rape

Read recent rape news stories, accusations, and cases on Newser.com

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Man Who Tried to Rape 7-Year-Old Agrees to Castration

Louisiana's Thomas Allen McCartney takes plea deal, agrees to be castrated

(Newser) - A Louisiana man who admitted he tried to rape a young child has agreed to be physically and chemically castrated. KPLC reports that 37-year-old Thomas Allen McCartney acquiesced to the procedure as part of a plea deal, which also includes his acceptance of a 40-year sentence in state prison, according...

Kevin Costner: Rape Scene Lawsuit a 'Bold-Faced Lie'

Actor, director files legal declaration in case regarding Horizon sequel

(Newser) - Kevin Costner is speaking out strongly against the lawsuit filed by a stunt performer on his Horizon sequel, who alleges she was made to participate in an unscripted rape scene without the required notice or consent, and without an intimacy coordinator present. In a legal declaration cited by outlets including...

Norwegian Royal's Son Hit With 32 Charges, Including Rape

Trial is expected next year for Marius Borg Hoiby

(Newser) - Marius Borg Hoiby, the son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, is facing a lengthy list of criminal charges, including four counts of rape, Norwegian prosecutors announced on Monday. Hoiby, 28, who doesn't hold a royal title or a place in the...

Man Who Faked His Death to Avoid Rape Charges Is Guilty

Nicholas Rossi faces another rape trial next month

(Newser) - A Rhode Island man accused of faking his death and fleeing the United States to evade rape charges was found guilty Wednesday of sexually assaulting a former girlfriend in his first of two Utah trials, the AP reports. A jury in Salt Lake County found Nicholas Rossi guilty of a...

Sharpe, ESPN Go Separate Ways After Rape Suit Settled

Analyst had taken a break in April, originally said he planned to return for NFL preseason

(Newser) - Shannon Sharpe had planned to return from his break at ESPN during the NFL preseason, but that will not come to pass. Sources tell the AP and the Athletic that the sports network has parted ways with the 57-year-old NFL Hall of Famer less than two weeks after he settled...

Rising Film Star in UK Charged With Rape

Eddington 's Micheael Ward is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in January 2023

(Newser) - British actor Micheal Ward has been charged with rape and sexual assault, police said Friday. The Metropolitan Police force said the 27-year-old faces two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The charges relate to one woman, and the offenses reportedly took place in January 2023, per the...

'Vile and Depraved' UK Serial Rapist Sentenced

More than 20 other women came forward after Zhenhao Zou's conviction

(Newser) - A man believed to be one of the worst serial rapists in British history has been given a life sentence for crimes that police say were "vile and depraved." Zhenhao Zou, a 28-year-old former PhD student from China, was convicted earlier this year of raping 10 women—seven...

Weinstein: I 'Acted Immorally' but Didn't Break the Law

In rare new interview, disgraced movie mogul says he has 'regrets' over his actions

(Newser) - No verdict was returned on Friday in Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes retrial , meaning juror deliberations will pick up again on Monday. In the meantime, the disgraced movie mogul and already-convicted sex offender granted a rare interview that aired on Friday, explaining some of his "regrets," per Variety...

As Weinstein Accuser Left the Stand, a Look, Then 'Gurgling'

Disgraced movie mogul's medical episode came after Jessica Mann demanded he look at her

(Newser) - Taking the stand in Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault retrial in New York on Monday, former actor Jessica Mann recounted the alleged 2013 rape for which the movie mogul is charged, noting he held a hotel room door shut to prevent her from leaving. On Tuesday, she returned to the...

Smokey Robinson Now Is Under Criminal Investigation

Lawyers for Motown star says he'll cooperate, as do lawyers for women who accuse him of rape

(Newser) - After being accused of rape in a lawsuit, Smokey Robinson now is under criminal investigation. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department made the announcement Thursday, saying the investigation is in its early stages, NBC News reports. Lawyers for the four former housekeepers who sued Robinson said the women welcome...

At Weinstein Trial, Judge Uses Gavel for First Time in 13 Years

'He was the one who raped me ... He did that': accuser, in contentious spat with defense lawyer

(Newser) - One of Harvey Weinstein's accusers broke down in tears and cursed on the witness stand on Friday as a defense lawyer questioned her account of the former Hollywood mogul forcing oral sex on her nearly two decades ago. "He was the one who raped me, not the other...

He May Be One of America's 'Most Prolific Serial Rapists'

Ronan Farrow investigates how Sean Williams stayed free for so long in Johnson City, Tennessee

(Newser) - A man named Sean Williams is currently serving a long prison sentence in Tennessee for the production of child pornography, but the 53-year-old's legal troubles might increase in a big way. "The number of allegations against Williams may make him one of the most prolific serial rapists in...

Russell Brand Is Charged With Rape
Russell Brand
Is Charged With Rape
Apr 4, 2025 8:43 AM CDT

Russell Brand Is Charged With Rape

London police allege attacks on 4 women going back to 1999

(Newser) - Actor and comedian Russell Brand has been charged with rape and sexual assault in London over alleged attacks on four different women between 1999 and 2005, reports the BBC . The 49-year-old faces five separate counts ranging from indecent assault to rape, per Deadline . Allegations surfaced against Brand in 2023 following...

After His Rape Conviction, 23 More Women Came Forward

Police in London say Zhenhao Zou could be one of the 'most prolific' serial rapists they've seen

(Newser) - A Chinese student at one of the UK's top universities raped dozens of women, some of whom may not know it, police say. Investigators say 28-year-old Zhenhao Zou preyed on fellow Chinese students in Britain, luring them to his apartments in London and China and giving them drinks laced...

Ex-Lawmaker Who Went Abroad for Sex With Boys Gets 10 Years

Ex-ND state Sen. Ray Holmberg is sentenced for more than a dozen trips to Czech Republic

(Newser) - Ray Holmberg is headed to federal prison. The former North Dakota state senator has been sentenced to 10 years behind bars after pleading guilty to traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct—specifically with underage boys, according to prosecutors. The North Dakota Monitor reports that the 81-year-old's...

Fire, Fury Follow Death of 8-Year-Old Rape Victim

Protesters in Bangladesh demand systemic change, death for perpetrators

(Newser) - An 8-year-old Bangladeshi rape victim died of her injuries Thursday, adding to nationwide protests calling for systemic change to address gender-based violence. The case has "sent shockwaves through the nation and raised pressing questions about the safety of women and children" in the country, writes Mohammad Al-Masum Molla at...

Safety on Dating Apps: It's 'Going to Get Worse'

Critics say Match's platforms promise security for women, but that that's just 'safety theater'

(Newser) - Match Group has a problem: The parent of Match.com, Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid, and other dating apps has abusive users it's known about for years but has kept under wraps. That's per the Guardian , which centers on Stephen Matthews, a doctor serving a 158-year prison sentence for sexually...

City Goes After Rape Victim for Harassment
City Goes After
Rape Victim for Harassment
LONGFORM
Feb 16, 2025 8:01 AM CST

City Goes After Rape Victim for Harassment

Sharilyn Lux says Washington state's Snoqualmie mishandled her case; city says she's been harassing them

(Newser) - It's not unusual for victims of sexual assault to see their cases vanish into the ether, with unsolved cases caught in an often apathetic legal system. Sharilyn Lux's battle with the Seattle suburb of Snoqualmie, however, takes this kind of case further, as described by Kelsey Turner in...

Accuser Drops Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Diddy, Jay-Z

'The frivolous, fictitious, and appalling allegations have been dismissed,' says Shawn Carter

(Newser) - The anonymous Alabama woman who accused Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Sean "Diddy" Combs of raping her when she was 13 dropped her lawsuit against the hip-hop moguls on Friday. Variety reports that the attorney representing the woman identified as Jane Doe voluntarily dismissed the charges with prejudice, which...

Chris Brown Sues for $500M Over Doc Alleging Rape

Singer with history of assault says he's 'never been found at fault' for a sex crime

(Newser) - Chris Brown has filed a $500 million lawsuit over a documentary accusing him of rape and evidence tampering, per the BBC . The R&B star accuses Warner Bros. Discovery and production company Ample Entertainment of defamation over claims made in Chris Brown: A History of Violence , released in October, which...

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