A lawsuit accusing Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z ofsexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 2000 has been dismissed, according to court documents filed on Friday in New York.
The case, brought forward by an anonymous plaintiff identified as Jane Doe, was voluntarily withdrawn by her attorney, Tony Buzbee. Buzbee, who is handling multiple lawsuits related to sexual misconduct allegations against Combs, did not provide further details on the decision to drop the case.
The filings state that the plaintiff “hereby gives notice that the… action is voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice”.
Because the dismissal is with prejudice, the lawsuit cannot again be refiled in its current form.
Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, issued a statement signed by him, referring to the dismissal as a “victory”.
“The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed,” he wrote.
“This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims.”
“The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed,” said the rapper, who is married to singer Beyoncé.
He continued: “The courts must protect the innocent from being accused without a shred of evidence. May the truth prevail for all victims and those falsely accused equally.”
Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, emphasised in a separate statement that the case “never should have been brought”.
“By standing up in the face of heinous and false allegations, Jay has done what few can – he pushed back, he never settled, he never paid 1 red penny, he triumphed and cleared his name,” he said in a statement to the BBC.
Jane Doe initially filed the lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs in October, later adding Jay-Z as a defendant in December. She accused both men of sexually assaulting her in 2000 following an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty.
Last month, Jay-Z petitioned the court to dismiss the case, arguing that the accuser’s claims were inconsistent. U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres granted the request, ultimately leading to the lawsuit’s dismissal.
While Jay-Z is no longer facing legal proceedings in this matter, Combs remains entangled in over three dozen civil lawsuits. Following the court’s decision, his legal team released a statement reaffirming his innocence.
“For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by an attorney more focused on media headlines than legal merit. Just like this claim, the others will fall apart because there is no truth to them,” the statement says.
It added: “This is just the first of many that will not hold up in a court of law.”
Mr Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since September 2024 on federal criminal charges related to racketeering and sex trafficking.
He’s been denied bail three times and will remain in custody until his trial on 5 May 2025.
Jay-Z strongly denied the allegations, claiming that his attorney had been sent “blackmail” in an attempt to force a settlement. He said the attempt had the “opposite effect” and instead motivated him to publicly challenge the accusations.
In December, Jane Doe gave an interview that raised questions about her credibility. She admitted that “not all the facts are clear” and stated, “I have made some mistakes. I may have made a mistake in identifying.”
Eight male students from Mpraeso Senior High School in the Kwahu South Municipality have been accused of raping a female student on Sunday, October 13.
The police are set to arraign the five detained suspects, while efforts continue to apprehend the remaining three who are currently at large.
The Kwahu Nkwatia Divisional Police Command is actively searching for the remaining students.
The victim has received medical treatment, was discharged from the hospital, and is currently undergoing counselling. Meanwhile, the school’s management has assured the police of their full support and cooperation in the investigation and has stated that the situation is under control.
A 16-year-old female student at Mpraeso Senior High School (SHS) in the Eastern area is allegedly the victim of gang rape, leading to the arrest of five pupils.
Currently on the run are three additional students who participated in the act.
The victim described her encounter, saying that a male student called her as she was leaving the canteen with her buddy to get lunch.
While approaching him, she saw seven other male students also walk towards them.
According to her, she is not aware of the conversation the suspects had with her friend but she abandoned her as the suspects forcibly had sex with her.
The incident she said occurred on Sunday and there was nobody around to offer help.
“I have been to the hospital for the necessary check up and I want the suspects to face the full rigorous of the law,” she stated.
The headmaster, James Affadu, verified the incident during an interview with Adom News.
Mr. Affadu stated that the disciplinary committee has expelled all eight boys and referred the case to the police for further investigation and appropriate measures.
In the meantime, the Nkwatia Divisional Police Command has not yet processed the suspects for court prosecution.
Recent discussionson Ghana’s legal framework regarding rape, have highlighted concerns over its effectiveness in protecting and delivering justice for men who may be victims of sexual assault.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the EYA Foundation for African Leaders, Dr. Esther Yesutor, has called for significant reforms in Ghana’s constitution to address this issue. She argues that the current legal definitions and protections are inadequate for male victims of sexual violence.
During a recent discussion on sexual assault, Dr. Yesutor criticized this limitation, pointing out that the prevailing legal definitions fail to address the realities faced by male victims.
She stated, “You think that sexual abuse is mostly a female thing. But when you pick 71 men, at least one of them has been sexually abused.
But the unfortunate thing about our part of the world, especially in Ghana, is that men cannot be raped. So if you are a man in Ghana and somebody has sex with you without your consent, you cannot regard that as rape, so you get no justice for that.”
Under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act of 1960 (Act 29), specifically Section 98 of Chapter 6 on Sexual Offences, the term “rape” is narrowly defined as the “carnal knowledge of a female” without her consent.
This gender-specific definition excludes men from being recognized as victims of rape under the current legal framework.
For reference, Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act outlines rape and other sexual offences as follows: Section 97 defines rape as a first-degree felony, with imprisonment ranging from five to twenty-five years. Section 98 specifies that rape is the carnal knowledge of a female aged sixteen or above without her consent.
Section 99 requires proof of at least the slightest degree of penetration for an offence to be considered rape. Section 102 addresses carnal knowledge of individuals with mental incapacity, imposing imprisonment for a term of five to twenty-five years.
Dr. Esther Yesutor has made a clarion call for legal adjustments to better encompass and protect all victims of sexual violence, regardless of gender.
She emphasized, “Rape can only be perpetrated by people who have a penis. How? If a woman forces herself on you, that is sexual assault and not rape, and I think our lawyers would have to do something about that.”
The limitations in the current legal framework have been associated with underreporting and lack of comprehensive data on male victims of sexual violence. Societal attitudes and stigma contribute to the difficulties in documenting and addressing these cases effectively in the country.
Legally, men in Ghana cannot be raped – Dr. Esther Yesutor claims
According to her, the current law in Ghana does not recognize men as potential rape victims, and she is calling for a revision to provide legal recourse for abused men.
The Bekwai Circuit Court in the Ashanti Region has handed down severe sentences in two criminal cases.
Akwasi Agyemang, a 20-year-old ex-convict, was sentenced to 25 years of hard labor for a series of heinous crimes.
On August 25, 2024, Agyemang broke into the home of an 8-month pregnant teenager in Feyiase.
Armed with a knife, he threatened the victim, stole her belongings, and then raped her before fleeing.
The victim’s cry for help attracted neighbors, who, with the help of the local assembly member, managed to apprehend Agyemang.
After confessing to the robbery charge, Agyemang was convicted, though the rape charge is still under review by the Attorney General’s office.
In another case, the Bekwai Circuit Court sentenced Kwabena Ofori, a 23-year-old tricycle rider and ex-convict, to nine years in prison.
Ofori was found guilty of assaulting a driver in Beposo, a town in the Bekwai Municipality. He had previously threatened the victim, suspecting the victim’s younger brother of having an affair with his girlfriend.
Ofori inflicted severe injuries on the victim before escaping.
The police later discovered that Ofori was already serving a sentence at Kumasi Central Prison for a different crime. Upon his release, he was arrested and sentenced to nine years of hard labor for the recent assault.
A 45-year-old woman is alleging rape being sanctioned by the leadership of the opposition of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The woman made this claim during an interview on the Sompa Nkomo show on Sompa FM.
According to the woman, the alleged rape incidents occurred in 2019, after she left Sunyani in the Bono Region to Kenyase in the Ashanti Region to be accommodated by a friend of hers after falling ill.
While staying with her friend, a young man came to where she lived to rent a place.
“When he came, I was not on good terms with him,” she said in Twi.
However, someway somehow, the man visited her at Sunyani when she left for her own place.
“So I asked him of the reason for his visit. He told me and not long after, he started touching me. He had never made any form of sexual advances to him. We struggled and he got his way and slept with me,” she said on the show.
He was 28-years-old and she was about 40 years old at the time of the alleged incident.
According to the woman, the man continued to visit and forced himself on her after a struggle.
She added that she felt uneasy and decided to ask the man why he forced himself on her.
“He told me it is the leaders. So I asked what leaders. I kept insisting and he told me that it is NDC leaders who sent him,” she said.
Aside from the claims, the woman failed to provide any form of evidence to support her claim against the party or the rape incidents.
It is also unknown if the alleged rape incidents have been reported to the police for investigations to take place.
A UK-based Nigerian pastor, Michael Oluronbi, 60, has been sentenced to 34 years in prison for multiple rapes of congregation members.
His victims included both adults and children, whom he abused over a span of 20 years, exploiting his position of trust.
Some of his female victims became pregnant multiple times, and he was found guilty of using his religious authority to perpetrate these crimes against six women and a man.
The judge described his actions as among the most severe cases of sexual abuse involving multiple victims.
Oluronbi, originally from Nigeria and residing in Birmingham, manipulated victims into participating in ‘spiritual bathing’, falsely claiming it would cleanse them of evil spirits.
He further coerced some into abortions to conceal the pregnancies resulting from his assaults.
During his trial, the jury learned that Oluronbi committed 15 counts of rape, seven counts of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault, totaling at least 88 separate instances of rape.
His wife, Juliana, was also implicated, convicted on three counts of aiding and abetting rape for facilitating some of the terminations. She received an 11-year prison sentence for her role in supporting her husband’s crimes.
‘Everything was my fault’ admits pastor in video confession
In a confession videoed last year by a victim’s family member who had confronted him, the pastor is heard saying: ‘Everything was just my fault, and as I said before, I wasn’t meant to be human.
‘I wasn’t meant to live under the roof of any human being and I said that I was an animal.’
The footage was released by West Midlands Police after the trial.
The victim’s relative is then heard, off-camera, asking the pastor: ‘You know I said that you are a paedophile? Everyone knows that you’re a paedophile. You know that that’s the name they give to your type?’
In the recorded footage, Oluronbi, dressed in a formal shirt and tie, speaks energetically, gesturing with raised hands and closed eyes before responding with a simple ‘Fine.’
He attributes his actions to the influence of the devil, attempting to justify his abuse.
Despite the damning recording, Oluronbi maintained his innocence throughout the trial, forcing his victims to testify against him over nine weeks of legal proceedings.
Even while giving his own testimony, he displayed a callous disregard, laughing in the witness box.
Judge Sarah Buckingham condemned Oluronbi’s actions, asserting that the purported ‘spiritual baths’ were merely a guise to satisfy his own sexual desires.
Both Oluronbi and his wife will be required to register as sex offenders for life.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Buckingham criticized Oluronbi’s claims that his actions were divinely guided.
‘Its real purpose was to fulfil your insatiable sexual appetite.
‘The children feared you and this enabled you to continue your grip.
‘Your offending has had an extreme and severe impact on all of your complainants.
‘Any attempt to suggest otherwise would be without foundation.
‘You abused your position of trust – they trusted you like God.’
The judge continued: ‘You did this because you are an arrogant, selfish and vain man.
‘In my judgment, your offending must be one of the worst cases of sexual abuse of multiple children to come before the courts.’
An adult survivor bravely stepped forward to assist in bringing Oluronbi to account for his actions.
In court testimonies read by the prosecution, one victim expressed how the defendant’s actions left her questioning the value of her own life.
Jurors learned that Oluronbi was associated with the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Edgbaston, Birmingham, which originated in Nigeria.
He established a separate group comprising approximately 40 individuals, where he introduced the practice of ‘spiritual bathing’, distinct from the main church’s activities.
These offenses occurred across Birmingham and London.
Prosecutor Phil Bradley QC explained to the jury that Oluronbi’s primary manipulation tactic involved claiming divine instruction to conduct ‘holy baths’, purportedly to cleanse and protect congregants from malevolent forces.
For some female victims, these ‘baths’ evolved into repeated instances of rape, often resulting in unwanted pregnancies and subsequent terminations.
Victims described Oluronbi as ‘controlling’ and possessing an aura of authority.
These offenses transpired over two decades, spanning various locations dating back to the 1980s.
Oluronbi was apprehended at Birmingham Airport in May of the previous year while attempting to depart for Nigeria, accompanied by ceremonial items and a sum of money.
While police could not definitively ascertain his intent to evade justice, they noted that he had recently been confronted by one of his victims about the abuse.
Two 19-year-oldPremier League footballers have been arrested in connection with an alleged rape, according to police reports.
The players, who have not been named, were interviewed by authorities and later released on bail.
Both individuals are reported to be from the same club, which has chosen not to comment on the matter.
A police spokesperson confirmed the arrests, stating, “Officers have arrested two men following a report of a rape.”
One player was arrested on suspicion of assault and aiding and abetting a rape, while the other was arrested on suspicion of rape.
The alleged incident, reported by The Sun newspaper, supposedly occurred on Friday.
The club’s response to the situation, including any potential suspensions pending the outcome of the police investigation, remains undisclosed.
The Premier League mandated sexual consent training for players and staff in 2022, following several high-profile incidents involving top-flight footballers.
This recent development arises amid ongoing concerns about how cases involving professional athletes are handled and underscores the importance of thorough investigation and accountability.
The Anambra State Government apprehended a 40-year-old man named Anietie Tim for allegedly assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the Onitsha area.
The arrest followed the suspect’s evasion of authorities from the Anambra State Ministry of Women Affairs and Children’s Welfare.
In a statement on Thursday, April 18, 2024, Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Ify Obinabo, disclosed that the incident occurred in 2022, and since then, the suspect had been avoiding arrest with the assistance of some military personnel at the Barrack where he resides.
“The suspect, Anietie Tim, from Eninan AkwaIbom in his defense said he never knew his victim was an under age and went further to say that she was the one that tempted him and he responded because he’s a man with blood flowing through his veins.
Mr. Tim further clarified that prior to the incident, he had been establishing a friendship with his 14-year-old victim, who, as he claimed, was consistently neglected at home.
“He will face trial at the Children, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence Magistrate court in Awka to address his wrongdoing,” stated the release.
Nine years ago, my life changed. I became a part of the statistic that one in nine girls is raped or sexually assaulted before they turn 18.
Growing up, I had a normal household and lived an average life. My parents always taught me how to protect myself, to never go with strangers, and to stay aware of my surroundings.
But they never taught me what to do if someone I knew and trusted raped me.
Since middle school, I knew I wanted to be a firefighter and EMT, and my high school had a career program for courses like that. But no one knew that I couldn’t trust all the program’s instructors. One of them raped me, beat me, and emotionally damaged me for months. He watched me, found me on social media, and then used information about me against me.
The first time it happened was after a Memorial Day event. While I waited for my ride to pick me up, my abuser offered to take me home. I didn’t think anything of it– how dangerous could a simple 13-minute ride from the school to home be?
My abuser took advantage of that. He told me he needed to do something in the classroom quickly, before pulling me in, locking me inside, and raping me.
I will never forget hearing the door lock, and the fear that hit me.
Too often, people ask, “Why didn’t you fight back?” when someone’s assaulted. But they don’t know that, if you don’t go into fight or flight mode, you could go into freeze mode. They don’t know what it’s like when your abuser is bigger and older than you. I never stood a chance against him.
The abuse would go on for 8 months, and with each time, I feared for my life more and more. My parents became suspicious, thinking at first I was getting into trouble at school, then finding out the information my abuser put in his phone. Before I knew it, the cops arrested him, right when I was in class.
It didn’t take long before the news broke the story. As a minor, they didn’t release my name, but the information was shared quickly and easily gave it away.
From there, I experienced the broken legal system and pervasive rape culture. Time after time, people doubted me, questioning me about the abuse I endured. I will never forget how every person made me feel during this process and still to this day.
Ultimately, the people I thought would protect and help me failed me.
Today, I continue to fight for myself. I will always be fighting for myself as a survivor. I may not experience the abuse anymore, but it still impacts me. And that’s not including the long list of things I deal with that many don’t understand. They don’t know what it felt like when I learned my abuser was released from jail earlier. They didn’t see me when I fought for a restraining order but was denied.
And they will never see the trauma, and fear, he left with me that still affects me today.
A man who raped many women has been sent to prison for 36 years because he killed a woman whose body was found in the forest a month after she disappeared in 2005.
Iain Packer, 51, was in court being tried for the death of 27-year-old Emma Caldwell in South Lanarkshire.
He was also found guilty of touching her inappropriately, and committing several sexual assaults on other women.
Miss Caldwell went missing on April 4, 2005, and then her body was found a few weeks later in Limefield Woods near the village of Roberton.
Many women and girls who were brave enough to speak up did not get the help and fairness they needed from Strathclyde Police.
During evidence, the defendant admitted indecently assaulting Miss Caldwell.
During the trial, the person accused admitted to sexually assaulting Miss Caldwell in a way that was not appropriate.
But he kept saying he didn’t do any of the things they accused himof,even the accusations of raping 11 women. He said they were all lying.
Packer was accused of 36 crimes against 25 women. He said his actions toward sex workers were terrible and he felt ashamed of how he treated Miss Caldwell.
He said in court that he didn’t kill her. It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t do anything to her.
During the six-week trial, the jury listened to several women who talked about how Packer violently attacked them.
On February 22, 2022, Alves was sentenced to four years and six months in prison for raping a 23-year-old woman at a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022.
Additionally, he was ordered to pay €9,000 (£7,700) for the physical damage caused to the victim.
Alves, who denied any wrongdoing, intends to appeal the verdict, as stated by his lawyer, Inés Guardiola.
In response to Alves’s sentence, Barcelona has removed him from their official list of club legends, which includes 102 players, including club founder Joan Gamper and Lionel Messi.
Notably, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Gerard Pique were the most recent players to be inducted, with Alves’s name no longer appearing on the club’s official website.
Despite his recent legal troubles, Alves enjoyed a distinguished career, making 408 appearances for Barcelona across two spells and winning six league titles and three Champions League trophies, among numerous other honours.
He also had successful stints with Sevilla, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain, and earned 126 caps for Brazil at the international level.
Alves was playing for Mexican club PUMAS when he was arrested in January 2023, leading to the immediate termination of his contract.
During the trial, the prosecution sought a nine-year jail term for Alves, while the victim’s legal team demanded 12 years.
A recent report from the UN’s Human Rights Office sheds light on the appalling violations occurring on both sides of the war in Sudan.
Evidence gathered over eight months since the conflict erupted last April reveals harrowing accounts from hundreds of individuals.
Ethnically motivated attacks in the Darfur region have resulted in thousands of deaths, with disturbing allegations of child rape also documented.
Satellite imagery corroborates reports of heavy explosives being indiscriminately used in densely populated areas, leading to the deaths of numerous civilians.
Calls for Action Following Disturbing Events in Sudan
Following the emergence of video footage depicting students being beheaded by uniformed individuals, the UN is intensifying calls for immediate action.
The perpetrators, after carrying out the beheadings, callously paraded the decapitated heads through the streets, further exacerbating the shock and horror.
In light of these atrocities, the UN is urging an end to the ongoing violence and advocating for inclusive talks aimed at establishing a civilian-led government in Sudan.
A court in Spain has convicted former Barcelona and Brazil footballer Dani Alves of raping a woman at a nightclub in Barcelona.
The 40-year-old, known as one of football’s most accomplished players, has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison.
Alves, who denied the allegations, had been accused of sexually assaulting the woman in the early hours of a day in 2022. Despite his lawyer’s request for acquittal, Alves may appeal the verdict.
The court found that Alves had lured the woman to a VIP toilet area in the nightclub and determined that she did not consent to the encounter.
In its statement, the court cited evidence corroborating the victim’s testimony.
Additionally, Alves has been ordered to pay €150,000 (£128,500) in damages to the victim.
He has been in pre-trial detention since January 2023.
During the trial, Alves altered his testimony several times. Initially denying knowing the accuser, he later admitted to encountering her in the restroom but claimed nothing untoward happened.
Eventually, he asserted that the encounter was consensual.Prosecutors argued that Alves and a friend had bought champagne for three young women, inviting one to accompany him to another area, where he became aggressive and coerced her into sex despite her protests.
Alves, who played over400 games for Barcelona and was part of Brazil’s 2022 World Cup squad, faced a nine-year prison term, as requested by the prosecution.
In Spain, convictions for rape can result in sentences ranging from four to 15 years. Recent legal reforms prioritise consent, known as the “Only Yes is Yes” principle.
The community of Kwahu Aseseɛso in the Kwahu East District is gripped with fear and sorrow following the rape and murder of a 65-year-old blind woman, Gladys Gyamfa, in her home.
Akuamoah Boateng, a PTA chairman in the community, revealed that the woman lived alone and often relied on children in the area to help her fetch water due to her blindness. She had promised to pay the children the next day for their assistance.
However, when the children returned the next morning, they found her unresponsive to their calls and knocks on her door. Concerned, they informed their parents, who, upon checking, discovered her lifeless body in a pool of blood in her room, covered with her clothes by her attacker.
The tragic incident occurred around 4:30 am on Monday. The police, upon arrival, confirmed that the woman had been raped before being killed.
According to Mr. Akuamoah Boateng, the community member, the woman had a habit of playfully screaming for help, which may have led to her calls being ignored by neighbors who thought it was one of her pranks.
The community is now reeling from the shock of the brutal crime, and authorities are investigating to bring the perpetrator to justice.
In an effort to ensure that justice is served, the mother of a 15-year-old Form One student at Bechem Presbyterian Senior High School (PRESEC) has pleaded with the police to move quickly with their investigations into claims that she was gang-raped by six graduating students.
After apprehending three of the suspects, the police in Bechem, Tano South Municipality, Ahafo Region, initiated a manhunt for the remaining three, who are presently evading capture.
The suspects Osman, Emmanuel Ankama, and Agyem Frimpong have been taken into custody.
A female final-year student who assisted the suspects in committing the crime, Kyeremaa Hamida, was another accomplice and is currently being held by the police to help with their investigation.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday, February 10 at around 21:30 hours, according to Ghana News Agency (GNA).
Accomplice Hamida allegedly lured the gullible victim (name withheld) to a run-down building close to the girl’s dormitory, where the suspects gang-raped her.
The suspects had not yet been charged in court, according to a trustworthy source at the Bechem Police Station, who also verified the story.
In an interview with the GNA, the victim’s mother, Victoria Otu, stated that her daughter’s condition had gotten worse and pleaded for justice to be served.
“The school authority rang to inform me about the incident and what we need now is to seek justice for our child,” she stated.
The victim’s rape was verified by a medical report from the Duayaw-Nkwanta St. John of God Catholic Hospital that the GNA was able to view.
The victim described her ordeal to the GNA, saying that as she lay in bed, suspect Hamida came over and asked to “see her outside.”
A former Student Representative Council (SRC) president of Sunyani Technical University (STU) has come forward with disturbing allegations against an unnamed lecturer, accusing him of sexually abusing and harassing female students.
The former SRC president, now a doctor in the British army, revealed these shocking revelations in a viral video on social media. The accusations include claims that the lecturer preyed on vulnerable female students, coercing them into sexual relationships.
“If you ever attended STU please come close and let’s talk about something. If you are still a student of Sunyani Polytechnic, come and let’s have a conversation. Not just them, but anyone else who has been able to have a tertiary education, please come close and let’s have a conversation.
There was a lecturer in the school who disrespected women. Not only women but also men. But he mostly demeaned the vulnerable ladies. When he proposes love to you, and you reject him, he will fail you. He sleeps with the students, forces himself on them, and has sex with them,” he said.
While refraining from disclosing the lecturer’s identity, the former SRC presidentprovided hints about his department and history within the institution.
“There was a time when this lecturer became a dean. He was in the marketing department. And that lecturer, I know you are listening to me now. You are watching me,” he noted.
Additionally, he alleged that the lecturer sent explicit content, made uninvited nighttime visits to female students’ hostels, and exhibited violent and abusive behaviour towards male students, especially during exams.
“Some of our sisters are suffering and this particular lecturer I am talking about, he was the worst of all. If you are a woman, and he professes love to you, and you reject him, he will disgrace you. He used to send nudes to students. He goes after female students by visiting them late in the night at their hostels. Paying unannounced visits.”
According to the former SRC president, the lecturer boasted about possessing charms and amulets, which he allegedly used to intimidate and manipulate both students and staff. He highlighted an incident involving an alleged rape during a school excursion, asserting that the lecturer’s purported use of charms contributed to a lack of accountability in that case.
“This same lecturer, there was a time in school when a group went for an excursion and there was an alleged rape case and nobody could say anything about it. Nothing came out of it because the lecturer has amulets around his wrists and waist, and he keeps claiming he has charms, he has charms. Many would be saying as for this person, he deals with charms and so if you cross him, he will cast a spell on you. He fights with men on campus. He fails some and even has the guts to publicly tell them during exams, that “you, I will fail you, animal, fool!” he claimed.
Despite the serious nature of the allegations, the former SRC president challenged the lecturer to refute the claims, promising to provide video, pictures, and voice evidence to substantiate his accusations. He further dared any other lecturer or institution in Ghana to dispute the allegations, emphasizing his readiness to expose more misconduct.
Expressing concern for the affected students, the former SRC president called on authorities, including the board of governors, the vice chancellor, the Ministry of Education, and the police, to investigate the matter thoroughly and take appropriate action against the accused lecturer.
“I dare you to come out and challenge me and I dare any lecturer all over Sunyani Polytechnic now Sunyani Technical University, to come out and dare me. Like you will see, video pictures and voice evidence. This is against the ethics of a lecturer. He is currently still at the school as I speak. I dare you, come out and chase me now, and you will see video evidence. All the way from 2012. Then you will know that yes, we still keep records. Ghanaian women are suffering. Akufo-Addo, Ministry of Education, IGP, investigate into these matters, some ladies are suffering,” he mentioned.
Acknowledging the negative publicity generated, the former SRC president apologized to his alma mater, commending the current vice-chancellor, Professor Ing. Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, for transforming the school and restoring its image.
“Sunyani Ploy, today this video I am recording is not meant to disgrace you. Prof. Ing. Adinkrah-Appiah, you have done great work. You have elevated the school to a great level because there was a time when the school was sinking. But today, the school has regained its strength. God bless you and make you great. May all your workers continue to help you so that you can continue the good work that you are doing.”
He concluded by speaking on behalf of the victims, urging authorities to address the trauma and injustice experienced by those affected by the lecturer’s alleged misconduct.
“The reason I am so eagerly speaking is because 5 female students have contacted me telling that “Doc, because of what this man did to us, we have no interest in men and so now we are lesbians.” two of them are telling me that “Doc because of what this man did, we have never had a stable relationship”. We commit that lecturer into God’s hands and the gods of our land,” he noted.
Nigerian actress, Ogechukwu Anasor, also recognized as Bliss Thelma Joseph, has recounted a harrowing experience of how she was nearly raped by a man she thought was a destiny helper.
This, according to her, happened in the early stages of her Nollywood career.
Having made her acting debut in 2016 while still a student, Ogechukwu described the encounter as a nightmarish experience. The actress openly acknowledged the existence of sexual harassment within the entertainment industry, sharing that her ordeal was just one among numerous incidents faced by others in the limelight.
Recounting her distressing encounter during a phone conversation with our reporter, the actress, who hails from Anambra State, revealed that she was approaching 18 years old at the time, possessing minimal acting experience and lacking influential contacts.
She has been fortunate to connect with individuals who were willing to offer her guidance on navigating her way into the industry.
Fortuitously, she secured her debut role in a movie, seemingly handed to her effortlessly. However, unbeknownst to her, the saying “all that glitters is not gold” held true, as she encountered her most challenging experience while attempting to secure her second movie role.
She narrates: “I got my first role in a movie on a platter of gold and I thought it was going to be an easy one. But when I got my second role, the reverse was the case. It wasn’t as easy as I expected . At a point, I almost committed suicide as a result of a lot of things that happened in the course of my journey into Nollywood. ”
Painting a graphic picture of how the incident happened, the beautiful, tattooed actress recalled how the rapist invited her to his Awka apartment and started caressing her, and in the process slapped her and pulled out his kitchen knife to tear her clothes.
Continuing, she said: “The first time I almost got raped was in Akwa. I tried to come back after I did my first film. I met a girl on set while filming my first movie and we became friends. She introduced me to a particular man who claimed to be a producer in Nollywood.
“We got talking on the telephone and he invited me to his hotel room. I honoured his invitation and thereafter, I returned to my home town. I was supposed to be in Awka again for a job by Brymo. So, on coming to Awka, I started calling the other producers that I was in town and the guy in question asked me to come to his house to see him.
“I wasn’t comfortable with the idea, but I felt he was a destiny helper because he sounded calm and nice. So, I went to his house where I met two other girls and a guy. We got talking and I told him I wanted to leave for my home town. It was at that point he told me there was a job they wanted to include me. I didn’t know how the industry was operating then. I was just there with him. I was almost 18 years old then. While I was with him, late Brymo’s PA kept calling my line. But I lied to him that I was in traffic and would be with them soon. Later, the guy in question dropped me off. I can’t remember exactly the name of the place again, where I met Zubby Micheal for the first time, Junior Pope and Sylvester Madu. The actors claimed they were working with him which turned out to be all lies. I took pictures with them. In the end, they wasted my time after my bag was locked up in the guy’s house. It was around past 1a m in the morning that we went back to his house.
“I couldn’t go home. I think that guy is a ritualist because my spirit kept telling me to leave his house. If I knew what I now know I would have left the place even without my bag. But my concern was that I was filming and my bag was in the guy’s house. So, when we got to his house, he was already drunk as he started behaving strangely. I was not comfortable with him. But I was stuck, I couldn’t leave his house because I don’t reside in Awka and do not know anybody in town. Later, he put on his generating set and increased the volume of his music so loud because he was living in a self-contained apartment.
“I was like I can’t sleep with this noise. But before I knew what was happening, he started touching me and I tried asking him what he was doing. The next thing he did was that he slapped me and pulled out a kitchen knife, muttering he would kill me and nobody would hear me because the music was loud.
“I think everyone in the neighbourhood was scared of him as he was a Chief Security man in that area.
I then started crying, saying I was a virgin. He didn’t believe me, rather he accused me of being a lesbian. He said ‘you are a lesbian that’s why you don’t want to have anything to do with me’. He said he would confirm by himself whether I was truly a virgin or not and if it’s true he would let me be. I was like let’s go to the hospital the next day. “But he refused, saying what’s the need of a hospital when he had a hand to confirm the truth. I was scared for my life. There was nothing I could do than let him have his way. He beat me terribly and used the kitchen knife to tear my dress just to instill fear in me.
“The next day, I fled his house, it was later I heard that the guy was a serial rapist and that’s what he has been doing to many girls in the industry”.
Though we are yet to verify Oge’s claims, she however told our reporter she had faced a lot of challenges, while trying to find her feet in the movie industry.
She added, “I was rejected and blacklisted in the industry. I know how many jobs I did and wasn’t paid for. A lot of things happened during the early days of my acting career”.
Interestingly, despite the challenges, the actress did not give up on her acting career. At the moment, she’s one of the promising actresses to watch out for in 2024. Oge is best known for movies such as “My Kind of Girl (2023)”, “Transition,” (2022) and “The Anointed Bride” (2022) among others.
Journalist Douglas Mthukwane has appeared in the Kimberley District Court, facing charges of allegedly raping a 26-year-old traditional healer at his home during a ritual.
The woman reported the incident to the police, leading to Mthukwane’s arrest.
Mojalefa Senokoatsane, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, confirmed the charges and mentioned that Mthukwane, a former provincial spokesperson for the Northern Cape Provincial Department of Education and an experienced journalist, is currently undergoing trial in the High Court of South Africa, Northern Cape Division, sitting in Kimberley for the rape case.
As per the defense’s request, he will be remanded in custody.
“The case will be back in court on December 11, 2023 for consultations. In the High Court trial where he is being charged with multiple counts of rape, the matter has been remanded to March 11 next year, as the accused has been referred for 30 days of observation where he is currently number 47 on the list to be admitted,” Senokoatsane said.
Rapper Sean Combs, better known by his stage as Diddy, has been accused of rape and abuse by Cassie, his former love partner.
In a complaint filed on Thursday in federal court in New York City, Cassie, a singer and artist whose full name is Cassandra Ventura, said that during their relationship, Combs had sexually assaulted her and had physically mistreated her, striking, beating, kicking, and stomping on her.
Ventura, 37, “was held down by Mr. Combs and endured over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands,” the complaint says.
Combs’s 54-year-old attorney denied the charges, describing them as insulting and ridiculous.
In the complaint, Combs is also charged with setting a man’s car on fire after discovering that the man had a love interest in Ventura. According to the lawsuit, Ventura was coerced by Combs into having sex with male prostitutes while he observed, enjoyed himself, and documented the events. Additionally, it claims that he coerced Ventura into obtaining illicit prescription pharmaceuticals for him while encouraging her to consume copious amounts of alcohol and do narcotics.
Additionally, according to the complaint, Combs pushed Ventura to carry a pistol by chasing after a rival industry executive with a gun when he realized the official was around.
In the complaint, Ventura claimed that Combs had seduced her into a romantic relationship from the moment they started working together. She continued in the relationship out of fear of career-ending vengeance, given her standing as an emerging artist at Combs’ label.
Over the course of their relationship, “All aspects of Ms. Ventura’s life were controlled by either Mr. Combs or his management companies,” according to the complaint.
In the Ajumako Enyan Essiam District of the Central Region, an appalling incident has occurred where an 80-year-old shea butter seller was sexually assaulted in a bush by a notorious individual.
As reported by Yaw Boagyan of Kasapa News, the victim, whose identity is being protected, was traveling from Etsii Sonkwa to Ofabil to collect payments from individuals who owed her for purchasing her shea butter. On her journey, she encountered the criminal, Kobina Nyame, who brandished a knife and threatened her with violence if she didn’t comply with his demand for sexual intercourse.
Tragically, the assailant forcibly dragged the elderly woman into a nearby bush and carried out the heinous act. Following the assault, he issued a dire warning, instructing her to remain silent, under threat of severe consequences if she spoke of the assault.
Struggling to return home, the victim was aided by a motorcyclist whom she confided in about the incident. This individual later informed the local Assembly member.
The case was then brought to the attention of the Chiefs and elders of Etsii Sonkwa. Incensed by the despicable nature of the crime, community members apprehended the perpetrator, and after his confession, the police were alerted.
The suspect is presently in the custody of the Ajumako District Police Command, assisting with investigations. The victim is under medical care at the Ajumako District Government Hospital.
It occurred in Oruro, Bolivia, at about 1am on Monday. The police have captured three men but are still searching for eight other people.
The men are being accused of giving the young girl alcohol and then sexually assaulting her in a far away place.
It’s unclear how the suspects were able to take the girl from her family at the festival.
Bolivia’s legal authorities have stated that they are investigating a serious crime where a 12-year-old girl was raped by a group of 11 people. The prosecutor in charge is looking into the case to find out what happened and take appropriate action.
Víctor Q has been doing well. R, Víctor HCH and Adolfo C. C have been caught by the police and will face charges soon.
The Prosecutor’s Office wants the suspects to be kept in jail before the trial, and the police are still looking for other people involved.
Mr Morales said that once they found out about the attack, they started to investigate. They looked into the victim’s psychological report, did an identification parade, and got a forensic medical certificate to prove that a crime had happened. This helped them find the first three people they suspect were involved. We will keep working together with the police to find the rest of the people responsible and make sure they are punished for their actions.
The report from the forensic team says that the girl’s body has clear signs of violence and injuries caused by rubbing on her spine.
‘We are studying the details and support we need from the Institute of Forensic Investigation and others to understand this incident better and ensure that there are consequences for it. ‘
‘We want to make sure that the people who are to blame are given a 30-year punishment in jail. ‘
I have decided to forgive him, but I still remember and can’t forget what he did. I believe he should be punished and go to jail.
The dad, whose name is not being revealed to keep the person being hurt safe, was given a punishment of 20 years in jail a month ago.
According to The Namibian, the defense lawyer, Linus Samaria, tried to argue for a shorter prison sentence by saying that the girls did not have any physical injuries from the rape.
Their mother told them how one of their sisters got pregnant and left school. It’s not known if the attacks had anything to do with the pregnancy.
She said that she had to take out one of her children from their current school and enroll them in a different school in another part of the country. This is because the other kids at the school would make fun of her child, saying that she slept with her father.
The prosecutor, Eric Naikaku, said that the person who is accused had power and a strong relationship of trust with the victims, and they used that to their advantage.
The father has already been in prison for eight years and 10 months while waiting for his trial to finish.
Judge Frans Anderson said: “We need to remember that society’s and the victims’ needs are more important than the accused person’s personal needs. ”
This means we need to give a strict punishment that will discourage people from doing bad things, but we also want to help the person become better and change their behavior.
‘The accused can only be sentenced to direct imprisonment. ‘
The father got 15 years in prison for two rape charges. However, 10 years from one charge will be served at the same time as the other.
He was found not guilty of a third accusation of rape.
A Kaneshie District Court has adjourned to October 20, 2023, the case of the 38-year-old electrician accused of strangling his 20-year-old girlfriend at Kpone Bawaleshie in the Greater Accra Region.
Kwame Krampah, aka Awana, is said to have strangled the victim with a blue nylon rope from behind, after which he allegedly had sex with the dead body before burying it in the neighbourhood.
Krampah, who is facing a murder charge, has had his plea preserved by the court.
When the matter was called, the prosecution led by Chief Inspector Margaret O. Boadi, said the police are still investigating the matter.
The prosecution told the court the Police had yet to forward a duplicate docket to the Attorney General for advice.
The prosecutor said the complainant, Joyce Agbo, was a trader, and Krampah was a plumber.
The prosecutor said Kpeglo, who was a pupil teacher at a school at Kpone Bawaleshie, left home for work on July 11, 2023, but did not return.
On July 17, 2023, Agbo reported her daughter missing to the police.
The prosecution said intelligence led to the arrest of Krampah, who was the deceased boyfriend.
It said investigations revealed that on July 11, 2023, at about 1400 hours, Kpeglo left the school to buy food and went to Krampah’s house to eat it.
After she was done eating, Kpeglo told Krampah that she was going back to school and without any provocation, he attacked her from behind with a blue nylon rope and strangled her.
On the same day, at about 2200 hours, Krampah dug a grave at a nearby plot and buried the body.
The prosecution said Krampah admitted the crime in his caution statement and led the Police to the spot where he buried the deceased.
An order of the court was obtained, and the body was exhumed and deposited at the Police Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
After nearly five decades, a man from New York has been proven innocent using new DNA tests. The tests confirmed that he was not the one who committed a rape in 1975.
This is the most extended case where someone was wrongly convicted in US history, but later proven innocent by DNA evidence.
The person who actually did the crime, a person who has been found guilty of sexually harming others, has admitted to raping someone.
Leonard Mack, who is now 72 years old, was wrongly sent to prison for more than seven years starting in 1976. He was convicted for a crime he did not commit.
MrMack said, “I always believed that someday I would be shown that I did not do anything wrong. ”
In May 1975, two young girls were going back to their house after school in a mostly white town called Greenburgh, New York. Suddenly, a man approached them and threatened them with a gun.
One of the girls was sexually assaulted two times while the other was able to get away and seek assistance.
The Greenburgh Police Department sent out a message to their officers to be alert and search for a young black man in his early twenties.
Soon after the attack, the police stopped Mr. Mack, who was driving in the neighborhood by chance.
MrMack was arrested by the police even though he had a good reason for not being at the scene of the crime and was wearing different clothes than the person they were looking for.
The Westchester County District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit and the Innocence Project worked together to test DNA evidence for a rape case in 2022. The Innocence Project is a nonprofit organization that helps prove the innocence of those wrongly convicted.
It turned out that the real person who committed the crime was a man who had been found guilty of breaking into someone’s home and sexually assaulting them in Queens a few weeks after this incident.
The man was found guilty in 2004 for breaking into someone’s house and sexually attacking a woman in Westchester County.
District attorney Miriam E. Rocah said in a statement that this proof of innocence shows that when people are wrongly found guilty, it harms not only them but also puts everyone in danger.
MsRocah said that Mr. Mack showed great determination and never gave up in trying to prove that he was innocent for almost five decades.
According to the Innocence Project, the main reason why people are wrongly convicted is because witnesses mistakenly identify the wrong person. In this situation, the girls recognized Mr. Mack because of a mistake in how the police identified him.
The organization also mentioned that prejudice based on race and having a narrow focus were reasons for what happened to Mr.
MrMack, who fought in the Vietnam War, has been living in South Carolina for almost 21 years with his wife.
“Now I know the truth and I can finally relax. ” He said, “I am no longer restricted or confined. ”
A seventeen-year-old boy, David Amenyedor, who raped a girl of similar age is in police custody.
The boy who prior to his arrest was a car spraying apprentice, has been remanded into police custody by the Agbozume District Court, Ketu South, on a provisional charge of allegedly raping a girl of the same age.
The accused, however, said in his caution statement, that the victim consented to the sexual intercourse.
Police Chief Inspector Esperance Agbo, prosecuting, told the Court, presided over by Mr Issah Iddrisu, that the accused was a car spraying apprentice living at Beat 13, a suburb of Aflao, while the victim lived at Beat 9, another suburb.
He said the two knew each other as they both completed the Aflao Border Preventive Basic School and attended the same church at Beat 13.
The complainant (victim’s mother) reported to the Aflao Police Station that at about 19:00 hours on July 3, 2023, the victim sought permission to attend a youth class in church and never returned, which was unusual, the prosecution said.
The complainant went searching for the victim until the next day, when she found the victim in the accused’s room at Beat 13 and “rescued her”, he said.
The victim narrated that while on her way to church, she met the accused close to his house, and he deceived her into accompanying him home so he could also dress up for church, which she obliged.
The accused then took advantage and forcibly had sexual intercourse with her and forced her to spend the night in his room.
Chief Inspector Agbo said that upon reporting the victim to the police, the victim was issued with a medical report form for treatment, which was duly endorsed by a medical officer.
The doctor gave the assessment “as good hygienic perineum with no obvious bleeding from the vagina, there are bruises at both lateral walls of the vagina, hymen is absent, suggestive of vaginal penetration.”
The accused was subsequently arrested on July 20, 2023, arraigned and remanded into police custody.
His plea was not taken, and he is expected to reappear on August 31, 2023.
Ghanaian actress Kisa Gbekle has issued an apology to all rape survivors who were emotionally impacted by an insensitive remark she made several months ago.
During an interview with Doreen Avio on Daybreak Hitz, the actress and social media influencer mentioned a previous comment she had made on UTV regarding her encounter with rape.
According to her, she was raped as a teenager and she liked it.
Providing further explanation on Hitz FM, Kisa disclosed that she was inexperienced and innocent when she underwent that particular ordeal.
She added that she did not see it as rape even though it received a lot of attention from her parents who later reported the case to the police.
She stressed that the act happened with her peer and she didn’t see it as rape because she was exploring at the time.
Kisa, who was heavily condemned for her comments on rape however used the platform to apologize to people who were offended.
“I can never laugh at somebody who has been raped. Hitz FM is the biggest and I want to use this platform to apologize. I am sorry to every woman who feels Kisa Gbekle mocked her at a certain time by saying she was raped and she loved it. I was not mocking these women.
“Please find a place in your heart to forgive me. If that statement I made has affected you in any way I am so sorry. And I pray God heals any woman or man who has been raped.”
Meanwhile, Kisa Gbekle has decided to go back to her first love; music.
She is currently promoting her latest single dubbed Korkorkor. The song tackles people’s perceptions about her life.
The single is currently out on all streaming platforms.
A Ghanaian mother has taken a firm stand against a disturbing incident involving a pedophile who targeted her 13-year-old daughter.
She decided to confront the predator in person and recorded the encounter in a video that has since gone viral.
The mother, whose name has not been disclosed, noticed that her daughter had been receiving inappropriate texts from an unknown man who professed his love and other things to her. She realised the gravity of the situation and devised a bold strategy.
She pretended to be her daughter and continued the conversation with the man, while warning him to stop his predatory behaviour or face legal consequences.
However, the man ignored her warnings and claimed that they only fuelled his pursuit. He eventually arranged to meet with the girl, unaware that he was actually talking to her mother. The mother then showed up at the meeting place and confronted the man, who was visibly shocked.
“Are you the one who professed love and other things to my daughter? Today, I will have the police apprehend you. How old are you? Didn’t I caution you? You even claimed my warnings fuelled your pursuit. Did you know you were communicating with me all along? If you leave now, I’ll involve the police, as I’ve documented this entire incident,” she said angrily in the Twi dialect.
The video has sparked outrage and concern among social media users, who praised the mother for her courage and urged parents and guardians to be vigilant in protecting their children from such dangers.
Mom busts creep texting her underage daughter.#INDViral#INDNews Cecilia Dapaah | Passport | Legon | Champions League | Arda Güler | Keylor Navas | Whitemoney | Ashesi pic.twitter.com/jqN5tp2dRD
In recent times, Ghana has witnessed a surge in cases involving pedophiles.
Human Rights Lawyers and Advocates have advised parents and guardians to be vigilant in protecting their children from becoming victims.
The proliferation of smartphones and social media has unfortunately provided an avenue for those with ill intentions to exploit.
According to Human Rights Lawyer and Advocate, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, “Some children encounter online predators who coax them into sharing explicit photos. Regrettably, some children inadvertently fall into this trap.” She expressed concern over Ghana’s lack of clear mechanisms for tracking and addressing predators, creating a void that may inadvertently facilitate their movement and misconduct from one location to another.
Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy, who was found not guilty of rape after a retrial earlier this month, has signed with Ligue 1 club Lorient as a free agent.
Mendy had been cleared of one count of rape and one count of attempted rape in the retrial, following his previous acquittal of six counts of rape at the initial trial in January.
The left-back, who was released by Manchester City, has now secured a contract with French club Lorient.
Benjamin Mendy, a former footballer for Manchester City, has been acquitted of charges of rape and attempted rape.
The allegations against the French international involved the rape of a 24-year-old woman in a bedroom at his luxurious mansion in Cheshire in October 2020. Additionally, he was charged with the attempted rape of a 29-year-old woman at his home two years prior to that.
After denying both charges, Mendy was found not guilty by a jury consisting of six men and six women at Chester Crown Court. Throughout the trial, he maintained that the encounters had been consensual.
The footballer was in “absolute tears” after hearing the verdict, “coming out of the court hugging his friends who were here to support him,” Sky News correspondent Inzamam Rashid said outside court.
“It was a short deliberation by the jury. They were sent out at 10:40am this morning.”
A statement released by his solicitors said that Mendy would like to “thank the members of the jury for focusing on the evidence in this trial rather than on rumour and innuendo that have followed this case.”
They said Mendy has remained strong for almost three years since the police began investigating allegations made against him, but the process has “inevitably had a serious impact on him”.
Earlier this year, the footballer faced a retrial after being unable to reach verdicts on two sexual offence charges against him.
During the retrial, prosecutors presented evidence that Mendy would host parties and social gatherings at his residence, The Spinney, while he was under contract with Manchester City.
The court heard a testimony from a British student who claimed to have met Mendy at a nightclub in Barcelona in 2017. She developed a close relationship with one of Mendy’s friends and subsequently arranged a visit to the footballer’s home the following year.
Following a night out, she alleged that Mendy attempted to rape her.
But the footballer told the jury: “I asked her if we are OK to have sex. She told me, ‘No’ because of my friend.
“I was like, ‘It’s fine, my friend says it’s OK, so if you want, he’s OK with that’. It’s when she started to be like that – upset, sad. I just left the room.”
Two years later, another incident occurred when a woman was out with her friends at a bar close to Mendy’s residence. They received an invitation to visit the footballer’s house.
According to her allegation, Mendy took her phone away and guided her to a locked bedroom. He reportedly threw the phone onto the bed, and as she moved to retrieve it, Mendy is accused of raping her.
During the trial, Mendy informed the jury that the encounter between them was consensual, and they subsequently exchanged contact information on Snapchat.
He was asked whether he had held her down or forced her on to the bed. He said: “No.”
He told the jury: “I will never force to have sex with a woman.”
Mendy became the world’s most expensive defender when City paid £52m to Monaco for him in 2017.
He won three Premier League titles with City and was part of France’s World Cup-winning squad in 2018.
He was released by the club when his contract expired at the end of June.
Sexually abused children need immediate medical attention before reporting the case to the police, parents have been told.
This will help the victims to receive physical and mental care, as well as medication that can prevent HIV and other infections.
Harriet Odoley Klufio, a Child Protection Specialist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, said if the abuse was reported within 72 hours, anti-retroviral drugs could be given to stop HIV infection.
She warned parents not to delay or try to settle the case at home with the perpetrators.
“You should not dilly-dally trying to get money from the perpetrators to settle the case at home,” she advised.
She said while the abuse was a criminal act that needed police intervention, taking the child-victim to the police station first could scare them.
“So, we prefer that the victims are brought to the hospital first for us to stabilise them psychologically and physically so that they will be able to narrate the incident in a calm state of mind.”
She said the Child Protection Unitof the hospital was child-friendly and had trained staff who could get the necessary information from the victims.
She said the police could visit the victims at the clinic, home or crime scene after they had been discharged.
Trauma and damage
Mrs Klufio, who is also the first Ghanaian Forensic Nurse, described child sexual abuse as a very bad act that caused trauma and damage to the victims.
She said some of them had to undergo several surgeries to repair the opening between the vagina and the rectum caused by the abuse.
She advised parents to educate their children to run away from sexual predators and not to believe their threats.
She said the hospital recorded an average of 40 cases of child abuse every year, with 80 per cent being sexual abuse.
The rest were physical abuse and neglect.
Abandonment of newborns
She also disclosed that abandonment of newborn babies was rising in the hospital due to economic hardships.
She said some women, especially adolescents, delivered their babies and left them at the hospital, claiming they had no money or support.
“They do it all the time. It is not everybody that will have an abortion. They may not even have money for safe abortion so they carry the pregnancy to term, come and deliver, abandon the baby and go back home to say they lost the child.”
She said the National Health Insurance Scheme did not cover everything after delivery and some mothers could not afford diapers and other essentials for their babies.
Accusations of attempted and new rape against Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy have been made in court statements.
A BBC investigation revealed that Mendy claimed to have slept with 10,000 different women.
“It’s fine, I’ve had sex with 10,000 women,” a jury has heard as quoted by BBC.
The incidents are said to have taken place at Mendy’s residence in Mottram St Andrew, Cheshire, in October 2020, involving two women aged 24 and 29 at the time.
The accused footballer, 28 years old, has pleaded not guilty to both charges.
The trial is currently taking place at Chester Crown Court, with a jury consisting of six women and six men.
The presiding judge, Stephen Everett, informed the jury that Mendy had been acquitted of previous sexual offense allegations brought by other women in a trial that concluded in January of this year.
The judge instructed the jurors to base their decision solely on the evidence presented in the current trial and advised against seeking information about the previous trial or following media coverage related to it.
The clearance was under the direction of Judge, Stephen Everett during a trial at Chester crown court on September 13, 2022.
According to The Guardian, the French international was found not guilty of the rape case raised against him by a 19-year-old woman.
Louis Saha Matturie, who is a co-accused by the same woman was also found not guilty of two rape counts and one sexual abuse.
In 2019, the 19-year-old woman accused Mendy and Matturie of multiple rape counts and sexual assaults that occurred in the Man City player’s home in Prestbury, Cheshire, on 24 July.
Despite being found not guilty, the two are still on trial for multiple sexual offences.
Andrew Tate, a controversial influencer, along with his brother Tristan and two associates, has been charged in Romania with rape, human trafficking, and the formation of an organized crime group for the purpose of sexually exploiting women.
The allegations have been denied by all of the accused.
The Tate brothers were initially arrested at their residence in Bucharest in December. However, in March, they were granted house arrest after a decision by a Romanian judge.
Andrew Tate attending a hearing in Bucharest, Romania earlier this year. (Daniel Mihailescu/AFP via Getty Images)
The indictment deposited with the Bucharest court says that the four defendants formed an organised criminal group in 2021 to commit human trafficking in Romania, but also in other countries including the US and the UK.
It names seven alleged victims who it says were recruited by the Tate brothers through false promises of love and marriage.
Andrew Tate has been charged with raping one of the victims, while his brother has been charged with instigating others into violence.
The trial will not start immediately and is expected to take several years.
A Romanian judge now has 60 days to inspect the case files before it can be sent to trial.
This decision coincides with the upcoming retrial for Mendy regarding rape charges.
The 28-year-old player joined Manchester City from Monaco in 2017, setting a record-breaking transfer fee of £52 million.
However, he has been absent from the team’s lineup for almost two years.
The footballer was first arrested in November 2020 and was later suspended by the club in August 2021 following charges of rape and sexual assault against several women.
During a five-month trial at Chester Crown Court earlier this year, Mendy maintained that all sexual encounters he had were consensual, denying the allegations made against him.
In February, he was unanimously cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. However, the jury was unable to reach verdicts on one count of rape and one count of attempted rape, leading to a retrial.
Mendy’s co-defendant, Louis Saha Matturie, was found not guilty of three charges of rape, but the jury was unable to reach verdicts on six other counts against him. Those charges will be retried in September.
In response to the outcome of the first trial,Manchester City released a statement stating that, due to ongoing legal matters, the club could not provide further comment at this time.
In a significant overhaul of sex crime laws, Japan has recently enacted legislation that redefines rape and raises the age of consent.
The revised definition of rape now encompasses “non-consensual sexual intercourse” instead of solely “forcible sexual intercourse,” aligning Japan’s legal definition with that of many other countries.
Furthermore, the age of consent, previously set at a mere 13 years, has been raised to 16 years, bringing it more in line with international standards.
Critics argue that the previous laws failed to adequately protect individuals coerced into engaging in sexual acts, resulting in underreporting of such assaults. Additionally, the inconsistent application of these laws by courts has fueled calls for reform.
The newly passed laws, approved by the upper house of the Diet (Japan’s parliament) on Friday, explicitly outline eight scenarios in which it may be challenging for a victim to “form, express, or fulfill an intention not to consent” to sexual intercourse.
These scenarios include instances where the victim is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, subject to violence or threats, or experiences fear or shock. Another scenario appears to address situations involving an abuse of power, where the victim is apprehensive about the potential consequences of refusing sexual advances.
Previously, Japan had one of the lowest age of consent among developed nations. However, a person who has had sex with a minor aged 13 to 15 will be punished only if the person is five or more years older than the minor.
Meanwhile, the statute of limitations or legal window for reporting rape will be extended to 15 years from 10 years, to give survivors more time to come forward.
The changes also ban “photo voyeurism” which includes upskirting and secret filming of sexual acts, among other things.
It follows multiple rape acquittals in 2019 that caused national outcry and helped spur a nationwide Flower Demo campaign against sexual violence. On the 11th day of every month since April 2019, activists have gathered throughout Japan to demand justice and show solidarity with sexual assault survivors.
But some activists have told the BBC that these legal reforms address only one part of the problem.
“Distorted ideas” about sex and consent that have pervaded for generations must be addressed, says Kazuko Ito, vice-president of the Tokyo-based Human Rights Now.
Survivors of sexual assault who go public also often receive threats and nasty comments online.
Even if the reforms are enacted, survivors must feel empowered to report their attacks, activists say.
In Japan, survivors of sexual violence are often reluctant to come forward because of stigma and shame. A 2021 survey by the government showed that only about 6 per cent of women and men reported an assault half of the women polled felt they couldn’t do so because of “embarrassment”.
“Nationwide learning and educational effort is essential for this norm to be embedded in the society. This is only way to prevent actual sexual violence along with ending culture of impunity,” Ms Ito says.
Japan should also offer more financial and psychological help for sexual assault survivors, lawyer and rights advocate Sakura Kamitani told the BBC.
Attackers too should receive support to prevent recidivism, she added.
Zeinab’s attempt to escape the war-ravaged city of Khartoum in search of safety was thwarted by paramilitary fighters, who subjected her and other women on the journey to harm, denying them the chance to find refuge.
In mid-May, one month after fighting broke between Sudan’s army chief and his deputy (head of the paramilitary group RSF) Zeinab says, herself, her sister and other women who were fleeing Khartoum in a minibus were raped.
The vehicle transporting them was stopped at an RSF checkpoint. There, fighters separated the female from male passengers.
Terrified, they were marched into a warehouse where a man “in civilian clothes who seemed to be their commander” ordered Zeinab to the ground.
The woman tried to hide her younger sister, in vain. As she attempted to resist she was soon obliged to give up, she recounted her ordeal from another country where she found refuge.
“I was pinned down” one man pointing a rifle to her chest “while the other raped me,” Zeinab told AFP. “When he was done, they switched. They wanted to keep my sister with them. I begged them on my hands and knees to let her go.”
“I was sure we were about to die,” she told AFP, revealing, her younger sister and two other women, one with an infant daughter, were all raped.
Rape, a weapon of war
Dozens of women have reported similar attacks — in their homes, by the roadside and in commandeered hotels — since the war erupted in mid-April between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Zeinab and the other women raped on that fateful day were eventually allowed to leave and escaped to Madani, 200 kilometers away, where they reported the attack to police and went to a hospital.
“We’re not the first people this has happened to, or the last,” she said.
Sudan’s war has claimed at least 1,800 lives and displaced more than 1.5 million people.
The horrors of the conflict have been compounded by a wave of sexual violence, say survivors, medics and activists who spoke to AFP.
Tanzanians are furious after learning that a middle-aged lady sexually assaulted an eight-year-old kid and exposed him to STDs.
Desderia Mbwelwa, 57, has been sentenced to 29 years in prison at a court on Friday but details of the verdict have not been widely reported until now.
On the day of the attack, the woman found the victim herding cattle at a village in southern district of Iringa and asked where his friends were.
She is then said to have sexually assaulted him under a tree after he said that his friends were not around.
The case had five witnesses including a doctor who examined the boy and confirmed he had injuries and had contracted sexual infections due to contamination in the genital area.
Mbwelwa is said to have defended herself by saying she is an adult with children and grandchildren who depend on her.
Her lawyer, Frank Mwela, said that he plans to appeal against the verdict because his client was not tested to confirm if she indeed had sexually transmitted diseases.
“My client was not tested positive for those diseases, which both my client and her witness have confirmed they do not have because one of the witnesses is her husband,” he said.
US actor Danny Masterson, known for his role in That ’70s Show, has been found guilty on two out of three counts of rape by a jury in Los Angeles.
If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Following the verdict, Masterson was taken into custody in handcuffs.
The charges against him stemmed from allegations made by three women, all former members of the Church of Scientology, who accused him of sexual assault at his Hollywood home between 2001 and 2003.
Prosecutors argued that Masterson had used his prominent status within the church to evade accountability. Although the jury deliberated for a week, they were unable to reach a verdict on the third count, resulting in a deadlock at 8-4.
One of his victims, who was raped in 2003, said in a statement quoted by the Associated Press: “I am experiencing a complex array of emotions – relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness – knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, will face accountability for his criminal behaviour.”
Masterson’s wife, actress and model Bijou Phillips, wept as he was led away, CBS News reports. Other family and friends sat stone-faced.
Another jury in an earlier trial was unable to reach a verdict in December 2022.
Prosecutors chose to retry Masterson and this time the judge allowed attorneys to present new evidence that had been barred from the first trial.
Though the actor was not charged with drugging his victims, the jury heard testimony that the women had been dosed before he raped them.
Masterson was first accused of rape in 2017 during the height of the #MeToo movement. He responded by saying that he had not been charged or convicted of a crime, and that in the climate at the time “it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused”.
Charges came after a three-year investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. Prosecutors did not file charges in two other cases because of insufficient evidence and the statute of limitations expiring.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that the Church of Scientology had helped cover up the assaults – an allegation the organisation has categorically denied.
At the time of the assaults, Masterson and all three of his accusers were Scientologists. Several of the women said it took them years to come forward because Church of Scientology officials discouraged them from reporting the rape to police.
Instead, they were forced to rely on the Church’s “internal justice system”, prosecutors said.
Scientology officials told one survivor she would be kicked out of the Church unless she signed a non-disclosure agreement and accepted a payment of $400,000 (£320,000), according to prosecutors.
Judge Charlaine Olmedo allowed both sides to discuss the dogma and practices of Scientology.
But Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson told jurors during the trial: “The Church taught his victims, ‘Rape isn’t rape, you caused this, and above all, you are never allowed to go to law enforcement.’”
Throughout the trial, the defence tried to undermine the credibility of the “Jane Does” by focusing on inconsistencies in their testimony and their supposed drive to get “revenge” against their former Church.
During closing arguments, Masterson’s defence lawyer said of the survivors: “If you are looking for motives why people are not being truthful… there are motives all over the place.”
Although the Church of Scientology was not a defendant in the case, before closing arguments began, a lawyer with ties to the Church emailed the district attorney’s office to complain about the way the Church was portrayed during the retrial.
The defence also argued that the prosecution had relied heavily on testimony about drugging because there was an absence of evidence of any force or violence.
Masterson’s lawyers tried, unsuccessfully, to have a mistrial declared.
A sociologist, Dr. Mark Kwaku Mensah Obeng, has shed light on why some women are more likely to experience Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) than others.
He was speaking on The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV, on the topic of Understanding IPV.
According to Dr. Obeng, a survey has shown that women with less education are more prone to IPV.
He explained that this is because they tend to be more dependent on their partners, especially financially, and have less power and control in the relationship.
“What the study is actually showing is that there are certain people who are more prone to being abused and ultimately being the subject of these IPVs, being it the extreme or the intermediate ones.
“So, for example, women who are less educated. Sometimes, people want to use ‘empowered.’ What the study suggests is that such people are more likely to be victims of IPVs. The whole idea is that, for lack of empowerment, they tend to be more dependent, especially when it comes to economics; they are dependent on the man for daily bread,” he said.
Dr. Obeng also discussed other factors that can increase the risk of IPV, such as marital dissatisfaction, adherence to traditional gender roles, social norms supportive of violence, and exposure to war or political violence.
Three doctors have been found guilty of the death of a young patient who was the victim of a hospital rape by a court in Guinea.
In 2021, the government reported that M’Mah Sylla had passed away in Tunisia, where she had been flown for medical attention after being raped.
The case caused a great deal of outrage in Guinea.
A court in the capital Conakry has now sentenced Daniel and Patrice Lamah to 15 years in prison and a third doctor, Celestin Millimouna – who is on the run – was given a 20-year sentence.
They were all found guilty of assault and battery as well as carrying out an abortion.
Patrice Lamah and Millimouna were also found guilty of rape.
According to Afia Schwarzenegger, Mzbelwasn’t sexually assaulted by gospel preacher and former ICGC pastor, Rev. Josh Laryea as stated a few years back.
After Rev. Josh Laryea was suspended in 2017 due to allegations of immorality and other things, Afia Schwarzenegger and her best friend at the time, Mzbel, celebrated on social media.
This was after reports went viral that the ‘emre sesa’ hitmaker had raped Mzbel, who was then a member of the same church.
A letter dated March 29, 2017, issued by The ICGC Church Council at that time read,
“The Presbytery has authorized the Disciplinary Committee to look into the allegations levelled against Rev. Laryea. Rev. Josh Laryea is being withdrawn from the pulpit and thereby the Doxa Temple with immediate effect. This is to allow the Committee carry out its work uninterrupted.”
Shortly after the statement went viral, Afia Schwarzenegger who was captured in full glee, took tosocial media and wrote,
“At long last your cup is full…you molested someone I know and made her not to believe in Christianity …God truly answers…you see your life??”
A devasted Josh Laryea, who spoke about the incident in an interview with Starfm at that time said, “I may have gone mad, I may have been dead…at a point, I thought of suicide.”
But revisiting this issue, Afia Schwarzenegger, who is on a secret dropping spree amidst her latest feud with Mzbel said she regrets being a part of the scheme.
“Mzbel lied! Josh Laryea never raped her and I have asked God for forgiveness. Any day the man brings the case up, I will defend him. When Mzbel was attending ICGC, the members were scared of her and didn’t want to accept her. All the men in Mzbel’s life abandoned her and she later resorted to joining a church to find solace.
“She joined ICGC and Josh Laryea became her godfather. One year later, she accused him of rape. I know the man has been hoping for a redemption and the redemption is today. The name clearing is now,” she established in a Tik Tok live video.
In an effort to put an end to a brutal two-year civil war, Ethiopia’s government signed a peace agreement with forces from the northern Tigray region last November. However, locals and aid organisations have informed the BBC that attacks on civilians, particularly sexual assaults against women, have persisted.
This report contains content which some readers may find upsetting, including sexual violence
Letay spent the night hiding under a bridge as mortar rounds fell and exploded all around her on the day that representatives of the Ethiopian government shook hands with their rivals from Tigray to make peace. Both sides grinned as cameras captured the moment.
She had just escaped an Eritrean soldier’s rape while she was by herself in a remote area of north-east Tigray.
“After it happened, I was unconscious for a long time before I regained consciousness. I had to hide myself until they left.”
We have changed Letay’s name and those of the other rape survivors who shared their stories with the BBC to protect them from stigmatisation and retribution.
During the two-year conflict in northern Ethiopia, the systematic rape of Tigrayan women by Ethiopian soldiers, as well as their allies from neighbouring Eritrea and militia groups, has been documented by the United Nations, human rights organisations and journalists.
Forces from Tigray have also been accused of sexually assaulting women in the Amhara region as they made a push towards Ethiopia’s capital.
Image caption,Hundreds of thousands of people are thought to have died in the war
For two years, from November 2020, the two sides in the civil war fought for control of Tigray. The death toll could be in the hundreds of thousands.
There was hope that after the peace agreement was signed in November, the assaults on civilians would stop.
Women, health workers and aid organisations have told the BBC that they did not.
I spoke to Letay on a crackly phone line – journalists are not being given government permission to travel to Tigray.
“It happened to me twice. What have I done wrong? It seemed like I wished for it.”
“The two of them did what they wanted before asking the third one to do the same, except he said no. He said: ‘What will I do with her? She is already a corpse lying around.’”
After the first time she was raped, Letay sought medical and psychological help, joining a women’s support group for survivors. On the day of the peace deal Letay had rushed out to help a young girl who had also been raped before she was assaulted too.
It is difficult to know the true number of sexual assaults committed during the war.
Victims are often scared to speak out while telecommunications had been cut off during the fighting.
According to data from the official Tigray Health Bureau in November and December 2022 – after the peace deal was signed – 852 cases were reported in centres set up to help survivors.
Human rights workers and aid organisations operating in Tigray have also continued to document cases of sexual violence.
Image caption,Support groups have set up centres for survivors of sexual assault in the conflict
Adiama, who comes from the town of Zalambesa in north-eastern Tigray, said she was sexually assaulted by an Eritrean soldier at the end of last month.
“There were four of them but only one raped me. They even had plans to kill me but they left after I was raped.”
Sister Mulu Mesfin, who has worked with rape survivors since the start of the conflict at Tigray’s biggest hospital in the regional capital Mekelle, sent me a voice message as she walked through a ward.
According to Sister Mulu, and other health workers we have spoken to, most of these assaults in Tigray were committed by Eritrean troops, while militia from the Amhara region and federal government forces are also accused of committing rapes.
Eritrea shares a border with Tigray and has a long-standing rivalry with the region’s ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) – one of the reasons why it joined the civil war backing the Ethiopian government.
Last week, Eritrea’s reclusive President Isaias Afwerki made a rare public appearance when he visited Kenya.
Coming from a country where a free press does not exist, Mr Isaias was visibly angry and frustrated when asked tough questions by journalists. He dismissed all claims of atrocities committed by his country’s forces in Tigray.
“Everybody talking about human rights violations [by Eritrean forces], rape, looting, this is a fantasy in the minds of those who own this factory, that I call a factory of fabricating misinformation,” he said.
Image caption,President Isaias Afwerki denies all allegations of atrocities by Eritrean forces
We have sent the allegations in this report to the Ethiopian government’s communications minister and the African Union, which brokered the peace deal, for comment, but neither have responded.
November’s agreement has brought positive change to Tigray. There is no active fighting. Aid, especially food and medication, is reaching more towns and cities, while banking and communication services have resumed.
Some families have been reunited and others have spoken to each other for the first time in more than a year. But according to article four of the agreement: “The Parties shall, in particular, condemn any act of sexual and gender-based violence.”
“Sexual violence is a violation of the agreement,” says Laetitia Bader, Horn of Africa Director at Human Rights Watch. “One of the issues we have been raising is the importance of the backers of the agreement to ensure that they are speaking out when there are violations”.
The organisation continues to call for independent investigators and journalists to gain access to northern Ethiopia.
“We are very concerned by the efforts of the Ethiopian government to try to end and undermine the work of the international commission of human rights experts of Ethiopia, which was established by the Human Rights Commission in Geneva,” she adds.
Ms Bader says investigations will be crucial if survivors are to get justice and for any reconciliation process.
“I never expected to be assaulted after the peace agreement,” says Hilina.
The mother of three had already fled her home in Humera to the town of Shirao where she worked as a street vendor selling maize.
She says on 16 November, she was late going home when two Eritrean troops stopped her for breaking the curfew. She told them she had no ID, and they took her to an empty house.
Satellite images taken on September 26 and released by the company Maxar Technologies showed the build-up of what appeared to be Eritrean or Ethiopian forces in Shiraro.
Image caption,The war raged for two years but was largely hidden from the world’s view, with communications cut off and entry restricted
Hilina says she could tell from the men’s appearance and the dialect in which they spoke that they were from Eritrea.
“They brought me to an empty house. They took out a gun and said: ‘If you keep quiet, we won’t harm you.’ So, I told them they could do what they wanted to but begged them not to kill me.”
Hilina says she was raped the whole night before they let her go in the morning. She has since had an abortion, saying she would rather die than give birth to a child from rape.
According to aid workers the BBC spoke to there are Eritrean troops close to Shiraro.
The peace deal requires them to leave Tigray and though they have pulled out of major cities and towns, they maintain a presence in areas close to their border with Tigray.
Shashu, an 80-year-old woman, cannot hold back her tears as we speak to her – again on a crackly phone line. We ask if she wants to continue with the interview and she agrees.
Like Letay, Shashu says she has been raped twice in this war – before and after the peace deal.
Convener of the Fix The Country movement, Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor, has recounted how a 13-year-old girl was saved from the rigours of the law after she fatally stabbed a man who attempted to rape her.
Oliver recounted last Thursday (February 2) that the case before the Ada District Court was dropped after the state filed a nolle prosequi against his client.
In giving a brief of the case via a Facebook post, he said police had opted to charge the unnamed client after she stabbed an aggressor who had attempted to rape her on multiple occasions.
He had been contacted by an acquaintance who was following the case and he opted to take it on a pro bono basis: “A child had been attacked by a guy who had tried on a couple of occasions to defile the kid.
“He had been caught on a couple of occasions undressing the girl deep in the middle of the night in her own home.
“In the struggle, she ended up stabbing him with scissors. It was not intentional, but she was fighting for herself as one does. The guy ended up losing his life and the police charged the kid with murder,” he stated.
He said as a lawyer, the nolle prosequi came as a relief to himself and the family of the accused, stressing his belief that there were many more such cases where people are being held over lack of representation.
“I just left the Ada District Court on a pro bono brief. The murder charges against my 13-year-old client have been discontinued by the State after a nolle prosequi.
“Huge relief. And I am just grateful to see such burden lifted off a family, and this child,” his post read in part.
Find the full post below:
I just left the Ada District Court on a pro bono brief. The murder charges against my 13-year-old client have been discontinued by the State after a nolle prosequi.
Huge relief. And I am just grateful to see such burden lifted off a family, and this child.
A couple of months ago Golda Naa Adaku Addo reached out about a peculiar case. I was in Tamale at the time. A child had been attacked by a guy who had tried on a couple of occasions to defile the kid. He had been caught on a couple of occasions undressing the girl deep in the middle of the night in her own home.
In the struggle, she ended up stabbing him with a scissors. It was not intentional, but she was fighting for herself as one does. The guy ended up losing his life and the police charged the kid with murder.
I must say that but for the fighting spirit of Golda this matter would not have reached me. I am grateful that after the discharge of the girl, Golda has committed to find therapeutic support for the girl.
The girls family expressed a lot of appreciation for Golda and just finding them in their hour of need.
A lot of times, folks are asked to donate to support causes. Many of those times, you never realise the end impact of your donations. This is because a lot of these stories you don’t find on social media.
Golda is doing great work in the Ningo prampram communities. Some people are cursed by the stars to fight for others. Even if it means setting themselves on fire to keep others warm. We need them. But they too need you. Reach out to her to know how to support! Shalom.
Fast-rising Ghanaian musician Sharkels teams up with Heros Beatz on this newest banger Rape is Bad.
Sharkels and his co-star sing and rap about rape and its harmful effects, campaigning for perpetrators to think about how their actions affect their victims.
The song challenges society to think about the canker and work towards eliminating it.
Rape Is Bad is produced by Fabulous.
Profile
Sharkles
Sharkels is a fast-rising Ghanaian singer-songwriter with a penchant for socially uplifting music.
Sharkels performs Afropop, Hiplife and dancehall genres of music.
He is known for singles such as Ghanaian Girl, Life, Makuma, My Baby, Jaye and many others.
Sharkels has features with Nigerian and Tanzanian artists under his belt as he builds a portfolio for his budding career.
The talented artist is currently under no management and seeks representation.
If you’re a talent manager or label executive searching for a fast-rising star with an aim of changing the world, through music, contact Sharkels on sharkelsgh@gmail.com.
Allegations of attempted rape, violence, and coercive and controlling behavior against Mason Greenwood have all been dismissed.
The Manchester United forward was first detained in January 2022 and then freed on bail, after which the Premier League club placed him on indefinite suspension.
Following another arrest for violating his bail terms, prosecutors filed charges against him.
Greenwood has now had all charges dropped, with it revealed back in November that a court date had been set for February 2023.
A statement from Chief Superintendent Michaela Kerr, Head of Public Protection for Greater Manchester Police, reads: “Criminal proceedings against a 21-year-old man in connection with an investigation opened in January 2022 have, today (Thursday 2 February 2023), been discontinued by the CPS.
“Given the significant media coverage of this case, it is only fair that we share the news that the 21-year-old man, who had been arrested and charged in connection with an investigation opened in January 2022, no longer faces criminal proceedings in relation to this.
“The investigation team has remained in regular contact with the legal team, providing any updates of note, and so understand the rationale for the discontinuation of proceedings at this stage, and that this decision has not been taken lightly.
“Despite the media and public’s interest in this case, we have decided not to comment on it in any further detail.
“I would, however, like to use this opportunity to reiterate GMP’s commitment to investigating allegations of violence against women and girls and supporting those affected, regardless of their circumstances, throughout what can be a hard and upsetting time for them.
“An ever increasing number of officers are receiving specialist training and the force is more consistently utilising tools, available via the criminal justice system, to keep people safe and care for victims.
“If you feel you are or might be a victim, please don’t let this case put you off asking for help.”
A Germany-based Ghanaian lady has accused the founder and leader of Universal Spiritual Outreach, Bishop Abed Kwabena Asiamah, popularly known as Ajaguraja of raping her.
The lady identified as Gladys has further alleged that the spiritualist also charmed her and through that was able to lure her into giving him several sums of money including monies drawn from her children’s savings.
According to Gladys, she travelled from Germany to meet Bishop Asiamah over some abdominal pains she had failed to treat with orthodox care.
In an interview with Oman Channel, a YouTube page, she claimed that the prophet asked her to make a sacrifice of a car valued at some GHC8,000 when she first visited his church.
She added that the prophet subsequently forced himself on her and had sex with her after she had declined his claim that the spirit had ordained him to take her as his wife.
She added that Bishop Asiamah failed to heal her condition but succeeded inn fleecing her of different sums of money.
In the same interview, another lady who said she is a prophetess also accused Prophet Asiamah of being a gigolo – a man who has sex with and is supported by a woman.
According to her, she fell victim to his scheme after she fell for his love proposal and ended up losing her church and membership to the prophet.
In the Iwo Road neighborhood of Ibadan, Oyo State, a purported thug is accused of sexually assaulting a Muslim woman inside a mosque, setting off demonstrations in the neighborhood.
It was learnt that the woman was in Purdah clothes when the incident occurred on Sunday and this has led to some Muslim youths, scholars and organisations in Ibadan staging a protest to demand the prosecution of the suspect.
A source said, “An unfortunate incident happened on Sunday in Ibadan, when the son of a road transport union sneaked into a mosque and raped a ‘Niqobite.’
“This then prompted the concerned Muslim leaders to stage the protest on Monday.”
The concerned Muslims were led in the protest by an Ibadan-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Amubieya, Daily Post reports.
Another source revealed that the suspect had been arrested.
He said, “The thug who raped a Niqobite (Muslim lady in veil) has been identified as Idris, also known as Kesari.
“He is the son of a union leader known as Al-Majiri. He was arrested by the police and the case has now been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID)”.
In a related event, a man, called Waheed Ogundele was accused of raping a lady (name withheld) in the Ologuneru area of Oyo State.
A relative of the lady, who identified himself as Mahmud, had told SaharaReporters that the rapist absconded while neighbours were trying to take him to a police station.
Mike Tyson is looking at a $5 million lawsuit after the former heavyweight boxing champion was accused of violently raping a woman in a limo in the early 1990s.
According to an affidavit filed in Albany County, New York, the alleged victim said she met Tyson at a nightclub and was invited into his limousine. She was under the assumption he would take her and another individual to a party. While driving to the location of the party, Tyson attempted to kiss the victim, which she denied, before he allegedly raped her.
“I met Mike Tyson in the early 1990s at a dance club called Septembers,” the affidavit read. “My friend and I were hanging out with him and his limousine driver. Tyson told us about a party and asked us to join him. My friend was going to drop off her car and Tyson said he would pick her up in the limousine.”
“He then pulled my pants off and violently raped me,” the lawsuit stated. “As a result of Tyson’s rape, I suffered and continue to suffer from physical, psychological, and emotional injury.”
The charges were filed under New York’s new Adult Survivors Act, which gives survivors of sexual abuse a one-year window to file complaints that would otherwise be prevented by the statute of limitations.
The unidentified victim is seeking $5 million in damages, as she has “been unable to maintain and/or develop healthy relationships with men or anyone in general” and has “experienced extreme emotional suffering including but not limited to nightmares, panic attacks and flashbacks.”
Back in February 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape in Indianapolis. He was sentenced to six years in prison and was released on parole after three years.
