Three women who helped secure the conviction of a London man for historic sexual offences say the bond they formed during the legal process has become central to their recovery, as growing numbers of survivors of sexual violence choose to waive anonymity and speak publicly about their experiences.

Laura Hughes, Lauren Preston and Mary Sharp, now in their 40s and 50s, describe themselves collectively as “the girls,” a term they say reflects the close emotional support network that emerged after years of trauma connected to the same abuser, Martin Butler.

The women, who maintain regular contact through a WhatsApp group called Sister Solidarity, said their friendship developed after Butler was convicted for offences committed decades earlier.Martin Butler is serving a lengthy prison sentence after being convicted of the rape and buggery of Mary Sharp in 1988.

During the prosecution, Hughes and Preston provided evidence about separate abuse they said they experienced from Butler during the 1990s. Butler was later convicted in another trial involving the historic rape of an unidentified teenage victim.According to the women, Butler operated within the same community in Ruislip, where Hughes and Preston grew up and attended school together.

Sharp also lived in the area, although she did not know the other two women at the time.The women said Butler, who was significantly older than Hughes and Preston when they were teenagers, cultivated influence over vulnerable young people through parties involving alcohol and drugs at his apartment.

In 2023, the women met for the first time after Butler’s conviction in the case involving Sharp. Their decision to speak publicly later drew wider attention and became the basis for a documentary examining the long-term effects of abuse and the role of survivor solidarity.

The women’s experiences come amid broader public discussion around sexual violence and survivor testimony. In recent years, more survivors have chosen to identify themselves publicly, arguing that open discussion can challenge stigma surrounding rape cases.

Gisèle Pelicot, whose case in France drew international attention after she publicly discussed repeated drug-facilitated sexual assaults, said she hoped removing anonymity would help shift social attitudes around shame and victimhood.

Hughes, Preston and Sharp said that while Butler’s conviction represented a significant moment, the process of recovery remained difficult and uneven. All three described ongoing emotional effects linked to the abuse and the court proceedings.

“We would never allow a man to use the word ‘girls’ about us, but we use it with each other,” Hughes said. “We all have the same demon, the same monster, but we are rising together.”

The women said public exposure and revisiting traumatic experiences during legal proceedings carried emotional costs. Preston said that speaking publicly initially intensified anxiety and distress.“For about a year, I went backwards,” she said.

“I started to really suffer from anxiety.”Sharp said the psychological effects of the abuse and subsequent legal process continue to surface periodically despite the support system the women have built together.“We are not out of the woods,” Sharp said.

“I do still have wobbly moments.”Mental health specialists and victim support groups have long noted that recovery from sexual violence can involve prolonged psychological impacts, even after successful prosecutions.

Survivors may continue to experience anxiety, trauma responses and emotional distress long after court proceedings conclude.The three women said mutual support has become one of the most important factors in rebuilding confidence and stability.“I feel like I have freed my childhood self,” Hughes said.

“I can look myself in the eye now, almost as if I have become my own parent.”She added that trauma remained a permanent part of her life experience but said shared understanding among the women had changed how she copes with it.“Someone said that pain is a skin you can’t take off,” Hughes said.

“I feel that’s true with me and my trauma. But having the girls helps me cope with living in that skin and getting stronger within it.”Preston said the court proceedings and subsequent documentary project altered how she viewed herself publicly and privately.

“Everything that has happened, the court case, the documentary, it does make me hold my head up higher,” she said. “I couldn’t have done any of this by myself.

The girls give me strength.”Sharp described the friendship as an enduring emotional responsibility shared among the three women.

“I feel stronger now,” she said. “I wouldn’t do anything to upset my girls. They are part of me now.”

The Narges Mohammadi Foundation said on Friday that Mohammadi was urgently moved to a hospital in Zanjan after prison doctors concluded her condition could no longer be managed inside the detention facility.

According to the foundation, the activist suffered two episodes of complete loss of consciousness, severe nausea, dangerously high blood pressure and repeated vomiting before fainting on Friday morning and being taken to the prison medical unit for emergency intravenous treatment.

The statement described the hospital transfer as a “desperate, last-minute” measure and warned it could come too late to address her critical health condition. Reuters could not immediately independently verify the claims.Mohammadi, in her 50s, won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize while serving a prison sentence for her activism on women’s rights, freedom of expression and opposition to the death penalty in Iran.

She has become one of the country’s most prominent human rights campaigners and a leading voice against state repression.The secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said on Thursday there was growing concern over her worsening condition after reports that she had suffered a heart attack in prison.

Mohammadi has undergone three angioplasty procedures, according to her family, and faces what they described as a “direct and immediate” threat to her life if she does not receive specialist medical treatment in Tehran.Her family called for all charges against her to be dropped immediately and for the annulment of prison sentences linked to what they described as her peaceful human rights work.

The activist was sentenced earlier this year to an additional seven-and-a-half years in prison, according to the foundation. In February, the Nobel Committee urged Iranian authorities to release her without delay.She was arrested in December after publicly condemning the death of lawyer Khosrow Alikordi.

Iranian prosecutor Hasan Hematifar said at the time that Mohammadi made provocative remarks during Alikordi’s memorial ceremony in Mashhad and encouraged attendees to chant what authorities called norm-breaking slogans and disturb public order.Iranian authorities have not immediately commented on Friday’s hospitalization.

Mohammadi has spent years in and out of prison over charges related to national security and anti-state propaganda, accusations rights groups say are frequently used against dissidents and civil society activists in Iran.Her case has drawn sustained international attention, particularly since nationwide protests over women’s rights and political freedoms intensified scrutiny of Iran’s treatment of activists, journalists and political prisoners.

The appeal reflects growing international consensus that economic relief and political inclusion are key to securing sustainable peace in post-conflict Syria.

US Permanent Representative to the UN, Mike Walz, told council members that easing sanctions would be “a crucial step in helping Syria rebuild and move toward a democratic and inclusive future.”

He emphasized that President Donald Trump’s recent executive order formally ending Washington’s broader sanctions program on Syria provides a unique opportunity to reset international engagement with the nation.

“Further relief is critical to giving Syria a chance,” Walz said. He called on UN member states to work together in lifting certain restrictions imposed under previous Security Council resolutions, adding that Syria now stands at “a historic crossroads” after the fall of the Assad regime.

While targeted sanctions remain on individuals and entities connected to past human rights violations, narcotics trafficking, or terrorism, the order also authorizes reviews and partial easing of export controls. The US envoy noted that the new approach prioritizes accountability, humanitarian access, and economic revitalization.

Walz reaffirmed that the United States remains committed to a Syria that is “stable, sovereign, and vibrant,” stressing the importance of political inclusion. “All Syrians should have a meaningful stake in the country’s governance. There can be no progress without this assurance,” he said.

UN Envoy Supports Sanctions Relief

UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Najat Rochdi echoed the call for sanctions relief, saying that “lifting restrictions, alongside domestic reforms, is essential for the success of the political transition.” Speaking from Damascus, Rochdi highlighted that sanctions have hindered reconstruction and humanitarian access, slowing the pace of progress.

She welcomed the US initiative to repeal the Caesar Act, a law passed in 2019 that imposed sweeping sanctions on the Assad regime, calling it “a step in the right direction.” However, she cautioned that the political transition must meet the expectations of Syrians, particularly women and minority groups, who remain underrepresented in the transitional parliament and other political processes.

“Women were consistently underrepresented,” she said, urging future elections to ensure stronger participation and safeguard women’s rights.

Progress Toward Stability and Reform

Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ibrahim Olabi, presented an optimistic picture of the nation’s progress. He outlined a series of reforms and initiatives aimed at strengthening governance, accountability, and cooperation with international organizations.

“Syria is present, active, listening, and taking decisions,” Olabi said, describing the recent parliamentary elections as “the beginning of a new era of freedom.” He highlighted that over 1,500 citizens participated as candidates for 119 seats, marking a significant step toward democratic engagement.

He also emphasized Syria’s ongoing cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, counterterrorism efforts, and initiatives to combat drug trafficking — issues that had previously strained relations with the international community.

“Today, we are writing our history with our own hands,” Olabi declared. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the world to partner with Syria as it rebuilds one of the most ancient civilizations on Earth.”

International Support and Humanitarian Challenges

Oman, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, voiced strong support for the Syrian government’s stabilization and reconstruction efforts. The group called for international collaboration to ensure security, restore institutions, and expand development programs.

The UN’s humanitarian office reported that more than 70 percent of Syrians continue to rely on assistance due to ongoing challenges such as drought, displacement, and the remnants of war.

Despite the hardships, humanitarian agencies reach about 3.4 million people monthly, although funding shortages threaten critical services like water supply and protection for women.

Ramesh Rajasingham, representing the UN humanitarian chief, said that “de-escalation, more funding, and tangible investments in reconstruction” are necessary to accelerate Syria’s recovery.

A Moment of Opportunity

Walz concluded on a hopeful note, expressing optimism for Syria’s future. “Syria has before it a historic opportunity,” he said. “With unity, inclusion, and continued international support, the time to act is now.”

He reaffirmed that the United States will continue to back a Syrian-led reconciliation process, support regional peacebuilding, and encourage the participation of all Syrians — regardless of gender, ethnicity, or political background — in shaping the nation’s democratic future.

As Syria rebuilds, calls for easing sanctions are seen as a vital step toward achieving stability, growth, and lasting peace in the region.

Deoband’s embrace of the Taliban foreign minister is dangerous — but also offers an opening.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan and a senior figure in its political and ideological leadership, has recently completed a six-day visit to India — an episode loaded with meaning.

From his informal ban on female journalists, to the cancellation of his Agra leg, and his carefully choreographed stop at the Vivekananda Foundation. Yet, it is his visit to Dar ul Uloom Deoband, the theological heart of South Asian Deobandi Islam, that has invited sharpest scrutiny.

For years, Indian Muslims — particularly those aligned with the Deobandi school — have tried to draw a distinction between “their Islam,” described as democratic and egalitarian, and the Taliban’s brutal, patriarchal regime. Muttaqi’s pilgrimage to his ideological fountainhead has challenged that narrative.

When the Taliban’s foreign minister visits Deoband, and the seminary receives him with honor, it becomes almost impossible to sustain the claim that the Taliban are merely “misguided” Muslims. Why, then, should men who have subjugated women and silenced dissent be treated as heroes?

What emerges instead is a chilling recognition: the Taliban are not a deviation from Deobandi Islam according to the seminary, but one of its most literal political manifestations.

The confusion within India’s religiously-inclined Muslim intelligentsia over how to respond to this visit is telling — and repetitive. Some rush to rationalize it as “cultural diplomacy” or a gesture of goodwill in the national interest, strangely bringing the Muslim right and the Hindu right onto the same page.

Others recoil in discomfort but stop short of open criticism. Deoband’s endorsement of Muttaqi symbolically affirms the very doctrines that have justified gender apartheid, banned girls from education, and institutionalized moral policing across Afghanistan.

This moment is not merely about Afghanistan; it reflects a moral crisis within Indian muslims as well — a refusal to confront its own regressive solidarities under the pretext of religious kinship. The spectacle of Deoband greeting Muttaqi with reverence reveals the unbroken theological thread linking the 19th seminary to the taliban led theocratic governance.

Deoband’s embrace of the Taliban foreign minister is dangerous — but also offers an opening. If the Taliban truly draw their ideological legitimacy from Deoband, then Deoband carries a moral responsibility: to humanize that ideology, to insist that justice and compassion, not repression, define Islam.

The seminary has a proud history of standing against colonial injustice and for India’s freedom. Can it now stand for Afghan women denied education, or men imprisoned for thought?

If Dar ul Uloom Deoband wishes to remain relevant in a plural democracy, it must decide where it stands — with democracy, gender justice, and education, or with those who burn books, bury dissent, and blind the future of half their population.