Sexist French Politicians 'In Trouble' over Treatment of Women

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France's male politicians are becoming increasingly anxious about their futures after one female minister warned half of the country's male MPs were potentially "in trouble" due to their treatment of women.

Still reeling from the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former International Monetary Fund chief, on sexual assault charges, France's political class was struck by a fresh sex scandal on Sunday with the resignation of Georges Tron, the public works minister accused of molesting two former female staff members.

The massage enthusiast's "foot fetish", which two ex-town hall employees in their thirties claim morphed into full-blown abuse, has sparked a backlash from France's embattled female politicians. They are calling for an end to the "French exception" of "everyday machismo" among male peers often bordering on harassment. » | Henry Samuel in Paris | Monday, May 30, 2011

French Minister Quits Over Sexual Harassment Accusation

BBC: A French junior minister accused of having sexually harassed staff of a town hall where he is mayor has resigned from the government.

A statement by the prime minister said Civil Service Minister Georges Tron had acted "in the general interest", and noted he denied the allegations.

His resignation comes in the wake of the US arrest of ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn earlier this month.

He is charged with sexually assaulting a chamber maid in a New York hotel.

In the wake of the Strauss-Kahn case, there has been speculation internationally over whether France is prepared to re-examine its strict observance of privacy laws to report scandals affecting politicians. » | Sunday, May 29, 2011

Nicolas Sarkozy's Party Rocked by Own Sex Scandal

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Nicolas Sarkozy's party has been hit with its own sex scandal after two women accused one of the French president's ministers of sexually harassing them.

The latest scandal to rock French politics came less than two weeks after Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former IMF chief and leading Socialist presidential challenger, was charged with attempting to rape a hotel chambermaid in New York.

This time the alleged perpetrator comes from Mr Sarkozy's own ruling UMP party. Georges Tron, the public works minister, was accused of indecently assaulting the female workers, aged 34 and 36, after offering them "foot massages".

A local prosecutor yesterday confirmed the women have filed formal sexual harassment complaints.

The 52-year-old minister, who is also the mayor of Draveil, south of Paris, is alleged to have committed the assaults between 2007 and 2010. What started out as regular "therapeutic" reflexology sessions turned into full-blown sexual assault, the two women claimed.

They told Le Parisien newspaper they were encouraged to break their silence following Mr Strauss-Kahn's arrest. The former IMF chief's arrest could now spark a rash of sexual harassment complaints against French politicians. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Yale University Hit by Sexual Harassment Row
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: As the esteemed Ivy League university that taught five US presidents, 18 Nobel laureates and countless captains of industry, Yale has one of the loftiest names in education.

But the £25,000-a-year alma mater of Bill Clinton and both George Bushes has been plunged into a sexual harassment scandal that threatens to drag its reputation through the mud.

The US government has launched an investigation into a complaint by 16 students at the Connecticut college. They allege a string of serious assaults and rampages by gangs of men that went unpunished.

Yale's management has allowed the cultivation of a "sexually hostile environment", in which misogyny flourishes and sexual attacks on young women are frequent, they claim.

Now the university's £300 million-a-year public funding could be in jeopardy if the Obama administration finds it broke a law dictating everyone must have equal access to education.

The Yale complaint's most serious charges – concerning the sexual assaults of several girls – have not been made public to protect the victims' identities.

The 26-page dossier also discloses many other unpleasant incidents on campus. Several have dragged the college's boozy and laddish fraternities into the spotlight. » | Jon Swaine, New York | Friday, April 08, 2011

Police Reopen Gore Sex Assault Investigation
Al Gore. Photo: Fox News
FOX NEWS: PORTLAND, Oregon -- Police said Wednesday they are reopening an investigation into an Oregon massage therapist's allegations that former Vice President Al Gore groped her at an upscale hotel in 2006.

In a brief statement, the Portland Police Bureau did not say why it was reopening the investigation. Police earlier said they considered the case closed because there was no evidence.

Kalee Kreider, a spokeswoman for Gore, said the former vice president "unequivocally and emphatically" denied making unwanted sexual advances toward the woman and that he welcomed the investigation.

"Further investigation into this matter will only benefit Mr. Gore," Kreider said. >>> Associated Press | Thursday, July 01, 2010

Related article here

Al Gore Accused of 'Sexually Harassing' Massage Therapist
THE TELEGRAPH: Al Gore, the former Vice President, has been accused of "unwanted sexual contact" by a Portland massage therapist.

Al Gore kisses wife Tipper at the Democratic Convention in August 2000. Photo: The Telegraph
The woman claims that the advances happened at a hotel during an October 2006 visit, but no charges were filed due to lack of evidence, law officials have said.

An attorney representing the woman contacted police in late 2006, said Michael Schrunk, Multnomah County District Attorney. Mr Schrunk said the woman – who has not been identified – refused to be interviewed by detectives and did not want the investigation to proceed.

The woman, however, contacted police in January 2009 and gave a statement, saying Mr Gore tried to have sex with her during an appointment at the upscale downtown Hotel Lucia, where Mr Gore was reportedly registered as "Mr. Stone."

The National Enquirer first reported the allegations on Wednesday, identifying the accuser as a 54-year-old woman. >>> | Thursday, June 24, 2010

Son of Leading Scientist Dies in Jail as Fears Grow over Fate of Iran's Political Prisoners
THE GUARDIAN: Two inmates die from meningitis in Evin prison / Former detainees speak of harassment and torture

Fears are mounting over the safety of hundreds of political inmates in Iran's most notorious prison following the deaths of two prisoners detained in the recent post-election unrest.

Mohsen Rouholamini and Amir Javadifar died in Tehran's Evin prison after being arrested at a demonstration this month.

Rouholamini, the son of a prominent Iranian scientist close to the country's political elite, died from meningitis after injuries believed to have been inflicted by his jailers went untreated.

The deaths prompted fears of a meningitis outbreak in Evin and other overcrowded detention centres where opposition figures, journalists and students are kept following last month's disputed election. News of the deaths coincided with reports of injuries to other detainees.

One inmate, Isa Saharkhiz, a prominent reformist journalist and commentator, is reported to have suffered broken ribs after being tortured under interrogation.

Campaigners are also concerned for the safety of Kian Tajbakhsh, an American-Iranian scholar said to be under pressure to confess involvement in an alleged western plot to orchestrate the protests following Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election.

Prisoners recently released from Evin have described enduring countless beatings and being herded into tiny cells without air conditioning, where stifling temperatures regularly soar above 40C. >>> Robert Tait and Saeed Kamali Dehghan in Tehran | Sunday, July 26, 2009

Taliban Harasses Christians in Pakistan
BAPTIST PRESS: WASHINGTON--Amid escalating violence perpetrated by the Taliban in Pakistan, two reports on the status of Christians in the country contain varying details.



The Washington-based International Christian Concern reported that two Christians were executed and others were physically abused by Taliban militants in Karachi April 21 after the Christians protested orders from the Taliban to convert to Islam or die.



A subsequent report by Compass Direct News, though, said the execution-style killings could not be verified. Baptist Press asked ICC to confirm the initial report, and the group was attempting to do so at press time. In their news releases, both Compass Direct and ICC relied on comments from individuals who were not on the scene. 



ICC reported April 24 that pro-Taliban graffiti messages were written on two churches in Karachi, including the phrases "Long Live the Taliban" and "Embrace Islam or Prepare to Die." Christians complained to the government and then staged a peaceful protest, the watchdog group said.



Following the protest, more than 100 masked Taliban militants invaded the community with automatic rifles, causing Christian residents to hide in their homes. >>> By Staff | Wednesday, April 29, 2009