The Associated Press
Published: December 10, 2006
KARACHI, Pakistan: More than 20,000 supporters of an Islamic alliance rallied Sunday in Pakistan's port city of Karachi, demanding the government withdraw changes to a controversial rape laws.
More than 300 riot police were deployed to keep the peace, and more than 20,000 supporters of a six-party coalition of Islamic groups — Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal or United Action Forum — joined the rally in downtown Karachi, said Mohammed Khurram, a Karachi police officer.
No violence was reported.
The protesters condemned President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, many chanting "Death to Musharraf," and one carried a sign reading, "No to conspiracy for indecency and obscenity."
Last week Musharraf signed into law some amendments to the Hudood Ordinance, a 1979 law against rape that human rights activists said persecuted rape victims rather than getting them justice.
The ordinance required a rape victim to produce four witnesses in court to prove her assault claim.
Under the new amendment, judges can choose whether a rape case should be tried in a criminal court — where the four-witness rule does not apply — or under the Islamic ordinance.
It also drops the death penalty for sex outside of marriage. The offense would now be punishable with five years in prison or a fine of 10,000 rupees (US$165; €129).
Human rights groups have hailed the amendments but Muslim groups claim the measure goes against Islam. Opposition Islamic groups have held a series of protest against the new law since it was passed by Parliament last month.
"We will not only force Musharraf to withdraw the bill through a people's movement, but we will end all the illegal acts of Musharraf's government," said Maualana Fazlur Rahman, a senior figure in the religious alliance and leader of the opposition in the lower house of Parliament.
Rahman urged businesses nationwide to support an opposition demand for the new law to be withdrawn by joining a general strike on Friday.
Showing posts with label controversial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label controversial. Show all posts
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Monday, November 06, 2006
Parental Controversy on Dr. Phil
Shocking Accusations
A desperate grandmother sent Dr. Phil a video showing how her 3-year-old granddaughter, Kaylee, reacts when she returns from visits with her father. The disturbing footage raises questions about how Kaylee is being raised by both her father and mother.
Searching for Help
Krista and her mother, Bonii, say they only suspected Kaylee's father, Jeremy, of molesting Kaylee, until she ended up in the hospital with a mysterious injury. After that, they say, their fears were confirmed.
Tug-of-War
Jeremy and his wife, Danielle, shot their own home video to show what their life is like with Kaylee.
Jeremy's Lie Detector Test Results
When it’s Jeremy’s turn to take the lie detector test, Howard Swabash, the polygraph examiner, tells him, “I will pass you on this test if you’re telling 100 percent the truth. You know in your heart if you did it or not.”
Howard instructs Jeremy to close his eyes to think about every question, and to breathe normally. He also tells Jeremy to uncross his legs, so both of his feet are on the floor. When Howard asks Jeremy if he’d done anything to compromise the test results, Jeremy answers, “I wouldn’t have the slightest inkling of a clue even how to do that.”
Before Dr. Phil opens the envelope containing Jeremy’s test results, he asks Howard if he had determined Jeremy had not taken any illegal drugs before taking the test. Howard answers yes. Dr. Phil then asks Howard if all the test results were double-checked by an independent review board. Again, Howard answers yes.
Dr. Phil says, “I noticed you were telling Jeremy to be still during this and stop moving around. What was going on there?”
Howard answers, “I wanted to make sure that he did not employ any countermeasures to defeat the tests.” He was concerned that Jeremy was trying to beat the polygraph; there are hundreds of Web sites with tips on how to do it. “What people don’t know is, I read these sites and I also go to federal and state institutions to learn how to counteract countermeasures,” Howard adds.
Dr. Phil asks Jeremy if he was indeed trying to beat the test.
Jeremy scoffs and says, “Like I said, I wouldn’t have any idea how to do that.”
"Do you have access to a computer?" Dr. Phil asks.
Jeremy answers, "At the library, yes."
"Do you know how to use a computer?" Dr. Phil asks.
"I know how to get on my e-mail. That’s about it," Jeremy answers.
Dr. Phil looks through his notes. "Do you have an e-mail address that is analbastard@hotmail.com?" he asks.
Jeremy answers, "Yes, I do."
Dr. Phil reads the results of Jeremy’s polygraph.
"Question number one: Have you ever put your tongue into Kaylee’s mouth while kissing her. Your answer was —"
"No," Jeremy answers.
"The results are that that is deceptive," Dr. Phil says. "Question number two: Have you ever touched Kaylee’s vagina for your own sexual gratification. Your answer was —"
"No," Jeremy says.
Dr. Phil says, "The result is that is deceptive." Bonii is in tears, and Krista is visibly shaken.
Dr. Phil reads the next two questions: Whether Jeremy knew for sure how Kaylee’s labia became torn; if he put his penis or anything else into Kaylee’s vagina. Jeremy answered no to both questions and the test results say that in both cases he was being deceptive.
The only indication that Jeremy was telling the truth was on the final question: Whether or not he had ever taken inappropriate photos of Kaylee. Jeremy answered no, and the test result indicated he was being truthful.
Dr. Phil asks Jeremy, “Are you still maintaining that you’ve done nothing inappropriate with this child?”
Jeremy answers, “You’re damn straight I am.”
A desperate grandmother sent Dr. Phil a video showing how her 3-year-old granddaughter, Kaylee, reacts when she returns from visits with her father. The disturbing footage raises questions about how Kaylee is being raised by both her father and mother.
Searching for Help
Krista and her mother, Bonii, say they only suspected Kaylee's father, Jeremy, of molesting Kaylee, until she ended up in the hospital with a mysterious injury. After that, they say, their fears were confirmed.
Tug-of-War
Jeremy and his wife, Danielle, shot their own home video to show what their life is like with Kaylee.
Jeremy's Lie Detector Test Results
When it’s Jeremy’s turn to take the lie detector test, Howard Swabash, the polygraph examiner, tells him, “I will pass you on this test if you’re telling 100 percent the truth. You know in your heart if you did it or not.”
Howard instructs Jeremy to close his eyes to think about every question, and to breathe normally. He also tells Jeremy to uncross his legs, so both of his feet are on the floor. When Howard asks Jeremy if he’d done anything to compromise the test results, Jeremy answers, “I wouldn’t have the slightest inkling of a clue even how to do that.”
Before Dr. Phil opens the envelope containing Jeremy’s test results, he asks Howard if he had determined Jeremy had not taken any illegal drugs before taking the test. Howard answers yes. Dr. Phil then asks Howard if all the test results were double-checked by an independent review board. Again, Howard answers yes.
Dr. Phil says, “I noticed you were telling Jeremy to be still during this and stop moving around. What was going on there?”
Howard answers, “I wanted to make sure that he did not employ any countermeasures to defeat the tests.” He was concerned that Jeremy was trying to beat the polygraph; there are hundreds of Web sites with tips on how to do it. “What people don’t know is, I read these sites and I also go to federal and state institutions to learn how to counteract countermeasures,” Howard adds.
Dr. Phil asks Jeremy if he was indeed trying to beat the test.
Jeremy scoffs and says, “Like I said, I wouldn’t have any idea how to do that.”
"Do you have access to a computer?" Dr. Phil asks.
Jeremy answers, "At the library, yes."
"Do you know how to use a computer?" Dr. Phil asks.
"I know how to get on my e-mail. That’s about it," Jeremy answers.
Dr. Phil looks through his notes. "Do you have an e-mail address that is analbastard@hotmail.com?" he asks.
Jeremy answers, "Yes, I do."
Dr. Phil reads the results of Jeremy’s polygraph.
"Question number one: Have you ever put your tongue into Kaylee’s mouth while kissing her. Your answer was —"
"No," Jeremy answers.
"The results are that that is deceptive," Dr. Phil says. "Question number two: Have you ever touched Kaylee’s vagina for your own sexual gratification. Your answer was —"
"No," Jeremy says.
Dr. Phil says, "The result is that is deceptive." Bonii is in tears, and Krista is visibly shaken.
Dr. Phil reads the next two questions: Whether Jeremy knew for sure how Kaylee’s labia became torn; if he put his penis or anything else into Kaylee’s vagina. Jeremy answered no to both questions and the test results say that in both cases he was being deceptive.
The only indication that Jeremy was telling the truth was on the final question: Whether or not he had ever taken inappropriate photos of Kaylee. Jeremy answered no, and the test result indicated he was being truthful.
Dr. Phil asks Jeremy, “Are you still maintaining that you’ve done nothing inappropriate with this child?”
Jeremy answers, “You’re damn straight I am.”
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Police Stun Gun Kills Teen With Bible
A teenager carrying a Bible and shouting "I want Jesus" was shot twice with a police stun gun and later died at a St. Louis hospital, authorities said.
In a statement obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, police in Jerseyville, about 40 miles north of St. Louis, said 17-year-old Roger Holyfield would not acknowledge officers who approached him and he continued yelling, "I want Jesus."
Police tried to calm the teen, but Holyfield became combative, according to the statement. Officers fired the stun gun at him after he ignored their warnings, then fired again when he continued struggling, police said.
Holyfield was flown to St. Louis' Cardinal Glennon Hospital after the confrontation Saturday; he died there Sunday, police said.
An autopsy was planned for Tuesday.
The statement expressed sympathy to Holyfield's family but said city and police officials would not discuss the matter further.
Calls Tuesday to Jerseyville Police Chief Brad Blackorby were not immediately returned. The department has been using stun guns for about five months, according to the statement.
In a report released in March, international human rights group Amnesty International said it had logged at least 156 deaths across the country in the previous five years related to police stun guns.
The rise in deaths accompanies a marked increase in the number of U.S. law enforcement agencies employing devices made by Taser International Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz. About 1,000 of the nation's 18,000 police agencies used Tasers in 2001; more than 7,000 departments had them last year, according to a government study.
Police had used Tasers more than 70,000 times as of last year, Congress' Government Accountability Office said.
Amnesty International has urged police departments to suspend the use of Tasers pending more study. Taser International said the group's count was flawed and falsely linked deaths to Taser use when there has been no such official conclusion.
The city of St. Louis also drew unwanted attention for crime this week when it was named the most dangerous U.S. city by Morgan Quitno Press. The ranking looked only at crime within St. Louis city limits, not its metro area.
In a statement obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, police in Jerseyville, about 40 miles north of St. Louis, said 17-year-old Roger Holyfield would not acknowledge officers who approached him and he continued yelling, "I want Jesus."
Police tried to calm the teen, but Holyfield became combative, according to the statement. Officers fired the stun gun at him after he ignored their warnings, then fired again when he continued struggling, police said.
Holyfield was flown to St. Louis' Cardinal Glennon Hospital after the confrontation Saturday; he died there Sunday, police said.
An autopsy was planned for Tuesday.
The statement expressed sympathy to Holyfield's family but said city and police officials would not discuss the matter further.
Calls Tuesday to Jerseyville Police Chief Brad Blackorby were not immediately returned. The department has been using stun guns for about five months, according to the statement.
In a report released in March, international human rights group Amnesty International said it had logged at least 156 deaths across the country in the previous five years related to police stun guns.
The rise in deaths accompanies a marked increase in the number of U.S. law enforcement agencies employing devices made by Taser International Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz. About 1,000 of the nation's 18,000 police agencies used Tasers in 2001; more than 7,000 departments had them last year, according to a government study.
Police had used Tasers more than 70,000 times as of last year, Congress' Government Accountability Office said.
Amnesty International has urged police departments to suspend the use of Tasers pending more study. Taser International said the group's count was flawed and falsely linked deaths to Taser use when there has been no such official conclusion.
The city of St. Louis also drew unwanted attention for crime this week when it was named the most dangerous U.S. city by Morgan Quitno Press. The ranking looked only at crime within St. Louis city limits, not its metro area.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Dayton Daily News
What newspaper in the United States of America is most friendly to child rapists? Could it be the Dayton Daily News which has supported Judge John Connor's sentence of probation for a man who raped a 5 year old boy and a 12 year old boy over a 3 year period?
Not only that... but the Dayton Daily News attacked the Governor of Ohio, the Attorney General of Ohio and Bill O'Reilly for reporting the story and actually asking for the removal of Judge Connor. The vicious personal attacks launched by the Dayton Daily News were strange when contrasted to the lack of condemnation for the judge.
So, can one conclude therefore that the Dayton Daily News is a newspaper that has sympathy for child rapists and the judges who will not incarcerate them?
If you are as outraged as Bill is you can contact Jeff C. Bruce the editor of the Dayton Daily News (JBruce@DaytonDailyNews.com) and Jay R. Smith the President of Cox Newspapers Inc. (Jay.Smith@Coxinc.com) which owns the newspaper and let them know how you feel about this.
Not only that... but the Dayton Daily News attacked the Governor of Ohio, the Attorney General of Ohio and Bill O'Reilly for reporting the story and actually asking for the removal of Judge Connor. The vicious personal attacks launched by the Dayton Daily News were strange when contrasted to the lack of condemnation for the judge.
So, can one conclude therefore that the Dayton Daily News is a newspaper that has sympathy for child rapists and the judges who will not incarcerate them?
If you are as outraged as Bill is you can contact Jeff C. Bruce the editor of the Dayton Daily News (JBruce@DaytonDailyNews.com) and Jay R. Smith the President of Cox Newspapers Inc. (Jay.Smith@Coxinc.com) which owns the newspaper and let them know how you feel about this.
Teen Arrested for Raping His Mother
Albertville, Ala. -- Police say a Marshall County teen raped his mother to get revenge on his brother.
Police say 19-year-old Gary Helms, Jr., raped his 45-year-old mother this past weekend at Willow Terrace Trailer Park on Doyle Drive in Albertville.
It's a twisted crime that police say Helms admits.
"From what we understand the rape stemmed from an argument between him and his brother. And apparently they were arguing over a girlfriend. And the rape was some sort of retaliation towards his brother," said Sgt. Jamie Smith of the Albertville Police Department.
It was unusual retaliation on an unsuspecting victim.
Authorities say Helms' mother was apparently passed out drunk on the couch when the rape started.
"During the attack she did come to and recognize her attacker. (Reporter: As her son?) As her son," said Smith.
That's when, according to the police report, the mother "tried to get away, but he held her down until he was finished."
"It's totally sick is what it is," said Smith.
Helms was arrested and charged with the 1st degree rape of his own mother.
Smith says it's hard to wrap your mind around.
"Shocked, shocked would be more a better way to describe it. That somebody would dip to the lows to do something of this nature. It's just pretty much a shock to the conscience of the general public," said Smith.
Helms is being held in the Marshall County Jail on $100,000 bond.
Police say 19-year-old Gary Helms, Jr., raped his 45-year-old mother this past weekend at Willow Terrace Trailer Park on Doyle Drive in Albertville.
It's a twisted crime that police say Helms admits.
"From what we understand the rape stemmed from an argument between him and his brother. And apparently they were arguing over a girlfriend. And the rape was some sort of retaliation towards his brother," said Sgt. Jamie Smith of the Albertville Police Department.
It was unusual retaliation on an unsuspecting victim.
Authorities say Helms' mother was apparently passed out drunk on the couch when the rape started.
"During the attack she did come to and recognize her attacker. (Reporter: As her son?) As her son," said Smith.
That's when, according to the police report, the mother "tried to get away, but he held her down until he was finished."
"It's totally sick is what it is," said Smith.
Helms was arrested and charged with the 1st degree rape of his own mother.
Smith says it's hard to wrap your mind around.
"Shocked, shocked would be more a better way to describe it. That somebody would dip to the lows to do something of this nature. It's just pretty much a shock to the conscience of the general public," said Smith.
Helms is being held in the Marshall County Jail on $100,000 bond.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
British documentary alleges pope linked to "child abuse cover-up"
Pope Benedict XVI
A British documentary claimed that Pope Benedict XVI was implicated in the systematic cover-up of child sex abuse allegations against Catholic priests.
Before becoming head of the church, the then cardinal Joseph Ratzinger enforced church doctrinal orthodoxy, including a "secret Vatican decree which seemed to shelter the perpetrators and silence the victims of abuse", the Panorama programme said.
This was the 1962 document Crimen Sollicitationis, which told top churchmen how to deal with priests who "solicit or provoke the penitent toward impure and obscene matters", according to a translation from Latin on the BBC website.
It imposed an oath of secrecy on victims, witnesses and those probing abuse claims and said that anyone breaking this would be excommunicated, the BBC said.
Father Tom Doyle, a canon solicitor reportedly sacked by the Vatican after criticising its handling of child abuse claims, told the BBC that Crimen was "an explicit written policy to cover up cases of child sexual abuse by the clergy, to punish those who would call attention to these crimes by the churchmen."
But the programme's claims have provoked a furious response from the Catholic Church in Britain.
The Archbishop of Birmingham, in central England, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, told Britain's Press Association news agency that it used Vatican documents "quite misleadingly in order to connect the horrors of child abuse to the person of the pope."
Speaking on behalf of bishops in England and Wales, he accused the BBC of "a deeply prejudiced attack on a revered world religious leader".
And he added that the Catholic Church in England and Wales was working to protect children with transparency and care.
Ratzinger clarified church law on the issue in 2001 and Panorama reported that he had ordered that the Vatican must have "exclusive competence" for child abuse cases.
"It's all controlled by the Vatican and at the top of the Vatican is the pope so Joseph Ratzinger was in the middle of this for most of the years that Crimen was enforced," Doyle added.
The pope could "tomorrow" order that the church take strong action against those accused of child sex scandals and co-operate with legal proceedings.
The Catholic Church told the Press Association that the second, 2001 document does not hinder investigations of child abuse allegations and that Crimen is not directly linked to child abuse but deals with the misuse of the confessional.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster, central London, and spiritual leader of Catholics in England and Wales, has written to Mark Thompson, the BBC's director-general, to protest about the programme.
The BBC said it was standing by it and would respond to the letter when they received it.
The programme was presented by Colm O'Gorman, who was abused by a priest as a boy and is now director of One In Four, an Irish charity which supports people who have been sexually abused.
"What gets me is it's the same story every time and every place.
"Bishops appoint priests that they know have abused children in the past to new parishes and new communities and more abuse happens," he said on the programme.
The show also claimed to have found seven priests facing child abuse investigations living in and around Vatican City.
Panorama told its viewers that the Vatican had failed to respond to requests for interview.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
In the News: Retailers peddle padded bras for girls
by Jane Metlikovec
September 09, 2006 12:00am
BREAST-enhancing padded bras for girls as young as six are being sold in Victorian shops.
Childhood experts have warned parents they could be baiting pedophiles by dressing their young girls as raunchy women.
Tiny matching lingerie sets of lacy bras and knickers in many children's brands including Bratz, Saddle Club and Barbie, have hit the shelves aimed at girls who are barely old enough for school.
The Herald Sun last week revealed the latest Bratz Babyz range included sexually provocative baby dolls dressed in leather and lingerie.
The padded Bratz "bralettes" were among more than 30 different junior bra styles starting at size six on sale at a city Target store visited by the Herald Sun yesterday.
The Australian Family Association warned parents against sexualising their children. "We have a growing problem with pedophilia and people viewing children as sex objects," spokeswoman Angela Conway said.
"Children do not need these products and I am appalled. It is more than bad taste. The sexual portrayal of children in this country is illegal and these products are pandering to just that."
Australian Childhood Foundation CEO Dr Joe Tucci said padded bras were "the most ridiculous piece of clothing a parent could buy".
Bratz distributor Funtastic defended the range.
"The idea of the padding is for girls to be discreet as they develop," a spokeswoman said.
"It is more about hiding what you have got than showing it off. It is certainly not there to make children look like they have breasts."
Target also stood by the underwear range. It provided "fashionable items that give girls modesty and style as they go through development changes", a spokeswoman said.
September 09, 2006 12:00am
BREAST-enhancing padded bras for girls as young as six are being sold in Victorian shops.
Childhood experts have warned parents they could be baiting pedophiles by dressing their young girls as raunchy women.
Tiny matching lingerie sets of lacy bras and knickers in many children's brands including Bratz, Saddle Club and Barbie, have hit the shelves aimed at girls who are barely old enough for school.
The Herald Sun last week revealed the latest Bratz Babyz range included sexually provocative baby dolls dressed in leather and lingerie.
The padded Bratz "bralettes" were among more than 30 different junior bra styles starting at size six on sale at a city Target store visited by the Herald Sun yesterday.
The Australian Family Association warned parents against sexualising their children. "We have a growing problem with pedophilia and people viewing children as sex objects," spokeswoman Angela Conway said.
"Children do not need these products and I am appalled. It is more than bad taste. The sexual portrayal of children in this country is illegal and these products are pandering to just that."
Australian Childhood Foundation CEO Dr Joe Tucci said padded bras were "the most ridiculous piece of clothing a parent could buy".
Bratz distributor Funtastic defended the range.
"The idea of the padding is for girls to be discreet as they develop," a spokeswoman said.
"It is more about hiding what you have got than showing it off. It is certainly not there to make children look like they have breasts."
Target also stood by the underwear range. It provided "fashionable items that give girls modesty and style as they go through development changes", a spokeswoman said.
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