10. desember 2007

Aussie judge frees nine rapists because ten-year-old girl 'agreed to sex' A sickening verdict: A judge's decision not to jail nine men guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl in an Aboriginal community has triggered outrage in Australia. The offenders were either placed on probation or given suspended sentences for the 2005 rape in the Aurukun settlement, in northern Queensland. In her ruling, Judge Sarah Bradley told them that the victim "probably agreed to have sex with all of you". A review of sexual abuse sentences in Aboriginal Queensland has been ordered. Sentencing seven of the accused in Cairns in October, Judge Bradley told them that the girl involved was not forced into sex, according to a report in The Australian newspaper. The Aboriginal community is not less appalled than anyone else, as the judge appears to have this idea that such atrocities are somehow acceptable among them. 4:48:15 PM    comment []  trackback []

A new Czar? Vladimir Putin has appointed his successor as president. "I fully support this candidacy," Mr Putin was quoted as saying. Mr Medvedev was nominated by Mr Putin's United Russia Party and three other pro-Kremlin parties on Monday. Mr Medvedev was previously Mr Putin's chief of staff and is chairman of the gas giant Gazprom. He hails from Mr Putin's native St Petersburg. Earlier possible picks included Sergei Ivanov and Victor Zubkov, a surprise announcement back in September. Putin may expect Medvedev to be a less powerful president while he is still running the show as prime minister. Then again, who knows what plans Medvedev himself has? 4:42:10 PM    comment []  trackback []

Three killed in two Colorado church attacks Two deadly attacks on Christian centres in Colorado in a short timespan: A gunman shot four staff members at a missionary training center near Denver early Sunday, killing two, after being told he couldn't spend the night. About 12 hours later and 65 miles away in Colorado Springs, a gunman fatally shot a parishioner at a megachurch and wounded four other people before a guard killed him, police said. The police chief in Arvada, a suburb about 15 miles west of Denver where the mission workers were shot, said the shootings may be related to those in Colorado Springs but declined to elaborate. No one had been captured in the Arvada shootings, authorities said. The mission training program in Arvada does have a small office on the Colorado Springs church campus. Witness descriptions differed in each incident. A handgun was used in the shootings at the Youth With a Mission center in Arvada, while a rifle was used at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, police said. Maybe the two nutcases are related in some way? I think at any rate it is quite obvious that these school, mall and church shootings are inspiring each other, across the world, through the media as well as the new media. 6:49:38 AM    comment []  trackback []

© Copyright 2008 Jan Haugland. Last update: 01.01.2008; 02:57:28.