By 
24-09-2024
Benedetta De Rosa
Women’s Rights Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.
The American rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested on the night of September 16th, 2024 in Manhattan and accused of exploiting women using alcohol and drugs, with his business empire facilitating the crimes. Prosecutors confirmed that Combs has all the money, personnel and tools needed to escape without being traced while awaiting trial, so the judge ordered pre-trial detention.
The indictment states that the well-known rapper, who pleads not guilty, led a criminal organisation that carried out kidnappings, arson and threats to sexually abuse several women during multi-day orgies called “freak-offs”. Here, women were forced to have sex with professionals in encounters also recorded on video under the influence of ketamine, ecstasy and ghb. The victims describe Combs as a violent sexual predator who for decades abused, threatened and coerced many women to fulfil his sexual desires, subsequently exerting strong pressure to silence them and protect his reputation, even becoming physically violent. Finally, according to the prosecution, the rapper used his business empire to his advantage to create a system involved in human trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced labour, kidnapping and obstruction of justice (Afp, 2024).
This is not the first time that Combs has received allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation. In fact, last year, a former partner denounced him for rape and repeated physical abuse, to which the rapper responded almost immediately by settling the case. In this context, a video from 2016 had emerged showing Combs beating the woman in the lobby of a Los Angeles hotel, leaving no room for interpretation regarding the singer’s conduct. In the meantime, other women accused Combs of rape until the beginning of 2024. Precisely because of these accusations, which will not be the last ones, the US Department of Homeland Security had searched several of Combs’ luxury houses in March, seizing many weapons, including several Ar-15 semi-automatic rifles.
Sources and further readings
Afp (2024, 19 September). Il rapper statunitense Sean “Diddy” Combs incriminato per reati sessuali,Internazionale. Retrieved on September 24th, 2024, from <https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie/2024/09/18/usa-sean-diddy-combs-incriminato-reati-sessuali >.
Il POST (2024, 17 September). Il rapper Diddy (noto anche come Puff Daddy) è stato arrestato e incriminato per tratta di esseri umani, il POST. Retrieved on September 24th, 2024, from <https://www.ilpost.it/2024/09/17/diddy-arrestato/ >.
Sky tg24 (2024, 18 September). Arresto Sean Diddy Combs, Puff Daddy resta in carcere: negata la cauzione, Sky tg24. Retrieved on September 24th, 2024, from <https://tg24.sky.it/spettacolo/musica/2024/09/18/sean-diddy-combs-puff-daddy-arrestato >.
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