- The latest Crime Survey for England and Wales has been released. It reveals that one in five women were sexually assaulted in the past year, and half of all female homicide victims were killed by their partners or ex-partners.
- Canada’s federal government has filed a motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit, originally brought by three women who say they were sexually harassed or assaulted while in the Armed Forces. The government argued that it has no ‘duty of care’ to provide a harassment-free workplace for military personnel.
- Rob Porter, a staff secretary at the White House has resigned after both of his ex-wives say he battered them. Both women apparently told the FBI about Porter’s violence when they were doing background checks on him. Sarah Huckabee-Sanders read the following statement Porter’s behalf:
“These outrageous allegations are simply false. I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago. And the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described. I’ve been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign.”
- Gender-based persecution – which includes forced marriage, domestic violence and female genital mutilation — is the most common reason women seek refugee protection in Canada ahead of religious, ethnic or political persecution.
- Michael William Bannon, a Vancouver pimp is being sentenced this week. In a victim impact statement, one of the nine young women he pled guilty to prostituting revealed that she was sold to dozens of johns in a single weekend. So far, none of these men have been charged.