Latest news with #sexualviolence
Japan Times
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Fuji TV settles ‘sexual violence' case with apology and compensation to victim
Fuji TV settled with the victim of a 'sexual violence' incident — which occurred as an extension of the company's operations involving former TV personality Masahiro Nakai and a former female announcer at the broadcaster — with an apology and compensation. According to the network's statement released Thursday, Fuji TV President Kenji Shimizu apologized in-person to the unnamed woman over the incident, as well as the fact that the company did not respond appropriately despite her having reported the misconduct to the company. The company also took responsibility for having caused her additional emotional distress due to its initial reactions to the incident. The amount of the compensation was not disclosed. 'We express our deepest gratitude and sincere respect to Ms. A for giving us this opportunity to apologize," the statement read. In the meeting with the woman, Fuji TV also expressed its commitment to protecting her from any further verbal harassment and cyberbullying over the incident. The broadcaster also agreed to compensate for the financial and mental damages she received due to the company's poor handling of the incident. The major TV network has been embroiled in the series of scandals since the end of last year, when two weekly magazines reported on allegations of 'serious trouble' between the woman and Nakai, a former member of boy band SMAP. A third-party report on the company released in March described the incident as 'sexual violence' that occurred as an extension of how the TV network operated, bringing to light its poor handling of the aftermath as well as a culture of harassment. However, Nakai's side has been disputing the third-party report arguing that the characterization of the incident being 'sexual violence' was incorrect. On Friday, Nakai's lawyer released a statement following reports on Fuji TV's meeting with the woman, saying that 'both parties have the same human rights' and asking the media to be careful in the language they use when covering the case, TV Asahi reported. Since the incident, Fuji TV has revamped the company's board, as well as its parent company's board members, aside from the newly appointed Shimizu. The company and its executives are committed to plans of reform to reinvent their company and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Students offered free rape test kits
Students are being offered free rape test kits to collect and store the DNA of alleged attackers in an effort to combat sexual violence on university campuses. The set includes a swab for alleged victims to use on themselves at home and then send to a testing company, which freezes some of the genetic material in case they decide to report an attack to the police and need physical evidence. However, the creators of the initiative said its main aim was to act as a deterrent to non-consensual sex, because it would mean that any student would know that 'if you don't get consent, your DNA could stay on file'. Katie White, co-founder of not-for-profit organisation Enough, said: 'A lot of people see it as like the breathalyser. The existence of it prevents what it is designed to measure.' Ms White and fellow co-founder Tom Allchurch have piloted the initiative at the University of Bristol, where 8,000 students have been provided with the kits. The pair, who left their jobs to launch the venture with £100,000 from donors, are in talks with other universities, as well as police and crime commissioners, to run similar pilots in other cities. They said it was not a 'criminal justice' alternative to reporting a rape or sexual assault to the police – which users are advised to do if that is their intent. Instead, the duo said it was designed to provide an avenue for 'social justice' where victims report a potential offence that they might otherwise not take any further. The swab, similar to a Covid test pack, comes with a free post envelope to send to a lab which tests half the sample and freezes the remainder. Each student receives a number and DNA result, telling them if the material is male or female, but otherwise all details are anonymous. Each alleged victim is also provided with an encrypted digital account in which they can write down what happened, which could provide contemporaneous evidence if they subsequently decide to report a sexual assault to police. 'Most people who go to the police go a week afterwards,' said Ms White. Students are also advised to consider a checklist of actions such as taking pregnancy and sexual disease tests, while they are further offered access to online therapy videos by an established clinical specialist. Alleged victims are also given the opportunity to make an anonymous statement which can be publicised on social media. Ms White said: 'Ninety per cent of students don't report [sexual violence], they want to forget what happened and move on, rather than feel like they are turning it into a bigger deal. 'Many can be put off by... [the wait for a] trial, on average over two years. They know conviction rates are low, and they also fear that their friends may not believe them.' During the pilot scheme in Bristol, 200 students reported assaults or rapes, compared with just two who reported attacks to the university during the same time frame the previous year. Ms White said others had used the scheme to check if they had been a victim of date rape. A survey of Bristol students found 90 per cent knew about Enough, 70 per cent said they felt it had prevented sexual violence, and 86 per cent said they would report a rape to Enough. Ms White added: 'It is not about replacing criminal justice. It's complementary to it. The only thing that it is an alternative to is inaction. 'We not going to break this cycle of rape and sexual violence going up unless we have a form of reporting that victims are comfortable with and perpetrators feel threatened by.'
The Sun
17 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Dimitri Payet charged with ‘psychological violence' against ex who accused him of forcing her to ‘drink own urine'
FORMER West Ham star Dimitri Payet faces trial after being accused of "sexual, physical and psychological violence" against his ex-girlfriend. Brazilian prosecutors have charged the ex-France midfielder, 38, with abusing 28-year-old lawyer Larissa Ferrari. 3 3 Payet hit 15 goals in 60 Hammers appearances and was their 2015-16 player of the season. The married dad-of-four joined Brazilian club Vasco da Gama in 2023 and went on to form a relationship with local woman Larissa. Rio de Janeiro prosecutors allege he took advantage of her vulnerability to start the relationship, then caused her "psychological and emotional harm" including being violent. Police initially closed their inquiry but prosecutors reopened the case after an appeal by Larissa and have now pressed charges. Payet has been accused of causing her emotional damage through "hurtful and degrading expressions, humiliation, manipulation and mockery". Larissa made allegations to The Sun on Sunday in April that Payet had forced her to film degrading films, drink her own urine and water from the toilet, and lick the floor. She also claimed she had to take part in a fake wedding and wear a ring to 'prove her love'. Payet is said to have told Brazilian police everything between him and Larissa was consensual. 3 Documents from the country's Public Ministry say the couple met online and shared a mutual interest in sexual relations involving "acts of daringness and violence". The official report states Larissa suffered depression as a result of Payet's behaviour towards her. Her lawyers said: "This measure shows that the authorities are aware of the seriousness of the facts. "They are minded to make sure that behaviours that harm women's dignity do not go unpunished - no matter how high-profile the suspect may be." The footballer, whose Vasco contract was torn up earlier this month, could have to pay a huge fine and the costs of Larissa's medical treatment if the accusations against him are found to be true. Payet's lawyer Sheila Lustoza said: "I'm surprised the case has been reopened, as it is based on information that was already out there. "But I am confident that the legal system will recognise my client's innocence." Payet left West Ham for Marseille in a £25million deal in January 2017 after falling out of favour with Hammers fans. The set-piece expert, who has 38 caps, pushed for a transfer after claiming he was homesick.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Strangulation in pornography to be made illegal
Pornography depicting any act of strangulation is to be made illegal as part of government efforts to combat an 'epidemic' of sexual violence against women and girls. The move was recommended in a review for the Government by Baroness Bertin, a Conservative peer, who found that porn had effectively established choking as a 'sexual norm'. She said that a belief had taken root that choking a partner during sex was 'safe' because it was not fatal, despite overwhelming evidence that there was no safe way to strangle a person. The Government has already introduced a specific offence for abusers who strangle their partners, with perpetrators facing jail sentences of up to five years. Alex Davies-Jones, the justice minister, said: 'Depicting strangulation during sex is not only dangerous, but also degrading, with real-life consequences for women. 'Cracking down on the appalling rise of strangulation pornography will protect women and send a clear signal to men and boys that misogyny will not be tolerated.' Lady Bertin, who was commissioned to carry out the review by Rishi Sunak, also recommended that harmful online porn that would be illegal on the high street should be banned. The review, published on Thursday, found that violent, harmful and misogynistic porn was common on mainstream platforms. However, the material would be judged as illegal and refused classification by the British Board of Film Classification if it was sold in shops on the high street, according to Lady Bertin's review. It comes ahead of new legally enforced rules requiring websites that host pornographic or other harmful content to have 'robust' age verification in place for UK users by July at the latest. Methods to be required include open banking, photo ID matching, facial age estimation, credit card checks, digital ID services and email-based age estimation. 'No such thing as safe strangulation' Andrea Simon, the director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said: ' We welcome the Government's decision to criminalise the depiction of strangulation in pornography, a move that reflects years of campaigning by EVAW and other experts who have long warned about the normalisation of violence against women and girls in online content. 'There is no such thing as safe strangulation; women cannot consent to the long-term harm it can cause, including impaired cognitive functioning and memory. Its widespread portrayal in porn is fuelling dangerous behaviours, particularly among young people. 'This is a vital step towards recognising the role violent pornography plays in shaping attitudes to women and regulating an industry which promotes and profits from violence against women. The UK's flagship Online Safety Act must now be updated to ensure online platforms are made to remove this content.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sharing deepfake pornography 'the next sexual violence epidemic facing schools'
Sharing deepfake pornography is "the next sexual violence epidemic" facing schools, the author of a book on the spread of online misogyny has told MPs. Appearing before the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC), Laura Bates said there needs to be statutory guidance for teachers on how to deal with this "very significant issue". She said in every UK case she has investigated, schools have "paid thousands of pounds hiring PR firms to focus on damage reputation management". However, in terms of supporting girls and taking action against the perpetrators, "nothing has happened". She said of deepfake pornography: "It is happening, it's significant. Female teachers are affected, which often goes unnoticed, and schools are just not equipped to tackle it. "My suggestion would be this is the next big sexual violence epidemic facing schools and people don't even know it is going on." Deepfakes are pictures, videos or audio clips made with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to look or sound real. While it is illegal to create or share a sexually explicit image of a child, including a deepfake, the technology for making them remains legal. Asked what more could be done to help schools tackle the issue, Ms Bates said in the cases she is aware of "police investigations are ongoing" . However, she said she is not suggesting criminalisation of underage boys is the solution and what is needed is education, prevention and regulation. "It shouldn't be the case that a 12-year-old boy can easily and freely access tools to create these forms of content in the first place," she said. Ms Bates is the founder of the Everyday Sexism project and author of: The New Age of Sexism: How the AI Revolution is Reinventing Misogyny. She also called for "very clear guidance" on how schools should respond to this challenge. She warned of a repeat of failings that have happened previously with intimate image abuse, where girls have been "coerced into sending images of themselves" then punished for taking the image once it has been shared around - but the person spreading the image has not. Calls to ban 'nudifying apps' A government spokesperson told Sky News: "We are reviewing the relationships, sex and health curriculum to look at all modern-day challenges facing children, including that of deepfake porn, and work to ensure children are taught how to build positive, healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way." It comes amid mounting concern among MPs and experts , with many wanting the government to go further with its regulations on big tech firms. Read More: In April, a report by the Children's Commissioner for England found that nudifying apps are disproportionately targeting girls and young women, with many appearing to work only on female bodies. The commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, called for an immediate ban on apps that use AI to create naked images of children, saying "there is no positive reason for these to exist". Inquiry into the 'manosphere' Ms Bates appeared in front of the WEC as part of their inquiry into how the "manosphere" and other online content is fuelling misogyny. The cross-party group has previously heard how the rise of misogyny in young men in particular is not only affecting female pupils but also female staff, with sexual harassment towards teachers described as "rife". On Wednesday's session, the committee also heard concerns around the rise of the "sex tech industry", including robots and AI girlfriends, with fears this is having a wider impact on attitudes towards women and girls. Sarah Owen, the Labour chair of the WEC, told Sky News she could not pre-empt what recommendations would be made to the government. But she said there was huge concern around the online radicalisation of young men, adding: "It was a boiling hot room but my blood ran cold at what I was hearing."
