Al Qaeda Accused of Using Male Rape to Recruit Suicide Bombers — According to Algerian militant Abu Bacir El Assimi, Islamic terrorists rape young men as a means of recruitment for suicide bombings. Rape creates a social stigma and fear, according to reports, that leave Muslims prepared to die. The Sun quotes Algerian militant Abu Baçir El Assimi as saying, “The sexual act on young recruits aged between 16 to 19 was a means to urge them to commit suicide operations.” Both rape and homosexual acts under Sharia law are punishable by death.
Boy put in home despite red flags — A month after a 6-year-old boy was allegedly killed by his grandfather during an argument over a watermelon, a review of his state child welfare records raises questions about whether he should have been placed in his grandparents’ home. Michael Levigne moved into the home around September 2005, after his troubled parents transferred care of him and his brother to the grandparents, according to interviews with state officials and child welfare records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Expert: Children blame themselves for sex abuse — Children who have been sexually abused by a teacher or other adult often will blame themselves for the abuse, according to a child psychiatrist. “Probably more so kids than teenagers will blame themselves. They’ll think that they were somehow responsible for what happened or they somehow deserved it,” said Dr. Kerry Landry, who sometimes works with young sex abuse victims.
Former teacher to stand trial / No plea deal for woman accused of sex with teen student — The second of two former Bountiful Junior High teachers accused of having sex with the same student is set to argue next month that her position as the 14-year-old boy’s former teacher had no impact on the sexual activity that occurred and thus the charges against her are unduly severe. Valynne Asay Bowers, 40, is charged with first-degree felonies rape and forcible sodomy in part because prosecutors say she had a position of special trust over the victim. If the judge agrees with prosecutors that she did hold a position of special trust, then the 14-year-old had no legal means to consent to any sexual activity with Bowers.
Lawsuit Filed Over Oklahoma Church School Sex Abuse — A lawsuit claims that a church-operated school in Oklahoma was negligent in not preventing or stopping abuse by a former teacher. The lawsuit filed in Tulsa County District Court against Grace Fellowship Church, Grace Christian School and related entities involves the case of former teacher Aaron Thompson. Thompson, now 32, pleaded guilty in 2003 to 16 counts of lewd molestation and two counts of sexually abusing a child. In a plea deal, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison plus 15 years of probation.
Spearfish woman charged with raping 8-year-old boy pleads not guilty — The Spearfish woman who faces 12 counts of rape in Lawrence County pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday. Linda L. Barkey, 53, faces a minimum of 15 years in prison on each count if convicted. She is being held in the Lawrence County Jail at Deadwood in lieu of $100,000 bond. Fourth Circuit Judge Randall Macy set a Sept. 3 status hearing in the case.
Teacher pleads not guilty to abuse charges — A former Maine East High School teacher formally entered a not-guilty plea to charges that she engaged in sexual activity with a 16-year-old boy. Jennifer Espinosa, 38, of Park Ridge, appeared July 2 before Cook County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Chambers, where she pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and two counts of criminal sexual assault. Her next court date is scheduled for Aug. 6.
Trio of fatal Sonoma County domestic violence cases have men as victims — Homicides are nothing new in Sonoma County courts. And domestic violence killings aren’t unheard of. But two cases currently in the court system are rare — domestic violence homicides in which the victims are men. The suspects, a woman and a man, are charged with murder in their partners’ deaths. A third case ended with the suicide of the suspect.
Toy Soldiers 