Health

For Rape Victims, Seeking Justice is Another Assault

Published

12 years ago

March 9, 2013

Bchcomber

According to Thai police, 3,169 rape cases were reported in 2012, and 1,591 arrests were made – compared to 3,771 reports and 2,290 arrests in 2011.

BANGKOK – Her employer’s brother raped her repeatedly for four months until Noi, 17, mustered the courage to press charges, but courage, she discovered, has a price.

Noi’s abuser is free on bail, and his family is threatening to kill hers. She lives like a fugitive in a shelter for abused women on the outskirts of Bangkok. When she visits her family, she must sneak in the back door and stay inside for safety.

Yet her desire for justice outweighs her fear.

A culture of silence and blaming the victim also make rape victims reluctant to come forward

“I want him to go to jail,” said Noi (not her real name), a former factory worker.

While the recent deadly gang rape in Delhi renewed calls from women’s rights activists around the world for countries to take sexual crimes seriously, rape victims like Noi struggle for justice in Thailand.

Rape laws are badly drafted or weakly enforced. Police and judges are insensitive, poorly trained and sometimes corrupt.

In a culture that objectifies and commodifies women, society tends to blame rape victims, posing serious barriers for women who are sexually assaulted.

A FRACTION OF CASES

It’s hard to say how many rapes occur in Thailand in part because society does not want to know, according to Kritaya Archavanitkul, an associate professor at the Institute for Population and Social Research at Mahidol University.

“Nobody would like to invest in that kind of budget because it’s very difficult to design a questionnaire when we have a culture of silence (on rape)”

According to Thai police, 3,169 rape cases were reported in 2012, and 1,591 arrests were made – compared to 3,771 reports and 2,290 arrests in 2011.

Perhaps more accurate, the Public Health Ministry’s One Stop Crisis Center – a network at hospitals to assist women and children – in 2011 tallied about 10,000 sexual assaults and nearly 22,000 cases of violence against women and girls.

Kritaya believes the police figures represent only 5 percent of rapes in Thailand. She helped conduct a 2007 survey on sexual behavior, in which 4 percent of Thai women described their first sexual experience as forced.

Other studies show an acceptance of violence. In 2010, more than 60 percent of Thais thought it justifiable for a man to beat his wife, higher than Indonesia (less than 20 percent) and India (about 40 percent), a U.N. report showed.

CASH COMPENSATION

Thailand reformed its rape law in 2007, expanding the definition of rape to cover victims of all sexes and all types of sexual penetration, and recognizing rape within marriage as a crime.

In Thailand if a rape happens in private and does not result in physical injuries, then authorities do not have to investigate unless the victim complains

Female rape victims were recently given the right to be interviewed by female police officers, but there are only 150 female police investigators – with an additional 70 in coming months – in a country where half of the 69 million people are women and girls.

Compounding these challenges, Thai rape laws run contrary to international standards, said Leah Hoctor, legal advisor for the International Commission of Jurists and an author for a 2012 report on women’s access to justice in Thailand.

Under international law, Hoctor said, “no matter where it happens or in what context, when it’s brought to your attention and someone indicated that it has happened, then you, as the state, have the obligation to investigate and prosecute it.”

However, in Thailand if a rape happens in private and does not result in physical injuries, then authorities do not have to investigate unless the victim complains.

As such, police often do not take rape complaints seriously. Perpetrators can settle the case for as low as 20,000 baht ($670), activists say, and the perpetrator sometimes even offers marriage as settlement.

“Our culture has this view that a woman’s body has a price attached,” said Naiyana Supapueng, a former commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission who heads the Teeranat Kanjanauaksorn Foundation, working on human rights and gender equality.

“When you marry someone, there is dowry involved. We see (women’s bodies) as a commodity.”

NO STRUGGLE MEANS NO RAPE

Activists say police encourage victims older than 15 to settle by pointing out the difficulty of proving the perpetrator’s guilt, the need to be in court to testify, and the amount of time a court battle could take.

Anchulee Theerawongpaisarn, a police spokesperson, told TrustLaw that police do not make compromises in rape cases and all are sent to court.

Penalties for rape in Thailand range from a fine of up to 40,000 baht ($1,340) to life imprisonment or the death penalty.

Courts often look for evidence the victim fought off the accused.

However, many cases involve threats and intimidation by someone with authority, so although a woman may not struggle, that does not mean she consents, Hoctor said.

Evidence of the victim’s background, sexual history or sexual relationship with the perpetrator – inadmissible in many countries – are often used in Thai courts to undermine a victim’s credibility, she added.

Some blame the overwhelmingly male government for the discrimination.

While Thailand has a female prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, in 2010, women represented only 13 percent of the lower house of parliament, and 6 percent of judges, said the U.N.

BLAMING VICTIMS

A culture of silence and blaming the victim also make rape victims reluctant to come forward.

“The silence culture is very deep-rooted in Thai society because if anyone wants to complain and take the case to court, the cost they have to pay is very high,” said Mahidol’s Kritaya.

She recounted a case in which a rape victim who went public a decade ago lost her job, her boyfriend and ultimately, her surname, because her relatives said she had sullied the family name.

“Thai people are very black and white about who is a good woman and who is bad,” said Usa Lerdsrisuntad, programme director for Foundation for Women.

In several cases, authorities and the media cast doubt on rape victims by saying that they acted indecently and were merely actors to consensual sex.

Last year, a senior Thai police officer suggested that a foreign tourist might not have been raped as she claimed because she went to dinner with the accused.

Rape prevention, Usa said, is always about telling the women to dress or behave properly, and never about telling men to change their behaviour.

“Once (a rape) happens, women are always questioned first: ‘Why did you go home late? Why did you stay in the office alone with him?’” – By Thin Lei Win

Health

Report Causes Pfizer Stock to Climb Approximately $1 Billion Acquired by Starboard

Published

2 months ago

October 7, 2024

Salman

(VOR News) – According to a rumor that activist investor Pfizer Starboard Value has taken a holding in the struggling pharmaceutical business that is expected to be worth around one billion dollars, the stock of Pfizer (PFE) is on the increase in premarket trading on Monday.

This comes after the report was made public. The report was made available to the general public following this. Starboard Value was successful in moving forward with the acquisition of the position.

Starboard is said to have approached Ian Read, a former chief executive officer of Pfizer, and Frank D’Amelio, a former chief financial officer, in order to seek assistance with its goals of boosting the performance of the company, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read and D’Amelio are both former Pfizer executives.

The purpose of this is to facilitate the accomplishment of its objectives, which include enhancing the overall performance of the firm.

In their previous jobs, D’Amelio and Read were chief financial officers.

It is stated in the report that the hedge fund is of the opinion that Pfizer, which is currently being managed by Albert Bourla, who succeeded Read as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2019, does not demonstrate the same level of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) discipline that Read did. Bourla took over for Read in 2019. Read was succeeded by Bourla in the year 2019.

Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate, has made substantial investments in the acquisition of more companies that are involved in the research and development of cancer medicines.

These businesses have been acquired for billions of dollars. The biotechnology company Seagen, which was acquired by Pfizer in the previous year for a price of $43 billion, is included in this category. One of the businesses that can be classified as belonging to this category is Seagen.

In spite of the fact that the S&P 500 Index experienced a 21% increase in 2024.

No major trading occurred in Pfizer stock that year.

Due to the fact that the demand for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines fell after the firm reached its pandemic peak in 2021, the share price of the corporation has decreased by over fifty percent since that time.

This drop has occurred ever since the company’s shares reached their maximum peak, which was during the time that this decline occurred. Not only have they not changed at all, but they have also remained essentially stable. This is in contrast to the S&P 500, which has gained 21% since the beginning of this year.

Recently, the corporation was forced to take a hit when it decided to recall all of the sickle cell illness medications that it had distributed all over the world.

Fears that the prescription could lead patients to experience severe agony and possibly even death were the impetus for the decision to recall the product. In spite of the fact that Pfizer’s stock is increasing by almost three percent as a result of the news that followed the company’s decision, this is the circumstance that has come about.

SOURCE: IPN

Health

New Study Reveals Drinking Soda Pop Increases the Risk of Stroke

Published

2 months ago

October 6, 2024

VORNews

If you drink too much soda, fruit juice and coffee, beware!

A recent report from global research indicates that excessive consumption of coffee or soda pop is associated with an increased risk of stroke, although the intake of black and green tea is correlated with a reduced risk. Excessive consumption of soda pop or coffee warrants caution!

Recent research indicates that it may substantially elevate the risk of stroke.

Consuming four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke, according to studies, although ingesting 3-4 cups of black or green tea daily typically offers protection against stroke. Additionally, consume more coffee; it may reduce your risk of mortality.

Recent findings from global research studies co-led by the University of Galway and McMaster University, alongside an international consortium of stroke researchers, indicate that soda, encompassing both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened variants such as diet or zero sugar, is associated with a 22 percent heightened risk of stroke. The risk escalated significantly with the consumption of two or more of these beverages daily.

Stroke Risk Fizzy Drinks and Soda Pop

The correlation between fizzy drinks consumption and stroke risk was most pronounced in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Women exhibit the most elevated risk of stroke from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage) associated with fruit juice beverages. Consuming over 7 cups of water daily diminishes the likelihood of stroke due to a clot.

Researchers observed that numerous items advertised as fruit juice are derived from concentrates and have added sugars and preservatives, potentially negating the advantages often associated with fresh fruit and instead elevating stroke risk.

Fruit juice beverages were associated with a 37 percent heightened risk of stroke resulting from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage). Consuming two of these beverages daily increases the risk thrice.

Consuming over four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke by 37 percent, although lower consumption levels do not correlate with stroke risk. Conversely, tea consumption was associated with an 18-20 percent reduction in stroke risk. Additionally, consuming 3-4 cups daily of black tea, such as Breakfast and Earl Grey varieties, excluding green and herbal teas, was associated with a 29 percent reduced risk of stroke.

Consuming 3-4 cups of green tea daily was associated with a 27 percent reduction in stroke risk. Notably, the addition of milk may diminish or inhibit the advantageous effects of antioxidants present in tea. The lower risk of stroke associated with tea consumption was negated for individuals who added milk.

Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational reasons and should not be considered a replacement for professional medical counsel. Consistently consult your physician regarding any inquiries pertaining to a medical problem.

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Health

Following a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, What Else Should You Know?

Published

2 months ago

October 5, 2024

Salman

(VOR News) – Even though breast cancer affects one in eight American women, receiving a diagnosis can make a woman feel isolated.

Experts in breast cancer from the American College of Physicians (ACS) advise patients on how to manage their disease so that they may better cope with this awful information.

First, the kind and stage of breast cancer dictates the course of your care.

In addition to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, there are various surgical options available for the treatment of breast cancer.

Women of African descent are disproportionately affected by triple-negative breast cancer, an extremely aggressive form of the disease that has never proven easy to treat.

According to the American Cancer Society, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an immunotherapy, has been shown to be helpful when combined with chemotherapy and is currently the recommended course of treatment for certain combinations of triple-negative breast cancer.

In her presentation, Dr. Katharine Yao said, “It’s really important that the patient and physician discuss the patient’s preferences and values when deciding what type of treatment to pursue and that they have an honest, individualized discussion with their care team.”

She is currently responsible for developing breast cancer treatment recommendations for more than 575 hospitals and institutions nationwide in her role as chair of the American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Institutions (NAPBC).

Yao, vice chair of research at Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals in New York, pointed out that each decision made about a patient’s treatment plan should take her preferences and diagnosis into consideration.

She ought to think about whether she would prefer a mastectomy—a surgical procedure that involves removing the entire breast with or without reconstruction—or a lumpectomy, which involves a surgical procedure that spares part of the breast tissue.

She stated that “the breast cancer you have may be very different from the breast cancer you hear about in your neighbor, colleague, or friend” in a press release issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

“Consider that while discussing breast cancer with others.”

Throughout your journey, it is critical that you look after your emotional health because having breast cancer may have a detrimental impact on your mental health.

“Getting a cancer diagnosis does not mean that everything in your life stops to be normal.” Director of the Fellowship in the Diseases of the Breast program at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas and state head of the American Cancer Society Commission on Cancer for Arkansas, Dr. Daniela Ochoa She thinks adding the burden of a cancer diagnosis and treatment to all the other pressures in life may be taxing.

“Managing stress and emotional health is vital component of a treatment plan.”

Ochoa recommends clinically trained psychologists and social workers who have assisted people in coping with cancer to anyone receiving treatment. Learning coping techniques might also be facilitated by joining cancer support groups or cancer wellness initiatives.

Breast cancer specialists say your care team is crucial.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) defines comprehensive care as having support at every stage of the procedure from surgeons, oncologists, patient navigators, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other specialists.

After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, women should see a surgeon or medical oncologist to explore their options; nevertheless, treatment shouldn’t be discontinued after just one appointment or after surgery is over.

Additionally, you can ask trustworthy friends or family members to accompany you to appointments and aid you with research or notes. They could serve as a network of support for you.

Yao stated in his talk that “one of the most important things is that patients should search out a team they have confidence in, that they trust will have their back when they need it, and a team they feel they can get access to and that will help them when they are in need.”

SOURCE: MP