Judge: Ex-sailors convicted of rape, murder are innocent

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Two former sailors convicted of rape and murder nearly two decades ago are innocent, a federal judge said Monday, adding the “no sane human being” could find the men guilty. U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. said in an opinion that “by any measure,” the evidence shows Danial Williams and … Continue reading →

Sailor allegedly raped, tried to kill female sailor

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A military court arraigned a U.S. sailor on Monday on charges of raping and attempting to kill a fellow sailor and for allegedly attacking a civilian woman in a separate incident months later. In both attacks, Seaman Recruit Xavier Johnson wrapped his hands around his victims’ necks and smothered their faces … Continue reading →

Ex-NFL star Darren Sharper gets 18 years in federal prison

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Former NFL star Darren Sharper has been sentenced to 18 years and four months in prison in a case where he was accused of drugging and raping as many as 16 women in four states. U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced Sharper on Thursday, Aug. 18. He earlier pleaded guilty … Continue reading →

Lawyer says Qatar detained Dutch woman who reported rape

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Dutch woman who told Qatari police she had been drugged and raped in March has been in government detention ever since on unclear charges, a lawyer said Saturday, June 11. The Dutch Embassy in Qatar confirmed the woman remained held ahead of a scheduled hearing Monday in Doha, … Continue reading →

Stanford put on defensive over efforts to deter sex assault

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stanford University officials say policies to prevent and respond to sexual assault worked as well as expected after bystanders spotted a member of the swimming team sexually assaulting an unconscious woman near a garbage bin. Two graduate students passing by on bicycles interrupted the attack, chased down a freshman and held … Continue reading →

Baylor says ‘Ken Starr is president’ amid speculation

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Baylor University and its president faced mounting pressure Tuesday, May 10th, over how the school has handled reports of rape and assault by football players, and the Texas university said its governing board was still considering the results of an internal investigation into the matter. Asked about reports that the board … Continue reading →

Teen’s death 3 years ago a symbol of S. Africa’s rape crisis

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A teenager’s cruel death three years ago has become a symbol of gender violence and South Africa’s continued struggle to curb sexual violence. In February 2013, Anene Booysen was gang-raped and left for dead on a construction site, her stomach sliced open. The 17-year-old lived long enough to identify her attackers and … Continue reading →

Appeals court temporarily halts upcoming Cosby deposition

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California appeals court on Thursday temporarily halted an order requiring Bill Cosby and his former attorney to give sworn testimony in a defamation lawsuit filed by model Janice Dickinson. The order Thursday by the 2nd District Court of Appeal puts plans to depose the comedian and his longtime attorney on … Continue reading →

Prep school graduate gets a year in jail for sexual assault

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A graduate of an exclusive New England prep school was sentenced Thursday to a year in jail for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old freshman girl as part of a competition among upperclassmen to rack up sexual conquests. Owen Labrie, 20, of Tunbridge, Vermont, was also ordered to register as a sex offender, … Continue reading →

Court records: Ohio man on electronic monitor raped teen

CINCINNATI (AP) — While an Ohio man was on electronic monitoring in an abduction case, he had a 14-year-old girl dropped off at his home by taxi, held her captive for months and raped her, according to criminal charges and court records. Cody Lee Jackson, 20, fled the state without the girl after pleading guilty … Continue reading →

Jurors resume deliberations in prep school rape case

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A jury on Friday began its second day of deliberations in the trial of a former student at an elite prep school charged with raping a freshman last year as part of a tradition of sexual conquest days before he graduated. Owen Labrie, of Tunbridge, Vermont, faces nine charges, including three … Continue reading →

Jamaica woman brings attention to rapes targeting lesbians

    KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — When Angeline Jackson and a friend were ambushed at gunpoint and sexually assaulted on a wooded trail outside the Jamaican capital, police initially seemed less concerned about the attack than the fact she is a lesbian. “The first policewoman I spoke to told me I should leave this lifestyle … Continue reading →

Hearing continues on ex-sailors’ innocence claims

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — An evidentiary hearing is continuing in Richmond for two former sailors who claim they falsely confessed to a 1997 rape and murder. A federal judge has already heard testimony from former sailors Danial Williams and Joseph Dick Jr. They are two of the so-called Norfolk Four, who have long claimed that … Continue reading →

Hearing continues on ex-sailors’ innocence claims

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — An evidentiary hearing is continuing in Richmond for two former sailors who claim they falsely confessed to a 1997 rape and murder. A federal judge has already heard testimony from former sailors Danial Williams and Joseph Dick Jr. They are two of the so-called Norfolk Four, who have long claimed that … Continue reading →

U.Va. releases new interim sexual misconduct policy

    CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A new interim policy on sexual misconduct and gender-based violence at the University of Virginia requires that all complaints be examined by the school’s investigator or a trained external investigator. The measure was put in place this week, after about a year of work by administrators and students, and … Continue reading →