News Summary
Spain
Spanish Coat of Arms
What does permissive mean when used to describe an attitude? Miquel Lorente, formerly chief of a Spanish government agency dealing with sexual violence, said,
“Spain has put in place the laws, but we still live in a far too permissive society.”
What did he mean by a permissive society? France too has also been called a permissive society. After all, France gave safe haven to Roman Polanski when he fled the United States after raping a 13-year-old. Miguel Lorente was talking about an incident that occurred on the Big Brother television show in Spain, known in Spanish as Gran Hermano. The show videotaped the rape of a drunk and unconscious female contestant by male contestant. The next morning the producers isolated the girl and forced her to watch what had happened while she was unconscious or, in other words, the videotape of her rape, faithfully recording every nuance of her emotionally charged reaction.
All the dozens of workers who are necessary to film a television show were present at both the rape and the scene of the girl watching it, in other words the producers, the camera men, the audio men, and the hosts of the show. No one intervened. They all stood by doing their jobs without interfering.
I remember the 1970s when Polanski went to France. Back then the cool people said that France was more permissive than the US, making it sound as if our distaste for shenanigans involving older men and 13-year-old girls was provincial, that the US simply had unsophisticated taste. It’s true I was naive back then but I was definitely being sold a bill of goods.
It took the women’s movement and a lot of years but I can now say I’m sophisticated. Sophocles himself would agree. Here’s what I say. Women and girls need society’s protection. We need everyone to look out for us not because we are weak but because we are vulnerable. I’m glad France has recently recognized that Polanski needed some reigning in. It sends a message. To my view, it’s the right message.
Here’s what happened. It’s been two years since Carlota Prado, the female contestant, was videotaped. The episode was wisely never shown but a clip of Carlota’s emotional reaction was recently leaked. As far as I know, no legal action has been taken against anyone involved.
Spain has been in the news a lot lately because of the Wolf Pack case and more recently the case of 5 men raping a 14 year-old-girl and videotaping it. The judge in that case is considering a lesser crime for the men because they didn’t use force during the rape. They didn’t need force. The girl, the child, was unconscious that time too.
How much permissiveness should a society have? There is probably no law making it illegal to watch a rape go down and do nothing. So, I ask you to think about this question – I mean besides the one on permissiveness in society. Am I my brother’s keeper?
Mexico
National Crest of Mexico
A new generation of Mexican women are ridding themselves of the ridiculous notion that women are responsible for attacks against them. It’s not my fault, they shout. You are the murderer, the rapist, the person who beat me up. El Violador Eres Tú, they scream in unison.
According to the United Nations News site, “Latin America is home to 14 of the 25 countries with the highest rates of femicide in the world and an astonishing 98 per cent of gender-related killings, go unprosecuted.” That’s murder not rape but the prosecution rates for both rape and femicide are similarly abominable.
The younger generation doesn’t want to take it anymore. They want change. This year femicide in Mexico has gone up to 10 per day. That’s up from 7 per day two years ago. Part of that is increased crime but it’s also the macho culture. It’s not my fault, they say, gathering by the thousands in the plaza to chant the Chilean rape anthem that is sweeping the world, El Violador Eres Tú.
We can join in at home. This site has the lyrics and dance steps for the Chilean rape anthem sweeping the world.
India
A 23-year-old woman on her way to court for a hearing on her rape case was splashed with kerosene and set on fire by a gang of men who included her rapist. She died of smoke inhalation and of burns on 95% of her body in a New Delhi hospital. The woman alleged that she had been raped by gunpoint. The alleged rapist had been arrested and was out on bail.
Another article in the Times casts more light on the case. Although the caste system has been eradicated in India, it is nonetheless still very much in evidence. The young woman’s family were blacksmiths, of the Vishwakarma caste and the rapists were of a higher, landowning caste.
The woman was the first in her family to obtain a high school education and had hopes of joining the police. Two of the rapists, Shivam Trivedi and Shubham Trivedi, were Brahmins. Shubham is the son of the village head woman. To me that’s an extremely intimidating set of circumstances. The young woman must have been a fighter and had a sense of righteousness out of the ordinary to go against such a strong traditional authority.
“She was the only educated and sensible person in the family,” said one of her uncles, breaking down as he spoke. “None of the men in our family are as brave as she was. She was fighting all alone,” he said, referring to the hierarchy in the village. “Now who will fight?”
She must have been a fighter. She was accusing men who were of the headwoman’s son and nephew and of the Brahmin class. In India that takes a lot of courage. She reported the rape. They and the village’s higher caste attempted to shame her. But she persevered and was on her way to confer with her lawyer when the men found her, beat her and set her on fire. She walked alone with her charred and aching body for a half a mile to get help. This takes profound courage. She later died in a New Delhi hospital. I honor her memory.
India has a rape culture and so does America. As women gain education, as they begin work alongside men, some of the old mythically based traditions are being challenged and they should be. The myths weren’t made by women but by men. They support the men even when they rape. The Brahmins don’t want change. The lower castes do. Make room for me up there, they say. I’m equal – right?
Four men raped, murdered and burned the body of a 27 year-old veterinarian in Hyderabad in November, 2019. They were arrested and charged. As part of the investigation, the men were taken to the scene of the crime where they reportedly stole weapons from the police officers and fled. The policemen shot and killed them and are now national heroes.
For some reason, rape in India bothers me more than when it happens in other countries. I had always felt safe there, almost invisible. India is a country of mystery and gentle beauty as well as misery and unbearable privation. Now it’s also a country of danger. Rape culture thrives where there is a well-defined power differential. Why did I think India would be exempt?
Broward County Florida sex trafficking operation
A Washington Post article told the dastardly tale of William Foster, CEO of Foster’s Care, Inc., a nonprofit Foster said supplied “a comprehensive restoration program for victims of Human Sex Trafficking” and “protection with police and FBI.”
In reality he exchanged expensive cars and designer clothes for sex work. He put women on lemon diets to lose weight and required them to get breast and buttock implants, nose jobs, liposuction and rib removals to shrink waistlines. He and his helpers may get up to 15 years in jail. Such a short sentence for all that evil and chances are they won’t convict him.
Furman University
Like President Trump, Furman University is refusing to release campus police records from a reported sexual assault at one of its dorms. But South Carolina Press Association and First Amendment lawyer, Taylor Smith, says that since Furman receives Federal Government funds, it is required to release the records. Bob Jones University students are also implicated in the Furman rape investigation and several Bob Jones’ students have been suspended. Bob Jones representatives also refuse to explain or cooperate in the investigation.
Other sexual assaults were discovered but information is not available on them.
The Rich And Powerful
HARVEY WEINSTEIN
According to Distractify Harvey Weinstein appeared at his December 10th pre-trial hearing looking a little worse for wear and leaning heavily on a walker replete with cut up tennis balls smashed onto the back legs. Are you wondering if one of America’s most famous studs hurt himself in battle? Well no, and that’s not nice. Mr. Weinstein has a bad back because of an accident. He avoided hitting a deer and his jeep ended up on its side necessitating a less than graceful exit. I’m glad he’s alright and is fit enough to stand trial on January 6, 2020. His ankle monitor was a problem because of leg pain caused by his type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, the malfunctioning monitor caused his bail to be raised from a previous $1m to $5m. That’s a nasty increase. According to his lawyers, the ankle monitor only appeared to be out of range because of leg pain issues caused by diabetes.
Also, in December his lawyers reached a $25 million dollar settlement with 30 plus women to be paid by lawyers handling the bankruptcy of Weinstein’s companies not Weinstein himself.
Additionally, he faces criminal proceedings for raping several other women. There seems to be no end to his problems.
Weinstein was interviewed in the hospital after back surgery and asks the public to remember his good works in what he feels were better times.
“I feel like the forgotten man,” he told Page Six.
“I made more movies directed by women and about women than any film-maker, and I’m talking about 30 years ago. I’m not talking about now when it’s vogue. I did it first. I pioneered it.
“It all got eviscerated because of what happened,’’ Weinstein said. “My work has been forgotten.’’
Weinstein’s comments are interesting and are a perspectival problem. After all, the point-of-view of the predator and the point-of-view of the prey will always and ever differ. I guess that’s life.