‘BURN THE WITCH’: AN OVER-DUE DEFENCE OF AMBER HEARD IN A MANIACALLY MISOGYNISTIC MEDIA

1
by Sunetra Senior

Content warning: abuse, domestic violence, sexism

It is difficult not to be polarised on any given topic in the explosively divisive climate we are living through. However, emerging from the sensationalism is an irrefutable objective truth in the high-profile trial, where megastar Johnny Depp is suing his ex-wife, up-and-coming actress Amber Heard, for $50 million over editorial defamation: a clear example of inherent misogyny of the media. Heard penned her self-professed subjective piece in The Washington Post, supportively discussing a ‘Transformative Moment for Women’ during the height of the #MeToo campaign. The article, which was read out during the trial as part of Heard’s opening statement, was intelligently and boldly written, focussing on the actress’ harrowing experience of speaking out as female victim of domestic violence and the progressive change within the industry that she wishes to see. Further to this, there was no mention of Johnny Depp specifically or any of the personal accounts, currently being spewed out in public, due to his bringing her to court.

It is worth remembering that Depp lost his prior lawsuit against The Sun for referring to him as ‘abusive’, and in which the British judge found him guilty on 12 counts of the alleged domestic violence. To use the defendant’s own words in court then, he has ironically made democratic activism solely “about him.” 

Continue Reading

FOOTBALL, ENGLISH PATRIOTISM AND THE LEFT

by Callum James

Perhaps Marcus Rashford was trying to be too precise. Whilst Frank Lampard, my dad and thousands of others criticised Rashford’s stuttering steps in the build-up to his penalty, he successfully sent Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way. Had his effort been just a few inches to the right it would have been hailed as a brilliant penalty. But elite sport is a game of inches.

Continue Reading

ITALY STILL COMPLICIT IN THE ABUSE OF MIGRANTS IN LIBYA

by Alessandra Arpaia

CW: abuse, sexual assault, drowning, death.

Last month Italian Prime Minister and former European Central Bank president, Mario Draghi, took his first trip abroad since he assumed office. He chose to visit Libya, and met with Libyan president Abdel Hamid Mohamed Dbeibeh to discuss the countries’ economic ties and cooperation on tackling irregular immigration. During his visit, Draghi congratulated the Libyan government on their work over recent years in stemming the movement of migrants who leave Libya’s coast in hope of finding refuge in Europe.

The truth is, and as many investigations have shown, Libya’s ‘rescue missions’ out at sea often result in the transportation of people to Libyan detention camps notorious for their human rights violations

Continue Reading

MADE BY SEA AND WOOD, IN DARKNESS BY ALEXANDROS PLASATIS – REVIEW

By Carmina Masoliver

Content warning: references to and short descriptions of sexual harassment, sexual violence, xenophobia, homophobic & transphobic abuse.

Made by Sea and Wood, in Darkness, the debut novel by Alexandros Plasatis, weaves together a collage of stories that tell the experience of Egyptian immigrants in Greece through a variety of voices. The stories are primarily set in and around Café Papaya in Kavala, where Pavlo the waiter works nights, acting as both a main character and an observer of the Egyptian fishermen. In snapshots of a male underworld, violence dominates this narrative, as the central female character Angie the barmaid fights against being cast as a victim.

Continue Reading

IS THIS DEMOCRACY?

by Samantha Rajasingham
The background shows an anonymous police officer in yellow high-viz jacket over washed out black background, black gloves, blue face mask, and black UK police hat, but blacked out face; the foreground shows an orange femme silhouette, holding a placard in her right hand; the placard reads 'IS THIS Democracy?'
Image description: A visual watercolour response to the Sarah Everard case, Reclaim These Streets, Sisters Uncut and the violence of the police across the country against all women protesting for their safety and loss.
The background shows an anonymous police officer in yellow high-viz jacket over washed out black background, black gloves, blue face mask, and black UK police hat, but blacked out face; the foreground shows an orange femme silhouette, holding a placard in her right hand; the placard reads ‘IS THIS Democracy?’

The Norwich Radical is non-profit and run by volunteers. You can help us continue our work by becoming a supporter. All funds raised help cover the maintenance costs of our website, as well as contributing towards future projects and events.

BRAVE NEW WORLD IS (STILL) HERE

By Vyvyan René

CW: sexual assault, rape

David Wiener’s TV adaptation of Huxley’s classic dystopia launched on Sky One and Peacock on July 15th 2020.

Set in New London – in a society where class is enforced by genetic engineering and hypnopaedic indoctrination, the use of the euphoric drug soma is universal, public orgies are wholesome fun and ‘mother’ is a swear word – Brave New World is a novel with many themes. One of them is misogyny and the mechanisms by which it is expressed and perpetuated. Consequently, the portrayal of the novel’s central female character, Lenina Crowne, and her relationship with John the Savage (the emotional core of the story) are huge contributing factors to the success or failure of any adaptation. Wiener faces the challenge of depicting a society he describes as ‘hugely problematic’ without condoning it, which raises questions about how the problematic aspects of the novel could, or even should be, adapted.

Continue Reading

WELL-BEING FIRST: THINKING HEALTHY IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

by Sunetra Senior

A couple of weeks ago we were told of the extent of the Tory government’s negligence during a time of intense international crisis. They disregarded important information provided by advisory committees at critical moments as well as the crucial COBRA Meetings themselves, which are specifically held to ensure strong leadership at times of national emergency. According to the article in The Times, Boris’ earlier inaction has resulted in the number of deaths reaching six figures with the estimated mortality predicted to be 400,000. Of course, in addition to patently disregarding hundreds of thousands of lives, Johnson’s administration has also put the physical health of millions at risk with the virus running uncontrolled throughout the population for a whole month between 24th Feb when the recorded number of deaths skyrocketed, and the announcement of effective lockdown measures in mid-March.Continue Reading

PROBLEMATIC “PEACEBUILDING”: WHEN THE POWERFUL DON’T ASK AND WON’T LISTEN

peacebuilding afghanistan

by Sarah Edgcumbe

Afghanistan, a country that has been in and out of the news since the 9/11 terror attack and subsequent U.S.-led coalition invasion, is once again at the forefront of media attention this month, as a result of Trump’s decision to cancel peace talks with the Taliban on 9th September. The relentless violence and bombings conducted by Afghan state forces, U.S.-backed Afghan militias, Taliban, religious extremist groups, career criminals and other groups are no longer considered to be remarkable events; they happen so frequently that the international audience has become desensitized to them. Continue Reading

‘DODGY BUT STABLE’: BRINGING BACK THE PROGRESSIVE PUNCH

1

by Sunetra Senior

A news-based long read of the darkening climate under Boris Johnson, and consequent examination of the solutions. 

NB: this piece was written before the announcement of the suspension of parliament. The call to progressive action is of the utmost urgency. 

Shock, horror!! Boris Johnson is Prime Minister, we are on the verge of a catastrophic No-Deal Brexit, and Trump’s ego is bigger than ever before. Prior to this, the Scandinavian Peninsula, or the magical lands of social democracy and hygge, saw the rise of a nationalist group in Finland. There were also the New Zealand shootings in a show of Islamophobia, so horrific, that the country’s PM moved to ban militarised weapons practically overnight. So, amidst this caustic circus, where is the progressive clout?  Given the gradual upheaval of the moral development of society, it’s apt to return to a timeless saying: ‘The personal is the political.’Continue Reading

CORE CIVIC’S CORPORATE CULTURE OF HIDING STAFF FELONIES UPON IMMIGRANTS

By David Breakspear

Part Three of Three


In concluding this three-part series (Part One, Part Twoof documented sex crimes by Core Civic upon immigrant inmates, supported by a sworn Affidavit (by @FEDSBANE) and a further witness, The Norwich Radical now chooses to shine a light on high level Core Civic Management and their response to these crimes: to examine if their replies are consistent with their stated ethics policies, and if felonies remain unresolved.

We determine that the best way to examine the angle of Management replies is to simply quote from Donaldson’s Affidavit, since Core Civic does not contest it.

In reference to Assistant Warden Shawn Gillis from McRae Correctional Institution, who had influence over the voyeurism zoom cameras, and subsequent retaliation upon Donaldson for so reporting, Donaldson writes:

“Assistant Warden and PREA Coordinator Shawn Gillis was also removed from McRae, but then promoted to Warden of Adams County Correctional Center in Mississippi. This resembles THE CATHOLIC SHUFFLE, where deviant priests were reshuffled to other locations to make debased problems go away. But the latest news is that under Warden Gillis, the BOP contract at Adams CCC has been forfeit. The problem with Gillis persists.”

Could it be there is an effort at Core Civic to actually hide and reshuffle those caught committing sex felonies against immigrants?

In Donaldson’s Affidavit, he further states:

“At no time were official INVESTIGATION PROTOCOLS followed regarding my sexual harassment grievance, but the precise opposite was the practice. See:

http://www.corecivic.com/the-prison-rape-elimination-act-of-2003-prea

Additionally, the following Corporate Management at Core Civic with specific responsibilities in areas discussed in this Affidavit have refused to communicate with me in any way whatsoever, in order to correct the cited abuses and ethics violations:

  • Eric Pierson – PREA Boss at Core Civic in charge of stated investigation protocols:

http://www.corecivic.com/the-prison-rape-elimination-act-of-2003-prea

  • Scott Craddock Corporate Ethics and Compliance Officer

https://www.corecivic.com/hubfs/_files/Code%20Of%20Conduct%20(CoreCivic).pd

  • Damon Hininger CEO of Core Civic (and all those listed in the link below)

http://www.corecivic.com/about/executive-leadership

  • Cameron Hopewell Managing Director, Investor Relations

http://ir.corecivic.com/contact-ir

  • Amanda Gilchrist, Public Affairs Director

http://www.corecivic.com/newsroom

The organised silence and suppression to cover up these Core Civic crimes are highly coordinated, and provoke 18 USC 371 Conspiracy statutes (Exhibit One).

It never mattered what evidence or witnesses I could provide. My report of sexual harassment against Core Civic leadership was arranged to be rendered stillborn upon arrival. It was doomed & cursed by design; it never had a chance.

Core Civic knew I had exposed their sex crimes, and have committed still more crimes in their efforts to cover it up.

Since Core Civic thwarted my right to report crimes at every turn, their actions may qualify oversight from 18 U.S. Code § 241 Conspiracy against rights &  18 U.S. Code § 242 Deprivation of rights under color of law & 18 U.S. Code § 1510 Obstruction of criminal investigations & 18 U.S. Code § 1505 Obstruction of proceedings before departments, agencies, and committees, as the grievance proceeding herein are overseen by the Bureau of Prisons.

As retaliation against my person for reporting crime is at issue, further statutes may have a jealous interest in this case, such as: 18 U.S. Code § 1512 Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant & 18 U.S. Code § 1513 Retaliating against a witness, victim, or an informant.

Despite cited public policies representing that matters herein raised are to be ethically resolved with transparency, Core Civic orphans quoted ethics nonetheless, with misleading abandon:

http://www.corecivic.com/about/corporate-ethics

https://www.corecivic.com/hubfs/_files/Code%20Of%20Conduct%20(CoreCivic).pdf

https://www.corecivic.com/hubfs/_files/CoreCivic%20Human%20Rights%20policy%20statement.pdf

http://ir.corecivic.com/

http://www.corecivic.com/hubfs/_files/2018-ESGReport.pdf

http://www.corecivic.com/about/social-responsibility

None of these Core Civic publicly listed PROTOCOLS FOR PREA VIOLATIONS were followed in the present case:

https://www.corecivic.com/hubfs/_files/PREA/CCA-14-02.pdf?t=1539962057757

In fact, after my grievance of sexual harassment was placed in 2017 and the subsequent companywide cover-up; Damon Hininger, the CEO of Core Civic, did on February 11th 2019 also receive an email from me detailing the evidence. Damon then sold $439,683.19 in Core Civic stock, based on non-public information which had matured since 2017:

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1070985/000120919119014990/xslF345X03/doc4.xml

Damon Hininger has since blocked my ability to question him on unresolved Core Civic sexual harassment issues on Twitter, and rejects my emails, with the hypocrisy of his own cited ethics pronouncements, claiming that under his leadership Core Civic are… “governing ourselves at high standards of ethics and transparency…real-time public transparency keeps us accountable — to ourselves, our partners and our stakeholders — and improves our ability to better the public good.” See:

http://www.corecivic.com/news/corecivics-first-ever-esg-report-shows-more-progress-toward-unprecedented-reentry-goals

https://www.corecivic.com/hubfs/_files/Code%20Of%20Conduct%20(CoreCivic).pdf

Any claim of Core Civic’s high ethics and transparency is consciously misleading, and knowingly false.”

Either Corey Donaldson has committed a felony by perjuring himself in his Affidavit, or Core Civic proper and Management are guilty of felonies. The only question that remains now is if American law enforcement care enough about felonies on immigrants to decide where the felonies lay.

Brian Martin of the University of Wollongong in Australia, is an expert in the field of whistleblowing and has written extensively on the subject.

In my interview with Brian, he declared that, “Whistle-blowers regularly report that official channels (regulators, appeal procedures, courts, etc.) are unhelpful. They give the appearance of providing protection and justice (and thus reassure the public that all’s well) but not the substance.

Featured image credit: Anthony Garand


The Norwich Radical is non-profit and run by volunteers. All funds raised help cover the maintenance costs of our website, as well as contributing towards future projects and events. Please consider making a small contribution and fund a better media future.