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Lawmakers move to address U.S. military sex assault problem

By David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers frustrated by a spate of high-profile military sexual assault cases unveiled draft proposals in the House of Representatives on Tuesday to crack down on the crime, but they stopped short the kind of overhaul sought by some officials. The Republican-led personnel panel of the House Armed Services Committee proposed additions to the annual defense policy bill that would impose tougher penalties on people who commit sex crimes and would ensure better treatment for victims.

Thousands protest after gay man's murder in Manhattan

Thousands of New Yorkers -- including mayoral candidate Christine Quinn -- marched Monday to protest the shooting death of a gay man in the neighborhood that was the cradle of the modern US gay rights movement. "Homophobia's got to go," protesters chanted as they rallied waving signs to honor the memory of "the gay angel Mark Carson" and "hate no, gun control yes." Mark Carson, 32, was killed with a bullet to the head Friday night in Greenwich Village, allegedly by a 33-year-old man who shouted homophobic slurs at him and also threatened to kill the friend walking with him.

Protest planned after gay man murdered in Manhattan

New Yorkers -- including mayoral candidate Christine Quinn -- planned a rally Monday to protest the shooting death of a gay man in the neighborhood that was the cradle of the modern US gay rights movement. Mark Carson, 32, was killed with a bullet to the head Friday night in Greenwich Village, allegedly by a 33-year-old man who shouted homophobic slurs at him and also threatened to kill the friend walking with him. "You want to die tonight?" was among the cries from suspect, Elliot Morales, according to witnesses.

Most gays in Europe still afraid to show sexuality

Two-thirds of Europe's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are still afraid to show their sexuality in public and a quarter have been victims of physical or verbal attacks, an EU report said Friday, the International Day Against Homophobia. "Fear, isolation and discrimination are everyday phenomena for the LGBT community in Europe," the director of the European Union's Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Morten Kjaerum, wrote in the report.

Obama: sex assaults in military harm national security

President Barack Obama warned Thursday that a spate of sexual assaults in the military endangered US national security and vowed to do everything possible to fix the problem. Obama promised to act as he met Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, the highest ranking US military officer Army General Martin Dempsey, and the civilian and military bosses of each branch of the US military. The president said that the US military's strength lay in trust, teamwork and discipline.

Pentagon pledges action after latest sex assault charge

The US military vowed Wednesday to address a wave of sexual assault cases after a soldier who worked in a rape prevention program was accused of forcing a subordinate into prostitution. The latest revelation marked the second time in a week that a member of the military assigned to work in its sexual assault prevention program had been placed under investigation for alleged sexual crimes.

Russian man tortured to death for 'being gay'

A 23-year-old man has been tortured to death in Russia in an apparent homophobic attack, investigators said Sunday, amid growing fears by rights groups that anti-gay sentiments are on the rise in the country. The victim's battered and naked body was found in the courtyard of an apartment building in the southern city of Volgograd on Friday morning, said a spokeswoman for regional investigators. The young man had suffered numerous injuries, including to the genitalia, and had been sodomised with several beer bottles.

Pentagon report shows big jump in sex crimes in military

By David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration expressed outrage about a recent high-profile Air Force groping scandal on Tuesday as the Pentagon released a study estimating that the number of sex crimes involving military personnel soared 37 percent last year.

Most sexual assault victims lack confidence in cops, courts, Justice survey says

HALIFAX - A majority of sexual assault victims have little to no confidence in the police, the courts or the criminal justice system, according to a new government survey that echoes what advocates have been saying for years. The responses in the Justice Canada survey indicate that two-thirds of the men and women who took part had no faith in the justice system, the process of filing a complaint against their abuser and the prospect of seeing a conviction.

Short skirts a no-no in conservative India

Women attending the Asian Development Bank's annual meeting in New Delhi have been advised to avoid wearing short skirts since they could lead to sexual harassment, according to a website notice Thursday. The Manila-based ADB, whose board of governors is meeting this weekend in the Indian capital to discuss the global economy, advised delegates from nearly 70 countries to dress modestly in the sexually conservative nation.
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