The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/category/sex-crime/)
A task force of law officers, public health officials and victim advocates vowed to scrutinize the way sexual assaults are investigated in Minnesota, with the goal of recommending reforms to the legislature. The Minneapolis Star Tribune is publishing a series that has documented pervasive breakdowns in rape investigations.
Biased or unsympathetic press treatment of victims is a good predictor of a high incidence of rape, according to researchers who analyzed coverage of 310,000 cases between 2000 and 2013. It also influences police to make fewer arrests , they claimed.
In a ruling that could change how colleges handle sexual assault and misconduct cases, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit said university officials must give accused students the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses.
More than half of Native American women have encountered sexual and domestic violence at some point during their lives, even amid a wave of efforts aimed at reducing such crimes. More than 633 are reported missing, higher than their percentage of the population.
Cases filed by the U.S. Attorney in Seattle come after an FBI campaign encouraging victims and witnesses of sexual assault aboard airplanes to come forward, during flights or once on the ground.
Seven men from around the U.S. were given prison sentences ranging from 15 to 40 years for their role in a child pornography conspiracy. The men pleaded guilty to participating in a porn production ring that involved tricking and pressuring girls — some as young as 10 — into producing pornographic material.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is preparing new policies on campus sexual misconduct that would expand the rights of students accused of assault, harassment or rape, reduce liability for higher education institutions and encourage schools to provide more support for victims.
Backpage.com founders James Larkin and Michael Lacey claim the charges against them for operating an adult-sex site were politically motivated. “This is the biggest speech battle in America right now,” said Lacey in an interview with Reason.
A study of released Ohio sex offenders found that over 85 percent were wrongly classified as high-risk to their communities, and 15 percent who actually posed a danger were underclassified. The study in the Criminal Justice Policy Review said risk assessments skewed against African Americans were one reason.
The Republican-controlled legislature has resisted calls to lift the statute of limitations, despite several attempts by lawmakers. The Roman Catholic Church has lobbied fiercely against changing the law or opening a window for lawsuits.