Angry about R Kelly but quiet on Solo 45 22 counts of rape cases?

In a week when many have been vocal about R Kelly’s events across the pond. Many critics have said it is rather concerning the issue isn’t being addressed as openly in the UK music industry. Although Solo 45 hasn’t been found guilty at this stage, at the very least the issue should be discussed so other young men in the industry comprehend that there is no place in our scene for such acts. In a predominately male patriarchal industry, renewed efforts must be made to ensure we don’t create an environment that makes female victims of such acts fearful of coming forward.

Solo 45, real name Andy Anokye, has appeared at Bristol Crown Court today facing charges including 22 counts of rape and five counts of false imprisonment, the Bristol Post reports. The four women are expected to give evidence during Anokye’s 5 week trial.

During his appearance at the court today, he denied all 31 charges. The 31 charges include 22 counts of rape, five counts of false imprisonment, two counts of assault by penetration and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH).

According to prosecutor Christopher Quinlan QC, some of the most disturbing acts included pouring bleach into one of the victim’s mouths, waterboarding another and allegedly driving another woman to a secluded area and threatening to shoot her.

“He imprisoned, physically assaulted and sexually violated and raped four women,” Quinlan told the court. “He filmed, for posterity, a great deal of what he did. They don’t know each other. Yet we say each of them suffered in similar ways at different times at the hands of this defendant.”

On a wider scale in the UK more people (especially women) die from domestic violence and rape combined than young people do from knife crime. It begs the question that as a society is there a wider narrative that we are choosing not to address?