Tuesday, July 06, 2010


Student jailed over false rape claim made so she could get more time to do her coursework

False rape claims are a dime a dozen in Britain -- but they have a dreadful effect on the men concerned



A student falsely claimed a cleaner raped her - so she could get an extension on her university coursework. Temitope Adenugba, 24, was struggling to meet a deadline while studying at Oxford Brookes University last year. She phoned police to tell them she had been abused as a child, before complaining she had also been subjected to a serious sexual assault as she slept in her college digs.

When officers went to see her at her halls of residence to take a statement, Adenugba pointed at cleaner Kunle Ogunmola and said: 'Can't talk here, that's the man who raped me.' Mr Ogunmola was arrested, before a subsequent police investigation exposed Adenugba's catalogue of lies.

Last night, her victim said she had put him through a 'year of hell'. Mr Ogunmola said she had destroyed 'my reputation, my confidence and my life'.

Adenugba concoted the story in an attempt to get an extension on her end-of-term coursework, the court heard.

Sentencing her to 18 months in jail at Oxford Crown Court, Recorder Rabinder Singh QC attacked Adenugba's 'malicious allegations'. He added: ' It's extremely easy to make an allegation of rape when there's no foundation whatsoever. It's likely to have the perverse impact of guilty men walking free.'

The court heard that police attended Clive Booth Halls of residence, Oxford on May 21 last year after Adenugba reported historic abuse against her as a child. Officers interviewed her but were stunned when she told them Mr Ogunmola had used a key to get into her room on April 13 and raped her.

A full police investigation was launched and the cleaner was quizzed and later arrested. Detectives, however, found any keys taken by Mr Ogunmola had been returned by April 12 and he would not have had access to her room at any time.

Adenugba also claimed her victim had been harassing her with phone calls, but analysis of mobile phones showed this was a lie.

Mr Walsh added that Adenugba, who admitted perverting the course of justice, had made a fictitious rape complaint against a previous partner in October 2006.

Walter Scott, mitigating, said his client had made the claim against Mr Ogunmola after an earlier false allegation of harassment against the same man 'didn't have the desired effect of extending her time to do her coursework'. He added: 'She was not seeking to directly attack the victim, he was chosen rather arbitrarily.'

Last night Mr Ogunmola, 47, said he had only met the student twice before she made her accusations. He said on the first occasion she had pleaded with him to lend her some money as she desperately needed to get home to see her family in London. The devout Christian lent her £20 - all the money he had.

He said: 'I was absolutely devastated when I was told she had accused me of being a rapist. I decided to help her because she reminded me of my daughter, who is the same age and is also at university. 'But in return she destroyed my reputation, my confidence and my life. I'm still trying to convince my wife that I'm innocent and I don't know if I can ever repair the damage she has done.'

He added he had only met the student twice and did not even know her name before the police told him. 'I felt freedom for the first time when she was convicted. I hope it will teach her a lesson and stop other people like her doing what she did. She is a very devious girl, but I am a Christian and I forgive her for what she did.'

SOURCE






Swimmers plunged into dark after British council covers swimming pool windows 'to protect Muslim women's modesty'

A council has sparked anger after officials blacked out windows on a glass-panelled swimming pool to protect the modesty of Muslim women.

Darlaston Leisure Centre in the West Midlands' town of Walsall, was hailed for its 'ultra-modern' design when it opened ten years ago. But now council staff have covered 250 windows with dark-tinted film following complaints from Muslim swimmers.

But other users say the move has plunged the pool into almost permanent darkness and branded it 'political correctness gone stark-raving mad'. Pauline Poole, 65, a retired legal secretary from Walsall, said: 'I returned to swimming after having a cataracts operation some months ago and was looking forward to looking out on some lovely trees while swimming.

'What I found was a situation that reminded me of how it felt like before my operation, like looking at a horrible cloudy view. 'If it was done for a minority of people, then why was there no vote on it?'

Retired building surveyor John Ewart, 63, from Walsall, added: 'I cannot believe this council has agreed to something so loony. 'The whole thing smacks of political correctness gone stark raving mad. 'A lot of the people who swim are elderly or retired and they now have to swim in the gloom.'

A worker at the pool, who did not want to be named, said: 'The windows were covered up and it's probably cost a few hundred pounds. 'Several customers complained it made the pool dark and dingy but we didn't have a choice.'

The council initially refused to replace the windows with frosted glass because it was too expensive. Today, the council defended the decision, saying they had 'listened to the concerns of users'.

Councillor Anthony Harris said: 'I'm pleased that we've been able to make these modifications because not only does it show we're listening to the views and concerns of our users but also because it enhances the privacy of swimmers.'

A spokeswoman for Walsall Council said the complaints had predominantly come from the Muslim community but that non-Muslim women had also objected. She said: 'We received a request from the Muslim Community to protect the modesty of swimmers. 'There were also requests made by some non-Muslim users as well.'

SOURCE





The Blackmailer Paradox

Game Theory and Israel's negotiations with Arab countries

Reuben and Shimon are placed into a small room with a suitcase containing $100,000 of cash. The owner of the suitcase offers them the following: "I'll give you all the money in the suitcase, but only on the condition that you negotiate and reach an amicable agreement on its division. That’s the only way I will give you the money. "

Reuben, who is a rational person, appreciates the golden opportunity presented to him and turns to Shimon with the obvious suggestion: "Come, you take half the amount, I'll take the other half, and each of us will go away with $50,000."

To his surprise, Shimon, with a serious look on his face and a determined voice says: "Listen, I do not know what your intentions are with the money, but I'm not leaving this room with less than $90,000. Take it or leave it. I’m fully prepared to go home with nothing."

Reuben can not believe his ears. What happened to Shimon? he thinks to himself. Why should he get 90%, and I only 10%? He decides to try to talk to Simon. "Come, be reasonable," he pleads. "We're both in this together, and we both want the money. Come let’s share the amount equally and we’ll both come out ahead.”

But the reasoned explanation of his friend does not seem to register on Shimon. He listens attentively to Reuben’s words, but then declares even more emphatically, "There is nothing to discuss. 90-10 or nothing, that's my final offer!" Reuben's face turns red with anger. He wants to smack Shimon across his face, but soon reconsiders.

He realizes that Shimon is determined to leave with majority of the money, and that the only way for him to leave the room with any money is to surrender to Shimon’s blackmail. He straightens his clothes, pulls out wad of bills from the suitcase in the amount of $10,000, shakes hands with Shimon and leaves the room looking forlorn.

This case in Game Theory is called the “Blackmailer Paradox." The paradox emerging from this case is that the rational Reuben is eventually forced to act clearly irrationally, in order to gain the maximum available to him. The logic behind this bizarre result is that Shimon broadcast total faith and confidence in his excessive demands, and it is able to convince Reuben to yield to his blackmail in order for him to receive the minimum benefit.

Arab - Israel Conflict

The political relationship between Israel and Arab countries is also conducted according to the principles of this paradox. The Arabs present rigid and unreasonable opening positions at every negotiation. They convey confidence and assurance in their demands, and make certain to make absolutely clear to Israel that they will never give up on any of these requirements.

Absent an alternative, Israel is forced to yield to blackmail due to the perception that it will leave the negotiating room with nothing if it is inflexible. The most prominent example of this is the negotiations with the Syrians that have been conducted already for a number of years under various auspices. The Syrians made certain to clarify in advance that they will never yield even an inch of the Golan Heights.

The Israeli side, who so desperately seek a peace agreement with Syria, accept Syria's position, and today, in the public discourse in Israel, it is clear that the starting point for future negotiations with Syria must include a full withdrawal from the Golan Heights, despite the critical strategic importance of the Golan Heights to ensure clear boundaries that protect Israel.

How to Avoid Failure

According to Game Theory, the State of Israel must make some perceptual changes to improve its position in the negotiations with the Arabs, and to ultimately win the political struggle.
A. Willingness to renounce agreements: The present Israeli political approach is based on the assumption that an agreement with the Arabs must be reached at all costs, because the present situation, with the lack of an agreement, is simply intolerable.

In the “Blackmailer Paradox," Reuben's behavior is based on the perception that he must leave the room with some amount of money even if it is the minimum. Reuben’s inability to accept the possibility that he may have to leave the room empty-handed, inevitably causes him to surrender to extortion and to leave the room in shame as a loser, but at least with some gain. Similarly, the State of Israel conducts its negotiations from a frame of mind that does not allow her to reject suggestions that do not conform to its interests.

B. Consideration of repeat games: Based on Game Theory, one should consider a one-time situation completely differently from a situation that repeats itself again and again, for in games that repeat over time, a strategic balance that is neutral paradoxically causes a cooperation between the opposing sides.

Such cooperation occurs when the parties understand that the game repeats itself many times, therefore they must consider what will be the impact of their present moves on future games, when the fear of future loss serves as a balancing factor. Reuben related to the situation as if it were a one-time game, and acted accordingly.

Had he announced to Simon that he was not prepared to concede the part due him, even in light of a total loss, he would change the outcome of the game, for the future, although it is quite likely that he would leave the room empty-handed in the current negotiation.

However, if both encounter a similar situation in future, Shimon would recognize Reuben’s seriousness and have to reach a compromise with him. Likewise, Israel must act with patience and with long-term vision, even at the cost of not coming to any present agreement and continuing the state of belligerence, in order to improve its position in future negotiations.

C. Faith in your position: Another element that creates the “Blackmailer Paradox," is the absolute certainty of one side in its positions, in this case the position of Simon. Full certainty creates an internal justification of one’s convictions, and in the second round serves to convince his opponent that his positions were right. This results in the opponent's desire to reach a compromise even by acting entirely irrationally and distancing him from his opening demands.

Several years ago, I talked to a senior officer who claimed that Israel must withdraw from the Golan in any peace settlement because, from the Syrian point of view, the land is sacred and they will not give up on it. I explained to him, the Syrians convinced themselves that this is sacred ground, and it was this that succeeded to convince us as well. The deep conviction of the Syrians, cause us to surrender to the Syrian dictates. The present political situation will be resolved only if we convince ourselves of the justice of our views. Only total faith in our demands will be able to convince the Syrian opponent to consider our position.

Like all science, Game Theory does not presume to express an opinion on moral values, but rather seeks to analyze the strategic behaviors of rival parties in a common game. The State of Israel plays such a game with its enemies. Like every game, in the Arab-Israeli game there are particular interests that shape and frame the game and its rules. Unfortunately, Israel ignores the basic principles that arise in Game Theory. If the State of Israel succeeds in following these base principles, its political status and its security will improve significantly.

SOURCE





Bureaucracy at work in Ohio

My driver's license expired earlier this year, therefore, I went to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles License office to get it renewed like I had done many times previously.

Simple process -- turn in the old license and sit and wait for paperwork to be prepared for the new license. Then you're called, given an eye test, posed for new picture, asked to confirm the information on the new license and finally pay the fee, which seems to jump faster than inflation, and you're done.

The clerk asked me to look over the final product. My new license was spiffy, had a holographic surface which gave it a high-tech look. But I noticed a couple discrepancies.

"Uh, ma'am, this says that I don't need corrective lenses which is contrary to every other license I've had since my first decades ago."

"Well, obviously your vision has improved and you no longer need glasses to drive," she snipped.

I was taken aback but not nearly as much as when I asked about my hair. "Excuse me, but how did my hair color change? I was born blonde and have always been a blonde. You put down brown hair. What's with that?"

"Sir, it looks brown to me," with even more snip in her voice.

"Wait a minute! Hair color is like a genetic thing isn't it? You know, recessive vs. dominant genes and all that stuff they taught in high school? How is it the license bureau can change genetics?"

"We're full service," she said, walking away.

I yelled, "Hey, what's the chance of making me taller?" but she had disappeared out of earshot which was fine since I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate my sarcasm.

So, I walked into the license bureau as a blonde-haired guy who wears glasses and walked out as a brown-haired guy with 20-20 vision.

Interestingly, simple bureaucratic scribbles have created discrepancies in all my previous school, medical, military service, security clearance and background investigation records.

SOURCE





Bureaucracy at work in Australia

Can bureaucracies be trusted with ANYTHING? Nobody's in charge and nobody gives a damn

It's supposed to be a guide for newcomers to WA about everything they need to know about living here, but a new government directory is instead more likely to cause confusion.

The Directory of Services for New Arrivals in Western Australia was launched recently by Multicultural Interests Minister John Castrilli.

He described the directory, in its third edition and available in hard copy as well as online, as the "most comprehensive ever produced" and one which provided "an essential road map" for newcomers to the state.

But the directory contains incorrect information, including details relating to Tax File Numbers, residency requirements for immigrants, wrong names for organisations, the omission of other significant organisations, and a host of grammatical errors.

The errors are repeated in the online version, which is meant to be "regularly updated" and more comprehensive, according to the guide.

Among the errors are stating the residency requirement for citizenship is two years - it is now four - and no mention of the citizenship test, including the requirement for a basic knowledge of English.

The Association for the Blind and Ethnic Disability Advocacy Centre have been incorrectly named, while the section on ethnic and religious schools omits to mention any.

Another section on ethnic groups mentions 10 out of the 100 or so active in WA. The list of hospitals in the metropolitan area omits the Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital.

The guide is littered with spelling and grammar errors, including mentioning that the Ethnic Communities council of WA has a "lieracy" and reading program to encourage people to learn English.

WAtoday.com.au asked Mr Castrilli's office if he considered the errors acceptable, what would be done about them, how many copies of the book were printed and at what cost. His office has not responded to the questions.

SOURCE

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Political correctness is most pervasive in universities and colleges but I rarely report the incidents concerned here as I have a separate blog for educational matters.

American "liberals" often deny being Leftists and say that they are very different from the Communist rulers of other countries. The only real difference, however, is how much power they have. In America, their power is limited by democracy. To see what they WOULD be like with more power, look at where they ARE already very powerful: in America's educational system -- particularly in the universities and colleges. They show there the same respect for free-speech and political diversity that Stalin did: None. So look to the colleges to see what the whole country would be like if "liberals" had their way. It would be a dictatorship.

For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, GREENIE WATCH, EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, FOOD & HEALTH SKEPTIC, GUN WATCH, AUSTRALIAN POLITICS, DISSECTING LEFTISM, IMMIGRATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL and EYE ON BRITAIN (Note that EYE ON BRITAIN has regular posts on the reality of socialized medicine). My Home Pages are here or here or here or Email me (John Ray) here. For readers in China or for times when blogger.com is playing up, there is a mirror of this site here.

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