abuse - Bad Sporters

Former major junior players allege abuse in class-action lawsuit

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 14:13:31 +0000

Major junior hockey may be forced to confront some dark moments in its history in a class-action lawsuit.

Former NHL and Sarnia Sting player Daniel Carcillo is spearheading the lawsuit against the Canadian Hockey League and its member teams on behalf of players who allege abuse while playing major junior hockey.

Carcillo, who played in the Ontario Hockey League between 2002-05, and Garrett Taylor, who played in the Western Hockey League from 2008-10, filed a statement of claim June 18 with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The CHL and its three member organizations — the WHL, OHL and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League — are listed as defendants, as are all 60 teams.

A statement from Koskie Minsky LLP, the law firm representing Carcillo and Taylor, said the action “is on behalf of children aged 15-17 who were sexually and physically assaulted, hazed and otherwise abused while away from home and playing for CHL teams.”

The allegations haven’t been proven in court.

The claim was filed the same week former Kitchener Rangers player Eric Guest told The Hockey News as a rookie he was forced by an older teammate to use cocaine at a party. Guest said he never told anyone in the Rangers’ organization.

On Friday, the CHL announced it will form an independent panel to review league policies and practices related to hazing, abuse, harassment and bullying and the allegation players don’t feel comfortable reporting behaviours that contravene these policies.

“We are deeply troubled,” a CHL statement read, “by the allegations in the recently announced class action, many of which are historic in nature and we believe are not indicative of the leading experience our players receive in the CHL today. Regardless of the timing, we are taking the claims very seriously as the protection of our players has been and will always be our primary concern.”

The CHL said each year its teams are charged with the care and safety of 1,400 young men and is committed to ensuring an environment that is players first and free of hazing, abuse, harassment and bullying and provides zero tolerance for any of these behaviours.

“The CHL and its member leagues have made a number of advancements to enhance our player experience programs over the past 20 years,” states the release. “We have been working with organizations such as the Canadian Mental Health Association, Canadian Red Cross and Respect in Sport to develop extensive policies and practices to educate players and team staff on the importance of respect and prevention of hazing, abuse, harassment and bullying.”

CHL teams conduct annual player conduct and safety training involving procedures for filing a complaint without fear of reprisal. It includes advising a coach, general manager, police liaison, player liaison or a governor or league official. If criminal conduct is involved, players are encouraged to contact police.

“We believe these programs protect our players and ensure that everyone associated with our teams understand that the type of misconduct alleged is not tolerated,” stated the CHL.

The CHL hopes the independent review will be completed prior to the 2020-21 season.

“We welcome the findings of the Independent Review Panel to ensure we are providing the safest player experience in hockey and amateur sport,” stated the release.

The lawsuit seeks damages for negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and a declaration that the teams and leagues are vicariously liable for abuse perpetrated by their employees and players.

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“This case is on behalf of underage minors who suffered violent hazing, physical and sexual assault and psychological trauma while playing major junior hockey,” Carcillo said in a statement. “I was one of those kids when I played in the OHL. I know there are many more just like me.”

Thursday: What are the Peterborough Petes doing to prevent abuse?

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The attack that highlighted an epidemic of abuse

admin — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 01:42:37 +0000

Image copyright
Debbie Kaore

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A video of Debbie Kaore being assaulted was widely shared this month

Before last week, Debbie Kaore was best known in Papua New Guinea as a champion boxer who won gold at the Pacific Games in 2015 and had recently made a career-changing move to rugby.

Then last Friday, a video was widely shared on social media that showed Ms Kaore being violently attacked with a hot iron in her home. The video was posted on TikTok and Instagram by her friend, with permission, and went viral. Ms Kaore’s partner Murray Oa, a lieutenant in the Papua New Guinean army, was arrested and charged with grievous bodily harm.

Graphic pictures showed terrible injuries on the rugby player’s face and body. “I realised if I didn’t get out of our room, he would burn me alive,” she said in an interview with the BBC.

The footage of her Ms Kaore’s assault has shone a light on the extent of domestic abuse in Papua New Guinea, and led to statements of support for her from the UN and the nation’s Prime Minister James Marape, who urged Papua New Guinea’s men to “leave that lady alone”.

But too many of the nation’s women would have been able to empathise with what they saw in the video. As many as two-thirds have experienced domestic violence, according to one study by the UN.

Ms Kaore started seeing Mr Oa just over a year ago. The first attack happened when she was about two months pregnant, she told the BBC. “And from then on he continued to verbally, mentally and emotionally abuse me,” she said. “I was psychologically breaking down.”

On 4 June, she posted a video on the app TikTok. It was a response to a video posted by her sister’s ex-boyfriend, creating a duet which showed the two in split-screen – a feature of the app. Happy with the result, she shared it via her Whatsapp status.

She told the BBC that Mr Oa saw it while out having drinks, and returned home shortly after.

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Debbie Kaore

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Ms Kaore has a child with Mr Oa, who is accused of assaulting her

“I saw him parking the car across the road, and noticed that he looked uneasy,” Ms Kaore recalled. “He came in, walked up to me and asked for my phone so he could send an email. So I gave it to him, and he went into our room and viewed my WhatsApp video again.”

She said he called her into the room and started questioning her about the video. “But as I started showing him my phone, he punched me down and picked up the iron,” she said.

Mr Oa burned her across the face and stomach with the iron, she said, and headbutted her, while demanding to see her Facebook account.

Her two sons from a previous relationship, both younger than 10, saw the attack. She managed to escape through a back door and call her father, who picked her up and took her to hospital.

“I got burned by an iron and then hit by it while our children watched,” she wrote on social media afterwards. “A victim to Lt. Murry Oa … I am putting this out here cause this has gone too far. I can only hope that there won’t be another victim after me.”

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De’Bono Paraka Facebook

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Ms Kaore released images of her injuries

With Mr Kaore’s permission, one of her friends posted footage of the attack online the following day. It went viral, forcing to the surface conversations about the country’s widespread domestic violence problem.

Mr Oa was arrested and charged with grievous bodily harm. He has yet to comment on the incident.

The prime minister, among other high profile figures, released statements condemning not just Debbie’s attacker but domestic abuse in general. Papua New Guinea’s Olympic Committee and Rugby Association both spoke out in support of Debbie too.

But what happened to her was not a one off. In 2016, the charity Human Rights Watch called Papua New Guinea one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women and girls. The violence is so systemic that many women don’t seek help until it’s too late, said Kate Schuetze, Pacific researcher at Amnesty International.

“It becomes so normalised in society and in culture that people don’t think to get help when they experience abuse,” she told the BBC. “The day-to-day levels of violence are extremely high. Often only once a woman needs serious medical help will they seek help or try to escape that relationship.”

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Media captionPort Moresby: The most dangerous city in the world to be a woman?

For people outside Papua New Guinea’s cities, there barriers to seeking help are particularly high. About 80% of the country’s population lives in rural areas with little access to emergency or other supportive services.

One woman was forced to walk for five days from a rural part of the country’s Highlands to reach hospital, after a severe assault, Ms Schuetze said.

“There are a lot of rural areas around there that don’t have good transport infrastructure, which is why she had to walk. But she said to me that if she hadn’t gotten out of that situation, she wouldn’t have lived.”

Women facing domestic abuse are also trapped by financial obstacles. In parts of Papua New Guinea, significant sums of money – known as a “bride price” – are paid to a groom by the bride’s family. There is a fear that if a woman escapes, her family will be expected to repay the sum to her husband.

And widespread drug and alcohol abuse among men was also a part of the problem, said Professor Judy Atkinson, the founder of We Al-li, a group which works with indigenous communities in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

“It’s a major problem in the community,” she said. “They’re being marketed on the streets in Papua New Guinea – and that creates violence, and leads to a culture of violence.”

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Getty Images

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Debbie Kaore, second from the right, is a rugby star and champion boxer

In 2013, Papua New Guinea passed the Family Protection Act, criminalising domestic violence and allowing victims to obtain protection orders. It became law four years later, but enforcement remains “weak and inconsistent”, according to Human Rights Watch.

Complaints of intimate partner violence are often not taken seriously by the police, or the officers involved lack the training to deal with the case effectively and sensitively, said Ms Schuetze. Papua New Guinea’s police force is relatively small, and a lack of legal support can make it too costly for many to seek justice through the courts.

A 2019 report by the charity said police and prosecutors “rarely pursued investigations or criminal charges against people who commit family violence – even in cases of attempted murder, serious injury, or repeated rape – and instead prefer to resolve such cases through mediation and/or payment of compensation”.

Ms Kaore said she hoped the unusually high level of coverage prompted by her assault last week would hasten change.

“I’m thankful for the love and support I’m getting from all over the world. Knowing I’m not alone in this means so much to me and my family,” she said.

“I can only hope things will change after this. I hope to see that people can be educated properly and learn to respect one another, and change their mindsets.”

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Area HS Varsity Coach Charged With Sexual Abuse For Alleged Relationship With Player

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 15:56:57 +0000

An area high school varsity coach has been charged with engaging “in an inappropriate relationship” with a 16-year-old girl.

Erin Koonz, of Kingston, was arrested on Friday, June 12, by investigators from the Ulster County Family and Child Advocacy Center, reported the Ulster District Attorney’s Office.

The investigation into Koonz, 29, who was employed as head varsity field hockey coach at Kingston High School began in March after receiving a report of the inappropriate relationship with the 16-year-old, the advocacy center said.

The investigation revealed that during the month of February, Koonz and the juvenile female had engaged in illegal contact, they added.

Koonz was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and sexual abuse.

She was released with an appearance ticket, returnable to the Town of Ulster Court on a later date.

The center is staffed by numerous law enforcement and social services agencies.

Any information or questions may be referred to the Ulster County Family and Child Advocacy Center at 845-334-5155.

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NBA player Lonnie Walker IV shaved his head and explained that he used his signature locks as a mask to cope with his childhood sexual abuse

admin — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 21:25:22 +0000

Lonnie Walker IV of the San Antonio Spurs cut off his famous “pineapple” hair during the quarantine.
The second-year shooting guard revealed that he had grown his hair out since the fifth grade as a “cloaking device” to cope with the sexual abuse he endured as a kid.
“Me cutting my hair was more than a cut,” Walker wrote on Instagram. “My hair was a mask of me hiding the insecurities that I felt the world wasn’t ready for. But now better then ever. Out with old. In with the new.”

Lonnie Walker IV chopped off his famous, sky-high locks.

The second-year San Antonio Spurs shooting guard posted a video to his Instagram of a barber buzzing off his “pineapple” hairstyle, which Walker had been growing out since he was in fifth grade. The 21-year-old also debuted his new, close-shaved look, but it was his explanation of the motivation behind his fresh cut that shocked the NBA world.

Lonnie Walker IV.Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

In a lengthy caption posted alongside the haircutting video, Walker revealed that he had been sexually harassed, raped, and abused as a child and that he had long been using his signature hairdo as a “cloaking device.”

“I was a gullible curious kid that didn’t know what the real world was,” Walker wrote. “I had a mindset that my hair was something that I can control. My hair was what I can make and create and be mine. And it gave my confidence.”

Lonnie Walker IV dribbles for the San Antonio Spurs.Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Walker further explained that he had been struggling with “history popping up” in recent months but managed to use quarantine as an opportunity to reset and better himself mentally and emotionally.

“Because of this virus, I began to truly look at myself in the mirror and see who I truly was even behind closed doors,” Walker wrote. “Long story short I have found peace and internal happiness through this journey.”

Lonnie Walker IV (right) and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

The budding star said he’s learned to forgive people — even those who don’t deserve it — because carrying around negative energy is “dead weight.”

“Me cutting my hair was more than a cut,” Walker wrote. “My hair was a mask of me hiding the insecurities that I felt the world wasn’t ready for. But now better then ever. Out with old. In with the new.”

“I have shed my skin mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually,” he added. “Life will always be hard. Gotta play with the cards your [sic] dealt with and try and make a winning hand.”Advertisement

Check out the full video of Walker’s haircut below:

The real truth as to why i started doing this early 5th grade, it was a cloaking device for me. During the summer of my 5th grade year I was around more family. Some that names will be left alone I was around more. I was sexually harassed, raped, abused, I even got accustomed to it because being at that age you don’t know what is what. I was a gullible curious kid that didn’t know what the real world was. I had a mindset that my hair was something that I can control. My hair was what I can make and create and be mine. And it gave my confidence. As of recently I wasn’t at my best. Previous History popping up in my head and it sucked mentally “demons”….. because of this virus, I began to truly look at myself in the mirror and see who I truly was even behind closed doors. Long story short I have found peace and internal happiness through this journey god willingly. I forgave everyone even the people that don’t deserve it why? Because it’s dead weight. Time doesn’t wait on anyone so why should I waste my time on it ? Me cutting my hair was more than a cut. My hair was a mask of me hiding the insecurity’s that I felt the world wasn’t ready for. But now better then ever. Out with old. In with the new. I have shed my skin mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Life will always be hard. Gotta play with the cards your dealt with and try and make a winning hand. And if you lose. It’s never a lost. It’s a lesson . I’m gonna be off this for awhile still growing through this. Just know I love each and everyone one of y’all. Peace love and happiness

A post shared by Lonnie Walker IV (@buddah) on Jun 11, 2020 at 5:52pm PDTJun 11, 2020 at 5:52pm PDT

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More charges for former Perth cop accused of 'depraved' abuse of Tinder dates

admin — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 16:40:21 +0000

Mr Moore resigned from the WA Police force in 2018, after being jailed for unrelated offences.

The state prosecutor alleged Mr Moore’s modus operandi was to meet women on dating sites, gain their trust, engage in a consensual sexual relationship, and then use a drink to drug them and conduct “depraved sexual acts” upon them without their consent.

The alleged acts – which Mr Moore recorded – included chaining the victims up, urinating on them, inserting objects into their bodies, and forcing sexual interactions with a dog.

“The women didn’t pass out, but they reached a stage where they couldn’t consent,” the state prosecutor said.

The state opposed bail due to concerns Mr Moore would reoffend or try to contact his alleged victims to encourage them not to give evidence.

His lawyer, Mark Andrews, said Mr Moore would be pleading not guilty to all charges against him, claiming the sexual acts, which while “depraved”, were consensual and done in the context of sadomasochistic relationships.

He noted any trial for Mr Moore to prove his innocence would be at least 18 months away, and that bail should be granted – with strict conditions that prohibit him from accessing the internet or contacting the complainants.

He said one of the new complainants attended Mr Moore’s 50th birthday after the alleged offences had taken place, another, he claimed, was evidently consenting to being filmed.

Mr Andrews said some of the new complainants also claimed to have remembered conversations with Mr Moore while drugged – including one who alleged he had sex with her in a car, telling her, “It will be ok, you’ll enjoy it”.

Another of the new complainants, Mr Andrews said, was a jilted ex-girlfriend.

The Magistrate reserved her decision on whether to grant Mr Moore bail to next week, with the 50-year-old to be held in custody until then.

At the time of his arrest in May, Acting Inspector Simone Van Der Sluys said she believed Mr Moore may have used his position as a police officer to pressure and intimidate the women in their 40s, which was why the alleged offending had not come to light sooner.

“I think they were embarrassed. I think there’s a lot of dynamics that exist here for victims of a sex crime and also to add to that, him being a police officer,” she said.

“I want to stress and assure any women out there who are grappling with that decision, any information they supply to police, it is their decision if they want to go to court.”

On Friday, WA Police spokeswoman Susan Usher said the investigation into Mr Moore was still ongoing, and they believed some victims were still yet to come forward.

“Women who have concerns they have been a victim of an assault but who do not wish to speak to police can seek support from the Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) on 6458 1828,” she said.

Sex Assault Squad detectives are urging anyone with information to contact police via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online.

Callers may remain anonymous if they wish.

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Children 'rescued', three Victorians arrested in alleged global child abuse ring bust

admin — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 07:29:46 +0000

A child from Victoria is one of the four young people removed by authorities as part of the joint operation.

An Australian Federal Police spokesperson said US intelligence began uncovering suspicious activity in Australia in 2018 as part of a Homeland Security investigation into a website where users paid to access child abuse material.

The spokesperson said Australian police then partnered with international law enforcement, including investigators from Arizona, INTERPOL and EUROPOL, to share details of the website’s registered users.

Five Australian states and federal agents then launched the Australian-based Operation Walwa.

The Australian ambassador for US Homeland Security Investigations, Adam Parks, said the arrests came at a critical time.

“More so than ever, children are increasingly online for their schooling, to socialise with their friends and family, and to play games,” Mr Parks said.

“Let this be a warning that law enforcement is undeterred by COVID-19 and remains on duty to keep our children safe in Australia, the US, and online.”

One of the sites raided by authorities during the investigation into registered users of the illict online marketplace.Credit:AFP

Detective Acting Inspector Karen Bennett, of Victoria Police, said the effects these alleged crimes had on children, families and the wider community was devastating.

“These [alleged] crimes see people using significant established networks to share child abuse material and take advantage of vulnerable children. They have devastating impacts for victims and the wider community,” Inspector Bennett said.

“We will continue to develop and employ various investigative techniques which allow us to target people actively grooming and attempting to procure children, and accessing child abuse material.”

Officers from the United States Homeland Security triggered the Australian leg of the joint investigation.Credit:AFP

Of the four children removed from alleged harm, three were from NSW and one from Victoria.

Those charged were five people from Queensland, four from Western Australia, three each from NSW and Victoria and one from South Australia. The arrests have occurred during the past year.

Assistant Commissioner at AFP Lesa Gale, who oversees the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), said the results were a timely reminder of the risks associated with children being online.

“This has been a long-running joint effort by law enforcement across Australia and we’re happy to see the results that can be achieved when resources are used together, particular in the current online environment,” she said.

The 61-year-old Echuca man has since been remanded in custody and is scheduled to reappear in court later this month.

The 41-year-old Kilmore man has been remanded to reappear in court in July. The 53-year-old Mount Waverley man has been released on bail.

Members of the public with information about people involved in the possession or sharing of child exploitation material are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Children 'rescued', three Victorians arrested in alleged global child abuse ring bust

admin — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 05:06:56 +0000