Story here. Excerpt:

'A man behind bars for nearly four years for a gang rape that did not happen has been cleared after his accuser admitted she lied to make her friends feel sorry for her.

William McCaffrey hugged his lawyer after the same New York judge who had sentenced him to 20 years in prison threw out the case and apologised on Thursday.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time," the softly spoken McCaffrey, 32, said outside a Manhattan court.

"I'm just glad it's over."

New DNA tests played a part, but his exoneration hinged largely on his accuser recanting - a rarity after rape convictions, the head of a national prosecutors' group said.

State Supreme Court Justice Richard Carruthers called the case "a catastrophe" for both the criminal justice system and Mr McCaffrey, who was in jail from his arrest in 2005 to his release on $5000 bail in September.'

Story here.

'CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Tennessee investigators say a 4-year-old boy was found roaming his neighborhood in the night, drinking beer and wearing a little girl's dress taken from under a neighbor's Christmas tree.

The child's mother, 21-year-old April Wright, tells WTVC-TV the boy "wants to go to jail because that's where his daddy is." Wright says she and the boy's father are going though a divorce.

The boy, found outside his house in Chatanooga on Tuesday, was taken to a hospital and treated for alcohol consumption.

Hamilton County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Janice Atkinson says the incident is being investigated but the department declined to release the report.'

The boy's mother says she met with child protective services and was told she will get to keep custody of her son.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (CNN) -- Brazil's high court has halted the return of a 9-year-old boy to the United States, his American father told CNN.

Thursday's ruling comes one day after a lower court unanimously upheld a decision last June by the 16th Federal Court in Rio de Janeiro, which ordered Sean Goldman returned to his home with his father, David Goldman, in New Jersey. That decision was made in accordance with the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abductions.

"It is very, very discouraging," David Goldman told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "I'm very disappointed. This ruling ... has nothing to do with the merits of the case."

It was unclear whether the high court's ruling is a permanent order or if Sean Goldman is being ordered to stay during the appeals process.'

Story here. Look everyone, another wrongly-convicted man (and hey, a black one at that!) is exonerated from a rape charge! Quel surprise! Excerpt:

'BARTOW, Fla. - James Bain used a cell phone for the first time Thursday, calling his elderly mother to tell her he had been freed after 35 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit.

Mobile devices didn't exist in 1974, the year he was sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping a 9-year-old boy and raping him in a nearby field.

Neither did the sophisticated DNA testing that officials more recently used to determine he could not have been the rapist.
...
The jury rejected Bain's story that he was home watching TV with his twin sister when the crime was committed, an alibi she repeated at a news conference last week. He was 19 when he was sentenced.

Florida last year passed a law that automatically grants former inmates found innocent $50,000 for each year they spent in prison. No legislative approval is needed. That means Bain is entitled to $1.75 million.'

An American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) task force is considering recommending circumcision for all baby boys – and Dr. Susan Blank, who chairs the task force, has described arguments in favor of circumcision based on controversial African studies as "very compelling."

Make sure they hear our side of the debate! Circumcising babies is wrong – ethically, morally, and medically.

Tell Dr. Blank that the AAP should NOT recommend infant circumcision.

Already taken action? Tell your friends, or share the campaign on social networks. And if you can, please make a donation to help us spread the word even further!

Article here. Excerpt:

'It seems crazy the amount of media attention Tiger Woods' alleged infidelity has received, especially when you consider the fact that Tiger is not alone in his indiscretions. Prevalence aside, it's always a major blow to the person who has been deceived. Tiger's wife is undoubtedly in this boat, as are millions of his fans left shocked by his behavior. The Woods scandal has occupied dinner table conversations around the country, and has once again forced us to re-evaluate the state of marriage today. Why do people cheat? What can you do to prevent it? And how can you move on if it happens to you? We spoke with M. Gary Neuman, rabbi, marriage counselor and author of The Truth About Cheating, who through his research gave insight on how to keep a healthy marriage.

Story here. Excerpt:

'Cincinnati Bengals Wide receiver, Chris Henry, is no stranger to trouble. He has been arrested several times and suspended from the NFL since he was drafted in 2005. In an effort to get his life back in order, Henry attempted to turn a new cheek, but his life at home was not that great.

A source close to the situation has exclusively told Bossip that Henry’s fiancée, Loleini Tonga has a history of domestic violence and a severe drinking problem. The source states, “I knew the next time Chris would get in trouble it would be because of that girl. She drinks all the time, they get into fights, and she has even bragged about getting into disputes with former boyfriends.”

Chris was injured after falling out the back of Tonga’s pickup truck after a heated argument. He was found on the side of the road with fatal injuries to his head. Currently homicide detectives are looking into the case. Henry and Tonga currently have two children together, and one child a piece from previous relationships.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'It had been a stressful night for the 18-year-old mother of two, who organized a party for a dozen and then saw 40 show up. Her mom didn't make it, and she was left to run Pin the Tail on the Donkey by herself.

Her outburst was the default reaction of a teenager raised in a home where violence was the accepted way of dealing with frustration. And her struggle represents the challenge of teaching a youngster how to manage the stress of motherhood and break the intergenerational cycle of violence.

Thomas is working to alter her aggressive tendencies, and help at the party came in the form of Cynthia Brown, her counselor in a parenting program.

"Shantell," Brown said, "maybe we can think about a better way to say that?"

Thomas dropped the knife to hip level and relaxed her shoulders. "OK, OK, back up, everyone," she said, her voice still tense. "Back up!"

Story here. Excerpt:

'LIDO ISLE – A Newport Beach woman was arrested today after her boyfriend's boat caught fire following a domestic dispute. According to police, Nicole MacDonald, 40, threatened her boyfriend Ian Prider, of Costa Mesa, with a knife while on his boat in Newport Beach Harbor. Prider was able to disarm her, but she is accused of setting fire to the boat while he left to call police, said Newport Beach Police Department Public Information Officer Evan Sailor.

MacDonald was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, arson, driving under the influence and child endangerment, Sailor said.

At about 2 p.m. police responded to a call about disturbing the peace involving a fight between a boyfriend and girlfriend, police Sgt. Steve Burdette said.

Shortly after, police contacted the boyfriend who told officials he'd argued with his girlfriend, officials said.

"And the next thing you know his boat is on fire," Burdette said.

Story here.

'OCEANA COUNTY — A 38-year-old Hesperia-area woman was arrested by Oceana County Sheriff’s deputies early Sunday after allegedly shooting at her husband during a domestic dispute. He was not injured.

Lt. Craig Mast said the incident occurred at the couple’s home in the 4300 block of S. 184th Avenue in Greenwood Township. He said deputies had previously responded to several domestic-related calls at the residence.

Mast said the woman fired two rounds from a .44-Magnum rifle. “We believe one round was fired into the air and the other at (the husband), who was in his vehicle,” Mast said. The 46-year-old man drove off and contacted police.

The wife was arrested and lodged in the Oceana County Jail. A warrant was pending Monday.'

Story here. Excerpt:

'The Florida Department of Children and Families is investigating the possibility that Tiger Woods and wife Elin Nordegren were involved in a domestic dispute with a weapon, RadarOnline.com is reporting.

According to police dispatch notes obtained exclusively by Radar, DCF attempted to make an in-home visit to the Woods’ residence last weekend, accompanied by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The notes use police code, and reportedly detail a domestic incident that took place in front of their young children involving a weapon, which sources say is a golf club.

DCF asked the Sheriff’s office to assist Friday. Deputies arrived at Woods’ gated community shortly after 3 p.m. and the police involvement was over shortly after 4 p.m. The report noted “negative contact,” although police involvement in the case is closed.'

Ed. note: This is dated Dec. 14, 2009, three days prior to this post's date.

This is one to watch. Will the 'unidentified' woman face the same level of investigation as a man in a similar situation? Excerpt:

'CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry has died, one day after falling out of the back of a pickup truck in what authorities described as a domestic dispute with his fiancée.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said Henry died at 6:36 a.m. ET Thursday. Henry was 26.

"We knew him in a different way than his public persona," Bengals owner Mike Brown said of the player who was suspended five times during his career. "He had worked through the troubles in his life and had finally seemingly reached the point where everything was going to blossom. And he was going to have the future we all wanted for him. It's painful to us. We feel it in our hearts, and we will miss him."

Police spokeswoman Rosalyn Harrington said homicide detectives have been assigned to the case but had no further information.'

Letter here.

'In the editorial "Work to end domestic violence must carry on 20 years later" (Dec. 8), the author writes "if young women are not aware of the prevalence of domestic violence, how do they prepare themselves for it?"

No young woman should have to "prepare" for abuse -- rather, the roots of violence against women need to be exposed through school curriculum for boys and girls that addresses sexism and healthy relationships.

The author wonders if the lessons from 20 years ago at L'Ecole Polytechnique have been learned -- if Harper's pending closure of most Status of Women Canada offices across the country is any indication, the answer is a resounding "no."

Any effective strategy to curb violence against women in our society would require that the government shift its focus from criminalizing offenders to funding feminist organizations to do research, public education and advocacy to address the systemic roots of women's inequality.

Article here. Excerpt:

'After New York state Supreme Court Justice William M. Erlbaum announced his decision on Dec. 4 to sentence a Queens' senator to three years probation for assaulting his girlfriend, women's rights groups say they are disappointed.

They are now awaiting the decision of the Senate's committee of special inquiry's investigation of the senator, hoping he will be forced from the legislature's upper house by Democratic colleagues.

Hiram Monserrate, D-Queens, was acquitted in October of felony charges which would have forced him to give up his seat in the Senate. Due to his misdemeanor conviction, he could have spent a year in prison, but received probation for assaulting his girlfriend — a move Marcia Pappas, the president of the National Organization for Women-New York state, did not agree with.

Article here. Excerpt:

'From an economic standpoint, will 2010 be the year of the woman? As part of the Roosevelt Institute's ongoing 'Feminomics' series, running on the New Deal 2.0 blog, I was asked to reflect on women's changing roles in the economy. Here's my take on how the New Deal advanced the cause of women's equality.

Earlier this year, the National Organization for Women reported that it was pleased with the way Congress and the Obama administration had approached the need to ensure that women workers benefited from the federal stimulus program. NOW played an important behind-the-scenes role in making sure that the federal dollars not only went to "shovel ready" infrastructure projects (like roads, bridges and other construction work), but also to our nation's "human infrastructure," especially those occupations -- such as nursing, teaching, and social work -- that are frequently held by women.
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