- A civil suit against Harvey Weinstein for sexual offenses involving more than 30 women is pending settlement for $25 million, which, if approved, would end the litigation against him and would be paid by insurance companies rather than Weinstein.
- On Wednesday, women filed a US federal lawsuitagainst a dozen hotel chains for knowingly profiting from sex trafficking on their premises. The suit alleges that women and children were held captive, abused, and sold for sex across the United States in hotels owned by Best Western, Hilton, and Intercontinental.
- A UK doctor is charged with the sexual abuse of more than 23 women and girls. According to court documents, Dr Manish Shah incited fear of cancer into his patients, some as young as 17, in order to sexually assault them.
- Sexual assault in UK hospitals have more than doubled over the past five years, whereas reported occurrences of rape have tripled. According to data, sexual offences rose from 667 in 2014 to 1318 last year.
- A report on labour practices in Brazil’s garment industry found high rates of sexual harassment and the targeted abuse of union leaders. Brazil has the fourth largest garment production industry globally made up of a majority female workforce. Renato Bignami, a labour inspector, told Reuters:
“[In factories] the violence women are subjected to is significant. (But in sweatshops) you will find the most perverse forms of violence.”