Brooklyn hospital illegally charged rape survivors for rape kits, sparking statewide A.G. investigation
FORT GREENE, Brooklyn — When a woman or man is sexually assaulted and then undergoes the administration of a rape kit — a lab test that collects DNA evidence that identifies the attacker — the procedure is free of charge, by law.
That law was violated by The Brooklyn Hospital Center for at least two years, affecting many dozens of women, according to an investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office. It’s now probing to see if other hospitals across the state may have made the same violation by billing survivors repeatedly for rape kit administration.
“To seek that care and then have those essential services billed, and then keep getting that reminder of that time and that assault, it’s unconscionable,” said Josie Torielli, assistant director of the New York Alliance Against Sexual Assault.
Her organization received a complaint earlier this year from a woman who had survived a sex assault in 2016 and had a rape kit administered at Brooklyn Hospital.
“After her visit, she was billed seven different times for her rape kit,” said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on Tuesday.
When the woman contacted the New York Alliance Against Sexual Assault, it enlisted the help of the state’s Office of Victims’ Services. It, in turn, contacted the hospital, which assured the state agency that it would stop billing the woman for the rape kit administration. It did not.
Not only that, said Attorney General Schneiderman, “When she didn’t pay the bill, they actually sent it to a collection agency. This is intolerable conduct.”
The average cost of a rape kit, including ones administered at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, according to the attorney general’s office, is $900.
“Nine hundred dollars?” exclaimed Syltasha Coby, a local resident, when told about this news. “For people to get charged, and they’re a victim, I think that’s unfair, to be honest.”
She was not the only person outraged.
“Us women, we’ve gotta suffer,” said an outraged Tarina Wyatt, a general patient at Brooklyn Hospital. “It’s just not fair.”
Eighty-five women were illegally billed for rape kits by the hospital between mid 2015 and early 2017, according to the attorney general’s investigation. Now, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, in a settlement with the state, will have to reimburse those women, with interest, and pay a $15,000 fine. No criminality was found in the case, Schneiderman said.
For its part, The Brooklyn Hospital Center issued a statement, that read, in part:
“The State Attorney General’s office brought this issue to the hospital’s attention in February 2017. We deeply regret the inadvertent breakdown in our billing processes related to sexual assault victims.
“We appreciate the efforts of the Attorney General’s office and thank them for their collaboration and advocacy. Working closely and transparently with their office, the hospital designed interdisciplinary processes and protocols to ensure that these billing issues do not occur again and to reflect not only our compliance with the law, but also our longstanding commitment to victims of sexual assault.”
Still, the case raises further questions, according to Attorney General Schneiderman.
“Our investigation into this issue has only just begun,” he said at a news conference Tuesday morning. “Today, we’re sending letters to other hospitals across the state, seeking billing data and other information on their policies and procedures in this area.”
Schneiderman said that his office is strongly interested in hearing from anyone who may have ever been billed for a rape kit. His hotline number is 800.428.9071, or online contact can be made here.
Rev. Al Sharpton visits Meek Mill in prison, says rapper represents victims of the justice system
PHILADELPHIA — Rev. Al Sharpton said a broken criminal justice system is responsible for Meek Mill’s imprisonment and called Monday for the judge who sentenced the rapper to reconsider or step aside.
Sharpton said he met with the 30-year-old musician in a Pennsylvania prison and told reporters outside the facility that Mill has become a symbol for the thousands of people who have been “victimized by abusive probationary and parole systems.”
“He’s representative of many people in institutions like this that do little or nothing, they’re violated and their lives, their businesses are ruined,” Sharpton said.
Mill was sentenced this month to two to four years in prison for violating probation on a roughly decade-old gun and drug case. The ruling came after both Mill’s probation officer and a prosecutor recommended that the Philadelphia-native not be jailed.
Before sentencing Mill, Common Pleas Judge Genece Brinkley said he wasted several chances to clean up his act after his original conviction. She cited a failed drug test, his failure to comply with a court order restricting his travel and two unrelated arrests before giving her ruling.
“You basically thumbed your nose at me,” she said.
The decision to imprison Mill has been criticized as heavy handed and has attracted attention through rallies, newspaper opinion pieces, billboards and buses in Philadelphia carrying the message “Stand With Meek Mill.”
Mill’s legal team has asked for his release and for the judge who sentenced him to be recused from the case.
British Actress Accuses Harvey Weinstein of Sex Trafficking in Lawsuit
Kadian Noble revealed her encounter with the disgraced mogul to CBS News, alleging he sexually assaulted her in a bathroom.
Another layer into the Harvey Weinstein scandal continues to unfold. British actress Kadian Noble has filed a civil suit alleging that the mogul sexually assaulted her during the 2014 Cannes Film Festival in France.
Sharing similar sentiments as other Weinstein accusers, Noble told CBS News that Weinstein lured her into his hotel room, promising a movie role, and also claimed in her suit that the mogul “recruits, solicits and entices young female actresses.”
“I still can hear the rattle from his belt, like him undoing his belt while he had grip of me,” Noble recalled, revealing that she was forced into a hotel bathroom, where Weinstein sexually assaulted her.
Noble said Weinstein approached her during the film festival and invited her to his room to watch her audition reel, only to begin allegedly assaulting her. “It seemed like it went on forever and he basically took, just completely touched me inappropriately and got me to put — force my hand in places,” she recalled.
The actress is now suing The Weinstein Co. for damages from the assault, with Noble alleging that Weinstein told her, “Everything will be taken care of for you if you relax,” after attempting to fight back against the mogul. The federal lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, also claims that Weinstein took part in sex-trafficking, as he traveled between the U.S., London and France, where the assault occurred.
“Harvey was a legend. He was someone that I thought was going to make my dream a reality,” Noble said of her former thoughts of the mogul. The actress explained that she still harbors dark remnants from the attack and now feels like a different person.
“I’m not the same person, you know. I’ve had to have counseling. Just so much. But I’ve had to keep it to myself. I’ve kept it to myself,” Noble said, visibly emotional.
“Harvey wasn’t acting alone,” said Noble’s attorney Jeff Herman. “Harvey wasn’t allowed and enabled to do what he did to Kadian and other women without help.” A day prior, Herman told NBC’s Today he filed the suit under the federal sex trafficking law because he believes the alleged act falls within the statute. “The benefit of filing under this federal law is that it allows us to bring a claim in the United States for an assault that occurred overseas and it has a 10-year statute of limitations,” he said.
Weinstein has denied all allegations from the multiple accusers alleging the mogul sexually assaulted them, and a spokesman denied Noble’s claims.
Herman, a Florida-based attorney, also represents Weinstein accuser Dominique Huett, who accused the mogul of forcibly performing oral sex on her and is suing TWC for negligence for allegedly enabling his behavior.
Weinstein is currently under investigation by the Los Angeles, New York, London and Park City, Utah, police.
Article via: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/british-actress-accuses-harvey-weinstein-sex-trafficking-lawsuit-1062125
‘Celebrity’ elephant crushes owner to death in Thailand
Incident involving five-tonne elephant that has starred in films and commercials prompts fresh debate over use of animals in tourism
An elephant that has starred in feature films and commercials has crushed its owner to death in Thailand, zoo officials say, setting off fresh debate over the kingdom’s animal tourism industry.
With a mahout, or handler, on his back, Ekasit took a few steps before reversing course and attacking 54-year-old Somsak, who was on the ground.
“The elephant suddenly turned back and used his trunk to grab the victim. Then the elephant used his trunk to crush him,” Wuthichai Muangman, acting director of Chiang Mai zoo, told AFP.
The 32-year-old animal was being temporarily housed at the zoo under a contract due to expire in April.
Thailand is notorious for an elephant tourism trade, with the animals performing in circuses, giving rides, or being hired out for other forms of entertainment.
A July report by World Animal Protection found that twice as many elephants were pushed into Thailand’s tourism industry as in the rest of Asia combined, with most kept in “severely inadequate conditions”.
Out of 2,923 elephants documented as working in Asia’s tourism trade, 2,198 were in Thailand. Wuthichai said Chiang Mai zoo did not hold elephant shows but allowed tourists to feed the animals.
The animal rights campaign group Peta said that while the keeper’s death was a tragedy, it illustrated the potentially violent consequences of keeping elephants confined.
“Is it any wonder that some of these gentle animals eventually become fed up and fight back after being chained while confined to small enclosures that are a fraction of the size of their natural habitats?” a statement said.
Article via: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/28/celebrity-elephant-crushes-owner-to-death-in-thailand
10-year-old crashes truck into home, reportedly tells police ‘I wanted to kill people’
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Police are investigating after a 10-year-old girl crashed into a home in Kentucky and allegedly told police she “wanted to kill people,” according to WDRB.
Homeowner Joshua Pate had just returned home from work on Friday when the crash happened. Five children were in the living room when the crash happened. He said the couch likely saved their lives.
“The loveseat slid around and made kind of like a barrier … the back of it is kind of high and I think the kids just slid with the loveseat,” Pate said.
Pate told WDRB he overheard the 10-year-old driver talking to police after the crash.
“(The officer) couldn’t believe what she said. He was like ‘excuse me?’ and she said, ‘I wanted to kill people,’ and he said ‘I’m sorry, what did you say?’ and she said, ‘I wanted to kill people,” Pate said.
Pate said they plan to take legal action against the girl’s family, according to WDRB.
Police are still investigating the incident.
Man has 200 coins, 100 nails and glass pieces removed from stomach
An Indian man complaining of stomach pains was found to have approximately 15 pounds of foreign metal objects in his stomach.
Maksud Khan of Satna, Madhya Pradesh in India, arrived at the hospital experiencing stomach pains that doctors presumed was food poisoning, but an endoscopy revealed the cause to be metal objects.
Those objects — 236 coins, 100 nails, dozens of razor blades, a 6-inch piece of a rusted iron shackle, four needles, and a few glasses pieces — were found in the man’s stomach.
Priyank Sharma, who led the surgical team, told International Business Times, “We were shocked to discover coins, nails and nut-bolts in his stomach. We come across such a case for the first in our career.” Khan’s relatives said he was suffering from depression, which may have triggered the habit.
“Usually, people start eating abnormal things under certain psychological conditions. He had been eating metal for a year but did not tell anyone,” A.P.S. Geharwar, head of surgery, told Times of India.
Another doctor said the condition was caught in the nick of time. “Some of the nails lodged had pierced his stomach, caused bleeding and resulting in loss of hemoglobin,” the doctor told International Business Times.
Doctors said Khan was in stable condition, with no lasting damage to his internal organs and a promise from Khan that he wouldn’t do it again.
A 2010 study looked at 33 adult patients who were responsible for 305 cases of medical intervention because they ingested foreign objects, including batteries, knives and razor blades.
Youth pastor allegedly kills family on Thanksgiving
CHESTER, Va. —A man was arrested after police say he shot and killed his wife, her daughter, and the daughter’s boyfriend in their home Thanksgiving night.
Chesterfield County Police were called to the home around 11:30 p.m. When they arrived, police found 58-year-old Jeanett Gattis, her daughter, 30-year-old Candice Kunze; and Kunze’s boyfriend, 36-year-old Andrew Buthorn, dead of gunshot wounds, police said.
Chesterfield County Police said in a statement that officers were called to the home in Chester late Thursday for a reported alarm. Officers found 58-year-old Jeanett Gattis; her daughter, 30-year-old Candice Kunze; and Kunze’s boyfriend, 36-year-old Andrew Buthorn, dead of gunshot wounds.
Authorities found Jeanett Gattis’ husband, 58-year-old Christopher R. Gattis, at the scene and arrested him.
Gattis was a youth pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, where he served as a ministries coordinator for high school and middle school students, the NY Post reported.
Gattis is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and is being held without bond. Police described the crimes as domestic-related.
Online court records don’t list a lawyer for him.
It is not yet known as to why Gattis shot his family. Investigation is ongoing.
PIX11 News contributed to this report.
via: http://pix11.com/2017/11/25/youth-pastor-allegedly-kills-family-on-thanksgiving/
Newborn found dead in bag under porch; mother charged
NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Police say a 23-year-old woman left her dead newborn child in a bag under the porch of her father’s Pennsylvania home.
Authorities say Brittany Robinson was charged Sunday with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of a child.
Police say they believe the baby was born alive. An autopsy is set for Monday night to determine the exact cause of death.
Authorities say Robinson’s father was hanging up Christmas lights Sunday afternoon when he found the infant in the crawlspace of his Shenango Township home.
Robinson went a hospital Sunday for treatment related to childbirth. She was discharged early Monday morning and immediately taken into custody.
No attorney information is available.
via: http://pix11.com/2017/11/27/newborn-found-dead-in-bag-under-porch-mother-charged/
Calaveras County Man Arrested After Refusing to Explain Why He Had Human Skull in Trunk of Vehicle
A Calaveras County man was arrested last week after refusing to explain why he had a human skull in the trunk of his car, officials said.
An Angels Camp police officer pulled over a vehicle after the driver failed to stop at a stop sign about 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 23, according to the a news release.
Joshua Davis, 41, of Murphys, California, was apparently in the passenger seat, but had previously been driving the vehicle, police said, and he refused to identify himself.
The officer noticed that Davis’ driving privileges had been suspended and eventually found methamphetamine behind the fuel door of the vehicle and a human skull in a bag in the trunk.
Davis was arrested on suspicion of violating his probation, driving on a suspended license, possession of meth and disturbing or removing human remains.
No further details about the incident were released.
The Calaveras County Coroner’s Office took the skull and will be investigating the identity of the person along with where the skull came from.
Woman thought she was buying an iPhone 6, got a box of potatoes instead
A woman claims to have been ‘tricked’ after buying an iPhone 6 in a Black Friday deal and somehow getting a box of potatoes instead.
In a viral video originally posted on LiveLeak, the unknown woman says she saw a black truck with balloons and Black Friday posters driving around her neighborhood in Milwaukee.
She says the vehicle was filled with gadgets, clothes and accessories, and she thought she’d struck a bargain when the driver agreed to sell her the phone for just $100 – around £80. But when she got home, she says she was horrified to find she’d been swindled and the box was actually filled with 11 chopped pieces of potato.“They have everything you could name: clothes, shoes, watches, purse, bundles of hair, DVDs, CDs – everything – phones, laptops,” she says on the video, which has been viewed more than 60,000 times.
“So I ask the guy about the iPhone 6 and he’s like, ‘Ah yeah, today, I will give it to you for $100.’
“He hands me an iPhone 6, I’m playing with it, turning it around, checking it.
“I ask him to call the phone and he showed me the number and I’m like, ‘Cool, it’s legit. It’s ringing. It’s working. I want it.’
“Right? Wrong. He turns around and puts the phone in the box with a piece of paper, he hands it to me, I hand him the money, I get in my car and drive home.
“I sit at my kitchen table about to play with the phone… The box is heavy, and I get home, and this n****r sold me a box of potatoes!”
And to add apparent insult to apparent injury, the scammer packed an Android charger in the box with the potatoes.
“What the heck am I supposed to do with this?” the woman yelled on the video.
“I am so hurt right now imma have to go to jail, imma go outside and imma find these old n*****s. What am I supposed to do with – oh you almost made me cuss.”
It is unknown what device the woman used to film the evidence of her apparent scam before it was uploaded to LiveLeak.
UK consumer watchdog Which? said to get the best deals on Black Friday, shoppers had to prepare thoroughly, research products beforehand and be wary of unusual brands.