Don't join any of these group ISIS, Al Qaida, Al Shabab and Boko haram these are human traffickers

Friday, August 31, 2012

الخادمة إلى المستشفى وربة المنزل إلى السجن



تركت العاملة الفيليبينية في عهدة رابطة كاريتاس (أرشيف ــ مروان طحطح)
أوقف قاضي التحقيق في جبل لبنان رامي عبد الله مواطنة لبنانية بجرم محاولة قتل خادمتها. وفيما سيقت ربّة المنزل إلى السجن، نُقلت الخادمة الفيليبينية إلى المستشفى بحالة حرجة. فقد كانت تعاني من ندوبٍ وجروحٍ وتورّمات ناجمة عن الضرب والتعذيب، بالإضافة إلى سوء التغذية الحادّ الذي كانت قد أصيبت به بسبب
منع الطعام عنها
رضوان مرتضى
لم تكن جونالين لاس تعلم أن الحظّ السيّئ سيرمي بها بين براثن ربّة منزلٍ لا تعرف الرحمة، عندما تركت وطنها الفيليبين لتعمل خادمة في لبنان. هنا، انتقلت إلى منزل مخدومتها. سيّدة ثلاثينية تقطن في عوكر. بدأت بخدمتها منذ سنتين، لكن رحة عذابها بدأت منذ أشهر، وانتهت أخيراً في غرفة العناية المركّزة في مستشفى قلب يسوع. الأشهر القليلة الماضية كانت جحيماً بالنسبة إلى الفتاة التي لم تتجاوز الثامنة عشرة من عمرها. ذاقت خلالها جونالين مختلف أنواع العذاب. تتحدّث عن تعرّضها للضرب والتعذيب بواسطة عصا وحزام جلدي حفرا ندوباً وجروحاً في كلّ بقعة من جسدها النحيل.
بقعٌ قد تمحوها الأيام، لكن سيصعب على ذاكرتها نسيانها. ذاكرة بشرية ستحفظ اسم ربة المنزل رين، كما اسمها، بعدما كادت تتسبب في قتلها، علماً أن القضاء أوقفها بجرم محاولة قتلها.
منذ عدة أسابيع، أبلغ الجيران المديرية العامة للأمن العام بوجود خادمة تتعرّض للضرب المبرح لدى المدعوة رين ب.
بناء على هذا البلاغ، جرى التحرّك، ونُقلت لاس إلى العناية الفائقة المركزة في المستشفى حيث كانت تعاني من سوء في التغذية وتعذيب جسدي مبرح. بكلّ وضوح يمكن رؤية الكدمات تحت العينين، والورم الكبير في الأذن. بالإضافة إلى تورّم واحمرار في أصابع اليدين، وندوب عند أعلى القفص الصدري والظهر، يدل شكلها المستطيل يدل على أنها ناجمة عن الضرب بحزام أو عصا. هذا عدا وجود آثار جروح وندوب في الثديين الأيمن والأيسر بشكل هلالي ناجم عن غرز الأظافر. وبحسب المعلومات الواردة في تقرير الطبيب الشرعي، فإن أعمار الجروح الموجودة المتفاوتة على جسد لاس تدلّ على حصول الأذية في مراحل وأوقات مختلفة، وبشكل متكرّر. وأشار التقرير إلى أن الإصابات الموجودة على جسد الضحية ناجمة عن التعرّض للضرب بالأيدي والعصا والحزام، لافتاً إلى أن هزالة بنيتها تدل على أنها تعاني من سوء تغذية شديد. وقد رأى الطبيب الشرعي بشارة مكرزل أن حالتها الصحية تستدعي التعطيل عن العمل لمدة ثلاثة أسابيع.
بدأت التحقيقات. فاستمع عناصر التحقيق إلى إفادة العاملة الفيليبينية التي كشفت أنها بدأت تتعرض لمضايقات منذ قرابة سنة. الصفعة الأولى التي تلقتها، جاءت على خلفية تحادثها عبر الشرفة مع شابة من التابعية الفيليبينية. وذكرت جونالين أن هذه الحادثة كانت الأولى، لكنها كانت فاتحة الصفع المتكرّر والدفع. فقد صارت ربة المنزل تستعمل العصي والحزام وبعض الآلات الحادة على مختلف أنحاء جسدها لضربها، كما أنها لم تكن تتورّع عن سكب بعض الأدوية المستعملة للتنظيف على رأسها. ليس هذا فحسب، بل أفادت بأنها كانت تصعقها أحياناً بآلة كهربائية!
أما عن الدوافع والأسباب، فذكرت جونالين أنها كانت تتعرّض للضرب في حال لم تُنه الأعمال المنزلية في الوقت المحدّد، أو في حال تناولها الطعام من دون إذن. وفي موضوع الطعام تلفت إلى حرمانها بالتدريج. ففي البداية، منعت من تناول وجبات كاملة، قبل أن يحصر طعامها بالخبز فقط، ثم حرمانها أياماً من الوجبات. وذكرت أنه في احدى المرات حُبست عارية في الحمام من دون مياه، كاشفة أنها اضطرت إلى الشرب من مياه الصرف الصحي لري ظمئها. كما أفادت أن شقيق ربة المنزل تحرّش بها ثلاث مرات وهدّدها بأنها لو أخبرت أحداً فإنها ستتعرّض للضرب، لافتة إلى أن ربة المنزل كانت تهدّدها دائماً بأنها ستتهمها بالسرقة إن فكرت بالادعاء عليها.
في موازاة ذلك، أبلغ رتيب التحقيق، ربّة المنزل رين ب. بضرورة الاستماع إلى إفادتها، فأبلغه شقيقها أنها أُدخلت إلى المستشفى بسبب إصابتها بنوبة عصبية. ولدى الاتصال بطبيبها المعالج، أفاد أنها تعاني من صدمة نفسية وعصبية وتحتاج إلى وقت للخروج من ذلك ناصحاً بعدم أخذ إفادتها حالياً. مرّ وقت قليل قبل أن يُستمع إلى إفادتها، فذكرت أنها كانت تعامل خادمتها معاملة جيدة حتى قبل أربعة أشهر عندما بدأت الخادمة تقوم بأمور غريبة بعض الشيء. ولدى الاستيضاح، ذكرت أن شخصاً مجهولاً يقود فاناً صار يقف أمام منزلها عندما تكون الخادمة على الشرفة ويقوم بأعمال مخلّة بالآداب. وذكرت أنها وجهت ملاحظات لها بعدم الاتصال بأشخاص كهؤلاء، إلا أن الأخيرة لم ترتدع. وفاقم الأمر أن الأخيرة صارت تماطل في القيام بواجبها المنزلي.
وعن الإصابات التي تعاني منها الخادمة، ذكرت ربة المنزل أنها ناجمة عن سقوطها على الدرج بعد محاولتها الهرب، كاشفة أنها دفعت والدتها العجوز أرضا أثناء محاولة الأخيرة منعها من الهرب. وأفادت بأنها أحضرت لها دواءً من دون أخذها إلى الطبيب خوفاً من محاولتها الفرار مجدداً، نافية أن تكون تعرضت لها بالصفع أو الضرب. وأكّدت أنها لم تمنع عنها الطعام يوماً، إلا أنها بدأت منذ قرابة عشرة أيام تمتنع عن الطعام بمحض إرادتها. وعن قصّ شعرها، ادّعت أنه نتيجة لإصابتها بالقمل، أما الندوب الموجودة على ظهرها، فذكرت أن جونالين سبق وأخبرتها أنها كانت تتعرض للضرب على يد والدها وأنها سقطت عن درج منزلهم في الفيليبين.
عقب ذلك، أشار القضاء بترك الفيليبينية في عهدة رابطة كاريتاس، طالباً سوق ربة المنزل الموقوفة إلى سجن بعبدا للنساء. وفي موازاة التحقيق القائم، طالبت سفارة الفيليبين وزارة العمل بالتحرك واتخاذ كافة التدابير لمعاقبة من تسبب في المعاملة غير الإنسانية للعاملة المذكورة. وفي المقابل، اتخذت وزارة العمل صفة الادعاء الشخصي على المدعوة رين ب


Pregnancy gets Kenyan couple in Saudi Arabia to trouble

Standard Digital New
KENYA

Features

Last Updated:
Lifestyle  Pregnancy gets Kenyan couple in Saudi Arabia to trouble


Updated Monday, August 27 2012 at 11:45 GMT+3
By Philip Mwakio
Mohamed Abuuat and his newly wed wife Amina Said in November 2011. [Photo:Courtesy]
After a blissful Islamic wedding ceremony at a Mombasa mosque in November 2011, the newly married couple got the most pleasant gift of all in the New Year — Amina Ahmed Said and husband Mohamed Abuuat left the country for greener pasture in Saudi Arabia.
Amina got a job as a househelp for a wealthy family, which also employed Abuuat. Working together promised to be a good thing for the new couple.

Amina and Abuuat were excited as they packed their bags for the exciting part of their lives in a foreign country.
They bade their friends and relatives farewell and set out for what they assumed then to be a bright future.Upon arrival in the Saudi residence, they called home and said they were happy working for a wealthy family. They had even been paid their first month’s salaries and sounded excited.
Unknown to them, their decision to make life in a foreign country was the beginning of a treacherous walk.
A few months after their arrival in the land many Kenyans associate with opportunity because of our joblessness back home, Amina was found to be pregnant. That is when hell broke loose.
Amina’s step-father Feisal Bahero says after the employer suspected that his daughter could be pregnant, the family started mistreating Amina and her husband.
Berated
One day, the mistress of the house summoned Amina while Abuuat was out doing errands and berated her for getting herself pregnant.
“My daughter tried to explain to the employer that she was legally married to Abuuat and had even informed them of their union prior to arrival but this fell on deaf ears. Instead, the woman called the police and told them that her two Kenyan employees were involved in an illicit affair and as a result of which, Amina was expecting a child,” Bahero told The Standard.
The police, took away Amina and Abuuat for interrogation.
Later, Amina underwent medical tests that confirmed her pregnancy.

She was locked up in what appears to be a holding camp away from the main police station.
Her husband was also confined at some rural setting.
Saudi laws impose imprisonment for women who get pregnant out of wedlock and, after giving birth, a penalty of lashes can be determined by courts before she is freed. 

Fear for her life
But because of the hard life in prison, many expectant mothers end up miscarrying before the pregnacies reach full term.
It’s now more than three weeks since they were taken into custody. In one of Amina’s telephone conversations with her parents, she cried and said she feared for her life.
“We are shocked by the sudden turn of events. We are confused and uncertain about what is going on. Even the agent who recruited them has become arrogant and is refusing to offer any assistance,” Bahero said.
Mr Bahero who has been in touch with his son-in-law says the employer is now demanding Sh300,000 before they are released from custody.
But with irregular communication, the family is not sure how to rescue their children who are obviously in a deep crisis.
Last month, more than 100 distressed Kenyan women were stuck in a container at Kenya’s embassy in Saudi Arabia as they waited to be brought back home after disagreeing with their employers.

SHARE THIS STORY

New Jersey man charged with sexually abusing sleeping woman on plane

CNN
 
By Rande Iaboni, CNN
August 31, 2012 -- Updated 0134 GMT (0934 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Bawer Aksal was detained on August 21 upon his arrival in Newark, New Jersey
  • Woman seated next to him on a flight from Phoenix accused him of abuse
  • Federal government has jurisdiction over sex abuse cases that occur on U.S. flights
  • Bail was set at $100,000 for Aksal, "who remains detained"
New York (CNN) -- A New Jersey man was indicted Thursday for allegedly sexually abusing a woman who was asleep on an airplane, the U.S. District Attorney's Office said.
Bawer Aksal was detained on August 21 upon his arrival in Newark, New Jersey. According to the indictment, he was seated next to a woman in a window seat on a United Airlines flight from Phoenix to Newark.
"While the plane was in the air, the woman -- who did not know Aksal -- fell asleep with a jacket across her legs. She awoke to find Aksal's hands inside her shirt and shorts as he asked her to kiss him," according to a news release from the District Attorney's Office in New Jersey.
The federal government has exclusive jurisdiction over all sexual abuse cases that occur on American airplane flights, as such events are outside the jurisdiction of any state. If convicted, Aksal faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine, the news release said.
On Thursday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo set bail at $100,000 for Aksal, "who remains detained," according to Matthew Reilly of the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey.
Calls to Aksal's criminal defense lawyer, Robert J. Degroot, were not immediately returned.
An additional hearing will not be scheduled until Aksal settles his bail, Reilly said.

Body parts found in auctioned Florida storage unit


BODY PARTS

August 29, 2012|By the CNN Wire Staff
For $900, the winning bid at a Pensacola storage auction got the contents of Unit B12 -- and a police investigation.
Police say body parts belonging to more than 100 people were found stored in formaldehyde inside the unit, in plastic containers, specimen cups, trash bags and even a 32-ounce Styrofoam cup from a convenience store. Some of the containers had cracked and leaked, police said.
The discovery was reported to police Friday after the purchaser of the unit began going through the items, said George Klages, manager of Uncle Bob's Storage.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Artisanal Gold Mining Mali

Kapitan DIWALWAL, City of the Cursed Gold - a film by Philippe Couture...

Burden of Gold

The Bearers of the Sword - Philippines

Unreported World:Philippines/Holy Warriors

Child Soldiers hired by BIFF-MILF (Philippines)

Burma - New US Drugs War

Twin Crusade - Burma

Child Soldiers

Child fighter with AK 47 on Syria border

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Experts Believe Limited Press Freedom to Continue in Ethiopia

VOA

News / Africa

Officials move a portrait of Meles Zenawi shortly after the announcement of his death in Addis Ababa August 21, 2012.
Rizwan Syed
The death of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has raised questions about the state of press freedom in the country.  After weeks of government silence over Meles' health, he died suddenly in a Belgian hospital on August 20.  Journalists who had reported on his health had seen harsh reprisals from the government, such was the case with Temesgen Desalegn, editor of the prominent Ethiopian weekly newspaper Feteh who was jailed late last month.

Analysts say hardliners in the government, coupled with the country's one-party rule, will keep the Ethiopian press firmly under government control in the future. Mohamed Keita with the Committee to Protect Journalist's Africa Program says government prosecution and laws prevented a free press from developing under Meles.

"Systematic persecution and criminalization of news gathering activities, critical reporting, investigative journalism never had a chance to grow under his rule because access to information never became a reality and his government continually enacted laws that ever restricted the activities of journalists and criminalized these activities," said Keita.

The illness and whereabouts of Meles had been a source of rampant media speculation for weeks, including reports that he had died or gone on holiday.

Keita says this is because of the government's culture of secrecy.

"Because the government did not provide reliable information, refused to give details about his whereabouts and his condition," noted Keita.  "This reflected the culture of secrecy within the ruling party and so in the absence of reliable information rumors ran wild and this is why there was so much speculation."

Meles has been succeeded by Hailemariam Desalegn, who had been deputy prime minister. Keita thinks freedom of the press in Ethiopia will not improve under Hailemariam because of hardliners' influence in the ruling party.

"The ruling party, there are hard-liners in the party and they wield a lot of influence," Keita noted.  "I don't think Hailemariam is a hard-liner, but I'm sure he's under a lot of pressure so I don't know if he'll have a chance to really break with the past."

VOA correspondent Peter Heinlein, who was based in Addis Ababa, says the government made it increasingly hard to report during his several years there.

"We saw a steady increase in the regulation of the news media and also the government is very clever in limiting the number of sources that are available to reporters," Heinlein explained.  "People in Ethiopia are generally wary of speaking to reporters and many times I would go back to a source or a person I'd spoken to and interviewed for a second time and found that after they appeared on VOA the first time they were warned that this is not the thing to do and some of them flat out told me 'I'm scared to talk to VOA. I'm scared to talk to the foreign press.'"

Heinlein says it was difficult for the Ethiopian press to report accurately on Meles' deteriorating health because of the government line.

"The state media and the private media were more or less hewing to the government line," Heilein added.  "It's very difficult to really suss out what the truth is in an environment like that."

Press freedom so far has not improved under Meles' successor.  Feteh newspaper editor Temesgen Desalegn was denied bail Thursday after being jailed for reporting on the health of the prime minister last month.

Heinlein thinks press freedom will not improve under the new leadership.

"Hailemariam is basically the same government as Meles Zenawi," Heilein noted.  "Ethiopia is a one party state defacto and the policies won't change. The policies are dictated by a small politburo known as the executive committee and that executive committee has not relinquished one iota of its policy-making authority now that Meles Zenawi is gone."

Amnesty International has condemned the government's detention of Temesgen, saying the arrest is a worrying signal that the government intends to carry on targeting dissent. 

Mogadishu Safer, but Still Dangerous

VOA

News / Africa

A Ugandan police officer serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia's first Formed Police Unit stands at the top of an armored personnel carrier at a police station in the capital Mogadishu, August 7, 2012.
Mohammed Yusuf
MOGADISHU — Today whoever visits Somalia's capital will tell you how significantly security has improved in the city. Ordinary Somalis don’t have to face the constant street fighting they endured during the last two decades.  But those involved in the process of bringing stable institutions and government to the war-torn country still face an element of danger.  Targeted killings in the city are on the rise.

General security has improved in Mogadishu, but journalists, aid workers, and people working for government institutions still face threats to their lives.

Eight journalists and media professionals have been killed in Somalia this year, and suicide bombers tried unsuccessfully to attack the meeting where Somalia's new constitution was passed earlier this month.

The U.S. envoy to Somalia, Ambassador James Swan, praised individuals working with the government despite daily threats against them.

“Let me just say we are very much impressed at the courageousness, not only for media organs but also for example members of the technical selection committee and other involved in this transition process," said Dwan. "They have shown courage, great integrity, a genuine commitment to change here in Somalia.”

The technical selection committee that Swan mentions is working to screen and approve members of Somalia's new parliament.  The committee recently rejected more than 60 nominated legislators because of their connection to and involvement in Somalia’s civil war.

This step has angered many warlords in the city and residents fear war may break out between warlords' militias and the African Union (AU) peacekeeping force, known as AMISOM.

Mogadishu has enjoyed a year of peace since AU troops along with Somali government forces drove the militant group al-Shabab out of the city last year.  

The threat of street violence has not disappeared entirely.  Nearly every street and alley in Mogadishu has a checkpoint administered by clan-based militias who portray themselves as official police.

Informed sources familiar with these checkpoints tell VOA that payment is made to the commander of each checkpoint, and depending how frequently one uses these checkpoints, drivers can pay up to $20 a day or about $200 monthly.

For militiamen manning these checkpoints, it is the only way they can earn a living.

Ambassador Swan said the security forces in the country, both African Union and Somali government forces, must provide a more secure environment for individuals and institutions affiliated with the country’s transition process.

The United Nations special representative for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, warned no one will be allowed to disturb the relative peace which the country has enjoyed for the last year.

“The force commander of AMISOM, he has given assurance to the international partners and to the process that AMISOM is fully equipped, is fully alert, is on top of the situation and we do not expect the peace that has been won so dearly to be disturbed," said Mahiga.

The peace will be tested in the coming days as the final members of the new parliament are selected and lawmakers then elect a new president.  The United Nations hopes the process will give Somalia its first stable central government in more than two decades. 

Scientists Say World's Oceans Hold Great Medical Promise

VOA

News / Science & Technology

Fish swim around a deep coral reef at Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Humans have turned to nature for medicines since ancient times. And modern scientists have searched the world’s rainforests for new medicinal compounds. The earth’s oceans may be an even better source, though, and at least 26 drugs that come from marine organisms are currently on the market or in development. A generation of innovative chemists hopes to boost this number.

Chemist Mande Holford has an unusual partner in her hunt for new medicines: a fierce marine snail that eats fish. Her study of the creature, she said, is not entirely scientific.

“I fell in love with snails because their shells are gorgeous,” said Holford.

Their tongue-like proboscides, on the other hand, are deadly. They inject prey with venom that’s made of poisonous chains of amino acids, called peptides.

“I like to say that the snails produce a cluster bomb. Inside [their] venom, you have between 50 to 250 peptides," said Holford. "All target something major in the nervous system. One thing that they hit is a pain signal. When they silence the pain signal, the prey doesn’t go into fight or flight mode.”

Marine research yields major medicines

So the fish stays calmer than it naturally would, even as it’s being eaten. Chemists already have had one major success repurposing the snail’s peptides - a drug called Prialt eases pain for HIV and cancer patients.

“On your neurons, you have these 'gates' that allow things to pass from one side to the other. The gate that controls chronic pain, they’ve found a way to shut it down using one of the peptides,” said said Holford.

Holford may have been drawn to study snails by their beauty. She represents a broader trend, however, toward marine research.

“We’ve found some absolutely fascinating chemistry,” said David Newman, who directs the Natural Products Branch of the U.S. National Cancer Institute. After years of collecting organisms on land, his team now collects only marine life, like sponges or corals. He explains that because these organisms can’t move, they rely on chemical warfare.

“I have been known to say that weapons of mass destruction are alive and well on the coral reef, if you happen to be a fellow sponge who’s trying to encroach, or you’re a starfish that’s trying to eat the sponge. These are extremely toxic agents because of the dilution effect of seawater,” said Newman.

For an organization looking to kill cancerous cells, such potent chemicals are an attractive weapon.

Deep ocean mud loaded with cells

And far below coral reefs, some nine kilometers deep, lies what may be an even more promising source - mud.

“Close to 70 percent of the surface of the earth is really deep ocean mud,” said William Fenical, who directs the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine at the Scripps Institute for Oceanography in California. His team focuses on microorganisms living on the sea floor.

“These muds contain about one billion cells in the volume of a sugar cube,” said Fenical.

For comparison, that’s one million times the organic matter you’re likely to find in a similar amount of soil on land. It’s the sheer diversity of this microbial soup that excites Fenical.

“For the last 50 years, microorganisms that occur on land have been exploited for the production of antibiotics, cancer drugs, and cholesterol lowering drugs. What we believe is that the ocean is a completely new resource for such microbial products,” he said.

Fenical’s team already has two drugs in development. He said he sees no end to prospects for ocean-based medicines. 
 

3 charged in human-trafficking ring




 http://www.kxan.com/

Police: Victims abducted, forced into prostitution

Updated: Friday, 24 Aug 2012, 10:05 PM CDT
Published : Friday, 24 Aug 2012, 1:19 PM CDT
AUSTIN (KXAN) - Two men and one woman are charged with human trafficking after being accused of abducting at least four women and forcing them into prostitution by threatening to kill them and, in some cases, their children.
Solomon Pate, Demetrick Cooks and Rebecca Chap, all 26, were booked into the Travis County jail with bail for each set at $500,000.
"They're brutal- they are brutal and they have very little respect for human life," said APD Lt. Jerry Gonzalez.
The arrests came after two women contacted Round Rock police from a hospital where they were being treated for injuries. The women, one 18 and the other 19, told officers that they had been kidnapped in Houston by Pate. On the drive to Austin, they were drugged.
"A lot of times victims are afraid to truly speak up because of what they have been through already and are afraid that it is going to happen to them," said Gonzalez.
The women said they and two others were being kept in rooms at a hotel near the Capitol in Austin and were forced to solicit sex in the downtown area, according to arrest warrant documents released Friday. Two of the women managed to escape.
Round Rock police contacted Austin police who staked out the hotel and made the arrests by matching the suspects to the vehicles described by the two women. One of the vehicles was a pearl-white Bentley.
The other two women, one 22 and the other 25, were rescued from the room where they had been kept. They told police that they had been taken to several areas of the country where they worked as prostitutes.
"It really is a common story that we're starting to hear more and more often," a woman who works with the Central Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking told KXAN.  She did not want to be identified because of her role in working with trafficking survivors.
"With drug trafficking and arms- you sell the drugs one time and that's the profit that you make- but with humans- you can sell them over and over and over again- its just a matter of the profit," she said.
The CTCAHT is working to educate people in the medical community to look for signs that a person may be a trafficking victim.  They say a good sign is when the victim does not answer questions directly, but defers to a man posing as an uncle or guardian. The group is also working to educate hotel workers, since traffickers often set up shop in hotels and motels.
The CTCAHT encourages anyone who may be a victim of human trafficking to call the National Hotline at 888-373-7888.

Middle school boyfriend, teen turned protitute testify in human trafficking trial

www.douglascountysentinel.com

by Mitch Sneed / Editor
3 days ago | 2784 views | 0 0 comments | 7 7 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Steven Lemery, left, and his attorney Tracey D. Gibson go over information as testimony in his human trafficking trial Wednesday in Douglas County Superior Court. (Mitch Sneed / Douglas County Sentinel)
Steven Lemery, left, and his attorney Tracey D. Gibson go over information as testimony in his human trafficking trial Wednesday in Douglas County Superior Court. (Mitch Sneed / Douglas County Sentinel)
A day after hearing investigators and others tell about what was going on in the house of a man accused of human trafficking male teens for homosexual sex, jurors Wednesday heard from some of the young men who the prosecution maintains were victimized by Steven Donald Lemery.

Lemery, 38, is on trial before Douglas County Superior Court Judge David Emerson, charged with six counts of human trafficking, three counts of aggravated child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes and pandering by compulsion.

Testimony alleged that Lemery found teens and lured them to live in his home and pointed to how Lemery sought information from his other boarders on how to make money by marketing homosexual sex on the Internet and how he eventually pushed teens to sell themselves as well.

The testimony was particularly damaging to Lemery's defense.

A young man who was a Carrollton 15-year-old when he met Lemery, said that he had sexual relations withing a week of meeting the man who had told him he was much younger. The age of the victim is key for the prosecution in the charges of aggravated child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes, as the age of 15 is under Georgia's age of consent which is 16.

Defense attorney Tracy D. Gibson tried to paint doubt about the age when the encounters started with the questions to the teen who often had trouble with dates. She also questioned whether Lemery knew his age. The victim said that he was 15 when it started and that Lemery knew it.

That teen said at the time he thought he loved Lemery and that Lemery had told him that he was in love with the boy as well. In court, he said those feeling were no longer there after a split over Lemery's desire to have multiple partners.

"I was like ... it's over and I was done with him and I never wanted to have anything to do with him again," the teen said. "I couldn't stand him and I don't even want to be here today."

A young man who said that Lemery met him on Facebook then drove his convertible Mustang to South Carolina to pick him up and moved the teen into his home at a time when he had no where else to go. He said that within three months, Lemery asked the victim to start prostituting to help pay for bail money. The South Carolina teen said Lemery took money that victim got after Lemery had taken him to perform sexual acts with another man.

That victim said he often made fake ads so that no one would respond and that he only wanted to go home, but didn't have any way of getting there. He said Lemery used the money for clothes and alcohol, never saw it used for bail.

Lemery, who was a male stripper who danced under the name Steven Lang at B.J. Rooster’s on Atlanta’s Cheshire Bridge Road, and witnesses said he portrayed himself as a much younger man before bringing them to his home on Long Lake Drive.

Testimony pointed to wild parties at the house, complete with alcohol for those of all ages, drugs and even a photographer on hand to capture the escapades at times.

Testimony is expected to resume this morning at 9 a.m. The prosecution could wrap up its presentation today, making way for Lemery's defense. It was unknown whether there are plans for Lemery to take the stand in his own defense.

A transgender adult entertainer Christopher Andrew Lynch was also accused in this case. Accusations are that the victims were forced by Lemery and Lynch to have sex with men for money.

Lynch, who performed in Atlanta drag shows under the name Pasha Nicole, received a 30-year sentence earlier this year after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, pimping a victim under the age of 18 and pandering by compulsion. He will serve the first 14 years of the sentence in prison.

Read more: Douglas County Sentinel - Middle school boyfriend teen turned protitute testify in human trafficking trial

Lemery found guilty on all counts in human trafficking, child molestation case

douglascountysentinel.com

by Mitch Sneed / Editor
1 day 10 hrs ago | 1133 views | 0 0 comments | 4 4 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Mitch Sneed / Douglas County Sentinel

Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ackley delivered a closing argument that outlined how Steven Lemery’s actions fit the definitions of the law and asked the jurors to let the victims know that ‘not only is it not OK, but it’s not their fault.’
Mitch Sneed / Douglas County Sentinel Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ackley delivered a closing argument that outlined how Steven Lemery’s actions fit the definitions of the law and asked the jurors to let the victims know that ‘not only is it not OK, but it’s not their fault.’
A former male stripper who sought out teens as young as 15 years old on the Internet to bring them to his home for his own sexual satisfaction and in some cases to be pimped out for homosexual prostitution could spend the rest of his life in prison

A jury took less than two hours Friday to find Steven Donald Lemery guilty on five counts of human trafficking, three counts of aggravated child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes and pandering by compulsion. It is believed to be one of the first convictions of human trafficking of males for sexual purposes since the charge became law.

Under sentencing guidelines the 38-year-old, who also went by the name Steven Lang, could serve between 25 to 50 years for human trafficking and 25 to life on the aggravated child molestation charges.

Assistant District Attorney Rachel Ackley, who prosecuted the case investigated by Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Det. Jay Hayes along with the Department of Homeland Security, said the convictions send an important message.

“The victims in this case were often very reluctant to testify and tell people what happened to them,” Ackley said after the verdict was read. “It is very traumatic to have to go into detail on the stand and face the humiliation and embarrassment of having been taken in and falling victim to this man.

“But when it was over and now with this verdict, they can now move on with their lives. After the victims testified they talked about

See Lemery/Page 13

how empowering it was to do this – face their victim without fear and to know that it was over.”

The trial exposed often disturbing details of how Lemery operated a child trafficking ring out of his Douglas County home, where drugs and alcohol and wild parties were the norm in what was an almost communal setup.. Lemery, who was a male stripper at B.J. Rooster’s on Atlanta’s Cheshire Bridge Road, often lied about his age on Facebook and MySpace and contacted teens from across the South. Testimony showed how he often brought people into his Long Lake Drive home, then forcing them into prostitution using Craig’s List just to to survive.

Defense attorney Tracey D. Gibson tried to hammer at inconsistencies in the testimony of the victims in her closing argument, and pointed out that they gave so many different ages, that her client had no idea that some were as young as 15.

“He makes up a lot of stories and when he found himself in trouble, he made up this story to cover his own butt,” Gibson said of a 15-year-old victim from Alabama who was kept in Douglasville for more than three weeks, even after he begged to be taken home.

She also asked the jury to disregard the feeling they have for the acts and look at the law.

“It would be easy for you to be so disgusted that you throw your hands up and convict my client,” Gibson told the jury, also mentioning that the teens came to Lemery of their own free will. “But please look at the law and consider the facts anbd the testimony and keep an open mind

After the verdict, Gibson said said that Lemery was stunned by the outcome.

“My client took it very, very hard,” Gibson said. “But as I take a step back, I see how it is a very hard case to defense because the law is very broad and new. If you look at it, there are a lot of other cases that could be classified as human trafficking, but they aren’t. I think that’s why it needs to be looked at and more carefully defined.”

Ackley’s closing obviously stuck with the jurors as they deliberated. She pointed out how Lemery transported them, lied to them, controlled them financially and benefited by prostituting them.

“I ask you to consider the law and consider the victims,” Ackley said. “I ask you to send a message to the victims and tell them that what not only is this not OK, but it is not your fault.”

Lemery’s conviction is the second in the bizarre case that shocked Douglas County with the very nature of the acts and practices that were happening in the upscale home.

A transgender adult entertainer named Christopher Andrew Lynch, who also lived in Lemery’s home, was also accused in this case as a result of the investigation. Accusations are that his victims were also forced to have sex with men for money.

Lynch, who performed in Atlanta drag shows under the name Pasha Nicole, received a 30-year sentence earlier this year after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, pimping a victim under the age of 18 and pandering by compulsion. He will serve the first 14 years of the sentence in prison.

Read more: Douglas County Sentinel - Lemery found guilty on all counts in human trafficking child molestation case

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Why is the world ignoring Myanmar's Rohingya?


AL Jazeera English Inside Story

They have faced decades of discrimination but the Muslim minority's plight has garnered little international attention.
 Last Modified: 23 Jul 2012 09:43



They have been persecuted and discriminated against for decades but few can even pronounce their name let alone know of their plight.
"There is a lot of latent prejudice, racism, whatever you want to call it, inside Burma towards this community and it's playing out right now. It's not over by any means. It's a tinderbox and it could blow up at any time."
- Brad Adams from Human Rights Watch
Buddhist attacks on the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, have picked up over the last few weeks following the rape and murder of a Buddhist woman in May.

Human rights groups say the security forces are also involved in the targeted attacks, which started in June.

Thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh - but thousands more have been refused entry. For those who do make it across the border their troubles are far from over.

An estimated 800,000 Rohingya live in Myanmar's Rakhine state with another 200,000 in Bangladesh. They are not recognised by either country.

Myanmar has long faced tensions with many of its ethnic minorities, and the new government has agreed to a ceasefire with many of the groups.

But last week, Thein Sein, the president of Myanmar, told the UN that the solution was either to send millions of Rohingya to another country or to have the UN look after them.

"It is true that we are not Burmese. We are an independent state – Arakan. And Rohingya is one of the races of Arakan not Burma .... They [the Burmese] are the ones who intervened, they are the ones who are foreigners [in] this land, they are the ones who invaded."
- Muhammad Noor, a Rohingya political activist
"We will take responsibility for ethnic nationalities but it is not at all possible to recognise the illegal border-crossing Rohingya who are not of our ethnicity," he said.

He added that the conflict poses a threat to the democratic and economic reforms his government has launched, warning that: "Stability and peace, the democratisation process and the development of the country, which are in transition right now, could be severely affected and much would be lost."

Inside Story asks: Is the plight of the Rohingya being deliberately ignored? Why has the world turned a blind eye to them?

Joining presenter Sami Zeidan to discuss this are guests: Justin Wintle, a historian and author of Perfect Hostage, a biography of Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi; Brad Adams, the executive director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division; Mohamed Noor, a Rohingya political activist; and Dina Madani of the Muslim Minorities and Communities Department at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.



"When the communal violence backlash hit the Rohingya in Rakhine state, Aung San Suu
 Kyi came out with expressions of sympathy for them, but so far she has said nothing about
 granting them the right of citizenship, and somebody's got to do that in Myanmar."
Justin Wintle, a historian and author






WHO ARE THE ROHINGYA?
Their history dates back to the early seventh century when Arab Muslim traders settled in the area. The UN estimates that there are about 800,000 Rohingya in Myanmar, including people of Bengali heritage who settled centuries ago as well as those who entered the country in recent decades. But the law in Myanmar considers as citizens only those who settled in the country before independence in 1948. Post-independence immigrants are officially considered illegal. Adding to the confusion over who is an illegal immigrant is the large exodus of Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh in the 1980s and 1990s because of persecution.


"[We] have urged all member states as part of the Islamic ummah to reach out to our Muslim brothers who are persecuted and to use the international fora to collectively put pressure on Myanmar to stop the violence."
Dina Madani from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)



Source:
Al Jazeera

Inside Story - Life after Ethiopia's Meles Zenawi

Nepal ban on Middle East workers

Friday, August 10, 2012

US Gulf Course: Missile defense or world dominance?

Peace Corps Pledges $20,000 For 4 Girls Sexually Abused By Volunteer

Peace Corps Abused Children
In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 8, 2011, children walk past the Umvoti AIDS Centre in Greytown, South Africa. The words of little children from an isolated town in rural South Africa may have stopped an international sex predator. U.S. investigators say Jesse Osmun confessed that as a Peace Corps volunteer, he for months sexually molested at least five girls at a South African shelter for AIDS orphans and other children. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
HARTFORD, Conn. -- The Peace Corps has voluntarily agreed to contribute $20,000 to a fund for four girls sexually abused by a former volunteer while he was serving in South Africa.
Jesse Osmun pleaded guilty in June in U.S. District Court in Hartford to traveling from the United States to engage in illicit sexual conduct with children. Authorities say the victims were 3 to 6 years old at the time.
Osmun's attorney, Richard Meehan Jr., said the Peace Corps offered the contribution at a hearing Thursday in Hartford. Meehan says Osmun's family also plans to donate $10,000 to the fund to help the victims.
Osmun faces between 14 to more than 21 years in prison under federal guidelines when he is sentenced Oct. 10. Meehan has described Osmun as remorseful.
A Peace Corps spokeswoman confirmed the donation.
A Peace Corps representative and the U.S. Attorney's Office both said the donation was not an indication that the Peace Corps bore any responsibility for the crime, Meehan said.
The Peace Corps has said it was made aware of the allegations after Osmun resigned and has called the crimes "reprehensible."
Peace Corps volunteers, who are provided with a living allowance and receive transition funds after they complete 27 months of service, provide hands-on assistance in areas including health education, information technology and environmental preservation. The Peace Corps has sent more than 200,000 Americans to serve in 139 countries.

War on International Sex Trafficking Isn't a War on Sex



Renee Olstead

Let's be clear here, the 'war on international sex trafficking' isn't a 'war on sex.' I personally believe that the war on sex trafficking would receive more support from the public if they truly knew the atrocities committed against the world's women and children, and could see that this great war is in fact a fight against the issue of modern day slavery.
I consider myself both pro-sex and pro-human rights. In fact, its my opinion that prostitution should be legalized and regulated in our own country for the health and safety of its workers, but that's another blog.
The international sex trade, however, is a different story and the stories of its victims are often silenced. Many readers may not know that children as young as four are commonly kidnapped or sold into the sex trade, at the rate of two to four million a year. Many of the worst abuses occur in countries such as Cambodia, where overwhelming poverty can persuade a family to sell their daughter to a brothel owner for as little as USD $10. After purchase, these children spend the next several years of their lives being abused, raped, and subjected to forced abortions. These children have no control over whether or not their client will wear a condom, whether or not they'll be infected with HIV, or even if the client will physically abuse them before he leaves. Many of these children will never live to survive their days in this brutal trade.
One of the most disturbing things I've learned about the Cambodian sex trade is that it's commonly thought that the virginity of a young child can cure HIV/AIDS. Children barely older than toddlers are commonly sold at a premium to infected clients looking to rid themselves of diseases. Often, after the client is finished, the child is 'stitched up' to simulate a still intact hymen and sold again. Older children who attempt to refuse a client (usually between ten and fifteen men a day) are tortured, beaten, or electrocuted as punishment.
Life for child sex-workers has held little hope until recently. The Somaly Mam Foundation, founded by a courageous Cambodian sex-trade survivor, aims to offer support to these forgotten children. Her foundation currently operates three centers that house, care for, and counsel sex-trade survivors. The Somaly Mam Foundation also offers AIDS prevention education, condoms, traditional schooling, and important job skills to the women and children of the sex-trade ensuring that they receive the life skills necessary to build a life for themselves beyond the confines of a brothel.
Watch this video:
Visit http://www.somaly.org/
Or my personal fundraising page:
http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise?fcid=207017
Or http://www.empowermentstore.org/ for more information on how you can help the women and children of this heartless multi-billion dollar industry.
 

Follow Renee Olstead on Twitter: www.twitter.com/renee_olstead
Let's be clear here, the 'war on international sex trafficking' isn't a 'war on sex.' I personally believe that the war on sex trafficking would receive more support from the public if they truly knew the atrocities committed against the world's women and children, and could see that this great war is in fact a fight against the issue of modern day slavery.
I consider myself both pro-sex and pro-human rights. In fact, its my opinion that prostitution should be legalized and regulated in our own country for the health and safety of its workers, but that's another blog.
The international sex trade, however, is a different story and the stories of its victims are often silenced. Many readers may not know that children as young as four are commonly kidnapped or sold into the sex trade, at the rate of two to four million a year. Many of the worst abuses occur in countries such as Cambodia, where overwhelming poverty can persuade a family to sell their daughter to a brothel owner for as little as USD $10. After purchase, these children spend the next several years of their lives being abused, raped, and subjected to forced abortions. These children have no control over whether or not their client will wear a condom, whether or not they'll be infected with HIV, or even if the client will physically abuse them before he leaves. Many of these children will never live to survive their days in this brutal trade.
One of the most disturbing things I've learned about the Cambodian sex trade is that it's commonly thought that the virginity of a young child can cure HIV/AIDS. Children barely older than toddlers are commonly sold at a premium to infected clients looking to rid themselves of diseases. Often, after the client is finished, the child is 'stitched up' to simulate a still intact hymen and sold again. Older children who attempt to refuse a client (usually between ten and fifteen men a day) are tortured, beaten, or electrocuted as punishment.
Life for child sex-workers has held little hope until recently. The Somaly Mam Foundation, founded by a courageous Cambodian sex-trade survivor, aims to offer support to these forgotten children. Her foundation currently operates three centers that house, care for, and counsel sex-trade survivors. The Somaly Mam Foundation also offers AIDS prevention education, condoms, traditional schooling, and important job skills to the women and children of the sex-trade ensuring that they receive the life skills necessary to build a life for themselves beyond the confines of a brothel.
Watch this video:
Visit http://www.somaly.org/
Or my personal fundraising page:
http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise?fcid=207017
Or http://www.empowermentstore.org/ for more information on how you can help the women and children of this heartless multi-billion dollar industry.
 

Follow Renee Olstead on Twitter: www.twitter.com/renee_olstead

Let's be clear here, the 'war on international sex trafficking' isn't a 'war on sex.' I personally believe that the war on sex trafficking would receive more support from the public if they truly knew the atrocities committed against the world's women and children, and could see that this great war is in fact a fight against the issue of modern day slavery.
I consider myself both pro-sex and pro-human rights. In fact, its my opinion that prostitution should be legalized and regulated in our own country for the health and safety of its workers, but that's another blog.
The international sex trade, however, is a different story and the stories of its victims are often silenced. Many readers may not know that children as young as four are commonly kidnapped or sold into the sex trade, at the rate of two to four million a year. Many of the worst abuses occur in countries such as Cambodia, where overwhelming poverty can persuade a family to sell their daughter to a brothel owner for as little as USD $10. After purchase, these children spend the next several years of their lives being abused, raped, and subjected to forced abortions. These children have no control over whether or not their client will wear a condom, whether or not they'll be infected with HIV, or even if the client will physically abuse them before he leaves. Many of these children will never live to survive their days in this brutal trade.
One of the most disturbing things I've learned about the Cambodian sex trade is that it's commonly thought that the virginity of a young child can cure HIV/AIDS. Children barely older than toddlers are commonly sold at a premium to infected clients looking to rid themselves of diseases. Often, after the client is finished, the child is 'stitched up' to simulate a still intact hymen and sold again. Older children who attempt to refuse a client (usually between ten and fifteen men a day) are tortured, beaten, or electrocuted as punishment.
Life for child sex-workers has held little hope until recently. The Somaly Mam Foundation, founded by a courageous Cambodian sex-trade survivor, aims to offer support to these forgotten children. Her foundation currently operates three centers that house, care for, and counsel sex-trade survivors. The Somaly Mam Foundation also offers AIDS prevention education, condoms, traditional schooling, and important job skills to the women and children of the sex-trade ensuring that they receive the life skills necessary to build a life for themselves beyond the confines of a brothel.
Watch this video:
Visit http://www.somaly.org/
Or my personal fundraising page:
http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise?fcid=207017
Or http://www.empowermentstore.org/ for more information on how you can help the women and children of this heartless multi-billion dollar industry.
 

Follow Renee Olstead on Twitter: www.twitter.com/renee_olstead

Turmeric Curcumin - Cancer Cure and More! EndAllDisease.com

Turmeric Curcumin - Cancer Cure and More! EndAllDisease.com

Rights So Divine by Youngbee Dale




Canadians pledge to protect high school students from being recruited to work in the sex industry.  
Photo: Associated Press

2012 — A recent announcement by the Adult Entertainment Association of Canada (AEAC) outraged Canadian human rights advocates. Joy Smith, a member of the Canadian Parliament, pledges to protect high school and college students from the AEAC’s recruitment in the sex industry. While many Canadians are against human trafficking, Ms. Smith argues that they are unaware of the crime occurring on their own soil.
Recently, the AEAC announced its plan to recruit high school and college students to fill the demand for sex workers. The announcement came after the Canadian government banned visas allowing foreigners to work in the sex industry. The AEAC said it had already created flyers targeting high school and college students highlighting the benefits of working as exotic dancers.
Ms. Smith, however, says that she and many other advocates will fight to protect young Canadian women and children from the AEAC’s recruitment on campuses. While the AEAC argues that the sex industry is a safe place to work for any woman, Ms. Smith says that couldn't be further from the truth.  
“There is a misconception that sex trafficking isn’t a prevalent issue in Canada when in reality it is. While the majority of people are against human trafficking, many Canadians do not realize that prostitution, strip clubs, and massage parlors, are where the majority of victims of human trafficking are found.”
Human Trafficking in Canada is an international issue. According to a 2010 study by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canadian law enforcement found that women were trafficked from Canada to the United States for sexual exploitation.
Canada also remains a gateway for many Asian and Eastern European sex trafficking victims to the U.S. Many traffickers have taken advantage of Canada’s lax immigration policy to smuggle foreign trafficking victims into the United States. 
Mimi was smuggled from South Korea to the U.S. through Canada in 2006 after responding to a false employment opportunity. During the following four years, organized criminals forced her into prostitution across the country. Eventually police rescued and safely returned her to her family in South Korea. However, not long after that, she committed suicide.
Up until the visa ban on foreign sex workers, many Eastern European traffickers used Canada’s lax immigration policy to traffic foreign women into Canada. The 2010 RCMP study notes that in 2008, Canadian authorities discovered an attempt to use fraudulent Latvian passports to transport enslaved sex workers into the country. Most were forced to migrate to Canada. In some cases, foreign sex workers came to Canada of their own will. But, they were subject to coercion and threats upon their employment in the sex industry. The study further notes that escort agencies confiscated their documents and placed the workers under debt bondage to pay off their travel costs.
Since 2010, Ms. Smith has been working to combat trafficking in Canada. In particular, she and other advocates have focused on tackling child sex trafficking issues.
"In 2010 my legislation amended the Criminal Code, which brought in mandatory minimum sentences for people trafficking minors. This past year I introduced legislation to amend the definition of Human Trafficking in the Criminal Code in order to provide the necessary tools for law enforcement to apprehend traffickers. This legislation also included extraterritorial jurisdiction in the Criminal Code, which enables police officers to apprehend Canadians and permanent residents when they enslave children or adults."
Ms. Smith continues to work toward implementing better legal tools to fight trafficking in Canada. She also focuses her efforts on raising awareness to the Canadian public.
“Our greatest weapon for safeguarding our youth from traffickers is education. So I am encouraging everyone to contact my office for a free anti-human trafficking resource kit. As high schools are within provincial jurisdiction, it is crucial that provincial governments take action. Thus, I am strongly encouraging them to take decisive action to protect our youth from those who are seeking to lure them into sexual exploitation.  I am continuing to work alongside our federal government, and doing all that I can to mobilize Canadians in every region of the country."
In response to the recent announcement by the AEAC, Ms. Smith and many advocates in Canada are planning to fight back with a strong response to protect children from sex trafficking. Regardless of increasing anti-trafficking efforts, Canada remains a destination, transit, and source of global sex trafficking victims. For that reason, advocates around the world must pay attention to Canada’s battle against sex trafficking. 

Youngbee Dale is a writer, researcher, and human rights advocate. She invites you to join her on Google+Facebook, or Twitter