 'lack of legislative clarity on sex hampers data collection on violence against women and girls. 'Police data, while disaggregated by crime and location, often conflates the sex with the gender, for data on victims and perpetrators'. Her remarks come a month after the Supreme Court ruled that the definition of a woman relates to 'biological sex'. Lord Hodge said that five Supreme Court justices had unanimously decided that 'the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act refer to a 'biological woman and biological sex'. He recognised 'the strength of feeling on both sides' and cautioned against seeing the judgement as a triumph for one side over another, stressing that the law still gives trans people protection against discrimination. In an 88-page ruling, the justices said: 'The definition of sex in the Equality Act 2010 makes clear that the concept of sex is binary, a person is either a woman or a man.' The decision could have far-reaching implications on how sex-based rights apply, including how women-only spaces are allowed to operate. The judgement marks the culmination of a long-running legal battle between the Scottish government and a women's group over the definition of a 'woman' in Scottish legislation mandating 50 per cent female representation on public boards. The case centred on whether somebody with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) recognising their gender as female should be treated as a woman under the 2010 Equality Act. In handing down the court's judgement, Lord Hodge said: 'The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological woman and biological sex.' 'In a judgement written by Lady Rose, Lady Simler and myself, with whom Lord Reed and Lord Lloyd-Jones agree, we unanimously allow the appeal,' he added. Lord Hodge said: 'But we counsel against reading this judgement as a triumph for one or more groups in our society at the expense of another. It is not… 'The Equality Act gives transgender people protection not only against discrimination through the protected characteristics of gender reassignment, but also against direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, and harassment, in substance in their acquired gender.' He recognised the 'strength of feeling on all sides' which lies behind the case, adding: 'On the one hand women, who make up one half of the population, have campaigned for over 150 years to have equality with men and to combat discrimination based on their sex. That work still continues. 'On the other hand, a vulnerable and often harassed minority, the trans community, struggle against discrimination and prejudice as they seek to live their lives with dignity.' The judgement was celebrated by women's rights groups, who cheered outside the court, opened a bottle of champagne and broke into song after the ruling was handed down. But a furious protester shouted 'trans rights are human rights' at those gathered, adding: 'Even if you kill every last one of us another will be born tomorrow.'
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Violence against women: Gloucestershire Police aims to reduce victim blaming
New guidelines have been issued within a police force to help reduce victim blaming and misogynistic language when reporting instances of violence against 'Words Matter' reporting guidelines by Gloucestershire Police were created to "amplify the voices of victims and survivors, place responsibility on the perpetrator, and improve accuracy in its press communications".Work on the project began in August 2022 in collaboration with the not-for-profit organisation This Ends police and crime commissioner Chris Nelson said: "Women are not 'groped' in clubs, men are sexually assaulting them. Women are not 'playing hard to get', men are raping them." The guidelines relate to the use of language used by the force, and is a guide for communications teams as they provide information to the public and press through witness appeals and publicising outcomes from court. Jo Webb, from Gloucestershire Police's press office, said the force wants to be sure it is "doing it right"."We realised there was no set of guidelines for police communicators when writing about incidents of male violence committed against women," she said."In the past, we would have been quite passive with our language. "We might have said for example, 'a woman was attacked' or 'a woman had been raped', with not a lot of detail or focus on the perpetrator."Now we would say, 'a man has attacked or raped a woman' - we're putting the onus and responsibility on the perpetrator."Gloucestershire Police's violence against women and girls lead, Det Ch Supt Kerry Patterson, added: "These are subtle but powerful changes in the right direction." Gloucestershire based This Ends Now was founded in 2022 in response to a series of incidents of male violence against women and and managing director Sydney-Anne McAllister said she hopes the new reporting guidelines will "reframe the conversation" and help crime reports to more accurately reflect the seriousness of the male violence against guidelines cover crimes committed primarily, but not exclusively, by men and boys against women and girls, the force covers rape and sexual assault, domestic abuse, child sexual abuse, indecent images of children and image-based abuse. It also provides tips on headlines, language around age and referencing a perpetrator's occupation. Mr Nelson said: "Anyone can be abused, but the misogynistic abuse women and girls face every day has become normalised in our society. "The Words Matter reporting guidelines may seem a small way to tackle this systemic problem, but by changing the way we talk and think about these types of crimes, we change perceptions."Mr Nelson said the Words Matter guidelines run alongside their continuing work to end male violence against women and girls through funding vital victims services and educational programmes.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Pakistan's top court upholds death penalty for man who beheaded girlfriend
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has upheld the death penalty of an American citizen for beheading his girlfriend after she refused to marry him. Zahir Jaffer, the scion of one of the South Asian country's richest families, was convicted of murdering Noor Mukaddam at his home in Islamabad on 20 July 2021. A murder investigation revealed that Mukaddam had been held captive, tortured and raped before being beheaded with a 'sharp-edged weapon'. Mukaddam, the daughter of Shaukat Mukaddam, Pakistan 's former ambassador to South Korea and Kazakhstan, was 27 when she was killed. She had made repeated attempts to escape the night of her death, only to be thwarted by the house staff. Jaffer was given the death penalty in 2022 while a guard and a gardener at his house were each sentenced to 10 years in prison for assisting in the murder. A three-member Supreme Court bench led by Justice Hashim Kakar on Tuesday upheld the death sentence given to Jaffer. Judge Kakar observed that "a daughter was mercilessly murdered", according to Dawn. The court, however, commuted Jaffer's death penalty for rape to life imprisonment. In their previous appeals, Jaffer's lawyers had contended that no medical board was formed to assess his mental state. The high-profile case had sparked outrage over the lack of convictions for violence against women in Pakistan despite high incidence. Violence against women in Pakistan has been described as 'endemic'. According to AGHS Legal Aid Cell, less than 3 per cent of perpetrators are convicted. 'This is a victory for all the women of Pakistan. It shows that our justice system can deliver justice and should give women more confidence in the legal process,' Shafaq Zaidi, a childhood friend of Mukadam, was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. 'This was our last resort, and it is hard to put into words what this outcome means to us.' Zainab Shahid, a lawyer, said Jaffar's death sentence brought a sense of justice and closure. 'It marks a departure from high-profile cases of violent crime in the past where perpetrators were acquitted by the highest appellate forum due to errors or failures by law enforcement agencies and state prosecutors in the investigative, evidentiary and trial stages of the case,' she told Dawn. 'This verdict is a rare victory for the women of Pakistan and the protection of their lives against gender-based violence.' A group of Mukkadam's friends who run the page "Justice for Noor" on X said the verdict was a reminder that "women's lives matter and their voices will be heard". "This is not just for Noor,' they said, 'it's for all women of Pakistan.'
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Hospital security increased after student midwife attacked leaving work
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Health chiefs have increased security at Christchurch Hospital's birthing unit after a student midwife was attacked on the way to their car after leaving work. The staff member was targeted after their shift at the Antigua Street unit in the central city, although the assault did not happen on hospital grounds. College of Midwives chief executive Alison Eddy said Health New Zealand was doing all it could to ensure the safety of staff. "I understand that the facility does have security staff available to escort staff back to their cars, there's absolutely that provision in place," she said. "I think sometimes people might have to wait a little bit to get access to that and people might feel they don't want to do that. But I understand the facility does everything it can to support the safety of its staff and does make that service available already, and in response to this attack . . . they've stepped up even more support and security to prevent any potential risks." The attack highlighted the risks women faced in Aotearoa, Eddy said. "It's a reflection sadly that we know females are at risk of violence and dark places around hospitals are risky places. That's just the reality of being a female, sadly, in this country. This facility is really aware of that and has done and is continuing to do everything it can to support the safety of everybody who works in those facilities," she said. An email was circulated to staff outlining what had happened, although Health New Zealand would not share details with RNZ because it was not "public information". Waitaha Canterbury director of operations Hamish Brown said the staffer involved was being "well supported". "As a precaution we have increased security measures in this part of the campus to ensure staff, and others who work here, get to their vehicles safely at night," he said. "We continue to remind staff, and others, to take appropriate safety precautions when they leave the hospital campus at night. "At Health NZ, the safety and well-being of our staff, and other workers, is a critical part of delivering quality health care to New Zealanders. We take violence and aggression seriously and our people should expect to come to work and be safe. We encourage them to report all incidents of abuse and assault." Police said the attack did not appear to have been reported to them. "We encourage anyone who is the victim of an assault to make a report online or by calling 105 so police can make enquiries," a spokesperson said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
News.com.au
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Cassie and Kim's court message to Australians
COMMENT Reading celebrity news normally doesn't feel like this. To dive into the trashier realms of the internet is like eating a Mars Bar, a sugar hit of a treat to be privately scoffed, a momentary escape from the gloom of 2025. Oh no, do tell me more about which West Village boîte is currently being patronised by Taylor Swift and that fella she is dating who seems to like a Gucci tracksuit! Wait, what has the ex-husband of the dogwalker of a Real Housewife been caught doing? Which buffed up Chris (Evans, Pratt, Hemsworth, Pine) has inexplicably taken their shirt off at just the moment a paparazzo happened to have their lens cap off? This week that changed. Right now, the two biggest celebrity stories in the world make for brutal reading and feature words like 'rape,' 'stomp', 'drag me', and 'black eye'. In New York and Paris this past week, courts have heard two famous, wealthy women detail alleged attacks, their testimony laying bare their trauma, fear and suffering. Here's the thing: If violence can allegedly reach any woman, anywhere, at any time, then no woman is ever truly safe. Neither fame nor money nor career success can every truly protect a woman from the threat of physical and sexual violence. None of us are ever immune. On Tuesday, singer Cassie Ventura and reality star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian were both giving evidence about their alleged attacks. For three full days now, Ms Ventura has been in the witness box in a New York courtroom in the federal sex trafficking trial of her former partner Sean 'Diddy' Combs. From the stand, Ms Ventura has alleged a nearly unthinkable litany of instances of physical and emotional abuse from Combs, evidence that the Washington Post has described as 'harrowing'. There were too many alleged incidents of abuse, the court heard, during their 11-year relationship, for her to remember them all. 'He would knock me over, drag me, kick me, stomp my head if I was down,' Ventura said. She said that one of Combs' bodyguards 'started to cry' when he saw her after an alleged attack that she says left her with 'black eyes, golf ball-sized knot (on my) forehead, busted up lip'. During her testimony Ventura, 38, has alleged she was forced to take part in 'freak offs' – days long, drug-fuelled sex sessions that included escorts. She said that during a 'freak off', Combs would often 'grab me up. Push me down. Hit me in the side of the head. Kick me. You name it.' (On Thursday, Diddy's lawyers told the judge the rap mogul admitted he had committed 'domestic violence' in his relationship with an accuser, identified as Victim-1, who is expected to testify. His lawyer Marc Agnifilo said the defence will 'take the position that there was mutual violence' in Comb's relationship with Victim-1.) On the same day that Ventura entered the witness box, in Paris, Kardashian was telling a court that she thought she would be raped and murdered during a 'life-changing' ordeal during a visit to the city in 2016. There to attend fashion week, armed robbers allegedly broke into her hotel room and stole $15.4 million worth of jewellery during the 'traumatic' attack. Ms Kardashian said that on the night in question, she was taken at gunpoint into her bedroom and zip-tied. Wearing only a bathrobe, 'it was terrifying to feel that you were going to be raped and killed. I would not wish this on anyone. I would not wish it on my worst enemy.' 'I absolutely did think I was going to die.' 'The emotion and trauma' of the incident 'forever changed' her life, the mother-of-four said and 'the ordeal shattered her sense of safety,' according to the New York Times. The fundamental truth that has been laid bare this week: No woman is ever safe. Violence can reach a woman anywhere. In Australia, the same bears out. No woman, no matter how well off she might be or whichever harbourside postcode she calls home, is ever truly out of reach of the threat of violence. Wealth does not magically protect you from the possibility of a partner turning violent nor does stardom or having enough diamonds to open a personal De Beers concession. Take Vaucluse in Sydney's eastern suburbs, which is the country's most expensive suburb, with a median house price of $7.4 million. Last year Kellie Sloane, the NSW MP for Vaucluse, stood in the Legislative Assembly and recounted a conversation she had had when she was first elected in 2023. 'I asked the local police in my community what their greatest concern was,' Ms Sloane said. 'What was the issue that took up most of their time?' She had thought it might be drugs or car theft. She was wrong. 'It was, and still is, domestic violence.' Even in the affluent east, 'we have a hidden epidemic of domestic violence that grows deeper and more disturbing,' Ms Sloane wrote in The Daily Telegraph last year. Data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, she said, 'showed (that— in the past two years, the rate of domestic violence had increased by 16.2 per cent in (Sydney's) east – one of the state's highest.' The same bears out in Melbourne's Stonnington and Port Phillip local government areas, which covers the prosperous areas of Toorak, Prahran, South Yarra, Albert Park and St Kilda. In the year to December 2024, there were 2507 reported 'family incidents', according to Victoria's Crime Statistics agency. Do I need to go on? While in Australia, regional areas do report higher rates of family and domestic violence, to dive into the crime stats is to be presented with the cold hard data that there is no corner of our society, no rich postcode or street full of houses with eight figure price tags, that is untouched by this scourge. What Ventura and Kardashian's testimony underscores is the danger, the looming persistent storm cloud-like possibility of violence, that hangs over all women. It can assail any one, anywhere, anytime and no matter how much Hermès they might have nonchalantly strewn across the floor.
