In the News

FORMER SF FIREFIGHTER SUSPECTED IN SEXUAL ASSAULTS

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - Police are asking for the public's help in locating a former San Francisco firefighter suspected of using his badge to commit violent sexual assaults on women

CIA STATION CHIEF IN ALGERIA ACCUSED OF RAPES

The CIA's station chief at its sensitive post in Algeria is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly raping at least two Muslim women who claim he laced their drinks with a knock-out drug, U.S. law enforcement sources tell ABC News.

PROFILE OF A RAPIST: SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN THE NEWS

By Peggy Lee

What do you picture in your head when you think of a CIA agent or a firefighter? You may be thinking of characteristics such as brave, loyal, strong, honest, hard working, or maybe you picture that person saving your cat who is stuck in a tree. These are all common perceptions, yet a violent rapist is usually not an image that jumps to the forefront of most people’s minds. Therefore, it’s not a surprise that when you watch your local news or read your daily paper, you see stories like this in the front page: firefighter uses badge to rape, CIA employee accused of rape, rapist targets park joggers, or serial killer rapists. What do all these cases have in common? First, they involve men’s violence against women as well as stranger rape, which means that the female victim and male perpetrator were complete strangers. But in reality, despite what the media may portray, only 18% of all sexual assaults are stranger rapes (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1995). So, if the majority of perpetrators are not strangers, who are they?

Sexual assault is committed mostly by acquaintances or someone the victim knows and trusts: bosses, uncles, fathers, husbands, sisters, brothers, friends, family friends, partners, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. Just as a corrupt, male firefighter or a CIA agent can wield his badge as power to first, entrust, and then to hurt someone, how can the badge resemble, in particular, male positions of power which we are taught to look up to and trust? For example, most people look at incest sexual assault (for example, father-daughter abuse) and have the misconception that these incidences only happen in “freak” families and many times react in a way showing visible disgust and horror. Imagine being an incest survivor and having to deal with these ideas and sentiments; how would you feel? Would you want to talk about it or get help? It is common for many survivors to feel guilty, dirty, and silenced because of these myths that run rampant in our society. However, these ideas can be stopped by educating ourselves and others that sexual violence is 1) about power, 2) it is a societal issue that affects EVERYONE, 3) that it is never ever the victim’s fault and no one EVER deserves to be sexually assaulted, and 4) it is never OK to sexually abuse someone and rapists must be held accountable and stopped.

POLICE SEARCH FOR HOTEL RAPE SUSPECT

May 6 - San Francisco police released a sketch and description of a man wanted in connection with Monday's armed rape-robbery at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, noting the attack was "not a random act."

SINGER FACES CHILD PORN CHARGES

Video being sold on the street allegedly shows Grammy winner R. Kelly having sex with underage girl

By Melanie Coffee, Associated Press

CHICAGO - R&B star R. Kelly was arrested Wednesday in Florida after Chicago authorities filed child pornography charges alleging that he appears on a videotape having sex with an underage girl.

RAPPER MYSTIKAL ACCUSED OF RAPE

Associated Press, Jul 19 2002

BATON ROUGE, La.(AP) - Top-selling rapper Mystikal is accused of raping a woman with two other men at his home and attempting to extort the woman.

Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Tyler, surrendered to authorities early Thursday and was booked on an aggravated rape charge, police said. He was released on $250,000 bond.

POWER PLAY

Girls with disabilities assert themselves in self-defense class

By Monique Beeler, Oakland Tribune Staff Writer

There's more to learning self-defense than aiming for an attacker's groin. "Here, I'll show you," says 16-year-old Mallory Gilchrist of San Ramon, as she demonstrates a two-handed thrust designed to whack an assailant in the nose or in the chest to knock him off balance.

WITHDRAWAL OF SEXUAL CONSENT QUALIFIES AS RAPE, JUSTICES RULE

Decision based on case in which a teen boy failed to stop despite girl's pleas

By Maura Dolan, Los Angeles Times

SAN FRANCISCO - A man may be convicted of rape if his sexual partner first consents but later changes her mind and asks him to stop, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday.

In a 6-1 decision, the justices said a man who continues sexual intercourse with a woman once she has retracted her consent can be charged with rape. The court ruled in a date-rape case involving teenagers at a party in El Dorado County.

FESTIVAL KICKS OFF 'SUMMER OF PEACE'

Program uses activities to cut youth crime

By Keri Brenner, IJ reporter

The "Summer of Peace" anti-crime youth activities program was a big winner yesterday at a bustling neighborhood festival at Pickleweed Park Community Center in San Rafael's Canal district.

TEENS LEARN TO MANAGE CONFLICT IN RELATIONSHIPS

Program uses activities to cut youth crime

By Katherine Corcoran, San Jose Mercury News

San Jose - Debbie Liscure threw out a hypothetical situation to her teenage audience, mostly boys: What would you do if your girlfriend was wearing clothes you thought were to revealing?

WORKSHOP EMPOWERS TEEN GIRLS

By Patricia Goodwin, Novato Advance

Five years ago, when 16 assaults were committed in less than a year against young Novato females, the Novato Police Department developed a sexual assault awareness program to educate young girls within the community. Developed by four female Novato police officers, the program provided frank information on the facts of sexual assault for young teen girls and their parents, while empowering the young participants with easily mastered self-defense techniques.

ANTIOCH TEEN LEARNED FROM EARLY ADVERSITY

Ledger Dispatch

My good friend Mary will soon be 18 and thrown out into the real world. Mary Smith (not her real name) was born in 1984 in Oakland. She grew up in West Oakland. When she was born, her mother moved less-than-a-month-old Mary and her 4-year-old sister, Jane to Los Angeles with her boyfriend.

STUDENTS LEARN THE HARD-CORE REALITY

by Jackie Burrell, Contra Costa SUN, April 17, 2002

It was not your usual school assembly. Sexual harassment, date rape, predator drugs and eating disorders headlined last week's Campolindo High School Girls Symposium. Sponsored by the Moraga school's leadership students, the morning lectures provided a hard-hitting look at the issues facing young women today.