Lord’s Resistance Army: ICC awards reparations to victims of commander Dominic Ongwen – what happens next: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has recently ordered reparations for victims of Dominic Ongwen, an ex-child soldier turned commander in the Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group that terrorised northern Uganda for two decades. The court’s order, the first …
Mr Bates vs The Post Office depicts one of the UK’s worst miscarriages of justice: here’s why so many victims didn’t speak out: The new ITV drama about the Post Office Horizon IT scandal is an incredibly important vehicle for getting the story of what is increasingly recognised as one of the greatest miscarriages of …
We don’t know how many victims of modern slavery are in prison – why that’s a problem: Modern slavery affects an estimated 120,000 people in the UK. Under international law, countries must identify and protect survivors, while prosecuting and punishing those who traffic and exploit them. Courts in England and Wales convicted 282 traffickers in …
Victims of the green energy boom? The Indonesians facing eviction over a China-backed plan to turn their island into a solar panel ‘ecocity’: I first visited Rempang island in Summer 2022. Greeting me were lush fields lined with coconut and banana trees, picture-book fishing villages with houses jutting into the water on stilts, and boats …
Sexual harassment victims in Nigerian universities are being blamed – cyberspace study: Sexual harassment encompasses a wide range of inappropriate behaviour, from ogling, touching and commenting about body parts, to sexual proposition, coercion, assault and rape. In other words, it is any form of unsolicited and unwanted sexual attention. Within the academic environment, there is …
Lucy Letby: the focus has been on her unspeakable crimes – but we should think about the victims and their families: The understandable response of many to the horrendous crimes of Lucy Letby has been: “Lock her up and throw away the key.” Letby, a former NHS nurse, has been given 14 whole-life sentences for …
If someone posts your private photos online, there has been little you can do about it – how changes in the law will finally help victims: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock In 2015, Keeley Richards-Shaw found her name and personal life splashed all over the media. Her photo, her job and links to her Facebook page were all published. …
Four ways criminals could use AI to target more victims: Building a profile of someone can make it easier for criminals to gain access to their personal accounts. Metamorworks / Shutterstock Warnings about artificial intelligence (AI) are ubiquitous right now. They have included fearful messages about AI’s potential to cause the extinction of humans, invoking …
The UK is offering payments to abuse victims – but it may not be enough to help them leave: Marjan Apostolovic/Shutterstock For the 1.7 million women in England and Wales who are victims of domestic abuse, the cost of living crisis has added more barriers to leaving their abuser. The charity Women’s Aid has found …
How to find out if your company has a toxic culture and if it supports victims of workplace bullying: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock When people speak out about poor treatment at work, it should be taken seriously. This has been happening a lot in the UK recently. The Baroness Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police reported widespread bullying …
Child sexual abuse: what the data tells us about perpetrators and victims: Amir Bajric/Shutterstock The government has announced plans to make it a crime not to report child abuse. As part of this, the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has vowed to “stamp out” grooming gangs who perpetuate child exploitation. Ending child sexual abuse is of …
Child victims of sexual violence aren’t heard or understood: Nigerian study: Child abuse is above the global average in Nigeria. Annette Riedl/Getty Images Violence against children is a global problem. A 2020 Global Status Report revealed that every year, almost one billion children globally encounter some form of violence, such as neglect, physical abuse and …
Misogyny in policing: how some male officers abuse their power over female victims and colleagues: John Gomez/Shutterstock The case of David Carrick, a serial rapist and a serving officer in the Metropolitan Police Service, is the latest shocking example of violence against women committed by the police. For years, I have studied misogyny in policing …
Netflix’s Pamela, A Love Story overturns stereotypes about victims of intimate partner abuse: Pamela Anderson’s Netflix documentary is worth watching for many reasons, but one of the greatest lessons it has to offer is what a victim-survivor of intimate partner abuse looks like: resilient, resourceful, eternally optimistic and compassionate. Unlike most other victim-survivors, Anderson has …
The Badoo ritual gang created fear in Lagos: here’s what made victims vulnerable: The Head of a Celestial Church of Christ parish stands in front of the church where worshippers were killed and valuables stolen by the Badoo gang in 2017. Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty Images Violent cult gangs are well known in Nigeria. …
Modern slavery: UK’s focus on ‘genuine’ victims has failed survivors since the 1800s: The exploitation of tens of thousands of people through modern slavery is a human rights crisis. There are an estimated 130,000 people currently living in modern slavery in the UK alone. In recent remarks, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the government’s priority …
Stephen Bear: why reality star’s conviction sets such a powerful precedent for revenge porn victims everywhere: Bear uploaded the content onto OnlyFans without Harrison's consent. Shutterstock Reality TV star Stephen Bear has been found guilty of two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress, and one of voyeurism after …
Netflix’s Harry & Meghan: the Sussexes are not unique in being royal victims: To our surprise, one of us (Robert Hazell) appeared in episode one of the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan. His contribution was based on our book The Role of Monarchy in Modern Democracy, a comparative study of the other monarchies in western …