Image
'It's almost like a weapon': How the blonde bombshell has symbolised desire and danger Western culture, she says, has built a whole mythology around female blondeness − from religious iconography and fairy tales, to art and advertising − that has told specific stories about what it means to be blonde. In cinema's early years, comedies such as Platinum Blonde (1931) and Bombshell (1933), starring Jean Harlow, embedded concepts of the dazzling, devastatingly beautiful blonde into the cultural vernacular. "The idea that you're a bombshell, it's almost like a weapon," says Nead. "On the one hand, it is this kind of ideal, but at the same time, it's also threatening."   Before Harlow, there was another − more natural-looking − blonde on the scene: Mary Pickford, whose amber curls helped earn her the moniker of "America's Sweetheart". But while Pickford played the guileless girl waiting to be rescued, Harlow's peroxide blonde ...
Post a Comment

Police algorithm said Lina was at 'medium' risk. Then she was killed


Her ex-partner had been threatening her at home in the Spanish seaside town of Benalmádena. That day, he'd allegedly raised his hand as if to hit her.

"There had been violent episodes - she was scared," Lina's cousin Daniel recalls.

When she got to the police station, she was interviewed and her case registered with VioGén, a digital tool which assesses the likelihood of a woman being attacked again by the same man.

VioGén - an algorithm-based system - asks 35 questions about the abuse and its intensity, the aggressor's access to weapons, his mental health and whether the woman has left, or is considering leaving, the relationship.

It then records the threat to her as "negligible", "low", "medium", "high" or "extreme".

The category is used to make decisions about the allocation of police resources to protect the woman.

Lina was deemed to be at "medium" risk.

She asked for a restraining order at a specialist gender violence court in Malaga, so that her ex-partner couldn't be in contact with her or share her living space. The request was denied.

"Lina wanted to change the locks at her home, so she could live peacefully with her children," says her cousin.

Three weeks later, she was dead. Her partner had allegedly used his key to enter her flat and soon the house was on fire.

While her children, mother and ex-partner all escaped, Lina didn't. Her 11-year-old son was widely reported as telling police it was his father who killed his mother.

Lina's lifeless body was retrieved from the charred interior of her home. Her ex-partner, the father of her three youngest children, was arrested.

Now, her death is raising questions about VioGén and its ability to keep women safe in Spain.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Nick Clegg leaves Meta ahead of Trump's return as US president Former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg is to step down from his current job as president of global affairs at social media giant Meta. In a post on Meta's Facebook on Thursday, Sir Nick, a former leader of the Liberal Democrats, said he was departing the company after nearly seven years. He will be replaced by his current deputy and Republican Joel Kaplan, who previously served as deputy chief of staff in the White House during President George W Bush's administration, and is known for handling the company's relations with Republicans. He added that he would spend "a few months handing over the reins" and representing Facebook at international gatherings before moving on to "new adventures". Sir Nick's resignation comes just weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House. The president-elect has repeatedly accused Meta and other platforms of censorship and silencing conse...
Read more
Image
Disney holds small-scale Snow White premiere amid controversy Disney's live-action remake of Snow White is set to be released in UK cinemas next week, marking the latest efforts by the film studio to revive a beloved old classic. But the film, which stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, has faced several issues throughout its production. The movie is being released amid a debate about how the seven dwarfs are represented on screen, while Zegler has made headlines for critical comments about the original 1937 film. The European premiere was held on Wednesday at a castle in Northern Spain, instead of a more traditional and high-profile location such as London's Leicester Square. The film's European premiere took place on Wednesday at a remote castle in Spain, which was the inspiration behind the castle in the 1937 original animated film. Zegler performed a rendition of original song Waiting On a Wish at the event on Wednesday evening in Segrovia, north-West of Madrid. Most media...
Read more
Image
  Venezuela frees six US men after Trump envoy meets Maduro Venezuela has freed six US detainees after talks in Caracas between President Nicolás Maduro and a senior Trump administration official. The release of the men was announced on social media by Donald Trump and his special envoy, Richard Grenell. Grenell - who published online a photo of the six on board his plane - said they had spoken by phone to President Trump to thank him. Earlier, the White House had called on Venezuela to release "US hostages" - as well as agreeing to receive Venezuelan criminals deported by the US - or face consequences. Venezuela's Maduro sworn in for third term after contested elections US announces $25m reward for arrest of Venezuela's Maduro 'I thought I was going to die': Jailed Venezuelan activist Grenell did not name the six men, who were seen dressed in light blue outfits used by the Venezuelan prison system. "We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American ...
Read more