Category Archives: Rape and sexual assault

Pornhub needs to change – or shut down

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A petition is calling on the site to prevent non-consensual videos being posted – and highlights the lack of industry regulation

The news that 350,000 people – and counting – have signed a petition calling on Pornhub – the world’s most popular porn site – to stop posting non-consensual videos and marketing them as “pornography” is not surprising to me.

Pornhub’s argument that “extremists” are lobbying to shut them down is ridiculous. I’m non-religious, liberal and sex positive and in no way “anti-porn”.

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World’s biggest porn site under fire over rape and abuse videos

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Petition highlighting failure of Pornhub to protect rape and revenge porn victims has attracted over 350,000 signatures

An online petition accusing Pornhub, the UK’s biggest open access porn site, from profiting from videos of rape and sexual abuse has reached over 350,000 signatures.

Pornhub is the world’s biggest porn site and was visited 42bn times last year. It is free to access, with no age restrictions, and raises revenue through advertising and paid-for promotions by porn producers.

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Harvey Weinstein sentence should reflect ‘lifetime of abuse’ – prosecutors

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Harvey Weinstein’s record of sexual attacks and harassment against women dates back to the 1970s in a “lifetime of abuse” in which he “trapped women into his exclusive control and assaulted or attempted to assault them”, according to New York prosecutors.

In a note to the New York supreme court released on Friday ahead of Weinstein’s sentencing next week, the lead prosecutor at his rape trial essentially threw the book at the fallen movie mogul. Without providing the state’s desired sentence, Joan Illuzzi-Orbon urged Judge James Burke to impose “a sentence that reflects the seriousness of [his] offenses, his total lack of remorse for the harm he has caused, and the need to deter him and others from engaging in further criminal conduct”.

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Harvey Weinstein: how a Hollywood mogul was undone – video explainer

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Harvey Weinstein, the titan of Hollywood turned convicted rapist, has been sentenced to 23 years in prison. In February 2020, a New York jury found Weinstein guilty of rape and sexual assault against two women who had hoped he could help build their careers. The Guardian's Ed Pilkington looks back at how the disgraced producer was able to operate above the law for decades, and what the verdict means for the #MeToo movement and his dozens of accusers.

In the US, Rainn offers support at 800-656-4673 or by chat at Rainn.org. In the UK, the rape crisis national freephone helpline is at 0808-802-9999. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800-737-7328) or 1800respect.org.au. Other international helplines can be found at Ibiblio.org

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Harvey Weinstein trial: jury appears to reach partial verdict

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Jury indicated that in three counts they have reached their decision, and will now break and return to deliberations on the other two counts on Monday

The jury at Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial in New York appears to have reached a verdict on three of the five counts facing him, though they are deadlocked on the most serious charge – predatory sexual assault.

Shortly after the lunch break on Friday, the five men and seven women of the jury were called back into court having indicated that in three counts they have reached their decision. These are: the count that alleges the fallen movie mogul forced oral sex on a then Project Runway production assistant, Miriam Haley, in 2006 and two counts of rape in 2013 of a woman who the Guardian is not naming as her intentions on identification are unclear.

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Fashion executive accused in rape lawsuit reportedly hosted Prince Andrew at Bahamas estate

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  • Peter Nygard is accused of luring women to the property
  • Photos from 20 years ago show the royals visiting the site

A millionaire fashion executive accused of raping 10 women and girls at his Bahamas mansion reportedly hosted Prince Andrew and his family at the property in 2000.

A class action lawsuit lodged in New York City claims that Peter Nygard lured “young, impressionable, and often impoverished children and women” to his Bahamas property with cash payments and promises of modeling opportunities, only to then “assault, rape, and sodomize them”.

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‘Master of his universe’: Weinstein saw women as disposable, prosecutor says

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  • Joan Illuzzi-Orbon stresses movie mogul’s power imbalance
  • Prosecution makes closing arguments in rape trial

Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood mogul who was a “master of his universe”, stepped on, demoralised, humiliated and ultimately abused and raped “disposable” women he tricked into his lair, a prosecutor told the jury on Friday in closing arguments at his New York rape trial.

Related: Harvey Weinstein trial nears final act after defence rests

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Harvey Weinstein trial nears final act after defence rests

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Movie producer ‘loved’ closing remarks of his lawyer, who questioned motives of accusers

Harvey Weinstein looked cheerful at the end of five hours of closing remarks in the New York supreme court, despite facing possible life imprisonment.

As he trundled down the corridor on his walking frame, smiling broadly at reporters, he was asked what he thought of the final pitch to the jury made by his lead lawyer, Donna Rotunno. “I loved it,” he said. “I called it the Queen’s speech.”

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Harvey Weinstein rape trial appears headed for early conclusion

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  • Film producer to call several more witnesses
  • Lawyers could deliver closing arguments this week

The film producer Harvey Weinstein is expected to call several more witnesses on Monday in his New York rape trial, which is nearing its conclusion well ahead of schedule.

Related: Donna Rotunno: the legal Rottweiler leading Harvey Weinstein’s defense

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Harvey Weinstein trial: attorney shows dress witness wore during alleged attack

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Lauren Young gave a distressing account of an alleged hotel bathroom attack by the once-powerful movie producer

The sixth and final woman to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexually attacking them took the witness stand at his rape trial on Wednesday, describing in harrowing detail how he allegedly groped her in a Los Angeles hotel bathroom in 2013.

The jury in the New York supreme court were once again subjected to a graphic and distressing account of an alleged forced sex act imposed on an aspiring young actor by the once-powerful movie producer.

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Harvey Weinstein trial: witness details complex relationship with ex-producer

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Rape trial continued with cross-examination of accuser who suffered a panic attack under questioning on Monday

The dramatic rape trial of Harvey Weinstein continued on Tuesday with the cross-examination of an accuser who suffered a panic attack under questioning the day before.

The 34-year-old witness alleges she was violently raped twice by the film producer in 2013. Her claims form a central pillar of the prosecution’s case.

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Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial abruptly halted amid witness’s panic attack

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Judge suspended proceedings until Tuesday morning after a key witness was unable to bring her crying under control

Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial in New York had to be brought to an abrupt halt on Monday afternoon after one of his two main accusers was reduced to uncontrollable sobbing, having been subjected to more than four hours of relentless grilling at the hands of his defense lawyer.

James Burke, the judge presiding over the New York supreme court trial, suspended proceedings until Tuesday morning when the key witness was unable to bring her crying and breathing under control and appeared to have a panic attack. Even after a five-minute break, the woman continued to sob in her witness seat.

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Police sending a third fewer rape cases to prosecutors, figures show

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Call for inquiry into CPS as prosecutions fall by a quarter and convictions by a fifth

Rape victims are finding it increasingly difficult to access justice as police refer fewer cases to the Crown Prosecution Service and fewer allegations of rape are being prosecuted and convicted, according to new figures.

The number of cases referred by the police for charging decisions fell by 32% in the year to September 2019, while prosecutions by the CPS fell 26% and convictions dropped 21%, according to quarterly CPS prosecution data across a range of crimes.

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Weinstein trial: witness says mogul screamed at her for refusing threesome

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Dawn Dunning describes experience of Weinstein ‘towering over’ her and allegedly demanding she have threesome with assistant

A witness at the Harvey Weinstein rape trial in New York described on Wednesday the moment the movie mogul allegedly screamed at her that she would never make it in the film business, after she refused to have a threesome with him and his assistant.

Dawn Dunning, 40, told the jury at the New York supreme court how she had become very scared about what Weinstein might do to her after she tried to get away from the room. “He was screaming. He was a big guy, and he was towering over me. I was really scared.”

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Landmark case held on alleged sexual abuse of Ecuadorian schoolgirl

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Hearing on teen who later killed herself could lead to first standard for protection from sexual violence at schools in Latin America

An international court hearing that involves the alleged sexual abuse of an Ecuadorian schoolgirl between the age of 14 and 16 by her deputy head could transform girls’ rights across Latin America.

In a region where 30% of students between 13 and 15 claim to have experienced sexual harassment while at school, it is hoped that the case, heard on Tuesday at the Inter-American Court on Human Rights (IACHR) in Costa Rica, will establish the first international standards to protect girls from coercion and sexual violence in school.

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Sopranos actor re-enacts alleged rape at Weinstein trial: ‘I was trying to fight’

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Annabella Sciorra’s shocking testimony marks first time the Weinstein sex crimes trial directly heard from one of his accusers

In a packed courtroom in the New York supreme court in Manhattan on Thursday, the former Sopranos actor Annabella Sciorra held her arms above her head, wrists locked, in a physical re-enactment of the moment she alleged that the disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein forcibly pinned her to her bed.

“He took my hands and put them over my head to hold them back,” the actor said, staring straight at the jury. Some 15ft away on the defense table, the defendant looked impassively at her.

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Weinstein trial opens with shocking details of alleged attacks on six women

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New York prosecutor describes allegations of the women, who she says were ‘groomed’ before Weinstein assaulted them

Harvey Weinstein was a savvy New York businessman and famous Hollywood producer who used his power and the promise of his largesse within the film industry to groom a succession of naive and inexperienced women – who he went on to sexually assault and in some cases rape, state prosecutors alleged on Wednesday.

In an opening statement lasting over an hour, New York prosecutor Meghan Hast delivered a devastating and at times shocking account of Weinstein’s alleged attacks on six women who will testify at the fallen mogul’s trial in Manhattan.

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Myanmar inquiry into treatment of Rohingya criticised after finding no evidence of rape

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Government-appointed investigators failed to meet alleged victims living in Bangladesh

A Myanmar government-backed inquiry that dismissed allegations of genocide against the Rohingya has been condemned as a deeply flawed cover-up, after it failed to interview a single victim of rape.

The full report of the panel inquiry, which has been criticised by the UN, was not made publicly available. It is not clear how many Rohingya were interviewed by the panel.

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British woman’s false rape claim appeal a ‘critical moment’ for Cyprus

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Activists say 19-year-old’s appeal is watershed for women and law in country

Activists in Cyprus have described the determination of a British teenager to overturn a conviction that she lied about being gang-raped on the island as “a critical moment” for women’s rights.

Ten days after the 19-year-old received a suspended four-month sentence for the offence of fomenting public mischief, her lawyers filed an appeal against the conviction before the country’s supreme court.

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