A former Australian surfing star has bravely opened up about her horrific ordeal after she was kidnapped and raped every night for two months in India.
Carmen Greentree, 37, from Sydney shared the harrowing details about her horrific experiences in her new book ‘A Dangerous Pursuit of Happiness.’
Australian pro surfer who was abducted and raped every night for two months on a squalid houseboat in India shares her horror ordeal
In the book, she tells how her dream trip to India in 2004 turned into a nightmare when was abducted after seeking help from a local to find her way to Dharamshala. She was forced onto a houseboat where she was raped multiple times and beaten whenever she asked to be freed.
“I didn’t think I was ever getting off that boat, I thought I would die there one way or another,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
Carmen, who dreamt of being a surfing world champion and also represent her country across the globe for competitions, took a break from the sport after failing to qualify for the world tour at 22. It was at that time she took a sabbatical to India where she went through hell.
“I got really devastated and lost,” she told 9 News. “For seven years of my life I was 100 percent, morning to night, solely focused on being world champion.
“Nothing else mattered more than that. It was an escape from life.”
The married mum-of-three said she wrote about the ordeal in her book to help combat her demons.
She also revealed that a Brit backpacker has since told her he was kidnapped and extorted on the same boat.
Carmen told the Mail: “I had travelled so much that I was used to winging it.”
Her ordeal started when she was approached by a stranger who offered to take her to someone who could arrange her journey to Dharamshala. Unknown to her, she was tricked into flying to Kashmir where she was met by a man who said it would be safer to stay with him.
She said the man told her it would be best to spend the night on his houseboat on Dal Lake before jumping on a bus to Dharamshala, where she was booked into a course at the Dalai Lama’s ashram.
After days fighting him off for her release, she soon realised that she had been trapped on the squalid boat.
A woman is lucky to be alive after her gateman conspired with criminals to attack her and her kids when her husband was away on business.
Ifeoma Ibeneme Nwokeoma explained that she had gone out with her kids. When they got home, as she drove into the compound and got out of the car, three armed men with cutlasses attacked them, forced them into the house and started torturing her as they forced her to produce 30 million Naira.
She said each time she told them she didn’t have the money, they cut her with the cutlass. She added that they also asked for her PIN and tried to make transfers from her mobile bank app.
At this point, her husband felt something was wrong and sent people to the house. On hearing neighbours banging on the gate, the criminals allegedly became desperate and strangled the woman with a rope until they thought she was dead. Fortunately, the woman regained consciousness after they left and she ran to check on her kids, one suffered a cutlass wound but they were safe.
Sharing photos of her injuries, she wrote:
I have come with a heart filled with thanksgiving to the king of kings, the giver of life, for showing me and my household mercy and delivering us from heartless armed men.
On Saturday, the 4the of July 2020, my husband had travelled for work. So I was home alone with my girls. We had gone to visit my younger sister and came back at about 7pm. Sadly, unknown to me, my gateman whom I showed nothing but love had connived with his gang members and laid ambush in the compound to attack us .
The moment I drove into the compound, he rushed to start the generator, on coming out of the car and proceeding to the house with my kids, these three armed men with long and short sparkly cutlasses came out from the back of the building and attacked us, me particularly. God removed their attention from my children. They threatened them not make noise and locked them in their room.
They tortured me with all those arms they came with, asking for 30million naira. I was like who keeps 30 million naira in the house.
Each time they asked for money and didn’t get a favourable response from me , they beat, punched the hell out of me. They kept using their leg to smash my head and promised to kill me that night if I didn’t give them 30 million naira.
They took my ATM cards and asked for the pin. At some point they asked me to do a transfer for them; which I was trying to do, but as God will have it, my husband felt it and started calling non-stop and called some other family members who started calling all the phones in the house including my children’s phones, which started ringing almost at the same time. Myhusband who suspected that all was not right sent some neighbours who came and kept banging at the gate, which cut their raid short. While they where beating me, I kept praying in all the languages I know. They tied my hand and legs so tight, then two of the men held my neck so tight and where trying to strangle me to death. And when it seemed their hand was not working, they used rope to tie my neck and kept strangling me. While they were doing that, I had made my peace with God, said my last prayers when something miraculous happened. I was knocked out for some seconds, my breath ceased but I was still conscious. How I got the energy to do that I can’t explain, and when that happened they thought I was dead. They raided the house, made away with phones, tablets, money, ATM and some valuables, and ran away.
When I didn’t hear noises again, I got up, untied my legs, ran down stairs and locked the door, went to my children’s room and found them under the duvet. My daughter got a knife, cut those ropes and immediately we started hearing banging at the gate. I rushed and asked who it was, and it was my neighbours. The moment they opened the gate, I slumped and they rushed me to the hospital.
Honestly, it was so horrible and the trauma is something else. Please keep us in your prayers. God showed me mercy and preserved my life. If my body is filled with lips, it’s not enough to thank you dear Lord.
Please help me and thank the King of Kings for counting me worthy
An eight-year-old Russian girl who ran away from home following an argument she had with her parents was raped and killed after being picked up by a married couple in their car.
The victim, Vika Teplyakova went missing on Monday, July, 6 after she left her parents’ home in Novoaleksandrovsk on Sakhalin island in Russia.
More than 500 people reportedly volunteered to search for her after she was seen in a CCTV footage for a final time walking alone along a road while wearing a T-shirt and blue shorts.
The young girl went missing for three days before a 32-year-old woman informed police she and her husband had given the child a lift.
Today, Police identified the couple as Igor and Kristina Dvornikov and released pictures of the detained husband and wife suspected of carrying out the horrific crimes.
The man told his wife he would ‘attack’ the girl and ‘the woman did nothing to stop it because she was too scared of him’, according to a police source.
The girl was raped and strangled with a plastic bag. She died on Monday, the day she went missing, said police.
The law enforcement also revealed that the man’s wife took them to where the girl’s body was hidden near a lake.
Igor Dvornikov initially denied abducting, abusing, and killing the girl, but later confessed to the horrific crimes, according to law enforcement.
It was also reported that the man gave the little girl a sum of money- £1.70 – and took her to a supermarket before she was attacked.
The 11-year-old son of a single mother who cried out for help today on Twitter, has been found.
Nelo Atuanya said her 11-year-old son named Atuanya Chiemezie Victor was found in Asaba where he went to board a bus so that he could go to Lagos. She said those at the park detained him until someone from her town showed up and brought him back home.
The grateful mum wrote: “Pls help me RT that he has been found ooo, he was detained in Asaba where he went to board to Lagos and brought back this morning to my hometown.”
She added: “Glory to God umunnem He has been found. Your prayers and concerns got him safe. He was found in Asaba where he went to take bus to Lagos and was detained by the park people, until they found someone from my hometown who then brought him back to the village not up to 30mins ago.”
Before he was found, his mum had said that he was last seen at the Lagos park in Onitsha, Anambra state.
Popular Tanzanian actress, Zena Yusuf Mohammed aka Shilole has announced her decision to end her marriage of 3-years, citing domestic violence.
On Wednesday, July 8, the actress took to her Instagram page to share photos of her battered face as she opened up about her violence-riddled marriage. She alleged that she had been a victim of domestic violence throughout her marriage to her husband Uchebe, whom she started dating in 2016.
In the heartbreaking post, which she wrote in Swahili, the actress, 32, also issued an apology for staying quiet about her issues while encouraging other women in violent or abusive marriages to speak out for help.
She wrote:
“I am writing this with a clear mind and conscience. First, I would like to apologise to my family. I am seeking your forgiveness because I assured you that my marriage was trouble-free, while in reality, it wasn’t peaceful.
I have been a victim of domestic violence and other evil acts I cannot speak about on this platform.
“I apologise because every time I heard my fellow women cry for justice after being assaulted by their spouses, I would urge them to voice out their grievances. When I heard that there was a woman from Kigamboni, who had been fatally battered and her body set alight by her husband, I was the first one to say: ‘she should have spoken out about her marital troubles’. I pretended that I was not one of the domestic abuse victims; I distanced myself from the group of women who were victims of domestic violence. Forgive me.
“[As an artist], I am a role model to many in the society; I represent women on many fronts. Today, I have decided to break my silence on my marital woes. My husband Ashrafu Sadiki, popularly known as Uchebe, has been battering me too much!
“And, after meting out violence on me, he never calls to show concern or know about my wellbeing. Other people, unknown to me, are the ones who usually nurse me in hospitals after being beaten up by my spouse. In my marriage, there are many other bad things that have been done to me, making my union lack the expected bliss.
“Making matters worse, I am a mother; a parent of children who look up to me as their mother and father. I won’t allow myself to be killed and leave my children motherless, not today!
“I loved Uchebe, I persevered to be with him despite his inadequacies; I gave him everything (my innocence, my wealth, and when he needed a woman to stand by him so that he could get on his feet — financially and socially — I was there for him). I did all that because I knew he and I were together in everything as husband and wife. Despite all that, my sacrifices did not stop him from battering me endlessly, disrespecting and betraying me.
“Two days ago, when I returned home from my livelihood-seeking activities in Dar es Salaam, he seriously beat me up, forgetting that I had gone out there to look for food not only for my children, but also him. Why did he assault me? Because of petty marital conflicts that are present in all marriages. He did not batter me because he had found me cheating on him, or on issues that are hard to solve through dialogue, no. Furthermore, I respect him so much.
“Nonetheless, he saw the best way of solving the small dispute that we had, was through battering me senselessly. I was asleep when he punched me in the face.
“I know there is a section of people who will fault me for bringing to social media my marital woes, however, I would like to tell them that I was left with no other choice but to share my predicaments on this platform. What happens in my life, [being a public figure], should be known by my fans. Many people in the society look up to me as their role model.
“I have had enough [of domestic abuse], and from now henceforth, I would like to state categorically that no one should refer to me as Uchebe’s wife. People should refer to me as ‘that mother who chose to prioritise her children’s welfare and wellbeing at the expense of a toxic relationship’. They should describe me as ‘that woman who chose her happiness and safety [over a violence-ridden marriage].
“My female fans and other women in the society should use this social media post of mine as a strong message that says ‘we [as women] should speak up when we have been reduced to punching bags and recipients of brutality, because if we don’t, we’ll end up dead someday’.”
Financial literacy is essential to anyone, and for women responsible for providing for their children and families, the skill of making, managing and growing wealth is fundamental. One of the common threads of most single female breadwinners (single mothers) is that they live in survival mode. When society continues to portray women responsible for their families as struggling, broke and always needy, it is not farfetched for women to begin to believe these narratives and live into it, but it does not have to be so.
Therefore, Wevvo Nigeria has partnered with the founder of Smart Money Africa and Author of “The smart money woman” and “The smart money tribe”; Arese Ugwu to educate single moms on financial literacy and savings culture.
According to the founder of Wevvo Nigeria Weyinmi Eribo; “We believe that it is possible to live parallel lives of caring for the family while attaining financial freedom, hence our reason for partnering with Arese Ugwu to share her knowledge in this regard. I founded Wevvo because I know that women struggle in many ways, and for single female breadwinners it is worse, a full circle of negligence and lack of appreciation for the struggles we go through. I have seen several times how narratives have put women in boxes, this single story continues to create gaps in women’s’ careers and businesses. At Wevvo, we are changing this narrative.
Wevvo Nigeria is a resource and community-based platform that supports single female breadwinners with access to finance, business capacity boosting trainings and workshops, mentoring and a community to thrive, a safe space for healing and growth, learn more about our work and join the community.
Join us on the 18th of July in a zoom event where we will be learning money tips, asking questions, and sharing experiences unique to single female breadwinners.
Amazon just acquired Zoox, a self-driving startup company, run by Black female CEO Aicha Evans, for $1.2 Billion, Black Enterprise reports.
Zoox is the maker of self-driving vehicles built for purpose that also happen to be eco-friendly. Since 2014, the company has been testing these autonomous vehicles in Las Vegas and San Francisco, with most referring to them as a “robotaxi” service. For the last two years , Evans has been at the helm, working as CEO to help the company expand. Now, Amazon, a longstanding investor in various self-driving startups, has acquired the company for over $1 billion.
“This acquisition solidifies Zoox’s impact on the autonomous driving industry. We have made great strides with our purpose-built approach to safe, autonomous mobility, and our exceptionally talented team working every day to realize that vision. We now have an even greater opportunity to realize a fully autonomous future,” Evans said.
The online retail giant plans to use the technology to tackle last-mile deliveries, officially automating ground delivery and revolutionizing the industry. Chief Safety Innovation Officer at Zoox, Mark Rosekind, spoke about the possibilities of the partnership, saying, “We now have an even greater opportunity to realize a fully autonomous future. We’re going to start seeing [in] three to five years where people start actually deploying in cities, but it’s going to be 20 to 30 years before you start seeing this all over the place.”
Evans will help spearhead the initiative, continuing to lead in her current role as CEO.
Netflix named Bozoma “Boz” Saint John as their new Chief Marketing Officer, making her the company’s first Black C-Suite executive, Bloomberg reports.
Saint John is one of the most sought after marketing executives in her industry, boasting a 20 year career spanning multiple sectors. The marketing guru is coming over to Netflix from sports and entertainment giant Endeavor. Before that, she was Head of Global Consumer Marketing at Apple Music and prior to that, she worked with Pepsi-Cola North America as head of the Music and Entertainment Marketing Group.
Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos spoke to Deadline about Saint John’s appointment, saying, “Bozoma Saint John is an exceptional marketer who understands how to drive conversations around popular culture better than almost anyone. As we bring more great stories to our members around the world, she’ll define and lead our next exciting phase of creativity and connection with consumers.”
The online streaming company has been working behind the scenes to bolster inclusion, committing $100 million to Black banks and figuring out ways to diversify their workforce which as of now, is just 7% Black. Saint John said she hopes that she can help to forge a new path at Netflix.
“I’m thrilled to join Netflix, especially at a time when storytelling is critical to our global, societal well-being. I feel honored to contribute my experience to an already dynamic legacy, and to continue driving engagement in the future,” Saint John said.
There is a lot of information on the cyber space on rape and the legal impediments of rape; some right some wrong. This article aims to separate the facts from fiction and also to provide some guide for rape survivors if they intend to pursue a criminal case against alleged rapists.
In a nutshell, rape is non-consensual sexual intercourse. When a man has sex with a woman without her consent (in Nigeria – apart from in the FCT Abuja, only women are capable of being raped). When a woman has non-consensual sex with a man it is termed sexual assault. Sexual assault is similar to rape, but is not rape. ( Lawpadi 2018) ( this has been expanded to all states where VAAP has been signed)
1. Myth One: Age of consent in Nigeria is 11; This information is false; the Child’s Rights Act of 2003 sets the age of consent at 18; however the challenge here is some states domesticated the law and reduced age of consent in their states while 11 states are yet to domesticate the Childs Rights Act. (Domestication of a law means when a law is passed by the Nigerian National Assembly and signed by the President, states also have to pass the law and the state governors also sign hence making that law applicable in those states). Advocacy should be focused on getting the remaining 11 states on board.
2. Myth 2: Since 1960 there has been only 18 Rape Convictions in Nigeria; This information is also false. Though I am unable to get a current figure the number of convictions is no where around 18. Even though this figure is still low, the challenges of getting convictions have mostly been from under reporting by victims and family members who believe the court and legal system may not give them justice. In some cases families have received compensation from the alleged rapists and refused to pursue cases further, in other cases lack of diligent prosecution , also poor training of police officers who receive reports of rape cases have discouraged victims from pursuing cases further. It is in response to this that some states have established helplines for sexual and domestic assault and some NGOs have worked to help victims get justice.
Aishatu Ene
Myth 3: Rape Laws are Lax: While laws could be better in some areas eg; marital rape and redefining rape to mean sex without consent for both genders; the current laws are quite harsh on offenders. The VAAP law now has addressed some of these concerns.
There are 4 laws that deal with rape around Nigeria; The Criminal Code – this is applicable in all the Southern States
A. The Penal Code – this is applicable in all the Northern States
B. The Criminal Laws of Lagos – this is applicable only in Lagos State
C. The Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act – this has been domesticated by over 16 states currently
D. The Child Rights Act – this is only applicable in the States which have domesticated it ( Law Padi 2018).
These are the stipulated punishments for sexual crimes in Nigeria;
i. Assault with intent to commit unnatural offence (against the order of nature) is punishable with 14 years imprisonment
ii. Indecent assault on males is punishable by 3 years imprisonment
iii. Rape is punishable by life imprisonment, with or without caning.
iv. Attempt to commit rape is punishable with 14 years imprisonment
v. Indecent assault on females is punishable with 2 years imprisonment
vi. Abduction is punishable with 7 years imprisonment
vii. Abduction of girls under sixteen is punishable with two years imprisonment
Please note that ignorance of the age of the girls or as regards consent will not ground a defence. ( Wale Joseph November 2015; My Job Mag )
Step By Step Guide to reporting Rape Cases in Nigeria:In the sad event of a rape; Rape Survivors may find these steps helpful:
1. Do not take a bath
2. Call for help and guidance: emergency response numbers nationwide is 112; in Abuja include; 112, 08078111126), Lagos : 112, 08137960048 E-mail : info@dsvrtlagos.org.
Kaduna: 09064528082. Enugu; 08060084441
3. Make a report at the Police Station; A report of the incident is very important to get the case started, it is very important to remember and report every detail as this will help get the offender. If the victim is calm enough it may help to write out details before going to the station. If the police response is not satisfactory kindly report to 08057000001 police complaint line. The IGP has recently pushed for establishment of gender desks in all Police Stations, a victim or family members should request for the gender desk or officer at a station.
4. Get Medical help and a medical report; Family or friends can rush the victim to the hospital while making a police report. It is important to go to the hospital so the victim can receive immediate medical attention to prevent infections and pregnancy and for medical evidence of a rape which is needed for a strong prosecution case. Also some hospitals have social workers who will offer immediate counseling for victims. A government hospital is preferable for prosecution purposes even though the Court of Appeal has ruled that reports from Private Hospitals are now admissible.
5. Speak with a Lawyer: It is very important to speak with a good lawyer to guide you through the process of getting justice; some NGOs offer this service. A good lawyer will ensure that there is diligent prosecution and guide against public statements that may compromise the case.
6. Speak to a trained counselor; Some NGOs offer post trauma counseling services; it is very important for a survivor to get counseling as rape is a highly traumatic occurrence. While a victim may look and act fine they may suffer Post Trauma in different forms which only a trained counselor can spot and guide through.
7. Use of Social Media: In some rape and sexual assault case social media has been instrumental in getting justice especially when the police is lax in investigations, also funding is important in pursing rape cases, medical examination; in cases where the alleged rapist has fled to another town funds may be needed to facilitate an arrest unfortunately the police will say they are not adequately funded to carry out inter- state arrests ; Social media can help with such funds and also act as pressure to ensure diligent investigation and prosecution; however not all details should be put on social media as some details could alert the suspect, and compromise the case hence the need to have some guidance from a lawyer.
Supportive Roles for Rape Survivors
:1. Family: Family should offer support and not judgment; in cases of minors parents should not disregard reports, tale signs in their children. It is also important to consider the victims health in all decisions and stop the practice of receiving compensation to kill cases. Victims must receive immediate medical attention and family must ensure this is done
2. Police: The Police must be trained to understand rape as a serious issue and take the right and honest steps to investigate cases. Better funding for investigation of cases will remove the burden from the victim who may be discouraged by the expenses in pursuing a case. Gender desks at some police stations is commendable; regular training and refresher courses on new laws is required. Also gender desks should be set up in all police stations so victims can recieve adequate assistance from the police to encourage follow up with prosecution.
3. State Prosecution: Work with the police to ensure diligent prosecution of rape cases. Open communication lines with victims and families. Ensuring that the burden of funding doesn’t lie with the victim and their families.
4. NGOs: Help provide/ source funding for prosecution, work with police and prosecution to ensure victim is well represented, act as a pressure group , provide support and counseling for victims, advocate for domestication of progressive laws on sexual violence, child’s rights act, VAAP law and the sexual offences bill. Also advocate to state Governments to set up response hotlines to domestic and sexual abuse.
5. Social Media: BE RESPONSIBLE IN REPORTING RAPE CASES; Responsible reportage by bloggers and social media users is important to ensure prosecution and for the victims recovery. Using the victims pictures, sharing pictures or videos of the rape if available are not helpful; sharing videos and pictures of a rape of a minor can be regarded as distribution of child porn which is a crime. Sharing pictures of a minor without blurring the face who has been abused is also unethical. While we are all passionate about ending rape and punishing offenders, it is responsible to remember as hard as it may be that the alleged rapist under the law until proven guilty still has a presumption of innocence.
6. Sexual Offenders register: States that have domesticated the VAAP law also operate a sexual offenders register where convicted rapist and sexual offenders are published. NAPTIP as a national body also operates a national sex offenders register.
Most importantly; DO NOT SHAME THE VICTIM, RAPE IS A CRIME, THE VICTIM SHARES NO BLAME IN RAPE.
Goodnews: Akwa Ibom has signed the VAAP law so they are no longer on this map
