Guilty verdicts and jail sentences in France's biggest rape trial

Summary

Global News Podcast: Guilty Verdicts and Jail Sentences in France's Biggest Rape Trial
Released on December 19, 2024 | Host: Janat Jalil | BBC World Service

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1. Historic Rape Trial in France

Overview:
In a landmark case that has shaken France and garnered international attention, Giselle Pellicot's ex-husband, Dominique Pellicot, alongside 50 other men, were found guilty in what is considered France's largest rape trial. The trial unveiled a horrifying scheme where Pellicot drugged Giselle over nearly a decade, enabling him and his accomplices to exploit her unconscious state for their sexual fantasies.

Key Details:

• Verdicts and Sentencing:

  • Dominique Pellicot received the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
  • The 50 other men were sentenced to jail terms ranging from three to fifteen years.

• Giselle Pellicot's Courage:

  • At [02:25], Giselle expressed her unwavering resolve:

    "I wanted to open the doors of this trial last September so that society could see what was happening. I've never regretted this decision..." – Giselle Pellicot

  • She opted to waive her right to anonymity, stating,

    "The shame should be on her rapists, not her." – Giselle Pellicot

• Courtroom Proceedings:

  • Correspondent Andrew Harding reported from Avignon, highlighting the rapid succession of verdicts:

    "It was so quick we were expecting it to take several hours, but the judge president was averaging about 20 seconds per accused as he rattled through the guilty verdicts." – Andrew Harding [02:48]

  • The swift process left defense lawyers expressing mixed emotions, with some praising the sentences and others contemplating appeals.

• Origins of the Trial:

  • Initially arrested in September 2020 for filming women in a supermarket, further investigation revealed over 20,000 explicit videos and photographs, exposing the depth of Pellicot's crimes.
  • Pellicot had previously denied allegations until confronted with overwhelming evidence, including DNA from a 1999 attempted rape case in Paris and a 1990 rape-murder case.

Impact:
Giselle Pellicot has emerged as a feminist icon in France, symbolizing resilience and the fight against sexual violence. Her decision to publicize the trial has inspired many and sparked discussions on consent and justice.

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2. Cyclone Devastates Mayotte; President Macron Responds

Overview:
A catastrophic cyclone, dubbed Cyclone Cheeto, has wreaked havoc on Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean. The devastation includes widespread destruction of homes, infrastructure, and natural landscapes, with rising death tolls feared.

Key Details:

• Macron's Intervention:

  • President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Mayotte to assess the damage and reassure residents, stating,

    "This is an exceptional natural disaster... Everyone here is mobilized and wants to do the utmost." – Emmanuel Macron [07:17]

• On-the-Ground Reports:

  • Correspondent Maenie Jones described the aftermath:

    "Everything is devastated. Landscapes, houses, trees, everything is destroyed... We have no service in some parts of the island." – Andrew Harding [08:03]

  • Scenes included uprooted trees, torn roofs, and ongoing flooding even in locales like hotels.

Humanitarian Crisis:
Thousands may lose their lives, with immediate needs including food, water, and medical assistance. The French government pledges continued support, but the extent of the devastation poses significant challenges for rebuilding efforts.

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3. Israeli Airstrikes Target Houthi Facilities in Yemen

Overview:
In response to recent aggression, Israel launched a series of precise airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi military facilities in Yemen. This marks one of the few direct Israeli actions in the region over the past year.

Key Details:

• Military Actions:

  • Strikes targeted ports and energy infrastructures in Sanaa, crippling Houthi operations.
  • Israel's military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, emphasized the necessity of these actions:

    "Israel will not hesitate to act in order to defend itself and its citizens." – Daniel Hagari [10:20]

• Context of the Strikes:

  • Occurred shortly after a missile from Yemen triggered alarms in central Israel and was successfully intercepted.
  • Reports indicate nine fatalities in Yemen due to the strikes, with significant infrastructural damage.

• Regional Implications:

  • The attacks represent escalating tensions between Israel and Houthi forces, who have shown solidarity with Palestinian factions.
  • Ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza remain fraught, with discussions over hostage releases and the future of Israeli military presence in the region.

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4. Women’s Plight in Iran’s Evin Prison

Overview:
The BBC's 100 Women program sheds light on the harrowing conditions faced by female prisoners in Iran's notorious Evin Prison. Arrested during the 2022 Woman Life Freedom Movement, these women endure severe torture, threats, and inhumane treatment.

Key Details:

• Personal Accounts:

  • Nassim, a hairdresser turned political prisoner, recounts:

    "I'm interrogated 10 to 12 hours every day... Men molest you here and no one cares." – Nassim [13:18]

  • Vida, a journalist, describes her coping mechanisms through art despite the oppressive environment.

• Resistance and Resilience:

  • Inmates like Nargis Mohammadi continue to organize protests, hunger strikes, and demonstrations against executions, maintaining their spirit against the regime's brutality.

• International Response:

  • Despite the dire conditions, the Iranian government denies human rights violations, asserting that Evin meets necessary standards.
  • Global attention has been drawn to the plight of these women, urging for their release and better treatment.

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5. International Efforts to Preserve Ukrainian Cultural Heritage

Overview:
Amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Czech Republic has mobilized preservation teams equipped with advanced technologies to restore and protect Ukraine's invaluable art and cultural collections damaged by war.

Key Details:

• Project ARK:

  • Led by the Czech National Library, this initiative utilizes specialized equipment like Ark 1, a steel container with restoration tools designed for emergency on-site work.
  • Tomasz Foltin, Director of the Czech National Library, stated,

    "The Ukrainian cultural heritage... makes sense to support the Ukrainian cultural heritage institution to preserve their collection for the future." – Tomasz Foltin [25:16]

• Technical Expertise:

  • The project leverages Czech advancements from previous natural disaster responses, training 300 Ukrainian experts in material rescue and restoration.

• Ongoing Commitment:

  • Additional units with 3D scanning technology are en route to Kyiv, underscoring the international community's support for Ukraine's cultural legacy.

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6. European Central Bank Proposes Overhaul of Climate Insurance

Overview:
A joint report by the European Central Bank and the EU's insurance regulator calls for a comprehensive revamp of Europe's climate insurance framework. The aim is to bridge the current coverage gap, where only 25% of climate-related losses are insured.

Key Details:

• Proposed Two-Pillar Scheme:

  • EU Reinsurance Scheme: To expand insurance coverage for individuals and businesses.
  • EU Disaster Fund: To bolster governmental disaster risk management capabilities.

• Economic Implications of Inadequate Coverage:

  • Delayed Recovery: Slows economic growth post-disasters.
  • Financial Stability Risks: Uninsured losses can impact banking sectors due to unpaid mortgages and loans.
  • Fiscal Strain: Governments may face increased pressure to cover uninsured damages.

• Expert Insight:

  • Linda Rusova from the ECB's Financial Stability Team emphasized,

    "With climate change, we face more frequent and more severe disasters... This insurance protection gap is expected to widen further with the rising risks." – Linda Rusova [18:35]

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7. UN-Led Mission in Haiti Faces Funding and Deployment Challenges

Overview:
The UN-sanctioned mission in Haiti, initially envisioned as a multinational effort led by Kenyan police, is grappling with severe underfunding and limited deployment, hindering its effectiveness in combating rampant gang violence.

Key Details:

• Deployment Shortfalls:

  • Out of the planned 2,500 officers, only 400 Kenyan police have been deployed six months into the mission.
  • Commander Godfrey Atonge highlighted logistical challenges and the unprecedented nature of the mission:

    "This is the first of its kind and anything new comes with challenges." – Commander Godfrey Atonge [21:58]

• On-Ground Conditions:

  • Daily confrontations with gangs have left areas like Port-au-Prince in ruins, with significant civilian casualties and displacement.
  • Local populations remain supportive of the mission despite ongoing violence and resource shortages.

• Calls for Enhanced Support:

  • International actors and human rights agencies are urging the UN to escalate the mission into a full-fledged peacekeeping operation, necessitating increased funding and resources.

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8. Discovery of New Plant and Fungi Species at Royal Botanical Gardens

Overview:
The Royal Botanical Gardens in London showcased a variety of newly identified plant and fungi species, including the enigmatic ghost palm. These discoveries underscore the vast undocumented biodiversity that remains threatened with extinction.

Key Details:

• New Species Highlights:

  • Ghost Palm: A unique climbing palm from Borneo, difficult to classify without floral and fruit specimens.
  • Black Soled Zebra Plant and Toothy Toadstools: Among the dozens of new additions presented.

• Scientific Significance:

  • Professor Bill Baker emphasized the critical need for documentation:

    "If you don't have a name for something, you can't take any actions towards it. It's part of the process of protecting biodiversity." – Professor Bill Baker [26:57]

• Conservation Efforts:

  • Botanists like Nick Robinson and colleagues are actively fielding and cataloging specimens, collaborating with extensive herbarium collections to validate and preserve these new finds.

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Conclusion

This episode of the Global News Podcast delves into a spectrum of pressing global issues, from groundbreaking legal victories and humanitarian crises to environmental conservation and international security. Through in-depth reporting and firsthand accounts, the BBC World Service provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of events shaping our world today.

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For more detailed reports and stories covered in this episode, visit the BBC World Service or the Global News Podcast website.

Transcript

[Janat Jalil]

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[Andrew Harding]

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[Janat Jalil]

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[Andrew Harding]

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[Janat Jalil]

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[Sarah Montagu]

This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Janat Jalil and at 14 hours GMT on Thursday 19th December these are our main stories. At a mass rape trial that has horrified France, Giselle Pellicot's ex husband and 50 other men are found guilty and given jail terms. President Macron reassures the people of the French territory of Mayotte that they will get all the help they need as they struggle to recover from a devastating cyclone. Israeli fighter jets carry out airstrikes in Yemen against facilities used by Iranian backed Houthi forces. Also in this podcast what are toothy toadstools or ghost palms? Find out later. It's the rape trial that shocked the world. And today in France, verdicts were handed down to the 51 men accused of raping or sexually assaulting one woman, Giselle Perico, who who for almost a decade was drugged by her now ex husband Dominique, so that he and dozens of other men he recruited online could use her unconscious body to fulfill their depraved sexual fantasies. Dominique Pellicault was given the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The other men were given sentences ranging from three to 15 years. The case has also made 72 year old Giselle Perico a feminist icon. She made the brave decision to waive her right to be anonymous, saying the shame should be on her rapists, not her. As she made her way to the court in Avignon in southern France today, people shouted thanks and encouragement to her. After the verdicts and the sentencing, Giselle thanked her supporters saying she never regretted making the trial public.

[Andrew Harding]

I wanted to open the doors of this trial last September so that society could see what was happening. I've never regretted this decision. I have confidence now in our capacity collectively to find a better future in which men and women alike can live harmoniously together with respect and mutual understanding.

[Sarah Montagu]

We heard more from our correspondent Andrew Harding, who was at the court in Avignon.

[Janat Jalil]

It was so quick we were expecting it to take several hours, but the judge president was averaging about 20 seconds per her accused as he rattled through the guilty verdicts. The guilt was not really a surprise given those extraordinary videos. What people were waiting for though, was the verdicts, and those followed very quickly after and with the same pattern and speed. And generally the feeling was that apart from Dominique Pellico, who'd got the maximum, that the others had got slightly less than the prosecution had asked in most cases. But outside the courtroom, in the kind of melee that follow, as everyone was waiting for Giselle Pellico to speak, various defence lawyers gave various reactions. Some were quite glad that the sentences were left, others were talking about appealing. And there was still some frustration with the fact that this was a mass trial, that their clients weren't individually put on trial, and perhaps there would have been more focus, more attention to those individuals. There was a feeling that the whole process had been sort of steamrolled through the justice system.

[Andrew Harding]

I mean, Andrew, we should probably take a step back, just to go back to how this all came out, because, I mean, it does seem extraordinary, but originally he was only caught because of something else.

[Janat Jalil]

Exactly. Back in 2020, in September, then, he was in a supermarket in a nearby town called Carpentran and he was filming up women's skirts. He was caught, confronted, and the women who'd been assaulted essentially complained to the police. He was arrested and things could have probably ended there. In fact, Giselle Pellico once told her husband, look, get some help, but I forgive you. We'll work through this. But then the police decided, partly on the advice of a psychiatrist who talked to Pellico and said, there's something more going on here. They went and investigated his phone and took laptops and hard drives from the Pelico's little bungalow cottage on the edge of a village called Maison. And that's where they came across, out of the blue, this extraordinary cache of more than 20,000 explicit videos and photographs.

[Andrew Harding]

And the recruited invited men into his home. Can you just talk us through that as well?

[Janat Jalil]

For a lot of the accused, they answered a website that was very explicitly talking about a woman who was unconscious or was going to be raped or abused without her knowledge. That was explicit. And Dominique Pellico said in court, these men all knew exactly what was going on. Some of the men, in fact, quite a lot of the men argued in court. Look, we'd go on this website, we would meet other couples, couples and indulge in their sexual fantasies in threesomes, in swinging scenes. And so when Dominique Pellico said his wife was consenting, they assumed that that was the case. They insisted that they had no reason to suspect otherwise. That Dominique Pellico has said, in the morning, my wife and I watch these videos together. This is our fantasy. But of course, the reality of those actual Videos, when they were shown in court, was so profound and it was so clear that Giselle Pellico was simply in no position to have consented because she was seen and heard snoring. She was completely unconscious. And that was the point where I think a lot of these men began to understand really what they were dealing with in terms of consent. And I think for quite a few of the men, it was an education to realize what consent means beyond this case.

[Andrew Harding]

He is, I understand it, the main suspect in other cases is that now.

[Sarah Montagu]

The case, will they be pursued?

[Janat Jalil]

Exactly, yes. I mean, the thing with Dominique Pellico is he has denied everything until the moment it is proved beyond all doubt when he's confronted with the video or confronted with the 1999 DNA evidence that he had attempted to rape a woman in Paris. And he admitted to that. Finally, there's another case back in 1990 where a woman was raped and murdered in almost identical circumstances to the 1999 murder. So that's being investigated, of course, the abuse abuses that we've heard about today about his daughter, a daughter in law and possibly even some grandchildren. So this is a man who did not start his retirement and think, I'm going to become a rapist. This is a man who clearly, in the decades before, was up to no good.

[Sarah Montagu]

Andrew Harding speaking there to Sarah Montagu. Days after a devastating cyclone hit the French territory of Mayotte, the French president Emmanuel Macron has arrived on the Indian Ocean archipelago. Mayotte's prefect has warned that the death toll could ris to the thousands. Mr. Macron met staff at Mayotte's main hospital and said the situation there was an exceptional natural disaster. This woman is telling Mr. Macron, this is the same devastation everywhere. I hear you, replies Mr. Macron. Everyone here is mobilized and wants to do the utmost. Ruhayna Khamedine is a young woman living in the east of Mayotte. She traveled to the capital, Mamoudzou, to send this message on Wednesday evening.

[Andrew Harding]

Here in Mayotte, everything is devastated. Landscapes, houses, trees, everything is destroyed. Very strong winds that blew away everything. We have no service in some parts of the island. We have no running water. We have no electricity. Even the hospital has lost part of the roof. So it has become very difficult to welcome patients and to really care for everybody.

[Sarah Montagu]

Our correspondent Maenie Jones sent this report from Mayotte.

[Andrew Harding]

Landing in Mayotte, it's immediately apparent just how complete the devastation here has been. The landscape has been completely torn off. Trees lying on their sides, barren leaves. Buildings have had their roofs torn off. Bits of glass on the floor. And just as we landed, there was a giant downpour. And even in this hotel behind me, which is one of the best hotels on the island, water immediately started pouring in, and people are now trying to sweep it out. It just gives you a sense of the difficulty of the conditions that people have been living here for the last few days. The president says he wants to show solidarity to the people of Mayotte. He'll make sure they have everything that they need. But lots of people are still waiting for food and water. We saw a picture of donations that some people got yesterday, private donations. All they had were a couple of bottles of water and a couple of tins of food. So a lot more is needed here. And it's not clear exactly how long it will take to rebuild this island, which has been completely devastated by Cyclone Cheeto.

[Sarah Montagu]

Miami Jones to the Middle east now. And Israel says its fighter jets launched a series of attacks against military targets in Yemen belonging to the Iranian Bat Houthi movement. The strikes came less than two hours after a rocket fired from Yemen triggered warning sirens across central Israel. It was successfully intercepted. The Israeli military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, said the targets were facilities used by Houthi forces for their military operations.

[Andrew Harding]

The IDF conducted precise strikes on Houthi.

[Janat Jalil]

Military targets in Yemen, including ports and energy infrastructures in Sanaa, which the Houthis have been using in ways that effectively.

[Andrew Harding]

Contributed to their military actions. Israel will not hesitate to act in order to defend itself and its citizens.

[Janat Jalil]

From the Houthis attacks.

[Sarah Montagu]

Our Middle east correspondent, Yoland Nell is in Jerusalem and told us more.

[Andrew Harding]

We believe this is only the third time that Israel has carried out direct strikes on Yemen in the past 14 months. This is the period, of course, where the Houthis in Yemen say they have been attacking Israel and International Shipp as well, out of solidarity with the Palestinians. We've just had a briefing from the Israeli military who have confirmed that actually their warplanes were already in the air when a missile was fired overnight from Yemen towards the sort of Tel Aviv area of Israel. It was intercepted, although there was a lot of damage caused to a school. They say they're looking into that. It seems to be shrapnel. But inside Yemen itself, you know, it's really been shaken. Sana'a, the capital, there are three ports that have been hit, and the Israeli military suggesting that they have paralyzed those in effect. And there have also been power plants that have been hit. So we've been hearing that there have been power blackouts, that there were fires that were started. And local media in Yemen saying at least nine people killed as a result of these Israeli strikes.

[Sarah Montagu]

And this time yesterday we were talking about cautious optimism about the prospects of a ceasefire finally being agreed in Gaza. Where are we at with that? Any update on that?

[Andrew Harding]

In general, still positive on the ongoing negotiations to secure this Gaza cease fire and hostage release deal. There are reports that the Israeli prime minister is to meet his top security brass later to discuss developments. The Israeli media are quoting different sources about where holdups are in the talks that mediators are working on. They're saying some of them over which hostages to release in the first stage. The issues of the Israeli future military presence in Gaza, how to ensure armed fighters don't return to the north of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian media saying that holdups are over which Palestinian prisoners should be released and what terms they should be released under in exchange for Israeli hostages.

[Sarah Montagu]

Yolandnell In Jerusalem, the BBC has gained rare access to the often unheard stories of women inside Iran's notorious Evin prison, including accounts of torture and threats of execution. Thousands of women in Iran were arrested after the Woman Life freedom Movement in 2022. From multiple reliable sources, BBC 100 Women has built a detailed picture of life inside the prison walls, revealing the stories of women who continue to protest for their rights despite the risks. Galnush Golshani reports. And a warning. Some listeners may find this report distressing.

[Andrew Harding]

When nationwide protests broke out In Iran in 2022, Nassim's life changed. Until then, she had been working as a hairdresser. She loved rap music and makeup. But when 22 year old Mahsa Amini died in police custody, Nassim and her friends decided to take to the streets in protest against the compulsory hij. Like thousands of other women, she was arrested. Nassim was taken to the notorious Evin prison where around 70 women are currently held as political prisoners. The BBC has obtained rare accounts of their daily life. Their words are spoken by actresses. There's no sound here, no trees. And it just smells like poison. A poison that doesn't kill insects. For four months, Nassim was kept in solitary confinement in a tiny windowless cell. She had no access to a lawyer, family or friends. I'm interrogated 10 to 12 hours every day. The jailer would knock on the cell door and say, do you hear that? They're beating them. Be ready. You're next. Men molest you here and no one cares. Eventually, she was moved to an overcrowded wing with up to 20 women in one cell. Iranian authorities crushed the demonstrations, arresting tens of thousands of people and executing at least 10. But they couldn't break the spirit of the women in Evin prison. They've kept their protests alive. Every Tuesday, they hold demonstrations against executions, chanting in prison yard, refusing to move all night and staging hunger strikes. One of the inmates organizing the protests is Nargis Mohammadi, a human rights activist and a Nobel Peace Prize winner. The campaign has spread through jails across Iran, gaining international support. I painted the corridor like the ocean. It was like falling deep under the sea. Vida was arrested for her work as a journalist. In prison, she keeps herself busy painting on anything she can, from walls to bed sheets. I painted crumbling bricks and a beautiful forest beyond. Nagis joked that she would run and jump into the painting, but always hit the wall instead.

[Janat Jalil]

They sprayed over the painting at night.

[Andrew Harding]

She also does portraits of the women here. One, which was smuggled out of Evin, is of Kurdish activist Pakshan Azizi. She's been sentenced to death and there is great concern this may be carried out soon. Other women in prison are also facing execution. Vida says they often joke about it, trying to fight the dread with dark humor. We joke, saying, why bother dyeing your hair anymore? You're going to be executed. We laugh because we don't want to believe it, but deep down we're afraid. More than 800 people were executed for various crimes in Iran last year, the highest number in eight years, according to Amnesty International. The harsh living conditions in prison and the difficulty accessing health healthcare are having a lasting impact on many of the inmates. But the Iranian government denies allegations of human rights violations. It claims conditions inside Evin prison meet all necessary standards and that prisoners are not mistreated. Vida went on hunger strike demanding medical treatment for Nargis, who suffers from life threatening heart and lung conditions. Earlier this month, Nygus was granted temporary release on medical grounds. As she's taken out of the ambulance on a stretcher with her curly black hair uncovered and her fist raised in the air, she yells, freedom is our right.

[Sarah Montagu]

Golnush Golshani reporting. And you can watch the full film Songs From Inside by BBC 100 Women on the World Service YouTube channel. You can follow BBC 100 Women on Facebook and Instagram. Still to come in this podcast, how preservation teams from the Czech Republic are helping to restore valuable Ukrainian art collections that have been damaged in the war. You're listening to the Global News podcast. A new report by the European Central bank and the EU's insurance regulator calls for a big shake up in Europe's climate insurance system. The idea is to make sure that more people are covered since right now only about a quarter of climate related losses in Europe are insured. Liana Byrne asked Linda Rusova from the bank's Financial Stability Team and one of the authors of the report how it would work.

[Andrew Harding]

With climate change, we face more frequent and more severe disasters and this has economic implications and costs. Since 1980s, natural catastrophes cost around 900 billion euro in direct economic losses. In the EU, only a quarter of these losses are insured and this insurance protection gap is expected to widen further with the rising risks. To manage that, our paper proposes a two pillar EU scheme. The first pillar, an EU reinsurance scheme, would increase insurance coverage for people and businesses. The second pillar, an EU disaster fund, would strengthen disaster risk management by governments. Now, what are the broader economic consequences of inadequate insurance coverage? There are three aspects to that. Low insurance coverage can pose risks to economic growth as it delays economic recovery. It can pose risks to financial stability because banks provide mortgages to households and loans to businesses. If these are not insured, banks can suffer losses. Low insurance coverage also increases fiscal pressure for countries that step in to cover uninsured losses.

[Sarah Montagu]

Linda Rusova of the European Central bank the UN sanctioned mission in Haiti was meant to be a multi nation effort led by the Kenyan police with a contingent of 2,500 officers from a number of countries. Six months later, only 400 Kenyan police officers have been deployed as well as a handful of others and the mission remains seriously underfunded. Our reporter Nawal Al Magafi spent time embedded with the KEN forces before they headed into gang territory. A warning that this report contains distressing details.

[Andrew Harding]

Driving through Haiti's capital, Port au Prince, in an armored vehicle, we witness the aftermath of the daily street fighting between gangs, burnt down cars, tanks toppled over and ransacked neighborhoods. This used to be one of the most populated areas areas of the Haitian capital. It's now a ghost town. We're joining the Kenyan police on a patrol. It's not long before we come under fire. Just meters away, a human body is burning in the middle of the street. Haiti is a state on the brink of total collapse. Crippled by natural disasters and poor governance, violent gangs that control much of the country are terrorizing its people. There are over a hundred of them operating in Port au Prince. We're going to meet the leader of one of the largest gangs. Reynold Destina, who goes by the alias Chilapli, leaves over a thousand men. His gang, Grand Ravine, is notorious for kidnapping I want to ask you about all the young men that are coming to fight with you. What is it that motivates them? I am the one that's saving them from famine. The government doesn't create any job. It's a country with no economic activity whatsoever.

[Janat Jalil]

Even the school system is almost non existent. It's basically a failed state.

[Andrew Harding]

Back in the street, the Kenyan police are doing what they can but they're overwhelmed. Commander Godfrey Atonge is optimistic. Despite the challenges as of today the population were demanding, they wanted now our team to extend and go to other areas and pacify. There's overwhelming support and the population are very happy. So you came here six months ago with 400 of your officers. You were promised 2,500. Six months on, no one's been deployed. Why is that? I can tell you that MSS is a unique mission. It has never been done the world over. This is the first of its kind and anything new comes with challenges. That one we have to accept. My president, he's actually the president of Kenya pledged that he's going to bring to Haiti 1,000 personnel. But they were meant to come in November. They still haven't come very soon, before the end of December. The issue is about the process, a long and painful process, especially for the 760,000 children in Haiti NGOs say are facing acute malnutrition. In the only public hospital still operating in Port au Prince, we meet Venda. She avoided taking her two year old daughter to the hospital fearing the violence in the streets. She prays it's not too late. I would like my kids to be able to eat bread even if I can't. I would like to get proper care for my child too. I don't want to lose her. We reach out to the Haitian government, but they didn't agree to an interview. Human rights agencies and several international actors are now appealing to the UN to turn the Kenyan led mission into a full fledged peacekeeping operation. This would mean more money and more resources. But political instability in recent weeks resulted in even more violence than usual, pushing another 50,000 people to leave their homes. And it's hard to see where it all ends.

[Sarah Montagu]

Nawal Al Magafi in Haiti well, armed conflict has an effect on pretty much every facet of life, including a nation's cultural heritage. In Ukraine, hundreds of libraries, museums and churches have been transact by Russian soldiers and many others destroyed by Russian bombs. Mobile preservation units from the Czech Republic fitted with top of the range technology are being sent to Kyiv to help restore valuable collections that have been damaged. Our Prague correspondent, Rob Cameron has more.

[Janat Jalil]

For example, when you are getting a peek inside. Ark 1, a steel container fitted with sinks, presses and drying racks, where ancient Bibles, 18th century manuscripts, pre war newspapers, anything printed or written on paper can be cleaned, dried and restored. Ark 1 has been specially designed for emergency on site restoration and will soon be sent to Kyiv and then on to towns and villages where the fighting threatens Ukraine's priceless collections. Tomasz Foltin is the director of the Czech National Library, which is overseeing the project for the Czech Ministry of Culture.

[Andrew Harding]

The Ukrainian cultural heritage, it's the magnificent part of the European cultural heritage and of course our world cultural heritage. And for us, makes sense to support the Ukrainian cultural heritage institution to preserve their collection for the future. And when we are able to do something, we have to do it.

[Janat Jalil]

Project ARK uses unique Czech technology and expertise painfully learnt during the devastating floods in Prague some 20 years ago. Financed by two Czech entrepreneurs, some 300 Ukrainian experts are being trained in rescuing written material. Ukraine's Deputy Ambassador to Prague, Vitaly Usati, says much has already been lost.

[Andrew Harding]

They were everywhere, in churches, in library, in administrative buildings, in private collections. This is the first aim of Russian Federation to destroy the Ukraine and its cultural heritage.

[Janat Jalil]

Ark 1 is just the start. Kyiv will soon take delivery of two more vehicles fitted with technology, including 3D scanners able to capture small artifacts. And it's also a measure of the enduring support in this country for Ukraine and its people.

[Sarah Montagu]

Rob Cameron reporting. Some toothy toadstools, a black soled zebra plant and a ghost palm are among the species being added to the annual list of plants and fungi which are new to science. They're being shown at the Royal Botanical Gardens here in London, where scientists have helped to describe dozens of new plants and fungi. Professor Bill Baker is the senior research leader. He spoke to Nick Robinson.

[Andrew Harding]

We think that probably there might be 100,000 plants that aren't described.

[Janat Jalil]

We think that three quarters of those are probably already threatened with extinction.

[Andrew Harding]

If you don't have a name for.

[Janat Jalil]

Something, if it isn't scientifically documented, you can't take any actions towards it. It's part of the process of protecting biodiversity. Absolutely, yeah.

[Sarah Montagu]

Now tell us about some of your favorites, because there's one you brought along with you.

[Janat Jalil]

Yeah, well, I brought the one I was most closely involved in and that's the. The ghost rattan, which is a bizarre climbing palm that we found in Borneo.

[Andrew Harding]

So I brought here one of our.

[Janat Jalil]

Specimens, a palm folder here. Yeah.

[Sarah Montagu]

And just to reassure people, you haven't.

[Janat Jalil]

Pulled it up by the roots, not.

[Andrew Harding]

Not just for this occasion. This is purely for science.

[Janat Jalil]

And in this folder there are a.

[Andrew Harding]

Number of pieces of, of leaf and.

[Janat Jalil]

Stem of the, of the rattan. They're really important plants. They're, they're the source of cane furniture.

[Andrew Harding]

Multi billion dollar industry rests on rattan. So finding a new one isn't, isn't trivial.

[Janat Jalil]

This one was very frustrating because it's actually been found many times over the last 90 years, but never with any flowers and fruit. And without those, those elements, it's really, really hard to do the describing part.

[Andrew Harding]

Yeah.

[Janat Jalil]

And what is it you do?

[Sarah Montagu]

So there we are with my untutored eye. That just looks like any old palm.

[Janat Jalil]

Leaf there, which it clearly isn't, and.

[Sarah Montagu]

Forgive me for saying that, but so what do you do as a botanist to establish that that is in inverted commas, new and to document?

[Janat Jalil]

Okay, so I'm active in the field. I go to the forest, I collect palms, I bring them back and I compare them to all the specimens we.

[Andrew Harding]

Have at Kew already we have an.

[Janat Jalil]

Amazing sort of museum of plants, if.

[Andrew Harding]

You like, our herbarium with 8 million specimens in it, and that's an incredible.

[Janat Jalil]

Resource for comparing with known species.

[Andrew Harding]

But in this case, we were still.

[Janat Jalil]

Stuck because we hadn't got flowers and fruit.

[Andrew Harding]

So my fantastic student at the time, Ben Kunheiser, did a whole lot of clever DNA work to establish its identity, Professor Bill Baker.

[Sarah Montagu]

And that's all from us for now. But there will be a new edition of the Global News podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk this edition was mixed by Chris Lovelock. The producer was Oliver Burlau. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Janet Jalil. Until next time. Goodbye.

[Andrew Harding]

Yoga is more than just exercise. It's the spiritual practice that millions swear by. And in 2017, Miranda, a university tutor from London, joins a yoga school that promises profound transformation.

[Janat Jalil]

It felt a really safe and welcoming space. After the yoga classes, I felt amazing.

[Andrew Harding]

But soon that calm, welcoming atmosphere leads to something far darker. A journey that leads to allegations of grooming, trafficking and exploitation across international borders.

[Janat Jalil]

I don't have my passport. I don't have my phone. I don't have my bank cards. I have nothing.

[Sarah Montagu]

The passport being taken, the being in.

[Andrew Harding]

A house and not feeling like they can leave. World of secrets is where untold stories are unveiled and hidden realities are exposed. In this new series, we're Confronting the dark side of the wellness industry with a hope of a spiritual breakthrough gives way to disturbing accusations. You just get sucked in so gradually.

[Janat Jalil]

And it's done so skillfully that you don't realize.

[Andrew Harding]

And it's like this. The secret that's there.

[Janat Jalil]

I wanted to believe that, you know.

[Andrew Harding]

That whatever they were doing, even if it seemed gross to me, was for some spiritual reason that I couldn't understand. Revealing the hidden secrets of a global yoga network.

[Janat Jalil]

I feel that I have no other choice.

[Andrew Harding]

The only thing I can do is.

[Janat Jalil]

To speak about this and to put my reputation and everything else on the line.

[Andrew Harding]

I want truth and justice.

[Janat Jalil]

And for other people to not be hurt, for things to be different in the future.

[Andrew Harding]

To bring it into the light and almost alchemize some of that evil stuff that went on and take back the power world of secrets. Season 6 the Bad Guru Listen wherever you get your podcasts.