Sexual Violence: A Global Pandemic/ 8th April- 13th April 2018

Sexual violence is a global pandemic. One in three women experiences sexual or physical violence – most likely from their intimate partner, according to a report from the World Health Organization. There is an urgent need to increase sensitization regarding sexual violence and the awareness of consent and sexual violence amongst persons at large. In this series, we examine sexual violence and related issues that have come up in the news, on a weekly basis, published every Saturday. This is an attempt to improve awareness regarding incidents of sexual violence and related matters, so that we, as a society can take steps towards collective action to reduce its incidence. It is an effort to ensure that we acknowledge the rampant sexual violence that exists, lest we forget.

This issue looks at news from 8th April to 13th April 2018.

1. Queens Pimp Pleads Guilty to forcing a teen girl into Prostitution

A Queens pimp pleaded guilty to forcing a 14-year-old girl into sex and prostitution in the Jamaican neighborhood. He has been accused of repeatedly threatening and beating her if she failed to produce enough revenue according to the charges. According to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Preston was charged with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree rape, sex trafficking, promoting prostitution, assault and menacing.

2. India’s nationalist lawmaker held on rape allegation

A governing Hindu nationalist party lawmaker in the capital of Uttar Pradesh state, Kuldeep Singh Sengar, was arrested after being accused of abducting and raping a teenage girl last year. The accused denies the allegation. The teen has accused the BJP government of protecting the lawmaker and police of holding-up his prosecution.

3. Brooklyn man arrested for raping, robbing a Bronx teacher

Lynneke Burris, 30, was arrested for the chokehold rape and robbery of the 23-year-old high school English teacher about 1 a.m. in her apartment building. He has been charged with rape, robbery, assault, strangulation and predatory sexual assault. Burris has a history of violent sexual attacks, including a sealed 2015 rape case.

4. Bail raised for Teacher Accused of Sexually Assaulting 16-years-old male student

A onetime business teacher at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn has been indicted for allegedly repeatedly sexually assaulting a boy between February and June of last year inside his apartment. Mervyn Affoon, 69, is accused of allegedly giving the teen a total of $400 for food in exchange for the encounters. He denies the allegation. Justice William Miller increased his cash bail to $25,000 after the charges upgraded to include discovery of a pornographic video of minor.

5. On-Duty FDNY paramedic cuffed of allegedly molesting a patient in ambulance

An award-winning paramedic was allegedly accused of groping a 43-year-old woman and trying to force her to perform oral sex upon him on way to the hospital. Karel Delgado, 36, was charged with criminal sex act, sex abuse, forcible touching and official misconduct. He pounced on the victim while transporting her to a Bronx hospital and made inappropriate sexual attempts.

This article was first published on Safecity by Dimpey Tehlan as a part of the blogging team.