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Germany
Two men jailed for decades of child abuse at German campsite
More than 450 attacks, most of them rape, were carried out on boys and girls aged three to 14
by Kate Connolly Berlin
Two men who groomed and abused hundreds of children at a campsite in Germany over a period of more than 20 years have been jailed by a judge who said she was “lost for words” at the severity of their crimes.
Victims' families said they hoped the attackers would spend years behind bars. The nation's judiciary, police, youth services and politicians came under fire during the 10-week trial, despite suspicions about the men expressed by children and their parents years before.
Herbert Reul, the interior minister for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia where the abuse took place, has conceded that authorities have “not been on the ball – but half-asleep” on tackling child abuse, and promised to ensure the issue was put at the top of the political agenda.
Andreas V, 56, and Mario S, 33, whose full names were not released in accordance with German law, will spend 13 and 12 years in prison respectively, followed by a period in preventive detention, a punishment reserved for the most serious of criminals because of the risk they pose to the public's safety.
The men were accused of more than 450 incidents of abuse, most commonly rape, of 32 boys and girls, between 1998 and 2018. Their victims were aged between three and 14. Some of the children were holidaying at the camp in Lügde, close to Hamelin in northern Germany; others were visiting a girl who was being fostered by Andreas V, who was also raped by him and was in turn used to lure other children to his caravan.
Some of the children were promised laptops and other gifts, such as horse-riding sessions, if they complied. The men filmed their attacks, and thousands of hours of footage seized by police formed a central part of the evidence against them. Despite social service visits of up to four hours a week to Andreas V, who was registered at the camp as a permanent camper, social workers failed to report anything suspicious.
Investigators have said they believe that more than 1,000 children may have been victims of the men, but that because of the typical comings and goings of the campsite it had been almost impossible to contact many families. While some had approached the police, many may never come forward, they said.
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/05/men-jailed-for-decades-of-child-abuse-at-german-campsite
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Australia
Jeni Haynes: The woman who created 2,500 personalities to survive
by Frances Mao, BBC News
Sydney -- There was only one woman in the witness stand that day but out of her came six people prepared to testify about the extreme abuse she had suffered.
"I walked into court, I sat down, I made the oath, and then a few hours later I got back into my body and walked out," Jeni Haynes told the BBC.
As a child, Jeni was repeatedly raped and tortured by her father, Richard Haynes, in what Australian police say is one of the worst child abuse cases in the country.
To cope with the horror, her mind used an extraordinary tactic - creating new identities for her to detach from the pain. The abuse was so extreme and so persistent, she says she ultimately generated 2,500 distinct personalities to survive.
And in the landmark trial in March, Jeni confronted her father to present evidence against him through her personalities, including a four-year-old girl named Symphony.
It's believed to be the first case in Australia, and perhaps the world, where a victim with diagnosed Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) - or Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) - has testified in their other personalities and secured a conviction.
"We weren't scared. We had waited such a long time to tell everyone exactly what he did to us and now he couldn't shut us up," she said.
On 6 September Richard Haynes, now 74, was sentenced to 45 years in jail by a Sydney court.
'I wasn't safe in my own head'
The Haynes family moved from Bexleyheath in London to Australia in 1974. Jeni was four years old, but her father had already begun his abuse, and in Sydney this escalated into sadistic, near-daily violations.
Jeni's multiple personalities were her way to hide her real self from the abuse.
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-australia-49589160
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Denmark
Danish PM apologises for historical abuse in children's homes
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has officially said sorry to hundreds of victims of historical abuse in state-run homes.
From 1945 to 1976 children were sexually abused, beaten and drugged at the homes, an official inquiry found.
The abuse took place across Denmark and campaigners have for years appealed to the state to accept it was at fault.
"The apology means everything. All we wanted was peace of mind," said one of the victims, Arne Roel Jorgensen.
The sixty-eight-year-old told the BBC how the lives of many of the children had been ruined by the abuse. Alcohol, drugs, multiple jobs and failed marriages had all taken their toll.
The Social Democrat prime minister met dozens of victims of the scandal at her official residence at Marienborg on Tuesday.
"I would like to look every one of you in the eyes and say sorry," she told them. "I can't take the blame but I can shoulder the responsibility."
Many were in tears as she said that children had been taken from their parents and instead of getting support and warmth, they received humiliation and abuse.
How did the abuse come to light?
Details about the homes first hit the headlines in 2005, when a Danish TV documentary featured shocking allegations of abuse and mistreatment from victims of the state-run Godhavn Boys' Home, in north-eastern Denmark.
Soon after the programme, the National Association of the Godhavn's Boys was formed and an independent inquiry was conducted in 2010.
The report, published in 2011 , investigated allegations of abuse and neglect at 19 homes for both boys and girls, interviewing children, staff and state inspectors.
Despite its limited scope, it documented "alarming physical, sexual and psychological abuse" and researchers found blood traces on a gymnastic horse, indicating children had been beaten on it.
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-europe-49320260
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YouTube / Google
YouTube settles with FTC for not protecting children's privacy
YouTube recently settled with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over their allegations of not protecting children's privacy. As a part of the settlement, the Google-owned company will pay a fine of $136 million to the FTC and $34 million to the state of New York for violating their Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
Additionally, the FTC has made YouTube liable to make several adjustments in their policy to ensure children-appropriate content is shown on their platform while ensuring their protection as well. However, YouTube admits that, as a result of the changes, the creators of children-friendly content may suffer financially.
YouTube has also announced an investment of $100 million for the creation of original children's content. The fund, distributed over a span of three years, will be used to create child-appropriate content for both – YouTube and YouTube Kids worldwide. The CEO of YouTube, Susan Wojcicki says that they will share more information about their plans in the weeks ahead.
She also claims that the company is working on ways to improve the family experience on their platform while addressing the questions raised during the FTC remains to be their top priority.
In fact, the company has begun working on the improvements for a few months. Just last month, YouTube expanded its child safety policy to remove any content that might mislead the young children.
Promotional content is also being comprehensively scrutinized by the platform. For example, there are several videos where the scenario of kids playing with toys is a bait to promote the brand and lead them to make payments. The young minds of children are usually unaware that the videos are promotional or for their entertainment purpose only.
Concerns regarding child labor laws are also circulating the news where some parents are exploiting their children for views (and income) on YouTube and even taking part in child abuse.
Along with YouTube, the FTC is also working on ways to improve the family experience on the World Wide Web. The regulation body is also hosting a workshop in October where they will enlighten the audience regarding child privacy and encourage them to develop kid-safe platforms.
https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2019/09/an-update-on-kids-and-data-protection-on-youtube.html?m=1
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Australian Catholicism
Archbishop says prison preferable to complying with child abuse confession law
Priests would have to break the seal of the confessional and report any admissions of child abuse under proposed news laws
by Lisa Martin
Melbourne's Catholic archbishop insists three years jail is preferable to breaking the seal of confession and reporting child sexual abuse to authorities.
Priests will risk prison if they don't report child abuse revealed to them during the sacrament of confession, under new laws introduced in Victoria on Wednesday.
The bill, introduced into state parliament would make religious ministers mandatory reporters of abuse suspicions alongside police, teachers, medical practitioners and early childhood workers.
“I don't think in contemporary and mainstream times, knowing what we know now, that we can do anything other than say the rights of children trump anyone's religious views,” the attorney general, Jill Hennessy, told reporters.
“Ultimately this is about making sure that we start to right the wrongs of systemic abuse.”
Archbishop Peter Comensoli said he'd ask someone who admitted abuse to tell him outside the box but if they refused he would “keep the seal”.
“I hold the principle of mandatory reporting … and I also hold onto the principle of the seal of confession. My own position is that I don't see that as mutually exclusive,” he told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
The archbishop's office later released a statement saying the church welcomed the proposed expansion of mandatory reporting to include religious ministers, but denied the seal of confession was an obstacle to mandatory reporting.
“Confession doesn't place people above the law. Priests should be mandatory reporters, but in a similar way to protections to the lawyer/client relationship and protection for journalists' sources.”
Catholic archbishops in the ACT and South Australia have also vowed to defy similar laws.
Melbourne's most senior Catholic also revealed he saw disgraced cardinal and convicted child abuser George Pell in prison about two months ago, as he awaits the outcome of his appeal over his conviction for sexual abuse.
“I think he has a sense of waiting, as anything there would be a psychological agitation about waiting for what's going to be the outcome of the appeal, but I found him strong spiritually and calm and very conversive,” Comensoli said.
Under the proposed Victorian laws, priests and spiritual leaders face up to three years' jail if they don't report child physical and sexual abuse allegations.
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/aug/14/victorian-bill-would-compel-priests-to-report-child-abuse-confessions-or-risk-jail
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Norway
Prison for Norway cleric over child-abuse images
by REBECCA PAVELEY
An Anglican priest in Norway has been convicted of possessing images of child sexual abuse and sentenced to six months in prison.
The Revd Peter Hogarth, a member of the chaplaincy team covering Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Stavanger, was suspended from his duties by the Bishop in Europe, Dr Robert Innes, when he was arrested in March this year.
Dr Innes said that Mr Hogarth had “betrayed the trust” of the Church and his congregation.
Mr Hogarth, who was ordained in 2001, joined the diocese in Europe in 2004, having previously served as a curate in the diocese of Bath & Wells.
He was charged with three indictments under the Norwegian penal code covering possession of depictions of sexual abuse of children, or depictions that sexualise children, and sexually abusive behaviour against children under the age of 16.
In a joint statement, Dr Innes, and the Suffragan Bishop in Europe, the Rt Revd David Hamid, said: “By his actions, Peter Hogarth has betrayed the trust placed in him by the Church and those among his local community. His conduct is entirely at odds with the standards required and expected of a priest in the Church of England.
“We in the Diocese in Europe express our deep regret at the distress and harm caused in this case to all who have been affected. We reaffirm our wholehearted commitment to ensuring that all churches in the Diocese are safe places for everyone, for worship and all church-related activities, in love, mutual respect and fellowship, in the Spirit of Christ.
“The Diocese in Europe has provided pastoral support to those we know have been affected by this situation over recent months.
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2019/6-september/news/world/prison-for-norway-cleric-over-child-abuse-images
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Larry Nassar
Michigan State University fined record $4.5m over Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal
The fine breaks a record, but is small compared to a civil settlement with victims of the school's gymnastics team doctor
by Lily Puckett
Michigan State University has been ordered to pay a $4.5m fine for failing to protect students from sexual abuse, education secretary Betsy DeVos has announced.
The fine sets a record as the largest to be paid under the Clery Act, a federal law that requires colleges to report all campus crimes. But it's small compared to the university's $500m civil settlement with young women sexually abused by Larry Nassar, the school's gymnastics team doctor.
The sum is part of a settlement with the education department, which is overseeing two investigations into the school's handling of abuse allegations against Mr Nassar and William Strampel, a former dean.
“What happened at Michigan State University was abhorrent,” Ms DeVos said. “The crimes for which Larry Nassar and William Strampel have been convicted are disgusting and unimaginable. So too was the university's response to their crimes.”
Last year, Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for abusing dozens of girls and young women under the guise of providing medical treatment.
He was also given a separate sentence of up to 125 years for the abuse and an additional 60-year federal prison term for child pornography.
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/michigan-state-university-sexual-abuse-scandal-larry-nassar-a9093751.html?amp
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Soccer
Christoph Metzelder steps down from role after child abuse images allegations
Questioned by polic, Metzelder is accused of sending child abuse images to woman
Former Germany defender Christoph Metzelder has stepped down as president from his boyhood club TuS Haltern am See after he was questioned by police as part of an investigation into distribution of child abuse images, the club said in a statement.
Computer equipment was confiscated during two searches, Hamburg's state prosecutor's office said. “The accused is alleged to have sent to a (female) recipient in Hamburg pictures with content [of child abuse images] through the communication platform WhatsApp,” Hamburg state prosecutor's office said.
Metzelder could not be reached for comment but his club, who play in the fourth division, said in a statement: “Until everything is cleared up with the ongoing investigation the former international will leave all his posts at TuS Haltern am See.”
Metzelder, a Bundesliga champion with Borussia Dortmund, also played for Schalke 04 and Real Madrid. He was a World Cup runner-up in 2002 and won 47 caps for his country. He also played in the 2006 World Cup. He had been chairman at Haltern since 2014.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/sep/05/christoph-metzelder-steps-down-from-role-after-child-abuse-images-allegations
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Show biz
‘Voice' Singer Files Sex Abuse Suit Against Disney and Nashville Producer
by Gene Maddaus and Shirley Halperin
Jordan Pruitt, a contestant on the third season of “The Voice,” has filed a lawsuit accusing her former manager, Keith Thomas, of sexually abusing her beginning when she was 14 years old.
Pruitt also sued her former record label, Hollywood Records, and its parent company, the Walt Disney Co., alleging that they had failed to prevent the abuse. The suit alleges that the label compelled her to work with Thomas as her mentor and producer, and allowed him to be unsupervised, even though it knew or should have known that he was a sexual abuser.
“Unfortunately, these large companies are primarily concerned with sales, money and charts,” Pruitt said in a statement to Variety. “Too often they fall short of protecting the young talent that they are ‘supposed' to be caretakers for. Time and time again we see people in positions of power fail us. I couldn't be more disappointed in how Disney treats their underage talent like cash cows.”
Disney and Hollywood Records did not comment on the complaint.
The suit represents a bombshell within the country music scene, where sexual misconduct allegations are still largely taboo even in the #MeToo era.
Thomas is a veteran Nashville producer. He got his start with Ronnie Milsap, and worked with BeBe and CeCe Winans before hitting it big with the Amy Grant single “Baby Baby.” Since the early 2000s, he has worked largely with teenaged female singers, including Pruitt. In 2013, he starred on “Chasing Nashville,” a short-lived Lifetime reality show that followed four girls striving for country music stardom.
The lawsuit was first filed on Aug. 14, using pseudonyms. Reached by Variety at that time, Thomas referred questions to his attorney. His attorney did not respond to a request for comment. An amended complaint with the true names attached was filed on Tuesday.
Pruitt signed with the label as a 14-year-old in 2005. She released two albums in 2007 and 2008. In her statement to Variety, she said that many in the Nashville music world fear the consequences of speaking up about sexual abuse.
“I am standing up and speaking out not only for myself, but for the countless victims across the world who have never been given the opportunity for justice,” Pruitt said. “It is extremely taboo for anyone to speak about sexual abuse, misconduct and exploitation of minors in the ordinarily conservative and genteel South. Over and above decorum, many fear the repercussions of coming forward for example (getting blacklisted from the industry, losing work, having YOUR reputation tarnished). To many victims, coming forward feels shameful. Even though the #metoo movement has been very powerful for many, there is still much work that needs to be done. No one should ever be punished for telling the truth and seeking justice, period.”
The suit claims that Thomas groomed Pruitt for abuse, controlling her entire professional life, cutting off contact with boys her own age, and putting her down with negative comments about her looks and talents. The suit alleges that he would also shower her with compliments, saying he loved her and that no one understood how “special” their relationship was.
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/voice-singer-sex-abuse-lawsuit-manager-jordan-pruitt-1203303543/amp/
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Show biz
Actor Hosea Chanchez alleges abuse by ex-official at Pa. college
Actor Hosea Chanchez says a friend's father sexually assaulted him in Alabama when he was 14 years old, identifying his abuser as a college administrator who later worked at a state university in Pennsylvania and faced accusations that he harassed and molested several male students.
Chanchez, who starred in BET's long-running series "The Game," described what he says happened to him in an Instagram post this week, writing that he decided to go public now "in hopes that my TRUTH helps to free someone else from guilt and shame at the hands of a predator, rapist, pedophile."
The actor confirmed to The Associated Press on Friday that the Isaac Sanders he says assaulted him in the 1990s is the same man who worked at Pennsylvania's East Stroudsburg University in the 2000s.
Sanders' lawyer in Pennsylvania, Harry Coleman, told the AP on Wednesday that he had not spoken to his client about Chanchez. Coleman did not immediately respond to phone and email messages Friday. Two messages were left at a phone number associated with Sanders seeking comment on Chanchez's accusation.
On Instagram, Chanchez, now 37, recounted an assault he said happened in Montgomery, Alabama, when he was around 14.
He said Sanders had been grooming him with explicit sexual banter. One day, he wrote, Sanders was giving him a ride home from his house when he detoured, pulled to the side of a dirt road and said he wanted to talk to Chanchez about his future.
"He worked at a university so he said he's only looking out for me and my future. Then out of nowhere he said he wanted to see what the girls are going crazy over, then he reached over unzipped my pants and told me to trust him," Chanchez wrote.
Chanchez wrote that Sanders performed oral sex on him. Afterward, he said, Sanders ordered him to keep quiet about it. "He told me he's a very powerful man and if I'd ever told anyone he would ruin my life and no one would believe me anyways," Chanchez wrote.
He said he buried the memory for decades.
"As a man, a black man, I always thought acknowledging this would make me less of a man. I was afraid to be judged, talked about, laughed at or even worse ... not believed at all."
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2019/09/actor-hosea-chanchez-alleges-abuse-by-ex-official-at-pa-college.html?outputType=amp
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Kansas City / NFL Sports
Chiefs' Tyreek Hill Signs $54 Million Contract After Child Abuse Investigation
by WARNER TODD HUSTON
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill has signed a $54 million contract on the heels of the charges of child abuse filed against him being dropped.
Prosecutors decided to drop their investigation after they decided they could not definitively determine if it was Hill or his ex-fiancee that hurt the child. Prosecutors refused to bring charges against either suspect.
But right after the charges were dropped, a shocking audio tape a leaked in which the player was allegedly heard discussing an assault on his infant son.
The Chiefs suspended Hill indefinitely only last month following the leaked tape.
But despite the suspension, the NFL also decided not to bring any charges against the 25-year-old player, saying, “Based on the evidence presently available, the NFL cannot conclude that Mr. Hill violated the Personal Conduct Policy.”
The Chiefs then immediately reinstated Hill after the league's decision.
Now, according to ESPN, the team is set to sign the player to a big new contract.
“We're pleased we were able to reach an agreement with Tyreek to keep him in a Chiefs uniform for the foreseeable future,” said general manager Brett Veach. “He understands our expectations of him as a member of this team and community. This extension is contingent upon the conditions Tyreek agreed to adhere to upon his return to the team in July.
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2019/09/06/chiefs-tyreek-hill-signs-54-million-contract-after-child-abuse-investigation/amp/
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Scientology / Show biz
Leah Remini's 'Scientology and the Aftermath' to End with Explosive interview
The actress and activist discusses the Danny Masterson accusations and her efforts moving forward: "When Scientology's tax exempt status is revoked and people are in prison, that's when I'll start healing."
Leah Remini is calling it a day on Scientology and the Aftermath. The actress and activist, who's been an outspoken critic of the deeply controversial organization since her own exit in 2013, has decided to wrap A&E's Emmy-winning docuseries after three seasons.
Scientology and the Aftermath's final episode, a two-hour special filmed in front of a live studio audience of former members, will focus on testimonials alleging that Scientology policies have hindered members from reporting instances of sexual assault and physical violence to the authorities. It is set to air Monday, Aug. 26.
Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the accusations of rape against actor and Scientologist Danny Masterson will be included in the two-hour special, as will footage of interviews with two of the women who've accused him. This is the widely reported segment that producers were working on earlier in the year, though Masterson is not said to be the focus of the finale. (Masterson has denied any wrongdoing, calling it "beyond ridiculous," and has not been charged with a crime — but, on late Wednesday, four women filed a lawsuit against him and Scientology alleging stalking and a conspiracy to cover up the alleged assaults.)
Over the course of 36 episodes, Remini and fellow Scientology defector Mike Rinder have confronted the the rampant allegations of condoned and often sanctioned abuse and harassment in Scientology. Speaking with THR on Wednesday — see the edited Q&A below — Remini said that meddling from the organization had become problematic and she now intends to prevent further abuses via a new, yet-to-be-announced effort. "They can believe whatever the fuck they want," says Remini. "But they can't just do whatever the fuck they want."
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/news/leah-remini-scientology-aftermath-ending-special-sexual-abuse-1231767
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Philippines
US woman charged with trying to smuggle baby out of Philippines
Jennifer Erin Talbot arrested at Manila airport after allegedly hiding newborn in sling bag
by Leonie Kijewski
An American woman has been charged with human trafficking for allegedly attempting to smuggle an undocumented six-day-old baby out of the Philippines hidden in a bag.
Jennifer Erin Talbot was arrested at Manila's airport on Wednesday and charged with human trafficking, kidnapping and child abuse.
Talbot was able to pass through the airport immigration counter without declaring the baby boy but was intercepted at the boarding gate by airline personnel.
The 43-year-old was unable to produce any passport, boarding pass or government permits for the baby, airport officials said. It is alleged she planned to board a Delta flight to Ohio.
“She's from a Mormon church and they're trying to get the baby to be baptised and get church recognition for protection,” said Marlon Toledo, the supervising agent for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
According to an unsigned affidavit letter Talbot had with her at the airport, seen by the Guardian, the trip to the US was supposed to be temporary and “not exceed 6 weeks”. It names the child as “Andrew” and spells out the alleged purpose of the trip: for the baby “to receive a ‘name and a blessing' and attain membership within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
The letter said the child was to receive American medical vaccines and a checkup, and would be taken to “meet his great-grandmother before she passes”. Allegedly written by the biological mother of the child, Maricris Dulap, it sets out the return date as 8 October 2019 but was not signed.
The baby has been turned over to government welfare personnel, where he will remain until a court order has been reached. Similar cases could last two to three years until a final judgment, Toledo said.
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/05/american-philippines-baby-human-trafficking-charge
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Human Trafficking
Efforts to combat human trafficking slow under Trump
Several federal efforts to combat human trafficking in the U.S. have slowed under the Trump administration, according to government data and human trafficking advocates.
Why it matters: There are thousands of trafficking victims in the U.S. — including children trafficked into prostitution as well as agricultural and domestic workers who are paid little or nothing. But the Trump administration has cut back on prosecutions of these crimes and assistance to victims.
By the numbers: Last year, the National Human Trafficking Hotline identified almost 15,000 people who were most likely trafficked. That's more than any year since at least 2012.
But prosecutions are down: The number of defendants charged with human trafficking by federal attorneys fell to 386 last year, from 553 in 2017, according to the State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.
So far this year, federal attorneys have prosecuted 39% of the cases referred to them with child sex trafficking as the lead charge, according to data collected by Syracuse University. That's down from 49% in the last year of the Obama administration.
Investigations are also down: In 2018, the Justice Department opened just 657 trafficking investigations — down from a spike of 1,800 in FY 2016, per the TIP reports.
Yes, but: Trafficking convictions are still rising — although that could include some cases that began during the Obama administration, said Susan French, a former federal prosector for human trafficking cases.
And while overall prosecutions are down, DOJ continues to prosecute more cases involving child prostitution.
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://amp.axios.com/human-trafficking-sex-trafficking-trump-justice-0d006972-3df4-4a85-b1c0-9e3c8458d21a.html
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Human Trafficking
Grim reality: Human trafficking real, Hub of HOPE says
by Becca Martin-Brown
The Walk for Freedom, organized in 2017 in Fayetteville by a national nonprofit, was intended to raise awareness to end human trafficking. Now a local organization, Hub of HOPE, is working to share the facts and aid the survivors, and the First United Presbyterian Church is hosting a seminar to help.
"God's love for justice is a call for the church to take a stand and be a voice for the those who have had their voices taken from them," says Hub of HOPE founder Jenny Sorey.
"As parents and grandparents, we are the eyes and ears for our children to keep them safe," says Barbara Verdery. "But if we don't have the education on what to look for, then we can't help our young people."
That, in essence, is what prompted Verdery to plan "Illuminate Change in the Human Trafficking World," a seminar set for Sept. 22 at First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville.
Illuminate Change in the Human Trafficking World
When: Sessions 3-5 p.m. & 5:45-7:30 p.m. Sept. 22
Where: First United Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, 695 E. Calvin St.
Cost: Free; the church and community will have the opportunity to donate to the newly opened Hub of HOPE Transition Center
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2019/sep/07/grim-reality-human-trafficking-real-hub/
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India
This Mumbai NGO saved over 5,000 girls from human trafficking in 26 years
Triveni Acharya led Rescue Foundation NGO has been working since the early 90s, rescuing more than 5,000 girls from sex trafficking across several Indian cities.
Women and child trafficking have been deemed as a crime by the Indian judicial system. However, the menace does not seem to cease. Rescuing several women and girls in Mumbai is social worker Triveni Acharya, Founder of a non-government organisation (NGO) Rescue Foundation.
Rescue Foundation has been working since the early 90s and has rescued more than 5,000 girls from sex trafficking, across India, including in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Agra, Bihar, and Rajasthan.
Explaining to The New Indian Express' Edex Live about how her foundation rescues girls, Triveni said, “When we receive any information, we first try to track them down, inform the police and then rescue them. Once the girls are older, around 25 years, they go out of business. So, there's always a demand for younger, virgin girls. Whenever a new girl is brought in, we get information about it. They're referred to as Naya maal (new product).”
According to Triveni, one can identify that the girls are new, as they are dressed up with heavy makeup and look scared. The spies working for the NGO try to talk to these young girls first, as it is important to get their consent before rescuing them legally.
If they agree to the fact that they have been forced into the profession, an FIR is filed with the police.
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://yourstory.com/socialstory/2019/09/mumbai-ngo-girls-sex-trafficking-rescue/amp
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New York City
Light of Hope event shines light on abuse and neglect
by MAUNETTE LOEKS
SCOTTSBLUFF — When author Laura Schroff met young Maurice, he was just 11 years old. The boy had been on a New York City street, begging for money for food when Schroff passed him on Labor Day weekend in 1986.
At first, the woman walked by the young boy, who often went to the streets when he was hungry as his family lived in a drug-ridden hotel. She said “no” when he asked for money and kept walking.
But, three words stopped the woman, right in the middle of the infamous Broadway.
“I am hungry.”
And, Schroff turned back around and offered to take the boy to a nearby McDonald's.
As she ate with him, she learned that he hadn't eaten for two days. His family was trapped in a cycle of poverty, drug addiction and violence.
As they talked, she said, “I knew instantly that he was just a really good kid who just happened to be stuck in a really hard, bad world.“
What happened next changed Schroff's life, and Maurice's. Schroff shares her story in her book, "An Invisible Thread." The story reinforces how one small act of kindness can make an enormous difference, she told the crowd at the Light of Hope event Thursday.
After that fateful day, Schroff and members of her family became mentors for the young boy. Today, he is in his 40s, with a family of his own, and having achieved a degree in theology.
“Without knowing it at the time, I was somewhat like a CASA before I knew what a CASA was,” she said.
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://www.starherald.com/news/local_news/light-of-hope-event-shines-light-on-abuse-and-neglect/article_9748a353-1120-565e-a59b-7fb76a9df1f0.amp.html
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Telethon – Show biz
Circles of Hope Telethon raises more than $1.4 million with theme inspired by a client
by LASHERICA THORNTON
The Exchange Club - Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse held its 36th annual Circles of Hope Telethon Sunday and raised $1,416,105 — about $3,000 more than last year.
The center works with children who have been physically or sexually abused, and provides forensic interviews and counseling.
The 2019 theme "Our Colors, Our Story, Our Journey" was inspired by a child the center serves.
In cognitive behavioral therapy, kids can express themselves and what they're experiencing through art. A young lady painted a rainbow with each color representing what she was going through personally, Pam Nash, president and CEO of the Carl Perkins Center, said.
“It's a way we can let the community know her story,” Nash said. “In doing that, we can talk about our colors, our story and the difference the center makes in the lives of children who have been physically or sexually abused.”
The center doesn't charge children or their family for services, so the center must raise funds to serve more than 8,000 children with services at about $600 per child.
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://amp.jacksonsun.com/amp/2053434001
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Troy, NY
Three Billboards Outside Her Abuser's Workplace
by CARRIE N. BAKER
Kat Sullivan was 17 when she met Scott Sargent, her soccer coach at Emma Willard School (EWS) in Troy, New York, where she was a boarding student. Sullivan says Sargent raped her at his on-campus apartment—and that when she sought help from school administrators, they instead pressured her to withdraw from the school. Sargent admitted wrongdoing, but was allowed to resign; the school later recommended him for a teaching position at King School in Stamford, Connecticut, where he was terminated in 2005 for similar behavior.
In 2016, Sullivan reported the rape to police in Troy, but learned that her case was outside the statute of limitations. (At the time, New York had one of the country's most restrictive laws for cases involving child sexual abuse.) The school conducted its own investigation that determined that 105 students had reported sexual abuse and harassment with no reported action by the school to notify police or parents. Sullivan later received a settlement from EWS.
Sullivan vowed to use the settlement money to fight for stronger laws to protect child victims. She joined survivor activists in protesting, lobbying and speaking out about child sex abuse. She marched across the Brooklyn Bridge wearing crime scene tape and chanting: “Protect Children, Not Predators!” Then, in 2018, on a flight from Florida to New York, she saw the film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Five minutes into the film, she decided to use her settlement money to buy billboards to warn people about her perpetrator—and to put pressure on New York Assembly members to pass the Child Victims Act, which extends the statute of limitations for civil and criminal cases against perpetrators of child sex abuse and the institutions that cover up for them.
The law, which recently passed, had been stalled in the New York Senate for years—blocked by Republicans, the Catholic Church and others who feared they would be held accountable for their abuse of children. Sullivan, a survivor herself, was determined to change the law and frustrated that legislators were not listening, so she decided to amplify her message.
Sullivan wanted to create a billboard with her perpetrator's face and name alongside the word “rapist.” Two billboard companies said no. The third, Lamar, agreed, with some conditions: she could not name her rapist on the billboard, but she could refer to her website and post his name there after the billboards came down.
Sullivan purchased three billboards—one in Albany, near EWS; another in Stamford, Connecticut, near King School; and a third near South Hadley, Massachusetts, where Sargent was living at the time. “My constant fear has always been that people won't know about him,” Sullivan told Ms. “I got as loud as I could get but I didn't know how far that would reach. But I knew he was in South Hadley.”
<< for the full article see the link below >>
https://msmagazine.com/2019/09/03/three-billboards-outside-her-abusers-workplace/ |
