Do the twist

Canada -- A 21-year-old student at the York University was walking home when she was attacked.

"He was standing behind the tree and I didn't see him because it was pretty dark and he just stepped out from behind the tree and he said don't scream, and he pushed me to the ground," she recalls.

"I grabbed his pinky finger and I twisted it back and he pulled away from me because I hurt him and I ran to my house."

Source

Hazards at work, 16

It can't be said often enough: A knife is a dangerous, really dangerous weapon.
It's highly unpredictable, easy to carry, easy to use.
You also have this idea amongst some folks that you can "control the effect" - that is, you can easily use it as a deterrent to scare off, cut or stop a threat/attacker. This is far easier said than done folks!
Another thing is that since way too many are unaware of the danger involved, they fell it's "safe" or legitimate to carry such a weapon. And what do you do when you are being under attack? You use what you got at hand.
Facts: Once a knife is out, you have a potential lethal situation on your hands.

Story:
A bouncer is dead and a 35-year-old man is in critical condition after a bar fight in Blaine early Friday morning.

The bouncer, 24-year-old Greg Klaers, was killed while trying to break up that fight. His brother saw the whole thing happen.

A customer was also stabbed and critically wounded. Police arrested four men for assault.

Source

"To be expected"

Suzanne Swift went AWOL in January to avoid deployment with a battalion in which she underwent repeated incidents of sexual harassment and abuse. Now she is being thrown in the brig while only one of her three alleged transgressors has received so much as a letter of reprimand.

Swift’s former lawyer said that when Swift was targeted for sexual harassment by her platoon sergeant in Kuwait in February 2005 and was then manipulated into having sex with another superior in Iraq later that year, she did not file a formal complaint out of fear.

Her alleged assailant in Iraq "made it very clear to her that there would be real repercussions if she reported it, and she believed him," the lawyer said.

A study headed by Anne Sadler, coordinator of the post-traumatic stress clinical team at the Veterans Administration hospital in Iowa City, found that Swift’s experience was not uncommon.

That nationwide survey, which included women whose terms of service fell between 1961 and 2003, found that more than three-quarters of the respondents reported experiencing sexual harassment during their military service; a third suffered one or more completed or attempted rapes.

However, only 26 percent of the rape survivors reported it through official channels while in active duty. The most common reasons given were fear that the report would negatively impact the survivor’s career or make things worse. A belief that nothing would be done and fear that they would be blamed by their co-workers were also prominent concerns. A shocking 19 percent thought that "rape [is] an expected part of military service."

Source

For the thrill of it

UK -- An increasing number of muggers carry out violent crime for the thrill of it and not financial gain, a report has said.

Boosting street cred or feeling a rush - especially when the victim fights back - are among the reasons why muggers carry out their attacks.

A poll of over 120 persistent offenders comes a day after two teenagers were jailed for the death of City lawyer Tom ap Rhys Pryce who was killed while being mugged.

The study, by Professor Trevor Bennett, director of the University of Glamorgan's Centre for Criminology, and Dr Fiona Brookman, says: "Both the amount and the severity of gratuitous violence used in street robbery are increasing in the UK."

Source

Girl violence

Pittsburgh schools police Chief Robert Fazden remembers a fight more than 10 years ago at Peabody High School, involving hundreds of students in the parking lot.

The size of the fight was daunting enough, but even more surprising to Fazden was that girls fought other girls alongside the boys -- and just as violently.

"They pull hair, scratch, and girl fights are very, very hard to break up," Fazden said. "You don't want to pull them apart and hurt them, but you don't want them to kill each other, either. Girls can be just as violent, or more violent, than the boys. Girls fighting has always been an issue for us. We see it every day."

According to national statistics, girls today are more violent than they were just five years ago. Arrests of girls under age 18 nationwide for crimes including aggravated and simple assaults are up 15 percent from 2001 to 2005. Girls account for about a quarter of total assaults committed by juveniles, compared with less than 10 percent in 1980.

Source

Red flags

Here is a great article about "red flags", or danger signs that I like to call them.
It's a great read by an (obviously) experienced police officer.

Even though the examples may be a little off from a civilian point of view, the underlying principle is spot on - always observe and think; use your radar!

Now this may sound tiresome, but I can assure you it is not. It is simply a matter of getting used to having your head and your body at the same place and time. It's nothing fancy at all.

Remember that good self-defense and self preservation begins with awareness. This is not the same as walking around being scared or being "prepared for the worst". Awareness is using your senses and your mind in a relaxed manner. It takes a little exercise, that's all.

Some of the things that may lower your awareness:
Drugs and alcohol, being tired, running late, using headphones or talking on a phone, being upset or angry, being occupied with past or future issues, being caught in tourist traps, travelling, shopping, watching or listening to something that intrigues you - and so on.

Hazards at work, 15

Minnesota -- A 15-year-old was charged Tuesday in the rape and robbery of a Star Tribune newspaper carrier.

The woman, in her 30s, was returning to her car after delivering newspapers about 3 a.m. Aug. 13 in Brooklyn Park when the teenager confronted her on his bike, according to the charges. Telling her he had a gun, he took her debit card and sexually touched her, a court document said.

When she said no, Johnson became angry and ordered her out of her car. He then beat her with a stick like those used in karate, the document said.

Source

The dangerous kick

This is an interesting study about the dangers of being kicked.
Mind you, we're not talking about kicking in general her - the biggest danger is being kicked to the head while you're down on the ground. Nasty stuff!

UK -- Kicking somebody during a fight can be more dangerous than using a sharp or blunt weapon, research shows.

A study of 25,000 people admitted to A&E found use of feet was more likely to inflict serious injury than blunt or sharp objects or fists.

However, the Violence Research Group in Cardiff, found weapons caused a greater number of severe injuries.

In total, the researchers assessed 31,000 injuries inflicted on patients attending the University Hospital Wales A&E between 1999 and 2005.

Source

Bad eye sight

Nobody said anything about all criminals being too bright ...

Story:
A thief with decent vision, not to mention foresight, would never try to rob downtown optician Tom Kirkland.

Kirklands designer eyeglass store in Richmond is across the street from a Capitol police station.

Kirkland, 51, is armed, and he's an instructor in karate. His sales associate, Neal Griffin, 39, is a bodybuilder.

Source

What time is it?

A common method this - to ask a potential victim for the time. It is a part of what is commonly referred to as an "interview", plus it's a good (from the culprit's point of view) method of distraction.

Story:
Michigan -- Pittsfield Township Police say they've identified a man accused of pushing a woman into her car and fondling her in the parking lot of a store a week ago.

The suspect, a 24-year-old township resident, was captured a few days later after at least two people called police to report his bizarre behavior near a bus stop. The callers said a man was acting odd and following women, police said.

A few days earlier, the 26-year-old woman said she was getting into her car at a store when a man approached, asked for the time, then pushed her into her car and groped her. She said she screamed and kicked him away.

Source

A brutal indifference

UK -- It's too late for the five Ipswich street sex workers found brutally murdered in Suffolk. But to prevent the death toll rising, urgent action needs to be taken to protect other women who are working on the streets of Britain.

Among men convicted of murdering sex workers, killing is rarely the first offence. There is often a history of violent attacks on women. Street-based sex workers are at risk of violence and it is vital that a relationship of trust exists between the women and the police officers who can apprehend men who commit violent sexual offences against them. Sadly, trust is all too often absent between these two groups.

Not including the latest victims, at least 51 sex workers have been murdered since 1990. Most women working on the streets are funding expensive drug habits. They are among the most vulnerable members of the community. A report from the Economic and Social Research Council found that two-thirds of sex workers had experienced client violence, that women working on the streets were at greatest risk of violence, and that 28% said punters had tried to rape them.

Overwhelmingly, these women are not involved in serious crimes. While soliciting is a (non-imprisonable) offence, prostitution in itself is not illegal. More needs to be done to guarantee women a sympathetic hearing if or when they report attacks to the police.

Source

Christmas spirit

Ah... the peace and quiet of Christmas :-)

Story:
UK -- A 10-year-old robber and his two young accomplices got more than they bargained for when one of their victims attacked them with a Christmas tree.

The young thugs had already robbed three children when they decided to pick on a woman who was walking along Chelsea Road, Lever Edge, with a toddler.

But the babyfaced robbers soon realised they had taken on more than they could handle when the woman fought back with the Christmas tree she was carrying. The boys, one aged 10 and two aged 12, fled.

Source

Binge-drinking

UK -- A Hampshire-wide campaign has been launched targeting binge-drinking and how it can end in rape or violence.

The film, radio and poster campaign, run by the Hampshire Drug Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) will promote a safer drinking message to young people aged between 13 and 20 by showing how binge drinking makes them more vulnerable.

According to statistics from the DAAT alcohol misuse is involved in around 39 per cent of rape or attempted rape cases in Hampshire. Latest statistics suggest that date rape drugs are involved in a less than two per cent and that excessive alcohol consumption is the real danger - to both men and women.

Source

Short-cuts

Many attacks happen as we are hurrying to get back home at night - taking a short-cut.

Story:
Sweden -- A 20-year-old woman was subject to an attempted rape in central Sandviken Saturday morning.

The incident occurred in a wooded area around 3 a.m. as the woman was on her way home from a night club. She was attacked as she left a road and walked along a path with no lighting.

The assailant grabbed his intended victim from behind. He threw the young woman to the ground and ripped off her pants.

The woman started to kick and scream at the assailant. She hit him with a solid kick between the legs that sent him running away.

Source

Hazards at work, 14

Pennsylvania -- Camden County authorities are asking for the public's help to find a man who robbed a pizza deliverywoman at knifepoint.

Police said the victim didn't lose her cash without a fight but said the robbery was a bold and well thought out plan.

The young pizza deliverywoman never imagined somebody would try to steal her well hard earned cash that she needs for bills and the holidays.

Police do not condone nor do they encourage it but she fought back, dragging her attacker to the ground, that is, until he pulled a knife.

Source

A staggering toll

Nearly 400 rapes were reported in Northern Ireland this year, it has been revealed. The alarming rise in the level of attacks was disclosed today as the government came under intense pressure to offer women greater protection from violence.

With the threat claimed to be at crisis level, political parties appalled by a damning new report demanded action.

Meanwhile, police councillors have been brought in to help a teenage victim after two men attacked her in Woodvale Park, north Belfast, leaving her seriously traumatised.

Her ordeal joins a staggering toll which showed 390 rapes and another 25 attempted sex assaults reported across Northern Ireland between January and November. Of the rapes 351 were against women and 39 on men.

The police figures showed a big rise from 318 for the same period on 2005 and 345 in 2004.

Source

Hazards at work, 13

New Jersey -- A 64-year-old township man stands charged with aggravated sexual contact and lewdness after attacking a nurse who had been caring for his disabled daughter, police said.

The man approached the 32-year-old registered nurse Sunday as she changed the daughter's clothes in his Germantown Road home, police said.

The man began fondling the nurse and tried to engage in sex with her, police said.

The nurse pushed him away and was able to escape to a nearby home, where a neighbor called police.

Source

'My-key-do' #2

Your car or house keys can be great makeshift weapons.

Story:
Israel -- The Haifa District Court on Wednesday sentenced a Kiryat Motzkin man to 10 years in jail for raping a 26-year-old woman he met on the Internet.

The 26-year-old man was also convicted of attempting to rape a 17-year-old girl he also met on the Internet.

Three days after raping the 26-year-old woman, the man attempted to rape a 17-year-old girl he met through the ICQ online chat service. The two met in the Haifa area, where the man led his victim into a secluded alley and attempted to rape her.

The girl struggled with the assailant, and managed to escape after stabbing him in the face with a key.

Source

A hood-head

Found this at hollabacknyc blogspot (a great blog by the way!).
Stories like this really makes me ashamed to be a member of the male population. There really are some pathetic and ignorant individuals out there ...

Story:
Tonight around 10 p.m., on a train back to her apartment in Williamsburg, a hooded man seated next to my best friend, a 22 year old woman, whispered in her ear "I am going to follow you when you get up."

He did follow her, just a step behind, up the subway steps of her stop and out onto the street. With great clarity in a life-threatening moment, she stepped inside a bodega, while he stood outside, waiting for her, and was fortunate to find a couple who were willing to walk her the few steps from the market to her apartment door.

When they exited the bodega, the hooded man was still there, waiting for his (potential) victim. Unfortunately, it took the help of two people--a woman to make her feel safe, and a man to protect her-- to allow this woman to arrive home unharmed.

The most important part of this is that my friend is safe, but I feel such anger and rage that men like this, who derive such a false, disgusting sense of power from physically and sexually threatening women in public (or private), can make strong, smart, powerful women like my friend doubt their decision to live alone if they choose, to live free and independent lives, or to merely live at all. I am completely disgusted, and concerned for my friend.

Submitted by E.M.

It's a gas

Texas -- An East Texas grandma is gaining national celebrity for her quick thinking.

75 year old Mary was carjacked at a Tyler Brookshires gas station, and fought back by spraying the suspected carjacker with gasoline.

Police used the OnStar in Mary's SUV to track it down and arrest the suspect.

"It had nothing to do with courage it had to do with fury. I was so mad. I didn't think about consequences. Bill (Mary's husband) said I wish you would have thought about the inside of the car," says Mary.

Source

Hazards at work, 12

Wales, UK -- An ambulance man has described how he was chased and attacked with a carving knife while on a call-out.

The 35-year-old, from Bargoed in Caerphilly county says he has had four months off work this year because of two assaults while doing his job.

He spoke as a Welsh MP's bill giving greater protection to emergency workers gets closer to becoming law.

A 52-year-old female paramedic from Cardiff, also described how she was punched in the chest when she tried to stop a man stealing an ambulance from the station.

"We've had plenty of violent attacks on staff and we tend not to even bother reporting the verbal abuse and foul language," she said.

Source

"Panic mode"

It's so easy to slip from healthy dozes of precaution and suspicion, to seeing ghosts everywhere.

Story:
In an example of how Internet rumors can take on a life of their own, suspicions and anxiety quickly filled the void of information after several Southwest Austin residents reported seeing a white van cruising their neighborhoods.

When calls to police yielded no immediate information, one resident e-mailed a bulletin to several of his neighbors and local media outlets that said police hadn't responded to reports of an attempted abduction of a 13-year-old girl by several men in a white van with Georgia license plates.

In response to a wave of concern from parents, three principals of area elementary schools put their campuses on lockdown, forbade students to walk home unescorted and sent letters home warning of possible danger.

The all's-clear came Sunday when police reported that several white vans full of door-to-door salesmen from Georgia combed Southwest Austin last week. They were selling magazines.

Child abductions are rare: Of about 797,500 children abducted in a year in the U.S., according to a 2002 Justice Department report, 7.3 percent were taken by someone other than a family member and less than 1 percent, 115 children under 18, were victims of strangers or of people with whom the children were only slightly acquainted.

"Unfortunately, parents are continually fed a diet of scare stories. When confronted with unusual circumstances, they can easily shift into panic mode," said Frank Furedi, a researcher on responses to fear and the author of the book "Paranoid Parenting."

Source

Female firefighters

California -- Female firefighters in LA are stepping out of the shadows.

Women are a tiny fraction of the department, numbering 95 out of its 3,625 firefighters. They are newcomers -- the first female firefighter was hired in 1985 -- to a field steeped in tradition and long considered the domain of men.

Many of the stories they tell never make it into official reports. Some women say they have been afraid to share incidents, even with one another. Most are loath to complain because in the firehouse, reputation is everything.

"You want to have a solid, iron-clad reputation: You're a hard worker, a team player," said Capt. Alicia Mathis, a 17-year veteran and one of 19 female captains.

But women are beginning to break that silence; the "go along to get along" ethos has begun to crack.

"This is not 'boys will be boys' stuff," said the lawyer representing firefighters who recently won settlements on harassment claims.

"You get into bed with a woman and start to physically assault her, that's not a prank -- that's an attempted rape."

Source

Six assault cases

Washington, D.C. -- Another woman has come forward saying she was attacked near Howard University, police say. So far six attempted sexual assaults have been reported in one week.

The attacker is targeting women walking alone just off campus, police say. All six incidents have occurred some time between 4 a.m. and 9:50 a.m.

In two of the incidents, the suspect used a knife. In each case, the victim managed to escape.

While police say there's no conclusive evidence the incidents are related, the descriptions of the suspect, whom they consider armed and dangerous, are similar.

Source

Punks in pink

Pink light? Well, I guess anything should be tested!

Story:
UK -- Pink lighting may be introduced in public places in Lancashire in a bid to stop teenagers committing crime.

The lights are intended to create a calming atmosphere - but they also show up spots on the skin.

Insp John Ainsworth, bases in Lea, Preston, believes putting the lights in well-known trouble spots could lead to a drop in anti-social behaviour.

Source

"Rape culture"

Most people think violence against women is a women's issue, and why wouldn't they? Girls and women ages 12 to 24 are at the greatest risk for experiencing rape or sexual assault, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, and almost all perpetrators are men.

The point is not to attack men but to understand that the society we live in makes people believe that rape is a women's issue and women need to deal with it alone.

Our society responds to the threat of sexual assault by telling our daughters not to walk alone at night, to always have Mace and to take self-defense classes. This is a reactionary response that may bring the number of completed rapes down, but not the number of attempts. To work more effectively toward ending rape, we must educate men and chip away at the rape culture we live in.

Source

Roll with it

A Colombian taxi driver got the better of an armed robber by rolling his cab over an embankment in Bucamaramanga -- with the assailant still inside.

The 66-year-old driver suffered a stab wound from the would-be thief, 16, who landed in hospital with multiple fractures, police said.

The driver's wife said her husband's wound was slight, but he feared the thief would kill him and so rolled his hack toward the embankment and jumped to safety.

Source

"Inexplicable instinct"

One of the first rules of self-defense: Always trust your instincts!
It goes without saying that taking a bogus cab/taxi is something that should be avoided at all costs. Even if a car looks like a taxi, does not guarantee it to be a legitimate taxi!

Source:
UK -- The incident happened when young student picked up what she thought was a cab at Lynn Bus Station at around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 5.

She thought everything was OK but an inexplicable instinct warned her not to give the driver her full address.

The driver was initially friendly and chatty but after she handed over payment at her destination, he pulled off again and would not stop.

The quick-thinking 17-year-old leapt from the vehicle when the driver reduced his speed just a few streets from where she had originally asked to be dropped off.

Source

All-male education

While teaching women how to prevent and fight back against sexual violence is positive and necessary, it is also great to see the root of the problem being addressed!

Story:
Oklahoma City -- A state Health Department official says an all-male education program is helping change the attitudes of men about sexual assault on college campuses in Oklahoma.

Steve Nedbalek told a legislative task force today he's optimistic the agency's "Man to Man" education program is attacking the problem of sexual assaults on women on campuses.

The program started in 2004 with the goal of changing attitudes toward rape and helping men understand what constitutes sexual coercion.

Source

More "fire"

Jacksonville, Florida -- On the northwest side of town, a woman did exactly what some of the experts say you should do when faced with a would be carjacker.

She got out of her car when a teenager came up in a hooded sweat jacket and tried to take it. The woman screamed "FIRE!"

Some experts say screaming "FIRE" can often times get attention more quickly. The guy took off.

Source

Hazards at work, 11

California -- A 42-year-old registered sex offender was arrested Sunday after he allegedly exposed himself and tried to rape a female employee of a home furnishings store Saturday night, Petaluma police reported.

Police said three employees of Pier One Imports were cleaning the business after closing about 10 p.m. Saturday.

A female employee emerged from a women's restroom she was cleaning and found the man, a fellow employee, standing naked in front of the restroom door. The woman screamed and the man grabbed her and pushed her back into the restroom, according to police.

The third employee heard the screams and went to the restroom to check on the woman. The suspect then retreated to a men's restroom and got dressed.

Source

Another suicide

You must read this article by Esther Rantzen about bullying! It is disturbing and sad, to say the least.
It really is one of the great mysteries of life, how utterly cruel people, young as well as old, can be towards one another.

Story:
"The National Union of Teachers has just conducted a survey which found that women teachers are often confronted by classroom louts who abuse them with sexual jibes. The NUT says it heard 'some horrible stories'."

"In Weston-super-Mare I met Barry, a young man with Asperger's, a form of autism. He had been bullied at school for five years and became shy, withdrawn and friendless. Exhausted physically and mentally by being used as a punch-bag, he learned martial arts. Once the bullies realised he could defend himself, the physical bullying stopped. But he is still the target of taunts and name-calling in the street."

Source

Hazards at work, 10

From media reports it may seem that attacks on people delivering pizza is happening all the time.
I do wonder if these companies have put any protective strategies to work. Or do they figure that robberies and assaults are simply "occupational hazards"?

Story:
A Colorado Springs pizza delivery man was attacked from behind and robbed of all of his pizza. It happened in an apartment complex Friday.

Witnesses say that there were 6 or 7 people in their late teens or early twenties that had ordered pizza to an apartment address. Once the delivery man came, he was hit on the head from behind with a rock and the pizza was taken. The man was sent to the hospital and required 13 staples in his head. Police have made no arrests.

Source

An International day

Just a quick reminder: Today, November 25, is declared by the United Nations as the 'International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.'

It could be interesting to note that the Taliban in Afghanistan may believe that they are passing a truly great gift to their woman. You see, they are discussing a change in one of their many strict laws and regulations.

At present, for a Taliban man to be found guilty of rape, the victim needs to have four male witnesses. Well, of course they have to be male, you can't trust a woman - we all know that ...

The wise, and heavily bearded leaders of the Taliban are talking back and forth if maybe - just maybe - one male witness is enough. As far as I know they haven't even begun to consider how many women would equal these male witnesses.

Boy, do we have a long way to go!

From thenews.com.pk: "When we talk about violence against women, the general notion is of physical violence, sexual or otherwise. But this is just one kind of violence that women all over the world are subjected to.

Violence takes different forms and dimensions. The psychological pressures that oppressive customs and traditions exert on women; lack of equal access to opportunities for self actualisation and economic independence; no control over reproductive choices etc. are all forms of violence that relegate that status of women second to that of men and restricts them from fulfilling their potential.

In fact all sorts of violence against women have their roots in the dynamics of gender relations that a society develops. And let's face it, gender relations have been historically unequal."

Hazards at work, 9

Sweden -- A conductor was assaulted by an unruly passenger Monday morning as the train was traveling from Stockholm towards Uppsala.

As the train approaches Märsta station, the man is told to pay for the fare by the conductor. The assailant refuses to pay and attacks the conductor. The man then jumps off the train at Märsta.

The victim receives a cut to the forehead and is later tended to at a hospital in Uppsala.

Source

Friendliness

A common way to have you lower your guard: (too much) friendliness.

Story:
Norway – An 18-year-old female was on her way to a friend in Trondheim. She had spent a night on town, had been arguing with somebody and was subsequently walking on her own.

As she was walking, she met an unknown male. The man noticed that she was upset; he asks her for her name and gives her his jacket when she says she’s cold.

The man also asks her where she’s going – suggesting to the young woman she might want to follow him home to his place.

The teenager says no. When she tries to leave, the man holds her back. The female breaks free and escapes. Running away, she believes she has lost the man. But after a while she can hear footsteps behind her.

Finding that she’s being followed by the same person, she presses a random doorbell to a nearby residence. She shouts and begs to be let in.

The assailant grabs her and pushes her against a wall while he attempts to sexually assault her. He holds a hand over her mouth and tells her to be quiet. The intended victim, however is screaming during the whole ordeal.

A young woman living close by has heard the commotion. When she arrives at the scene, the attacker takes off.

Source

Bullying

UK -- More than 20,000 pupils skip school each day because they fear bullying, according to a new report.

Gemma Lang, of Newport, South Wales, nearly gave up on life after being the victim of bullies for nearly ten years.

But she used her experience to take on her attackers and set up a website to help other victims of bullies.

Source

'Swordid'

The old saying 'never bring a sword to a gunfight' turns out to be bad advice – at least for Guillermo Tovar, who survived being held at gunpoint in his own house when he cut the gunman's trigger finger off before he could fire.

The gunmen broke in to Tovar's east Memphis house in the small hours of the morning on November 4. They kicked down his front door, pointed a gun at his son's head and demanded cash and jewelery, before pistol-whipping Tovar unconscious.

It was when Tovar came to that things got interesting. He grabbed a sword from underneath the couch - described as a cavalry-type sabre, which the household used for cutting vegetation in the garden – and confronted the burglars. With a gun pointed at him and the intruder's finger already on the trigger, Tovar swung the sword – cutting the man's trigger finger off.

Source

Hazards at work, 8

UK -- A nurse who quit her job after being kicked by a patient last night welcomed the sentence imposed on her attacker - saying assaults on hospital staff should not be tolerated.

The 28-year-old, who worked as a bank nurse at Colchester General Hospital for 12 years, told of the trauma and injuries suffered in the incident - which temporarily left her unable to pick up her young child.

Mrs Rice said: “The attack left me winded and bruised. The woman hit me on the shoulder, knocking me to the ground, and then kicked me in the knee.

The wife of a paramedic, Mrs Rice revealed the attack was “the straw that broke the camel's back”.

Source

Watch out!

Most people buying and selling through auction sites and classified ads are honest. Unfortunately there are also some bad seeds.

Story:
D.N.A. evidence links an attempted sexual assault case in Colorado Springs from 2004, to more cases nation-wide, and bringing up questions about how to stay safe when selling things through newspaper and internet classifieds.

Ebay, Craigslist, your local paper... they're all great places to unload your unwanted clutter, but El Paso County detectives say they also can make you a prime target for crime.

In August 2004, a woman living in an apartment in Cimarron Hills advertises her wedding dress in a local paper. A potential buyer showed up wielding a gun.

Soutce

Gun-nut

This "nutty" incident occurred in Wichita, Kansas, after a dispute that reportedly involved stereo speakers (apparently very nice speakers).

Three men, aged 23, 20 and 18, confronted a teenager on Monday afternoon. The eldest would-be kidnapper pulled out a gun and fired at the teen, but missed. He then shoved the gun back into the waistband of his trousers. That's when it went off, shooting him in the left testicle.

This event caused the man to "wince" and unfortunately for him, the motion of wincing caused the gun to go off again. Luckily for him, it didn't take out the other testicle. It just shot him in the left calf instead.

Source

On the phone again

UK -- Police in Bath have issued an appeal for witnesses following an indecent assault in the city.
The incident took place on Thursday November 9 at 2:30 a.m. near to a (pedestrian) pelican crossing.

The 19-year-old female was walking alone, talking on her mobile when she was touched on her back by a man. The victim screamed and the offender reached over to cover her mouth with his hand, pulling her backwards, before running off.

Source

Hazards at work, 7

Miramar, Florida -- A Wingate Inn hotel clerk was hospitalized early Tuesday morning and remains in stable condition after she was brutally beaten during an attempted sexual assault.

Police say a hotel guest attacked the clerk around midnight and tried to sexually assault her. According to police, the man first propositioned the 19-year old clerk for oral sex in exchange for money.

The woman refused and the suspect walked away. But he returned less than an hour later and made another lewd offer. When the woman declined his advances, he asked her for access to the business center. Once inside, he tried to rape her, a Miramar police spokesman said.

When she laid down and he went to pull her skirt up, she started to fight back. During the fight however, the attacker broke her jaw and knocked out several teeth.Ultimately, she was able to escape and find help.

The suspect, who is from the town of Seminole, fled on foot. Police later found him covered in blood at a nearby Chevron station.

Source

All well, Elle!

UK -- Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson fought off a mugger Tuesday night on her way to a charity function in London. Macpherson was attacked just as she was crossing the road to the Move For AIDS VIP charity function's red carpet.

A witness tells London's Daily Star newspaper, "We all just looked in horror as we saw a figure in a hoody come out of the shadows.

"But as soon as he grabbed for Elle's bag, she swung around quite calmly, just went for his arm and got her bag ... it looked so simple.

"The mugger ... staggered back, then ran for it. The lights changed and we tried to follow, but he managed to get away."

Macpherson is known to use the martial art Tai Chi for meditation and relaxation.

Source

It was a peach

Man, I love stories like these!

Story:
UK -- Three would-be muggers who targeted a pensioner fled empty-handed after their victim, an ex-Army and England boxer, punched one of them on the chin.

Former middleweight George Bayliss, 67, had just drawn his pension when the three men surrounded him and demanded he handed over his money.

"I just threw a left at him – it was a peach, a real cracker," said George.

"I was really angry. I worked hard for that money, I did my time – they're not having it. That was my attitude. If I go down, I go down fighting.

"I think really they were a bit shocked – they picked on the wrong person."

George was in town on Tuesday when he noticed a group of five men hanging around outside the post office in Cornhill.

Three of these men later approached him in St John's Street and demanded he hand over his pension. After he punched one of them, all three ran off.

George, who holds several Amateur Boxing Association titles, still trains and goes running. He has also learnt the martial art Tai Kwon Do and taught his three sons Mark, Ben and Wayne to box.

Source

Hazards at work, 6

Minnesota -- A man is being accused of forcing a housekeeper to engage in sexual relations with him at the Minneapolis Hyatt Saturday afternoon.

The woman told police that she was cleaning a room when the man entered, attacked her, removed her clothing and got on top of her.

According to the criminal complaint, the accused started biting and punching the housekeeper and put a towel around her mouth to stop her from screaming.

The woman said she tried to fight back by biting the man but that's when he started banging her head on the floor.

A hotel security officer heard the woman screaming and knocked on the door, the suspect opened the door shirtless and with his pants around his ankles. He told the security guard that everything was ok, but the woman screamed again and security forced their way into the hotel room and found her.

Source

The secret seconds

Here's another great article about how kidnappers/sexual predators operate. Recommended reading!

Story:
Jacksonville, Florida -- "Right here, here, are scars from the handcuffs. There is a scar there and a scar right there." It's been four years and Heather Kangas still bears the scars of being kidnapped from her bus stop. "I know he lived not even 10 miles down the road from where I was standing. I believed it was like one of those perfect times. There was nobody on the roads, nobody could see."

Police say Timothy Oberlander grabbed Heather handcuffed her and drove off. In audio tapes never released to the public until now. We hear Oberlander admit to a jail house informant why he chose Heather.

Source

Increase in reports

East Tennessee State University -- There were three reported cases of sexual assault on campus in 2006, up from one in 2005, according to a public safety officer.

"I'm not alarmed by the increase," said the coordinator of outreach programs at the counseling center. "I'm more concerned about people who aren't getting help that need help."

The coordinator said the increase in reported sexual assaults does not suggests that more rapes are occurring. She attributes the increase to this year's higher student enrollment and a raised awareness of knowing how and whom to report the crimes. She also said she believes that sexual assault is "grossly underreported on campus."

Source

'Cell(f)-help'

Mississauga, Canada -- A man has been rescued after a possible abduction attempt -- thanks to his cell phone.

Police received a call from a man in his 20s in the trunk of a vehicle around 8 p.m. Monday night.

Police drove around the area sounding their sirens, with the man telling them if the sound was getting closer to him.

Source

No hugs please

Somewhat "harmless", yet very annoying!
Here are some advice against people (mostly male family members) who insist on giving all women they meet a "friendly" bear hug.
Both methods here may indeed prove effective, one "a little" less subtle than the other ...

Story:
Dear Abby: May I offer a method that's fast, effective and creates very little attention: When Uncle Harry approaches with open arms, the woman should hold her upper arms close to her chest and slide her forearms up and in front of her breasts. Clenching her fists will provide strength to her upper arms. This position will protect her breasts from contact with Uncle Harry and increase the circumference for her upper body, making a bear hug more difficult.

While holding this posture, she should make direct eye contact and firmly say, "No!" Nothing more. A wishy-washy response will not be effective. He may object, cajole or question, but regardless of what he says, or how many times he persists, her only response should be to repeat, "I said, 'No!"' or, "I do not want you to hug me." -- An Old Man Who Knows What Works

Dear Abby: I know a lady who had the same problem, and after three warnings, she finally became fed up. She was a black belt in karate. Needless to say, it worked like a charm. And after another woman did the same thing to the man, he started being an even better "Christian." -- On the Ladies' Side in N.Y.

Source

Headphones again ...

Georgia -- A teen goes out for a jog and then has to run for her life. Now police are looking for the man who tried to snatch her.

The attempted kidnapping happened in Marietta. A 16-year-old girl says she fought back when a man tried to grab her.

Cobb County Police say the man tried to grab the girl, who was wearing headphones, and force her into his car. But the victim was able to fight him off and run to a neighbor's house for help.

Source

Nice kick!

An assailant with, what appears to be, a sense of humor. Let me add that there's nothing remotely funny about acts of stupid assaults like this though.

Story:
Oregon -- A female jogger was groped on a dark and foggy path in Wilsonville early Tuesday morning, she told police.

The woman was on a well-used portion of Southwest Town Center Loop East about 5:45 a.m. when a man approached, "wrapping his arms around her" and "clutching her while grabbing her buttocks with each of his hands," said Det. Jim Strovink, spokesman for the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.

The suspect reportedly said, "nice ass, baby."

After breaking free, the woman kicked him twice in the groin.

"The suspect keeled over slightly and stated, "nice kick," Strovink said.

Source

Would not report it

If you happen to wonder why so few cases of rape and attempted rape are being brought before the justice system, you ought to read this article from SocietyGuardian in the UK.

Some times I really wonder what century we're living in; are attitudes like these the norm even today?

Rape, Namibia

The numbers of rape and attempted rape cases since independence to 2005, have more than doubled, making it the most serious form of crime currently being committed in Namibia, the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) has said.

Statistics taken from research the LAC is conducting indicate that rape cases recorded in 1991, which were 564, increased to 854 in 2000 and went up to 1 184 in 2005.

The past three years have seen 1 100 to 1 200 cases of rape and attempted rape cases being reported every year, amounting to about 60 reported cases per 100 000 people of the country's population.

The statistics also indicate that over one third of all victims of rape and attempted rape are under 18 years for both female and male victims. Currently, there are 45 reported cases of rape and attempted rape per 100 000 juvenile population.

Source

Knife rampage

This case shows a couple of things:
1. A small knife can do a lot of damage.
2. A knife is a dangerous weapon, regardless of size.
3. It's very hard to protect yourself against a knife attack - even if the attacker is drunk and with little or no skill with a knife. I will assume at least some of these 40 victims must have tried ...
4. A person in "party mode" (high spirit; occupied with friends, partners, thoughts or gadgets; probably under influence), is an easy prey.

Still kind of strange though that no one could stop a 16-year-old (allegedly) heavy drunk kid with a folding knife!

Story:
Berlin Prosecutors said Friday they have charged a student with 37 counts of attempted murder for a drunken knife rampage in the German capital.

The 17-year-old also faces charges of armed robbery and causing bodily harm, after allegedly attacking more than 40 revelers making their way home from the festive May 26 opening of Berlin's new train station.

The teenager was in pretrial custody, after officers arrested him, ending a 90-minute burst of random violence that created chaotic scenes as emergency workers struggled to reach victims among the crowds.

The accused, who was 16 at the time, used a folding knife to stab at a total of 37 people, Berlin state prosecutor Michael Grunwald said in a statement.

Of those, 31 suffered wounds to the upper body, two were wounded in the thigh. The knife failed to penetrate the clothing of three people, and one woman escaped injury because a pendant blocked the blade.

Eight people suffered life-threatening injuries to the stomach, lungs and kidneys.

Source

"Suggestive women"

Wow, this is one crazy dude - and not just any old crazy dude; Sheikh Taj el-Din Al Hilali is Australia's most prominent Muslim cleric no less ...
I say deport this madman immediately, or tell him to shut the f*** up!
At least lock him up so he don't have to see all these "suggestive" women.

Story:
Australia's most prominent Muslim cleric was threatened with deportation today after he was reported to have said that women who "sway suggestively" and do not cover up can provoke sexual assault by men.

In a sermon marking the end of Ramadan, Sheikh Taj el-Din Al Hilali told worshippers in Sydney that women who display their bodies were like "uncovered meat". He said that women should stay hidden at home, or wear the hijab, or Islamic scarf, in public.

Sheik Hilali's remarks are a clear reference to a high-profile trial involving a group of Muslim teenagers who committed a series of brutal gang rapes against Australian women in Sydney six years ago.

Source

Bottled up

Kansas -- A 21-year-old woman fought to escape a kidnapper who also tried to steal her car.

About 10:30 a.m. Saturday the woman was putting air in her car's tires at a convenience store in Kansas City when a man hit her over the head, forced her into the vehicle and began driving.

The woman beat her assailant with a bottle until he crashed the vehicle into a tree. He ran away. The woman suffered minor injuries.

Source

Hazards at work, 5

Johannesburg -- A patient in Nelspruit's Rob Ferreira Hospital killed two men and injured three others on Wednesday morning, the Mpumalanga health department said.

"A male patient admitted for psychiatric observation attacked and killed two patients, wounded three and attempted to sexually assault two nurses," a spokesperson said.

The incident, in the male surgical ward, took place at 02:30.

"He broke a chair and hit the patients with a plank." The two deceased were aged 70 and 47. Their names would be released once their next of kin had been informed. The three injured men were in middle to old age and in a stable condition.

Police were called and arrested the man, who was admitted to the hospital on Monday.

Source

Courtroom incidents

Arizona -- "Because of the increased number of incidents in courtrooms over the last several years, we wanted to give court staff the ability to defend themselves if the need arises," Navajo County Sheriff’s Office Training Sgt. Matthew Searles said regarding a new program designed to teach civilian court staff basic self-defense techniques.

The first class was held Sept. 22, and staff members from the county attorney’s office, the probation department, pre-trial services, court security and court administration attended. In addition to hands-on defense training, they received instruction on Arizona’s use of force laws and on courtroom safety.

"The class has an emphasis on observation and safety awareness while in the courtroom, watching who’s there, where you sit and recognizing behavior patterns, basically increased observation skills and awareness," Searles noted.

Source

Fake handshake

It's a quite common trap - extending the arm as to give you a handshake. Then the perpetrator may grab your hand and attack you.

Story:
A white male suspect in his mid-50s tried to pull a victim into his car around noon on Oct. 17, UCSF police report.

The UCSF employee, was walking on Judah Street when he heard a man in a passing vehicle honking his horn. The car stopped and the driver asked, “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” while extending his hand as if to greet the victim with a handshake.

The victim then extended his hand to shake hands, at which time the suspect attempted to pull him into his vehicle. The victim was able to strike the suspect with his free hand and pull away from the suspect.

Source

Bad idea

Maybe not the best of ideas ...

Story:
"What are you going to do, shoot us?" These were evidently the last words of Seattle actress Nicole DuFresne, murdered in NYC in January 2005 during a botched mugging.

Rudy Fleming, who's charged with the shooting, did so because she challenged him to, according to testimony in Fleming's trial.

Tatiana McDonald, one of the teenage muggers with Fleming that night, testified that the seven-person group attempted to mug two other people that night, and were unsuccessful both times (one guy ran away, another pretended to reach for a gun in his jacket).

Source

"Rocky"

Again an example of using what is at hand to your advantage.

Story:
Colorado -- The woman told detectives she was getting into her vehicle last Saturday afternoon when the man, who was hiding in the back of the vehicle, threatened her with a knife.

The man forced the woman to drive to an unknown area near Central City. He dragged the woman from the car and took her into the woods where he tried to sexually assault her, police said.

During the struggle, the woman was able to strike the man in the forehead with a rock causing a large laceration on left side of the suspect's forehead, police said.

The woman was able to get back to her car and drive back to Thornton.

Source

A scuffle

Pennsylvania -- Tuesday, two male York College students - who also happened to be on the wrestling team - got into a scuffle with three teenage boys. The two students were walking back to campus from the Tom's Exxon about 10:45 p.m. when the teens tried to rob them, Lehman said.

"In this case, they jumped the wrong two kids," he said. "They (the students) got some bumps and bruises, but they defended themselves pretty well," to the point that the three teens ran away.

Source

Run mugger, run!

Sweet :-)

Story:
Sweden -- An attempted robbery in Västerås on Saturday night ended in ignominious failure for the two young assailants. The attack on their supposed victim, a 70 year old man, began just after midnight with a punch in his face.

What they didn't know was that the 70 year old used to be a boxer. And it didn't take long for the old moves to come back, reported Swedish Radio.

The man gave as good as he got - and then some more - and the robbers legged it. The boxer said that he was very satisfied to have been able to use his knowledge of "the oldest form of self-defence" in this way.

Source

Hazards at work, 4

Ireland -- The IHCA has called on the Health Service Executive (HSE) to fulfil its legal obligations and duty of care to its staff following a number of attacks on its members.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Jane Falvey, from St Senan’s, Enniscorthy, told the conference she had recently had a narrow escape after a patient tried to assault her.

The secretary general of the association Mr Finbarr Fitzpatrick said they had asked the HSE for a security review of hospitals.

“In one instance,” he said, “I know the panic buttons were tested in a hospital and something like 12 out of 24 did not work. In another instance,” he said, “where a consultant was attacked, he had to ring the switch rather than ring the panic button because it wasn’t there.”

Source

Not just a women's issue

There's no doubt about it - violence against women is an issue that we - men - ought to make our own problem!

Story:
In the Kansas City area, there is a forcible rape or attempted rape reported almost every day. Many more go unreported.

Incidents of nonsexual assaults, robberies and homicides have declined nationwide in the last decade. But, sadly, rape rates have not, nor has sexual violence against women.

Greater Kansas City is served by the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA), which exists to lessen the ill effects of sexual assault and abuse through prevention, education, intervention, treatment and advocacy.

Sexual violence is not, however, just a women’s issue. MOCSA always has been strongly supported by both women and men, but now is the right time for a special effort directed at the men in our community.

Empowering men to examine their own attitudes, promote an attitude of respect, understand the unique vulnerabilities of females in our society, confront abusive peers and speak out against factors that perpetuate a rape culture are keys to sexual violence prevention.

Source

Hazards at work, 3

The political correctness has got to stop. This is utter stupidity!

Story:
Scotland -- A school teacher has been suspended after an alleged classroom attack - in which he was the victim.

School bosses did not punish the teenager who allegedly kicked maths master Mike Barile and tried to head-butt him in front of a crowd of other youngsters.

But when the furious 49-year-old teacher complained about the lack of action, they ordered him to go home.

Police are now investigating the alleged attack and Mr Barile's colleagues and pupils' parents are furious about his suspension.

School rules meant Mr Barile, a teacher for 25 years, was not allowed to touch the pupil.

Source

Recipe for success?

I'm not quite sure if this is such a good idea. On the other hand - doing nothing has many times shown to be an even worse idea.

Story:
Burleson, Texas -- Youngsters in a suburban Fort Worth, Texas, school district are being taught not to sit there like good boys and girls with their hands folded if a gunman invades the classroom, but to rush him and hit him with everything they've got -- books, pencils, legs and arms.

"Getting under desks and praying for rescue from professionals is not a recipe for success," said Robin Browne, a major in the British Army reserve and an instructor for Response Options, the company providing the training to the Burleson schools.

That kind of fight-back advice is all but unheard of among schools, and some fear it will get children killed.

But school officials in Burleson said they are drawing on the lessons learned from a string of disasters such as Columbine in 1999 and the Amish schoolhouse attack in Pennsylvania last week.

Source

No control?

Scotland -- Most councils are not meeting minimum standards on supervising violent criminals, according to a report by inspectors.

Home visits are insufficient, supervision is failing to address offending behaviour and risk assessments are inadequate, according to the results of a nationwide review by the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA).

Earlier this month The Scotsman revealed that emergency orders had been placed on more than 60 high-risk sex offenders to control their movements, amid growing police frustration at the numbers being released from jail with few restrictions.

Source

Australian changes

Australia -- Rape victims will be more inclined to come forward and seek justice under reforms to the law covering sexual assault, NSW Attorney General Bob Debus says.

Under the changes, judges and police will be asked to attend education seminars as part of the reforms.

Victims will have access to one-stop sexual assault centres so they no longer have to separately visit hospitals, police and community service organisations following their ordeal.

The changes also reduce the number of times victims have to give evidence and face cross-examination, and some will have the option of giving evidence through a third person.

Source

Fire!

A simple, yet effective method of self-defense!

Story:
North Texas -- When Deanna got out of her car on a dark corner and a truck pulled up behind her, two men then emerged from the car and suddenly approached her.

"It was from behind, so it was like, 'Give me all your money,'" she said.

At that instant, Deanna said she remembered a self-defense episode of "Oprah" that advised women that yelling fire was usually more effective than yelling help.

"I said, 'Oh no, this is not happening to me,' and screamed, 'Fire!'" she said. Once she began yelling that word, the two men ran off.

Source

Not too rational

Oh yeah, it's nothing that scare people more than fresh air :-)

Story:
Clarkstown police responded to a domestic dispute yesterday and ended up arresting an 87-year-old man who they said held his girlfriend (63) hostage and then tried to repel several officers with a can of air freshener.

They were notified of a domestic dispute by the woman's social worker, who was on the phone and heard the commotion.

"The officers heard the woman screaming for help," a police source said. "When they got in, that's when he got into a fight with them. ... He was really uncooperative. His actions weren't too rational."

The police source said the man then sprayed the officers with some sort of cleaning agent, likely an air freshener.

Source

No crime?

Attempted rape not a crime?
Oh boy - do we still have some way to go!

Story:
India -- The Supreme Court has held that unlike the charge of attempt to murder, the Indian Penal Code does not recognise the charge of attempt to rape. Rape is said to have been committed only if a man inserts his sexual organ into the victim. Any other act only qualifies for the offence of outraging a woman or child’s modesty.

Highlighting this difference, the Supreme Court has said that a man who is caught preparing to rape a woman cannot be charged under section 376 of the IPC, which provides for a minimum punishment of seven years in prison.

He also cannot be charged with attempted rape under section 511 of IPC, which deals with attempts to commit offences, like murder, that carry a minimum penalty of life in prison.

Source

Hazards at work, 2

Oklahoma -- A staff member at the L.E. Rader Center in Sand Springs - a maximum-security institution in Oklahoma for juvenile offenders - was injured when she fought off repeated rape attempts by a 14-year-old inmate, authorities said.

Police said Tuesday that the 56-year-old Sand Springs woman, was bitten on the nose, right forearm and right thumb during the ordeal, which lasted more than two hours.

The staff member was doing bed checks about 10:40 p.m. Monday when the teenager complained to her about noises in his cell. When she opened his door to investigate, the teen grabbed her and pulled her into his room, with the door slamming shut behind them.

Once inside, the 14-year-old told the woman that he was going to rape her, and he proceeded to sexually maul her for more than an hour off and on.

The staff member fought off each sexual advance until the teenager, apparently feeling guilty, started apologizing to her. The teen eventually fell asleep and that the woman continued to cry out for help for more than an hour.

It was claimed that the center has a high turnover rate for staff and is understaffed most of the time.

From July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006, 53 assaults on staffers occurred at the center. That was nearly a 40 percent drop from the previous year. From July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005, 85 inmate-on-staff assaults were reported.

179 juveniles are housed at Rader and that only a small number of them have attacked staffers.

Source

GHB

Alaska -- A female student was slipped a predatory drug at the UAF Pub and then sexually assaulted last month.

The student reported the incident on September 14 to the university police, who believe that the drug was administered while the victim was at the campus bar.

A sexual assault kit and a blood test for drugs in her system found evidence of GHB and rape, police said.

GHB, according to the RAINN Web site, is most commonly found in the form of a clear, odorless liquid. It can also be white powder.

In 2000, the DEA, along with state and local law enforcement agencies, seized 17 GHB laboratories in the United States, 10 of which were located in California, according to the Doris Tate Crime Victims Bureau (DTCVB) Web site.

Also according to the DTCVB, in 1999, drug facilitated sexual assault cases increased to nearly 23 percent of all sexual assault cases. Females made up 97 percent of the victims, the bureau says.

Source

Just ask!

I guess if you ask nicely, anything is possible :-)

Story:
New York -- A 23-year-old Yonkers woman escaped from a would-be rapist when she persuaded him to pick up some books she had dropped, then ran away as he retrieved them, police said.

The assailant told her that he would shoot her if she screamed. The woman felt a gun he was carrying against her back.

She asked the attacker to pick up the books. He bent over to collect them and the woman ran up the steps into the apartment building.

Source

Wakeup call

It wasn't the wakeup one North Portland man would normally get, or even hoped for Thursday morning.

"I heard something outside the window below my window upstairs, I take a look outside and there's some feet hanging out of the window." said Airick Heater. When he went downstairs, he found a man he didn't know in the hallway. So Heater took action.

"I've been robbed before and I knew what it feels like to be a victim and I didn't want to be a victim again." he said. Heater grabbed the intruder and threw him into the bathroom, keeping him there until police arrived.

Source

Hammer guy

A 48-year-old man walked to his garage in Milwaukee to wash his car August 9 and found a masked man with a hammer standing outside. The homeowner asked the guy what he wanted.

"Everything that is in there," hammer guy replied.

Luckily for the car washer, he was holding the business end of the hose, so he sprayed the suspect before he ran and yelled for his wife to call police.

The soaked suspect ran off empty-handed.

Source

Hazards at work, 1

An Italian musician who could not board his flight because of overbooking was so enraged that he assaulted a Turin airport worker and almost bit his ear off.

An airport spokesman said on Tuesday that a 41-year-old man had been due to fly to Naples with his band on Monday for a news conference to present a new tour.

But only six of the band's 11 members boarded the Alitalia plane, with the assailant and the others stranded in the northern city of Turin.

A row with airport workers ensued. The man was arrested for the attack on the airport worker, whose left ear lobe was left dangling after being almost bitten off.

Source

A low kick

Here's a tell-tale about the effect of using kicks - low kicks.
Though we all tend to agree that it's not the best course of action to fight back against a mugger, anyone can understand how tempting it is to do just that. People have been killed or seriously hurt after trying to defend their possessions.
Luckily this woman was not injured.

Story:
Ohio -- Police in Manchester says a local school teacher was attempting to go to her car, to go to work, when she was approached by a masked male subject that attempted to grab her purse.

The woman fought off the attacker who, along with a possible second participant ran away after the woman allegedly kicked the original attacker in the knee.

Source

G-string thing

A guy in a g-string. Very ... uhmmm "masculine".

A woman who lives alone in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky apparently awoke early Wednesday morning to a man standing over her bed and holding a knife.

The intruder told her to be still or he'd kill her, but instead, she fought back. Witnesses said he ran out the door and down the parking lot -- wearing nothing but a G-string.

The woman immediately called 911, but the knife-carrying attacker was gone.

Source

Clever

South Carolina -- Police have arrested the 37-year-old man they believe is responsible for kidnapping a 14-year-old girl who sent a text message to her mother that led to her rescue from a booby-trapped bunker.

The girl was found by sheriff's deputies about a kilometre from her home in a plywood-covered 4.5-metre-deep hole in the side of a hill. The bunker had a hand-dug toilet with paper, a camp stove and shelves made of cut branches and canvas.

The sheriff said the text message the girl sent to her mother came from the man's mobile phone. Investigators used telecommunications towers to determine the general location of the phone used to send the message.

He said the girl cried out as searchers approached the bunker where she was found.

Source

Very, very scary

Yes, the Austrian story about the kidnapping and escape of Natascha Kampusch is both fascinating and to some extent scary.
Now there are even rumors that her mother sold her to the guy!
But come on ... Girls becoming scared to go out after dark? It seems like all of a sudden it has become so much more dangerous to move around?
It could be wise some times to stop and reflect for a couple of minutes before running wild with a "media emotion". Like the simple fact that this tragic incident happened years ago.
What is "very, very scary" is the way that people let media influence their thoughts and behaviors, and how we so easily stop being rational about real and perceived dangers.

Story:
The dramatic escape of an 18-year-old Austrian girl after being held in an underground cell for eight years has had a profound impact in this otherwise safe city with many of its citizens, including Indians, scared to go out after dark.

Indians, particularly young girls, say the shocking tale that hogged international headlines earlier this month has scared them so much that many dare not go out of the house after dusk.

"After watching television reports on the Kampusch story, I am really scared to get out of the house. It is very, very scary," said Jasmin Perumadan, a business administration student at Vienna University.

Source

Pushed the door

South Korean movie an TV star Lee Ji-hyun (28), has escaped a kidnap attempt by amateur criminals in her car two hours after they abducted her, it emerged Thursday.

She was threatened by two men said to be in their 20s while she was getting into her car parked in Seoul at around 10:15 p.m. on Monday, police said.

The two, who were armed, forced her to sit on the back seat, handcuffed her wrists and ankles and robbed her of a credit card and some cash as they drove the car away.

But when the men stopped at a local gas pump to fill up the car at around 12:25 a.m., Lee managed to escape.

“When the car was unlocked, I pushed the door with my body and escaped,” police quoted her as saying.

Source

"Crossed legs" strike

Lose the gun, or lose the fun :-)

Story:
Colombia -- They are calling it the "crossed legs" strike.

Fretting over crime and violence, girlfriends and wives of gang members in the city of Pereira have called a ban on sex to persuade their menfolk to give up their guns.

After meeting with the mayor's office to discuss a disarmament programme, a group of women decided to deny their partners their conjugal rights and recorded a song for local radio to urge others to follow their example.

"We met the wives and girlfriends of gang members and they were worried some were not handing over their guns, and that is where they came up with the idea of a vigil or a sex strike," said a mayoral spokesman.

Source

The 'A-team'

South Africa -- An 80-year-old man received stitches to his head after his brave and desperate attempt to protect five fellow pensioners with his walking stick during a mugging in Newlands Forest (Cape Town) earlier this week.

The two muggers, one tall and the other short, were in close range of the elderly when they were taking their routine stroll near the stream at 9:30am on Monday.

The six pensioners put up a fight as the attempted mugging took place. The 80-year-old struck with his walking stick at the Laurel and Hardy characters.

Two of the elderly women started screaming which caught the attention of passers-by, when the two assailants ran off and left in a car that was waiting for them.

These ‘A-team’ pensioners reported the incident to the Table Mountain National Park.

Source

No kidding...

A 30-year-old salaryman was riding on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line in Tokyo recently when he decided to make a pass at the woman sitting beside him. So he reached over and began fondling her thigh. Although she resisted, he kept at it for more than 10 minutes.

The man was collared on the train, then arrested on molestation charges, and has recently appeared in court.

"Did you really think you could have your way with the victim despite her resistance?" his lawyer asked while he was on the stand.

"That had crossed my mind," he told the court.

"His explanation that he thought he could make out with a resisting woman shows a complete misunderstanding of female psychology."

----
No.... Are you saying women don't like being fondled by strangers? Strange creatures!
----

Source

Presence of mind

India -- It was presence of mind that saved cardiologist K.R.K.S. Raju of Yousufguda from falling a prey to an extortion gang. The suspects, who were arrested on Thursday on the charge of kidnapping a real estate agent from Banjara Hills, tried to abduct Dr. Raju too. A few days ago, a member of the gang called up the doctor on his mobile phone claiming to be a police officer.

Dr. Raju was about to go to the hospital then. Saying he was an Assistant Commissioner of Police with the Intelligence wing, the caller requested him to come to his place to treat a patient. "Soon after I hung up the phone explaining that I cannot come, six persons posing as policemen drove in two vehicles to my house," the doctor explained.

As the doctor sat in his car to go to his hospital, one of them approached him saying their ACP had called up and gave a mobile phone. The caller said he was ACP Krishna Prasad and requested him to come in the car sent with the 'constables.'

"This is a security precaution doctor," the caller said.

But Dr. Raju grew suspicious since none of them wore police uniform. What strengthened his suspicion was the Tata Indica car in which the six persons came. "Police don't use Indica cars. I also found colour sprinkled over its number plate making it difficult to recognise the number," he said. Then, he made it clear that he cannot go with them and the gang members left.

Source

No means...

Yes? Maybe? What? Say again? Thanks? Hurry? Give it to me baby? Absolutely? Why not? Again?
Or maybe it simply means no?
Sometimes it is quite legitimate to ask somebody: Which part of 'no' is it you don't understand?

Story:
They'll need an interpreter when a sexual assault suspect comes to court today. Police say the man doesn't speak much English. Which may explain why, they say, he wouldn't take no for an answer from his neighbor on the La Crosse northside.

She says he wanted sex from her and offered her money more than once. She kept refusing but he finally pushed his way into her apartment and got aggressive.

Cops say the woman escaped and got help. The suspect professed his innocence in broken English. They're not certain he's in the country legally.

Source

On the phone

Need more indications as to why we can become easy victims while on the phone?

Story:
Iowa City, Iowa -- Police here are investigating three separate attempted sexual assaults that occurred in the same general area over the weekend.

All three victims were walking alone when attacked, and in two of the three assaults the victims were talking on a cellphone at the time of the incident. None of the victims required medical treatment.

Sgt. Troy Kelsay said investigators are considering the possibility that the same person attempted all three assaults. Kelsay said the three crimes happened nearby one another in a short time period and many details of the attempts are similar.

Source

Ouch!

Northern Ireland -- Belfast Crown Court heard how a 25-year-old would-be car thief suffered a fractured jaw after a woman hit him with a hammer and jumped on his groin 12 times.

The accused threw a rock at her when she confronted him outside her north Belfast home.

Handing down the jail term, the judge said the woman had been "defending her property".

Source

A tragic truth

Here are some chocking figures about violence and teen pregnancy.

Story:
Only six months ago, the relationship between sexual violence and teen pregnancy was revealed in a report titled "If Truth Be Told" by United Way of Greater Milwaukee and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Advisory Committee.

The report's statistics are almost incomprehensible. More than half of teen mothers are sexually molested prior to their first pregnancy.

Between 30% and 44% of teen mothers have been victims of rape or attempted rape, and 23% of assault victims become pregnant by their assailants.

In our state, 71% of babies born to teen girls are fathered not by teen boys but by men over the age of 20.

Nationally, 42% of girls younger than 15 reported that their first intercourse was non-consensual. As a parent, that is terrifying.

Source

Bad date

An attempted kidnapping in Chisago County on August 30 illustrates that there is no such thing as a "safe" Internet.

Safe is likely how an Isanti woman felt when she agreed to set up a date with a 32-year-old man, of Forest Lake. After all, they met at a Web site called Match.com, which bills itself as a highly reputable dating service.

The victim told investigators that she and the man communicated regularly online for two and a half months before she agreed to meet with him at a Forest Lake bar.

Yet, even after using a renowned service and spending months getting to know the man, the illusion of safety was soon shattered the night they met.

The victim first became concerned after a dinner in Forest Lake led to the Stacy Municipal bar. She believed that the man had too much alcohol to be driving, and attempted to call a friend from the bar restroom ...

Source

The typical victim

Here's more about the highly interesting study by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (USA):

Story:
The assailant put a towel over her face. She screamed for help. "Shut up! Shut up!" he ordered. "I have a knife. I'll stab you."

"He was trying to force me to walk with him, but I kept fighting him," says Stephanie, then 14. Two men working nearby heard her yell and ran to help.

Stephanie's case fits the pattern of most attempted abductions, according to a study released today by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The typical victim is a teenage girl on her way to or from school.

The study, released as a new school year gets underway, examined 403 attempted kidnappings by strangers or slight acquaintances that were reported by police or news media in 45 states from February 2005 to July 2006. It was conducted to learn how such attempts are foiled. The study did not look at successful abductions.

Source

Crisis mode

Does it help to have experience in dealing with crises? I think this story speaks for itself.

Source:
Portland, Oregon -- An emergency room nurse who arrived home Wednesday night to find a strange man inside her house strangled him to death with her hands after a violent struggle.

Neighbors say the 51-year-old woman, had just gotten off work at a medical center and was still in her scrubs when she returned home shortly after 6 p.m.

Police say there was no obvious signs of forced entry in the front of the house. So the woman was surprised to find an intruder inside. The stranger was armed with a hammer. But the veteran emergency nurse went into crisis mode and escaped with only a few bruises and scrapes.

After the struggle, she ran to a neighboring house for help. By the time police arrived, a 59-year-old a convicted felon with a long record, lay dead in her home.

"You didn't need to calm her," the neighbor said. "She's an emergency room nurse. She's used to dealing with crisis. She was very clear thinking and took care of the problem."

Source

Too much trouble

USA -- An ongoing study being conducted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children suggests she did exactly the right thing, and she fought back.

The report found that 60% of the kids who evaded attempted abductions, resisted.

Ernie Allen of the national center for missing and exploited children said, "They screamed, they yelled, they fought back, they brought attention to themselves. In case after case abductors decided this kid's too much trouble."

Researchers also found that while not foolproof, it's a good idea for kids to stay on major roads and other public areas.

Source

Online stalker program

This seems like a really great idea!

Story:
A new computer educational program, warning children of the dangers of online sexual predators and bullying, launched September 6 in Australia.

Schools around the country today took part in the game, called Cybersmart Detectives, in which children role play to highlight the risks lurking in internet chat rooms.

Authorities use the program to warn that parents should monitor their child's use of the internet, that children should never give out personal information when they're chatting online, and if children want to meet face-to-face with someone they've chatted with they should always take a parent with them.

During Cybersmart Detectives, children work online using a chat-based program and play the role of the deputy principal concerned about the welfare of a new student being bullied in a chat room.

Source

Rolled him out

UK --The 86-year-old woman was watching television at her home in Yelvertoft, last Thursday when she was alerted by her dog, which began growling and barking.

She said: "My living room door opened and a fellow popped his head round the door. I think he was frightened of the dog - she has a ferocious bark. I said, 'where's your ID - I'm going to ring the police'.

The man claimed he was from the Water Board but, as she grappled with him, he grabbed her handbag.

As the dog barked, the woman grabbed a paint roller and hit him.

She said: "He tried to wrestle the roller off me but I pushed him back to the door and said, 'get out'. Then I gave him another tap on the shoulder. If I hadn't had the roller, I would have kicked him where it hurts."

Source

Being followed

Hmmm...
"She was very aware this person was following her."
And still she just parks outside her house and gets out without being certain about the follower?
And we wonder why people are being victims, and calling crimes for random?
Luckily, this woman escaped unharmed though.

Story:
The victim, who was described as physically slight and "bookish," was returning home from a wedding early Sunday and had just pulled off of the Blue Route when the she noticed a car following close behind.

This car is right up on her to the point she thought it was a police car, according to police. She makes a right, and he's right behind her. She was very aware this person was following her.

When the victim pulled into her driveway she thought the car had driven past her house. But what she didn't know was that the driver of the black Solara parked behind some tall bushes and turned off the car’s lights and ignition, police said.

As the victim gathered some items from the back of her car, the suspect, wearing a mask, walked up from behind. He told her not to scream and to go with him.

At one point, he hit her over the head with what the victim believed to be a silver revolver with a black handle, police said. The woman was forced into the trunk of the car, which the man then drove off. The victim was able to escape from the trunk and call for help.

Source

The stomp

The stomp: A highly effective self-defense maneuver :-)

Story:
Indiana -- A girl walking to school in Fort Wayne Tuesday, foiled an attempt to molest her by stomping on a man’s foot.

The girl was on her way to school around 8:30 a.m., when she was approached by the father of a former friend of hers. The man asked if he could talk to her.

The girl said she’d only talk outside, but the man pulled her into his apartment, locked the door and asked if he could have sex with her. She stomped on his foot and ran out of the apartment, the report said.

Source

Amber watch

The Amber Watch is gaining favor among child safety advocates. The watch was designed to help kids escape immediate danger, regardless of whether that's an attempted abduction, animal attack or simply being lost in a crowd.

The alarm on these kid-styled accessories is easily activated by pushing two small buttons on its side, and deactivated in the same way. But a skeptic's caution: The watch should come with an even-headed, parent-to-kid face-to-face so that this portable ear-buster is used as it's intended and not turned into a playground novelty.

The Amber Watch sells for $29.99 at Target. $1 from each one sold is donated to the AmberWatch Foundation.

Source

It didn't look right

This news article is a great read! I think we have lots to learn from experienced police officers, and the way their intuition works.
Bottom line: If something 'doesn't look right', 'doesn't sound right', or 'looks suspicious', there's a high probability that something is going on.

Story:
When Warren Jeffs, one of the members of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List was captured this last week, most of the story was focused on his religious sect, an unauthorized spin-off of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

What got less notice was that Jeffs was located, identified, and captured not by the estimable Federal Bureau of Investigation, but rather by a Mark I model of the World's Most Effective Crime Suppression Device: a uniformed patrol officer.

Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Eddie Dutchover stopped Jeffs' Cadillac Escalade for having a paper license plate that didn't look right. Jeffs was sitting in the back seat of the SUV, eating a salad.

Dutchover's cop radar went off when Jeffs wouldn't make eye contact with him. When the trooper was told that the folks in the Cadillac had just spent a single night in Vegas, it occurred to him that they were carrying a lot of luggage for an overnighter. Dutchover started asking questions and collecting IDs. The rest is history.

Source

Smile!

I readily admit it, I consider mobile phones amongst the worst things ever invented. They can be made real torture instruments, since so many people obviously don't know how - or why - to turn them off...
You also have the potential danger of being totally lost when you're engaged in a conversation. This makes you a prime target for any potential criminal out there.
But hey, let's be fair here - they can also be used to prevent and fight crimes!

Story:
A robbery in progress? Say cheese. Brandishing a firearm? Take a snapshot. Fleeing the scene of a crime? Capture a photo of the license plate and put it online or give it to police. Smile, criminals: You're on candid camera phone.

One of the first instances of camera-phone justice was in August 2003, when a 15-year-old boy from Clinton, N.J., took photos of a would-be kidnapper after being approached by the man and told to get into his car.

These photos — which included the make of the assailant's vehicle and license plate — led to the arrest of a 59-year-old bartender.

In Queens, N.Y., two Catholic schoolgirls made the cover of the New York Daily News in May 2005 when they snapped a picture of a subway flasher, which led to his arrest.

In April of the same year, photos stored in cell phone belonging to a man from Utah, led to his arrest in connection with child pornography and the sexual assault of at least two children.

In Manteca, California, mothers wielding camera phones have helped police control vandalism in parks.

Source

'Chewdo'

An 82-year-old Montana woman thwarted an intruder's rape attempt by biting the man's tongue, police said.

The woman then helped police nab the suspect, a 31-year-old former neighbor, by describing the assailant's body odor.

According to court records, the woman called police at about 12:15 a.m. August 22 from her home to report an intruder.

When an officer arrived, the woman said she had been asleep in her bedroom when she was awakened by someone who put his tongue in her mouth. The woman, who lives alone, said she bit down and the intruder fled.

Source

More 'bites and pieces'

A 28-year-old woman successfully stopped a man's rape attempt by biting part of his tongue off.

The man was arrested in Lin'an, Zhejiang Province, when he went to a local hospital on Tuesday.

The culprit admitted that he broke into the woman's home to rob her of money, then tried to rape her but failed. Half a month ago, he committed the same crime in another young woman's home.

Source

Wal-Mart(ial) arts

Here's another report from a Wal-Mart parking lot in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (may seem like rather high-risk places...).
There are two contrasting sides to this incident.
First: The intended victim managed to keep her head cool, tricking her attacker to settle for her purse.
On the other side it is so typical (for women) to have everything but the kitchen sink in their purse. Not a big deal until someone gets hold of said purse.
The robber here now has (potentially) access to three homes, as well as credit information about the woman!

Story:
Tennessee -- A woman escaped an attempted kidnapping by a knife-wielding man Tuesday night when she offered her purse to the unknown suspect, Murfreesboro Police reported.

The 22-year-old woman was loading groceries into her car in a Wal-Mart parking lot at about 10:28 p.m. when the robber stuck a knife to her rib cage.

"He said, 'Don't scream. Get in the truck,'" the woman said. "He was trying to get me to get into the truck.

He wasn't after my purse. I was trying my best not to let him see that he scared the p... out of me. I tried to stay calm."

The victim told the robber that she had a purse with a lot of money in it, and the man took it and ran.

The purse held $26 in cash; a Bank of America ATM card; two Bank of America blank starter checks; a Tennessee Credit Union credit card; a driver's license; and keys to the victim's home and car, her mother's home and her boyfriend's apartment.

Source