All Posts Tagged With: "sexual assault"
Ryerson warns students
Woman sexually assaulted by six men near campus
Ryerson University in Toronto has put up notices around campus seeking information after a woman was sexual assaulted near the downtown campus last week. Police say a 27-year-old woman was picked up on Yonge Street between Dundas and Gerrard on the evening of Jan. 3 by six men in a black minivan with tinted windows. She was driven to a house somewhere in the Yonge and Eglinton area, sexually assaulted and then released. Police haven’t said whether the woman got into the van voluntarily. Detailed descriptions of the six suspects are available here.
Carleton will open sexual assault centre
Follows years of student lobbying
After years of lobbying from students, Carleton University has announced that the school will open a support centre for victims of sexual assault. Advocates began pushing for a crisis support centre in 2007 after an attack in a school lab. But the university resisted the creation of a separate centre, arguing it offered sufficient support through counselling and medical services.
Then, at least three sexual assaults on women were reported on campus last fall, raising the volume on the demands emanating from the Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Support Centre, a group of volunteers who run an unofficial victims’ campus hotline from eight a.m. to midnight.
Linda Capperauld, director of equity services for Carleton, told the Ottawa Citizen Tuesday that the administration will run the new centre in Robertson Hall. It may open as early as September.
Feds will fund projects for women on campus
Minister cites recent sexual assaults
Minister Ambrose on June 15, 2011.
The federal government is planning to fund projects to address violence against women on university and college campuses.
Rona Ambrose, Minister for Status of Women, told the Canadian Press that recent attacks on Canadian campuses are a reality check.
“Yes, there are good programs out there being offered by institutions like universities and colleges but we need to do more,” she said.
Women have been targeted by sexual predators at schools across the country this year. On the weekend, there were two incidents of possible sexual predators near the University of Windsor. Earlier this month, female students near Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, B.C. allege they received the date-rape drug GHB. In the spring, York University experienced two alleged sexual assaults and the murder of Qian Liu, a student from China. In April, four female McGill University students were physically assaulted.
Continue reading Feds will fund projects for women on campus
Date rape drug shows up in Nanaimo, B.C.
Student may have been sexually assaulted and drugged
Photo by Robert S. Donovan on Flickr
Vancouver Island University is warning students via Twitter to guard their drinks. A woman who was sexually assaulted in Nanaimo recently may have been given the date-rape drug GHB.
Another young woman says her doctor confirmed she was given the drug in October. CTV Vancouver Island reports that the woman was found by a friend in a parkade around 3 a.m. after attending a nightclub. She had no recollection of the evening, but her friend says a stranger had shared her drink earlier that night.
V.I.U. has been using custom drink coasters to warn students about how easy it is for people to slip odourless and colourless GHB into their drinks, reports Canada.com.
Club cancels debate on women’s role in rape
“Poor wording” says debate society
Screen capture from Don't be THAT guy on YouTube by extremelineprod via Crime Prevention Ottawa
The University of Calgary Debate Society is blaming the cancellation of an upcoming debate on “poor wording.” They advertised an event on Facebook earlier this month that stated the debaters would discuss whether to “hold women partially accountable for rape prevention.”
Students complained. The event was cancelled.
“People do often debate things they don’t necessarily believe in,” the society’s training co-ordinator Pardeep Dhaliwal told Metro Calgary. That much is true—debaters frequently argue about absurd things. And it wasn’t intended to be offensive. In fact, the debate was planned in conjunction with the Calgary Sexual Assault Voices, which has been part of the Don’t Be THAT Guy campaign, which has targeted young men with ads that say things like “Just because she’s drunk doesn’t mean she wants to f**k.” and “sex without consent = sexual assault.”
Continue reading Club cancels debate on women’s role in rape
Two separate attacks on females in Ontario
One woman grabbed, another kissed by strange man
Police in two Ontario cities are looking for male suspects after separate incidents involving university-aged females that occurred on or near campuses this week.
The first happened at the University of Western Ontario at 6:40 a.m. on Wednesday. After a female left her vehicle and walked to work near the TD Waterhouse Stadium, she was grabbed from behind by an unknown male who is described as white and aged 25 to 35 with a thin build and a stud or ring in his lower lip. He was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt under a black leather jacket and black jeans, reports the London Police Service.
The second incident involved a 21-year-old woman near the Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Waterloo campuses on Thursday around 3:30 p.m. A man unknown to the woman hugged and kissed her on the cheek before letting her go. Waterloo police told the Waterloo Record that the man is described as dark-skinned and short in height with a large belly and short dark hair. He was wearing a red sweater or jacket and jeans.
Fourth assault in four months at university
30-year-old former student arrested in campus attack
Photo courtesy of Alyssa L. Miller on Flickr
A former York University student, Faizan Ali, 30, is charged with entering one of the university’s residences on Friday evening and sexually assaulting a female acquaintance and her friend, reports CBC News.
That’s the fourth alleged assault involving a student on or near the suburban Toronto campus in the past four months.
The most famous crime occurred on April 15 when Chinese student Qian Liu, 23, was murdered at her private residence near campus. Brian Dickson, a 29-year-old former resident of the same house was charged. The murder made headlines around the world because Liu had been video-chatting with her boyfriend in China at the time that Dickson allegedly killed her.
The other assaults were reported on April 5 when a student was attacked by three males outside The Absinthe pub on campus and on May 5 when a student was sexually assaulted in the Seneca@York building.
Wallace Pidgeon, of York University media relations, told student newspaper The Excalibur in April that officials are making the campus safer by adding 25 security cameras to the 600 already installed, plus $200,000 more in light fixtures.
McGill issues warning after sexual assaults
Four young women attacked in residential area near campus
McGill university has issued a safety warning after four young women were assaulted near the university’s downtown campus on Thursday night.
The four victims, aged between 19 and 26, were walking alone in the McGill ghetto, a residential area near the school, when they were attacked. All four were able to free themselves and escape. According to police, two of the victims were sexually assaulted. One of the victims was taken to hospital and released.
Police are asking for help from the public in locating a man suspected in the attacks.
McGill’s dean of students and security services are recommending that people be “extremely careful” when walking after dark, especially in the Milton-Parc area, stay in lighted areas and not walk alone.
The university’s Walksafe program is closed during the exam period and summer semester.
Falsies don’t mean ‘yes’
Manitoba justice was wrong to base ruling on rape victim’s clothing
All you girls out there better think twice before dressing up for a night out. After all, it seems that wearing a braless tube top is now judicially perceived as equivalent to the phrase, “Yes, I would like to have intercourse with you.” Heels mean you’re a harlot, in case you didn’t know, and wearing makeup implies you’re ready for a whole lot of fun. In future, eyes on the floor, skin clear, and for Christ’s sake keep those ankles covered. That way, we won’t have any confusion about so-called “consensual” sex.
These helpful hints are in accordance with a recent ruling by Manitoba’s Justice Robert Dewar, who decided that a man convicted of rape would not serve time in prison. According to Dewar, the victim sent signals that “sex was in the air,” specifically noting her attire which included high heels, a tube top without a bra, and lots of makeup. Commenting on the behaviour of the victim and her friend, Dewar said, “They made their intentions publicly known that they wanted to party.”
The obvious explanation is that Justice Dewar must’ve studied under Toronto’s Constable Michael Sanguinetti, who told a room full of York University students last month that they can avoid sexual assault by not dressing like “sluts.” The onus is on you, girls; make sure you don’t give the impression that you’re some sort of trollop. Because if you do—well, that’s pretty much the same thing as explicitly saying “yes,” right?
Actually, no. The Supreme Court of Canada struck down the idea of implied consent as a viable defense over a decade ago in a ruling involving the case of R. v. Ewanchuk. And before that, in 1992, Canada established rape shield law provisions essentially limiting the extent to which a victim’s sexual history could be brought into a rape trial. Both moves were seen as positive steps forward with regards to altering “blame the victim” attitudes often prevalent in sexual assault cases. But as they say, one step forward…
Rulings such as Dewar’s and comments such as Sanguinetti’s not only reinforce negative stereotypes about rape victims who “ask for it,” but will likely dissuade further victims from coming forward and pressing charges. As is, just one in nine cases of sexual assault is actually reported to police; and I can see why victims may want to avoid having their tube tops as Exhibit A and their flirtatious texts as Exhibit B. As long as we keep blaming the victim, we can expect few to come forward.
So let me reiterate: a tube top doesn’t mean “yes.” Falsies don’t mean “yes.” Nor does a smile, or a wink, or a hair toss or twirl. The clothing of the victim in the Manitoba case shouldn’t have been used as the basis for Dewar’s ruling. Those of us who know that shouldn’t less the grass grow under our feet. And mine, I can assure you, will be wearing some killer heels.
NYU fellow trashes raped journalist
Offensive comments are a step back for progressive attitudes toward rape victims
While most of us were horrified to read the news that CBS correspondent Lara Logan had been brutally beaten and raped in Egypt, Nir Rosen, a fellow at NYU Center for Law and Security, just couldn’t resist a few political jabs.
He began his Twitter rant saying:
“Lara Logan had to outdo Anderson. Where was her buddy McCrystal.” (Anderson Cooper had also been attacked while covering the protests in Egypt.)
He then continued:
“Yes yes its wrong what happened to her. Of course. I don’t support that. But, it would have been funny if it happened to Anderson too.” (Rape is hilarious, says NYU scholar.)
And it gets worse:
“Jesus Christ, at a moment when she is going to become a martyr and glorified we should at least remember her role as a major war monger.” (Don’t feel too bad for her, she propagates war!)
Then:
“Look, she was probably groped like thousands of other women, which is still wrong, but if it was worse than [sic] I’m sorry.” (Maybe if I pluralize her plight than you’ll see my point? Uhh… *then.)
Followed, of course, by a feeble attempt a damage control:
“ah fuck it, I apologize for being insensitive, it’s always wrong, that’s obvious, but I’m rolling my eyes at all the attention she will get.”
Then a better one:
“As someone who’s devoted his career to defending victims and supporting justice, I’m very ashamed for my insensitive and offensive comments.”
It’s hard not to be disgusted by Rosen’s remarks. Despite much of the progress that’s taken place in Western society in recent decades with regards to the perception of women and gender equality, sexual assault is one of those issues that seems to lag behind. It wasn’t until 1983 with Bill C-127, for example, that a man could be charged for sexually assaulting his wife. And later, in 1992, when victim blaming finally took a hit with a rape shield law laying out strict guidelines governing how accusers’ previous sexual conduct could be brought into assault trials. Then there are treasures, such as Whoopi Goldberg, who defended Roman Polanski’s rape of a 13-year-old girl as not “rape-rape,” and worrying stories of honour killings taking place in Canadian cities where girls deemed “sexually immodest” are murdered for dishonouring families.
Blaming the victim is not new, although usually the line is: “Well, if she went out looking like that…” rather than “Well, she is a war monger, after all.” But politicizing tragedy is always tasteless, no matter how you spin it. Whether it’s rejoicing in the grave illness of a political opponent or using a horrific incident to malign those on the other side of the table, there is usually little to be reaped for such rhetoric except for some pitiful self-satisfaction.
As a man and an academic who purports to be a progressive human rights advocate, Rosen has let his larger political agenda blind him from acknowledging individual injustice. Remarks such as his, which are so poorly and misguidedly contextualized, hinder the progression of attitudes towards rape victims and women overall. It seems he can only support justice as long as its on his terms. Your move, NYU.
Update: Nir Rosen submitted his resignation to NYU earlier today. The university has accepted.
Sexual violence still rampant
New UWO campaign calls ‘on men to be accountable for their behaviours’
More than 55 people were sexually assaulted every day in Canada last year. And while that number has decreased slightly from rates in 2008, the University Students’ Council at the University of Western Ontario is doing their part to decrease this number even more.
The USC is launching their I Know Someone campaign this week, with the aim of “challenging male and female students to increase their awareness and involvement in reducing incidents of sexual violence.”
They’re hoping to do this through social marketing and training seminars on campus. Posters around campus will depict a variety of realities around sexual assault. One reads: “I know someone who thinks it’s funny to call her friend a slut.”
The project is in collaboration with the Sexual Assault Centre London and Changing Ways, an organization that helps men overcome abusive and violent behaviours. They received $118,000 in funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation for two years to help promote their work.
“We are not telling women how to keep themselves safe, we are calling on men to be accountable for their behaviours, and we are telling them both men and women can experience sexual violence on campus, and we can all do something about it,” Louise Pitre, director of London’s sexual assault centre, told the London Free Press.
“Men and women can challenge their friends about unacceptable behaviour … the derogatory remarks that we make and that we think are funny,” she continued. “Speak up and hold people accountable to their language, because language is very powerful and is used to demean women and men.”
Western’s efforts are the latest in a number of attempts to protect people from sexual assault. Take Back The Night campaigns now appear on several campuses across the globe and marches have been occurring in Canada since 1980. The third Friday in September is now the annual day for the marches against sexual violence.
Likewise, the White Ribbon Campaign challenges men to end violence against women. Beginning in Canada in 1991, a group of young men decided wearing a white ribbon was their way of showing the world they didn’t condone violence and that they would never participate in it. The campaign is now also widely associated with the Montreal Massacre in 1989.
Slowly, sexual violence is decreasing, confidence is being restored and the streets and campuses of this country are becoming a safer place to be.
There’s still much work to be done, but it’s about changing attitudes and making people think about their words and actions. Western’s campaign is a good first step in breaking down the stigma, fear and victimization a lot of people feel around the subject. Even today, much sexual crime goes unreported.
Campaigns like Western’s are a constructive way to start a dialogue around all the factors that can contribute to violence, and it’s a great way to get people to think twice before they speak or act. More campaigns like theirs are needed.
Sex-assault victim sues Carleton for negligence
Two years after unsolved crime, school says victim failed to keep a “proper lookout”
According to the Ottawa Citizen, the victim of a violent and unsolved sex attack in a Carleton University chemistry lab two years ago is suing the school for more than $500,000.
The 25-year-old Ottawa woman, who refers to herself as Jane Doe in the suit, says university officials were negligent in failing to take adequate security measures, which included equipping laboratory buildings with swipe-card security devices and ensuring all entrances to the building were visibly monitored by security cameras.
In its statement of defense, the university claims the victim failed to keep a “proper lookout” for her own safety and also failed to register with the school’s department of university safety as a late-working student. It also alleges that she chose to remain on the premises alone and didn’t lock the door to the laboratory where she was working.
The university says she knew, or ought to have known, the steps she could take to notify the safety department of her intention to work late on her own.
In the suit, which was filed last December, the woman is seeking $535,000 in damages for injuries she suffered in the August 2007 assault, as well as mental suffering and psychological harm, out-of-pocket expenses and the future loss of income.
Since the attack, Carleton has since spent $1.6 million upgrading security, which included more than tripling the number of video cameras on campus, enhancing the campus network of emergency phones, improving outdoor lighting, adding five security officers and 20 uniformed student-safety patrollers and installing swipe-card readers for access to the chemistry and biology buildings.
The lawsuit, which was filed in December, is ongoing.
For more on this story, click here.
