10 h. ago Weinstein accuser rips defense lawyer: 'You should be ashamed of yourself'

A former model has reproached one of Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers for suggesting that her sexual abuse allegations against the ex-studio boss are lies

Events

12 h. ago After 35 years, the Menendez brothers have a chance for parole. Was that the Netflix effect? | Zoe Williams

It is hard to prove the judicial impact of two shows inspired by the notorious double murder case. But undoubtedly, they heightened public scrutinyWhen the true-crime documentary Menendez Brothers: Misjudged? aired in 2022 on Discovery+, its impact was not immediate, except on TikTok, where – chicken and egg-style – it was hard to determine whether people were talking about the case because of the show or because a general cultural osmosis had brought the topic to the fore.Erik and Lyle killed their parents in 1989, when they were 18 and 21. They alleged a childhood of sexual, psychological and physical abuse by their father, which their mother knew about but didn’t act on. The judge disallowed what was called the “abuse excuse” at the time, and the prosecution successfully landed the argument that they had murdered their parents for their inheritance, resulting in whole-life sentences without the possibility of parole. Continue reading...

Politics

15 h. ago Online dating advice: five ways to stay safe, according to the experts

Spotting red flags while online dating is far from easy – especially in the age of AI. We asked the experts for their top tipsMost dating apps have been forced to bolster their safety measures in recent years due to a litany of complaints of online abuse as well as negligence when handling reports of sexual violence. Several of them are now taking steps to combat this and encourage users to verify their identities to ensure everyone is who they say they are. Typically, this is done with facial recognition technology by asking users to take a video selfie or provide a photo ID that the app uses to compare with the photos used in their profile. Many have also introduced features to help users stay safe, including block and report systems alongside bans on sexual harassment, fetishisation and hate speech.Still, there are precautions to be taken whenever you agree to meet someone you’ve spoken to online, like meeting in public places and withholding any private information. Here are mor...

Politics

19 h. ago Cassie Ventura to resume testimony in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex

Former girlfriend says she endured years of physical abuse, control and violence at music mogul’s handsSinger Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and a key witness in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial of the music mogul, will return to the witness stand on Wednesday morning, as the high-profile trial enters its third day.Ventura, who is eight and a half months pregnant, testified on Tuesday that during her decade-long on-and-off relationship with Combs, she endured years of physical abuse, control and violence and detailed drug-fueled sexual encounters involving male escorts that she said were directed by Combs. Continue reading...

Politics

25 h. ago Cassie due back for 2nd day of testimony in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial

The R&B singer Cassie is set to continue testifying Wednesday against her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs in his sex trafficking trial, a day after taking the witness stand to detail what she says was years of grotesque sexual and physical abuse

Politics

42 h. ago Jesse Lingard's grandad to face retrial on historic sexual abuse charges

Kenneth Lingard, 86, is due to return to court next year

Events

43 h. ago Sean Penn says he’d work with Woody Allen again ‘in a heartbeat’ despite sexual abuse allegations against director

Penn appeared in Allen’s 1999 film ‘Sweet and Lowdown’

Economics

3 d. ago ‘At times, the pressure was intolerable’: Baby Reindeer’s Richard Gadd on paranoia, portraying abuse and the madness of sudden fame

As part of a Bafta TV special, the nominated actor and writer on how his drama went stratospheric virtually overnight, the ‘challenging’ lawsuit that followed, and why he won’t be returning to standup comedyIn the space of a year, Richard Gadd has gone from niche Scottish comedian to global megastar, thanks to the viral success of his autobiographical miniseries Baby Reindeer, documenting his experience of stalking and sexual abuse. Since its release on Netflix in April last year, it has become one of the streamer’s Top 10 most viewed shows of all time, won six Emmys, four Golden Globes, and bagged six TV Bafta nominations.It has also been mired in controversy: social media sleuths identified Fiona Harvey as the woman depicted as Gadd’s stalker, and she has filed a $170m (£127m) lawsuit against Netflix for defamation. Gadd, 35, is now working on new BBC show Half Man, co-starring Jamie Bell. When we meet in a London hotel, he has the air of a man who is still trying to catch his bre...

Events

5 d. ago Judge finally sets resentencing hearing for Menendez brothers next week

Their attorneys say the brothers, who have spent 30 years behind bars for murders, killed their parents in self-defense after years of sexual abuse

Sport

5 d. ago Where does Pope Leo XIV stand on key issues like sexual abuse, climate and poverty?

He has been described as a peace-seeking bridge builder but he opposes female ordination and abuse survivors are waryWhat is the position of Pope Leo XIV on the issues that face him and the Roman Catholic church? Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Pope Leo XIV 'accused of mishandling sexual abuse allegations against priests in churches'

Campaigners have called on the Vatican to ‘conduct a thorough investigation’ into Robert Prevost’s handling of the claims

Events

5 d. ago Menendez brothers lawyers to urge judge to remove prosecutors from case

Defense attorneys push for removal of district attorney Nathan Hochman who opposes the brothers’ resentencingAttorneys for Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were convicted of killing their parents in 1989, will make their case to a judge on Friday that Los Angeles prosecutors should be removed from the brothers’ resentencing case.The brothers were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison without the possibility of parole for fatally shooting their entertainment executive father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez. The brothers were 18 and 21 at the time of the killings. Defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, while prosecutors said the brothers killed their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Buckie crime: Man who raped boy jailed for 'appalling' crimes against children in Moray

Jamie Chapman was found guilty of raping a 15-year-old boy on multiple occasions between 2021 and 2022.

Events

5 d. ago Pope Leo accused of failing to properly investigate allegations of child sexual abuse in his church

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) say they have made the Vatican well aware of the then-Cardinal Robert Prevost’s reported inaction on allegations of sexual assault against minors by priests in his church

Events

6 d. ago Monster who abused kids for decades dies in prison without knowing he was locked up

Frederick Heard was sentenced to 16 years in jail in 2012 after being found guilty of a string of sexual abuse offences against girls but died in prison before his release

Events

6 d. ago Pope Leo XIV 'looked the other way' when confronted with child sex abuse allegations against priest in his Chicago church

The first American pope is accused of turning a blind eye when priests under his wing were accused of sexual abuse.

Events

7 d. ago Crimes of 'Asian grooming gangs' should not affect jury's considerations, Rochdale sexual abuse trial told

A defence barrister said jurors should only consider the evidence heard in court

Events

7 d. ago Boardwalk Empire star Michael Pitt arrested on sexual abuse charges

Pitt played Jimmy Darmody on the hit HBO show

Events

8 d. ago Five retired Greater Manchester Police officers arrested for alleged sexual abuse of woman who was pimped out as a child

EXCLUSIVE: Two other suspects are deceased, Neal Keeling reports

Events

9 d. ago Jury selection begins in Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial

At the trial, prosecutors will cast the entertainer as a criminal sexual deviant who exploited his fame to abuse women at gatherings held far out of public view

Politics