The last few years have forced a reckoning in Hollywood. Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby have stood trial, and countless others – Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Matt Lauer, etc. – have been exposed for their years of abuse and sexual assault. Danny Masterson’s time may finally be at an end, too. He has been charged…
About 16 months ago, Kurt Reinhold was shot to death by a deputy from the O.C. Sheriff’s Homeless Outreach Team. On February 2, 2022, the Office of the District Attorney for Orange County issued a 10 page letter explaining why they would not be bringing charges against him. In the letter, the DA states that…
Two female veterans of the military who suffered sexual harassment and assault during the time of their service have called upon leaders in the House of Representatives to pursue legislation that protects service members. Their efforts are in the aftermath of the tragic disappearance and killing of Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood, TX.…
The common perception about sexual crimes and those who commit them are that they are committed by adult men mostly against women and sometimes against children. However, the perpetrators of sexual abuse are sometimes children committing offenses against other children. Almost 1 in 3 perpetrators of child sex abuse are below the age of 18.…
Combat veteran Gregory Lloyd Edwards died in 2018 after an altercation with corrections officers at the Brevard County Jail, Florida. At the time, the county medical examiner concluded Edwards’ cause of death was something called “excited delirium and complications,” due to a “hyperactive and violent state with subsequent restraint.” His death was ruled an accident.…
A recently published Vatican manual on how to handle sexual abuse allegations within the Catholic Church instructs bishops to report all of these allegations to law enforcement, even when there is no legal obligation to do so. The manual directs ecclesiastical authorities to produce a report and provide it to relevant civil authorities if it…
Dozens of past employees of The Ellen Show have claimed that they were the victims of sexual harassment and other types of sexual misconduct by certain top-tier producers of the show. In the aftermath of these allegations, the show’s parent company – WarnerMedia – carried out an investigation. Subsequently, on August 17 three of the…
Governor of New Hampshire Chris Sununu recently signed the nation’s first student-written campus sexual assault legislation into law. Passing the NH House with bipartisan support, proponents of the bill are not only calling it a victory for New Hampshire, but a victory for college students all over the country. Survivor and advocate groups are hoping…
An advocate for sex abuse victims who became the subject of a celebrated Netflix documentary died by suicide on August 4, 2020. Daisy Coleman starred in the 2016 Netflix film “Audrie & Daisy,” which followed her and her family as they dealt with the aftermath of her assault, and the hostile reaction of her town…
One of the most important steps a survivor of sexual assault or rape can take is undergoing the forensic exam, so that evidence of the attack can be preserved. That evidence becomes part of the “rape kit,” a collection of DNA samples and documentation that outlines what happened during the attack. Medical professionals handle the…