“The 22-year-old woman described her alleged captivity to The Cincinnati Enquirer and the Hamilton JournalNews after police on Monday announced the arrest of William Hobert Manis, 44, on 18 rape charges and a kidnapping count.

A mother of two, the woman acknowledged she has been a prostitute and went into Manis’ home voluntarily. But she said Manis stuffed a winter hat in her mouth, assaulted her, then kept her bound and gagged in the closet.” (click title for full story)

“The chilling story of what happened that night has taken shape over the past month inside a Martinez courtroom, as a prosecutor presented evidence concerning that night’s alleged gang rape of a 16-year-old Richmond High sophomore. The preliminary hearing ended Tuesday afternoon with a judge ordering six men, including Mr. Ortega, to stand trial.

While evidence remains fragmentary, the hearing shed light on a case that drew international attention and prompted soul-searching far beyond violence-plagued Richmond. Testimony suggested that the crime was even more brutal than was previously known, as assailants allegedly raped, punched, stomped and urinated upon the nearly unconscious girl over the course of two hours in front of numerous onlookers.

Mr. Ortega emerged as a central figure at the hearing. After his arrest, a drunk and violent Mr. Ortega told detectives that the intoxicated girl wanted to have sex with him and that he struck her because she wouldn’t stop crying, investigators testified. His actions ignited a “mob mentality,” said Dara Cashman, the Contra Costa County prosecutor.” (click title to read full article)

“On Saturday, Dec. 9, 2006, Hannah* woke up in her Howard University dorm room with a piece of her life missing. Hannah, a 19-year-old sophomore, had unexplained pain in her rectum and hip. Her panty liner, which she had worn the night before, was missing. Vomit dotted her gloves and coat. Her friend Kerston lay beside her in the skinny dorm room bed. Kerston told Hannah not to shower—they had to go back to the hospital to secure a rape kit. That weekend, Hannah claims that she was provided the following excuses for why she could not receive a sexual assault medical forensic examination: She was drunk; she ate a sandwich; she was a liar; she didn’t know her attacker’s last name; the police had to authorize the exam; she was outside the hospital’s jurisdiction; she wasn’t reporting a real crime; she was blacked out; she changed her story; her case was already closed.” (click title to read full article)