Police reportedly found dozens of videos showing women being abused on the suspects' mobile phones.— Global Awareness 101 (@Mononoke__Hime) March 15, 2019
It has emerged the suspects are linked to powerful political families in Tamil Nadu, which has led to fears the women will not get justice in the state.https://t.co/BoM4IDAqe6
This sounds like the Jussie Smollett case of getting away with crimes for being well connected. I swear the Left wants to turn America into a third world nation. None of the Democrats arguments regarding civil rights crime from here on out will have any substance. (emphasis mine)
Called it: State's atty said "she was dropping the case because Jussie would have only gotten community service if convicted and she said he has already performed community service so there is no point in prosecuting him."https://t.co/X5K0Mcocwb— Nate Madden (@NateOnTheHill) March 26, 2019
Cook County state's attorney office admits there was nothing wrong with evidence against Smollett. One official tells NYT 'We did not exonerate him.' Adds that 'We stand behind the charges' that they just dropped and sealed. https://t.co/JZyOYtbqod— Byron York (@ByronYork) March 26, 2019
More from the asst state's attorney: "Here's the thing -- we work to prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime. Public safety is our number one priority. I don't see Jussie Smollett as a threat to public safety."— Julie Bosman (@juliebosman) March 26, 2019
"We stand behind the investigation, we stand behind the decision to charge him and we stand behind the charges in the case. The mere fact that it was disposed of in an alternative manner does not mean that there were any problems or infirmities in the case or the evidence."— Julie Bosman (@juliebosman) March 26, 2019
TRANSLATION— Suzy was NEVER a Russian Bot!💙 (@suzydymna) March 26, 2019
Jussie Smollet is guilty as hell, we know it because of the evidence but we're still letting him go as the trial would expose a conspiracy behind his Hate Crime which would lead to important Democrats. And we can't have that.
Have a nice day!
UPDATE 3/26/19 at 8:36pm: I added tweets below.
Then this 👇 is reported 10 minutes later. 😦It just dawned on me, #JussieSmollett fake hate crime that Grand Jury handed down 16 felony counts based on overwhelming evidence against him, was swept under rug by Obama people BECAUSE OF JUSSIE'S CELL PHONE RECORDS, TIMING OF CALLS, that would implicate high profile Democrats.— Global Awareness 101 (@Mononoke__Hime) March 27, 2019
Celebrity justice:— Terry Moran (@TerryMoran) March 27, 2019
Cook County clerk’s office tells @ABC they were shocked that no written motions were filed with the court in connection with today’s surprising dismissal in the Smollett case. On top of that, the case has been wiped off their database as if it never existed. pic.twitter.com/KFKJp9yt7h
BBC News
written by Staff
Friday March 15, 2019
Activists fear victims of an alleged sex blackmail gang terrorising an Indian city will not come forward after the name of one survivor was made public by government officials.
The woman's name was contained in an official document published by the Tamil Nadu government.
It is illegal in India to report the name of a sexual assault victim.
Reports in local media suggest she could be just one of many victims of the alleged gang.
Police in the southern Indian town of Pollachi have been appealing for more victims to come forward since reports first emerged.
But the revelation of the student's name - in an official document handing the case to federal investigators - could deter women speaking out, warns Dr Swarna Rajagopalan, the founder of the Prajnya Trust, which focuses on gender violence.
"When it comes to sexual crimes, the tendency is still to blame the victim, unlike when you are robbed, mugged or stabbed," she told the BBC.
"When it comes to sexual crimes, people tend to recognise a crime, point to it and refer to it by the name of the victim. It becomes your primary identity. So this becomes a massive deterrent to reporting it."
The BBC has contacted the Tamil Nadu government for comment. A court has ordered the document be withdrawn, while any videos of the alleged victims must be taken off the internet, according to India's The News Minute.
What happened in Pollachi?
According to the official police document, the woman, a 19-year-old student, filed a complaint against the men on 24 February.
She told police the men - who she knew - trapped her in a car on 12 February, before removing her top without her permission and filming her on their mobile phones.
They then warned her if she did not cooperate, they would release the video.
Finally, they allegedly stole her $290 (£220) gold necklace.
The teenager only found the courage to tell her family what had happened almost two weeks later, after the men had repeatedly tried to extort money from her.
The official document says the woman's brother was later attacked by the men "with a threat to his life". This allegedly happened when he confronted the men.
The case has now been transferred from the local police to the federal Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
How many victims are there?
It has been claimed this attack was just one in a series carried out by the gang, with some local media suggesting they have been targeting women since 2013.
One man told The Hindu newspaper he allegedly reported the same group to police back in 2016.
Police have reportedly found dozens of videos showing women being abused on the suspects' mobile phones.
Hundreds of people took to the streets earlier this week to demand the police take action, according to The Hindu.
Political links
It has emerged the suspects are linked to powerful political families in Tamil Nadu, which has led to fears the women will not get justice in the state.
Protesters demanded a committee of inquiry be set up, led by a female judge.
However, the timing of the case - with a general election just weeks away - has meant it has become a political issue.
Dr Rajagopalan said she was concerned at how candidates were using "this horrible incident to make political capital out of this, blaming each other without any regard for the victims".
"Imagine, what someone who is caught up in this, who is wondering whether or not to come forward, feels like to see what happened to her being discussed in the evening news everyday by someone who just wants to make a political point?" she told the BBC.
"When something like this happens in election season, what chance is there really for justice?"
Victim showed 'tremendous courage'
Geeta Pandey, India women and social affairs editor
It must have taken the 19-year-old woman tremendous courage to speak up and considering how some of the accused are connected to politically influential families, revealing her identity puts her - and her family - at considerable risk.
But this is not the first time a survivor's name has inadvertently been made public.
In the conservative, patriarchal Indian society where victims and survivors of sexual abuse have to deal with lifelong stigma, these repeated mistakes show the callousness with which the police and the authorities often treat cases of crimes against women.
The law expressly bars the authorities and the press from revealing a victim's identity and there have been several reminders from the Supreme Court in recent years to desist from doing so.
In fact, as recently as December, the top court said that police complaints in cases of rape and sexual assault must not be put in public domain exactly to avoid the sort of situation that has arisen now.
It's obvious the police and government in Tamil Nadu need to pay more attention to the top court rulings but, for the moment, they must ensure the safety of the survivor and her family.
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