Date rape drugs

From javno.com, here's a really great article you should absolutely take the time to read and absorb.

It is about the ever present dangers of so called date rape drugs like Ketamin, Rohypnol and GHB. Stay safe out there!

South Africa and rape

South Africa -- Health24.com reports about some scary statistical findings regarding the sexual assault figures in South Africa.

According to a recent shock report by the Medical Research Council, one in every four (!) South African men have raped a woman.

What's more, 4,6% of the men interviewed had raped in the past year. Almost 8% of the men said they had raped more than 10 women or girls.

The study was conducted anonymously in 1,738 households in three different regions in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal, and included men of all racial groups, ages and socio-economic backgrounds.

Oh dear...

Door-to-door dangers

During a period of eight months houstonpress.com have investigated door-to-door magazine sales across the country.

They say the industry has seen at least three murders and one attempted murder; one stabbing, one rape and two attempted rapes; one vehicle fatality and one attempted abduction of a 13-year-old girl.

My suggestion is that you take the time to read this article in full, it's shocking to say the least.

Lured with free iPod

Luckily the intended victim was aware of the set-up - being able to spot this legitimate nut-case before things got terribly out of hand.

And I do really wonder if the defense lawyers really believe in the unbelievable dribble that some times tend to fall, like perfectly polished manure, out of their mouths?

Read and judge for yourself ... and weep accordingly. "Just a rape fantasy..." my a**!

Looking for targets

In Japan, a 34-year-old man from Kawasaki is been charged with rape and attempted rape according to media. His latest victim was a female crew member on a first-class JR train carriage, according to yomiuri.co.jp. The rape occurred April 2 when he showed the crew member, in her 20s, into a restroom.

It is reported that the man also is charged of attempting to rape and injuring another female crew member aboard the train about one week before the rape. This assault also took place in a restroom on board the train.

"I knew female crew members were present in the first-class carriages and so I targeted them. I thought no one would notice because few passengers rode the train at that hour," the man is reported to admit.

Your home, your castle?

Your home may not always be your castle.

Now I'm not saying it is dangerous to be at home - far from it. What I am saying is that we tend to worry about sexual assaults by strangers outside - and forget that we are basically at greater risks at home.

You can read more about the statistical evidence and other facts here.

Stories:
In a North Philadelphia neighborhood, several sex assaults and burglaries occurred during one week, according to myfoxphilly.com. Over three days, three women were attacked, according to reports.

Police said each of the assaults happened in the early morning hours against women, alone at their residences. In each of the cases, the attackers reportedly entered the homes through unlocked doors or screened windows.

Also, a 40-year-old woman told how a man followed her into her apartment building in Center City (Philadelphia) around 1:30 a.m. Saturday. The suspect allegedly forced her to the ground and choked her. He also threatened to kill her and attempted to sexually assault her. The intended victim was able to fight the assailant off, police said.

In an earlier case from Philadelphia (July, 2007), two women were sexually assaulted in upscale Philadelphia neighborhoods. Police believed the attackers entered the homes through open doors.

"I'm shocked because it's always been a safe neighborhood," another woman said at the time.

Courage beyond belief

I strongly urge you to read this article. It's graphic and disturbing, but it leaves a lasting impression about this young woman's courage. What a will to survive!

Clever

New Jersey -- A man police say may be responsible for a string of sexual assaults in South Jersey have been arrested, according to myfoxphilly.com.

Several women reportedly have been lured to a vacant home in rural Salem County. A suspect then raped or attempted to rape them inside the home, officials said.

Thursday night, a woman was able to get away with a crucial piece of evidence. A neighbor said "She broke his glasses to get away from him and she said he couldn't see, so he wasn't able to come after her."

When police arrived at the scene, they found the suspect looking for glasses which had been taken off his face by the intended victim.

Males being drugged

As we have reported earlier, not only women are being given "date rape drugs". After all, the point of drugging someone can be rape, robbery, abduction - or any combination hereof.

On March 14 Earthtimes.org had a story about a 45-year-old Swiss man - a former Hollywood bodyguard and karate champion - who was found dead inside a Hong Kong love hotel in the Wan Chai nightclub district.

The article also mentioned other high profile cases which involved expatriates found dead after evenings out in the notorious nightclub district.

One of these cases involved a senior Finnish policeman who died of a heart attack at a Hong Kong hotel in 2003 after being administered with the "date rape" drug Rohypnol (flunitrazepam).

On the phone...

I can't help but wonder if people are at all aware of how they may set themself up as a victim. And no, this is NOT the same as blaming the victim.

Story:
Maryland -- Nbc4.com reports about a 44-year-old woman who was walking and talking on a cell phone at about 11:30 p.m. in Montgomery Village on Sunday.

A man with a knife reportedly pulled her into a lower stairwell landing in an apartment building and raped her.

The attacker fled on foot after the woman fought back, police said. The attacker is allegedly "known slightly" by the victim.

Hazards at work, 46

There have been several cases of violence towards real estate agents lately. Here is one of them.

Story:
In Corona, California police have arrested a 33-year-old man according to pe.com. Authorities claim the man made an appointment to see a house for sale Friday morning, then assaulted the real estate agent who came to show it.

Acting like a prospective buyer, the man allegedly arranged a meeting. When the agent showed up to the home, the man took the female agent by knifepoint into the home, according to police.

The man raped the agent after which he began stabbing her with a knife. The woman fought back and was able to get away and ran to a neighboring home.

When police arrived at about 10:45 a.m., they found the real estate agent bleeding from multiple stab wounds. The woman was taken to hospital.

"Safe" at home

It is a fact that most sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows, or have met prior to the crime.
And even when there is a stranger element involved, there is a greater possibility that the victims are being assaulted at, or close to, their own home.
By studying several thousand such cases - see 'women can' for more info - I can attest to the "incidents" described below. Mind you, these are just some recent, totally random examples.

Stories:
(February 7) Fayetteville, North Carolina -- A 29-year-old woman reported that a man broke into her condominium and raped her on January 26 2008.
Police are not linking that incident to three that were reported in the same area over an 18-month period, according to fayobserver.com.
The most recent of the linked cases happened in September 2007 when a 21-year-old woman said a man broke into her home and raped her.
A 45-year-old woman told police a man broke into her home and raped her in February 2007.
A man grabbed a 23-year-old woman from behind as she was jogging and raped her in August 2006.
Because of the ongoing investigation, police are not saying how they linked the three cases or give details of any of the incidents.

(February 4) New Jersey -- Point Pleasant Beach police say a man broke into a home on Saturday and attempted to sexually assault a woman at knifepoint, app.com reports.
The attacker fled, and the victim ran to the house of a neighbor, who called the police. She was treated for her injuries at a medical center and later released, police said.

(February 7) Washington, D.C. -- msnbc.msn.com reports about a man who entered a building on Monday at about 10 a.m. by ringing a woman's door buzzer from the outside of the building and telling her he was looking for an apartment to rent.
The man then reportedly sexually assaulted the woman inside her residence.

(February 7, 2008) -- An unidentified man targeted a 19-year-old Arizona State University, Tempe student living in an apartment complex located near the University according to abc15.com.
Investigators believe the suspect used the porch of the ground level apartment to climb into the porch of the second floor unit.
Investigators say the man got on top of the young woman, but she fought back, biting him and then he disappeared into the large complex. The 19-year-old student received minor injuries during the attempted sexual assault.

Illegal cabs again

Don't mind jumping into an illegal cab after a night out? What's the problem you say?

Well, let us use Oslo, my town in Norway as an example. Just in a couple of days there has been reported several instances of rape and other serious criminal activities involving illegal taxi drivers. One driver alone was recently accused of three sexual assaults against drunk, young female victims.

Then there's another case where a 41-year-old woman was raped and robbed. As if the sexual trauma is not enough, the travel insurance company have refused to pay the woman for the values she was robbed of.

Why? They claim the victim is to blame by getting into an illegal cab under the influence of alcohol.

Even if this may be a tough call, it points to the very real dangers of getting into one of these vehicles - if anything happens, you're basically on your own.

Rape facts

Some people may perhaps still believe that rape often times involve some perverted stranger jumping out from behind bushes late at night.

The figures below should indeed points to the undisputible, statistical facts that the assault rape by some "lurking weirdo" is not as prevalent as one might be led to believe by watching the news.

Of course, assault rape by total strangers do happen ... in fact you may read about hundreds upon hundreds of such cases in my e-book series: Women Can. And these are only cases where women fought back successfully.

Still, most rapes and attempted rapes are done by someone the victim knows, like a neighbour. And even though the below story is from India, it is really universal in nature.

Story:
India -- Figures collected from different police stations in Surat show that neighbours were involved in 23 out of the 45 rape or rape attempt cases registered during 2007. Girls aged between three and 15 were victims in 18 of the cases.

Neighbours were followed by other close acquaintances such as friends, who were involved in six cases. In three cases, rickshaw drivers were found to be involved, while the crime was committed in one case each by a tenant and a landlord.

Lover and to-be husband were found involved in two rape cases, while the father of a victim was the guilty in one case. The accused in four of the cases have not been identified so far, the police records show.

A police spokesman said that such cases are taking place not only in Surat, but are a common occurrence all over the country. He further said in many cases victim's neighbours or other acquaintances were involved as victims are in regular contact with them.

"The mp3 man"

Still thinking walking/jogging with music is a bright idea?

Story:
Sweden -- a 25-year-old Bohuslaen man has admitted seven sexual assaults, but he is a suspect in other cases as well.

The man was arrested in November as a suspect in sexual assaults in Lund, Gothenburg, Uddevalla and Bovallstrand.

The man has admitted rape in three of the cases, while other times the intended victims have gotten away.

A police spokesman says they are certain that the man intended to rape his victims in all the incidents.

The serial rapist has been called "the mp3 man" because he almost exclusively picked victims that were listening to music through headphones.

Targeting

More cases about the hazards of not being aware of your surroundings.

northjersey.com reports:
A 25-year-old suspect in a series of rapes and attempted rapes that occurred in the city's East side has been arrested, Paterson police (New Jersey) said. The man targeted young, petite Latinas. Since November 2006, he attacked at least five victims between the ages of 16 and 34.

According to police he looked for women who were distracted with cell phones and iPods before sneaking up on them from behind. They say he grabbed his victims with a choke hold, dragging them to a yard or an alleyway and then whispered in their ear before assaulting them.

And here's another report from East Lancing, Michigan:
A young woman called police saying she was approached from behind and fondled on a street by the Eli Broad School for Business building just after 11 p.m. Tuesday. She fought back and got loose in order to run away.

Another student told police a man with a tried to pull her jogging pants off while she was walking the river trail late Sunday. She also fought back and ran away.

"Both of these individuals were alone at the time," a MSU police spokesperson said. Both women escaped without injuries, but don't know the attackers. Police warn the women attacked were distracted--one was just finished making a call, the other using an iPod.

Still not convinced?

Still not convinced about the dangers of walking oblivious to your surroundings?

Story:
Tokyo police have in custody a suspected rapist who stalked women walking alone at night while using their cellphones or listening to music players, sources said.

The 28-year-old man, a South Korean student living in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, has admitted to police that he attacked several other women.

According to police, the man said he targeted women carrying plastic bags from convenience stores, thinking that they likely lived alone.

He also singled out women wearing headphones or talking or texting on their cellphones because they "tend not to notice that they are being followed," according to police.

Source

How low ...

How low is it possible to get?
Seems that new standards are being set all the time.
And yes, it is easy to criticize this woman for drinking, and placing herself in a vulnerable position.
Yet, think about it - how many can raise their hands and say "I have never done anything that could potentially put myself in danger." At least I know I have - many times.

Story:
Michigan -- Police received a call from a 61-year-old Ann Arbor woman who said she was beaten and raped in her home by a repair man she knew through a mutual friend, reports said. The woman said the 43-year-old man, whom she had known for several years, saw her and approached her in a grocery store. During their conversation she said she was sexually assaulted in early May and that police were investigating but had not made an arrest, reports said. At the end of that conversation he agreed to fix her air conditioner in the near future, she said.

As the victim prepared for bed after midnight, the man came over holding a brown paper bag with a bottle of tequila, reports said. She told police that he said he had a friend in the police department who was interested in the case and suggested they re-enact the incident for "vital" information. She agreed and they began drinking, as on the night of the previous assault. At one point they even rearranged furniture and placed stuffed animals in chairs to represent other people who were there that night, police reports said.

The victim told police she drank five shots of tequila and didn't remember how they ended up in her bedroom, where the man began ripping off her clothes. She said she fought him off and ran into an attached bathroom, but he ran through the doorway before she could close the door. He then forced her onto the bed and beat and choked her during the assault, reports said.

Source

Offenders are getting younger

California -- Courts have seen the number of sex offense cases involving juvenile offenders rise dramatically in recent years, an Associated Press review of national statistics found, and treatment professionals say the offenders are getting younger and the crimes more violent.

Some psychologists blame the increase - 40 percent over two decades - on a society saturated with sex and violence and the fact that many of the accused were themselves victims of adult sexual predators. Others say there aren't more children committing such crimes, there is simply more awareness, better reporting and a general hysteria about sex offenders.

The number of children under 18 accused of forcible rape, violent and nonviolent sex offenses has steadily risen, from 24,100 children in 1985 to 33,800 in 2004, the AP's analysis found. Violent offenses include attempted rape and sexual assault, while nonviolent offenses including fondling, statutory rape and prostitution.

Source

There were red flags

Oregon -- On May 24, 2004, just before allegedly kidnapping, raping and killing a 19-year-old college student, the 40-year-old suspected killer stalked and then approached two other women near Oregon State University. He then tried to lure them into his van, prosecutors say. He intended to rape and kill them, too, a Benton County District Attorney said.

The man tried to coax the women, both OSU students at the time, close to the van. But the women, who were alone, sensed trouble.

"There were red flags," the District Attorney said. "He tried to engage them with conversation and conduct that clearly establishes that he is trying to lure them into the van, but he just can't get within striking distance."

The victim was last seen about 10 a.m. May 24, 2004, cleaning lampposts in the parking lot of apartments managed by her brother-in-law near the Corvallis campus. Police and thousands of friends and strangers searched unsuccessfully for her for two weeks. Her body has not been found.

Source