Sexual assault question?

Question

Why is it that victims of sexual assault are treated so horribly by law enforcement, the courts and society in general?
What systemic problems do we encounter?

Answer 1

A great book to read that explains in details the obstacles that women must face dealing with the justice system is written by Lee Lakeman, and is entitled , "Obsession With Intent, Violence Against Women". I met this women last year and I was amazed by her knowledge and commitment to make a difference in many women's lives.
Rape victims in Canada are basically evidence. They don't have anybody that is actually looking out for their interests. The prosecuting attorney will make them out to be as terrible as possible which sheds a better light on the person they are protecting.
Many still blame the victim for the rape, despite the fact that rape has been shown to be more about power than about sex. The only people that should be dragged through the system are the men that rape the women. These are the guilty parties and rape laws should be changed to something that reflects the complexity of the issues as opposed to treating it with the same penalization as a offence against property.
Women are discouraged from reporting the crime from the start. When you have high profile cases where the defendants are set free and the woman has her life and reputation ruined it is easy to see why she would choose to ignore the crime and try and get on with her life. I could write much more but there really isn't enough space to discuss all the different criteria that a woman who has been raped is up against. Please do a search of Lee Lakeman and you will have more than enough material to begin to understand what a dilemma society is facing with the current state of justice.

Answer 2

Personally, I'm astounded that any of this "blaming the victim" actually still happens in 2007. I guess there may be -some- cases where consent may be a gray area (for instance, how drunk can a girl get to cross the line from "drunken sex" to assault?) but the vast majority of the time it seems pretty clear that yes means yes and no means no.

Also, the treatment by law enforcement. I can understand skepticism and character assassination from the defense, but cops and prosecutors... I'm quite certain it happens, it's just something that I can't personally fathom.

I also say that while it might be advisable for the victims to have taken certain precautions, that in no way absolves the perpetrator of anything.

Answer 3

It's certainly not sexual assault, but it's borderline sexual harassment. It depends on the "victim's" response. If he/she says no repeatedly, it's definitely harassment. If she doesn't give a clear answer, probably not. Either way, the "attacker" is a loser. The person who did it is pretty much a loser too if he/she did it without wanting to. If the perpetrator uses violent coercion or blackmail to get the person to do it, then it can count as assault.

Answer 4

I wish I knew.
The only direct experience I can share is that I chose not to report a date rape that happened when I was in high school, because I was afraid of the way I would be treated by the authorities, and by my peers when they found out. I knew [expected] that everyone would blame me, even though I did nothing wrong!
[A date rape drug was used]

One of the systemic problems is the lack of understanding between the sexes. Men don't understand women, and women don't understand men. And rather than respecting each other's differences, there is an ongoing struggle for one to dominate the other. The responses already posted support my statement.

Another problem is lack of personal responsibility. A woman's responsibility is to communicate clear boundaries.
A man's responsibility is to respect those boundaries.

Answer 5

Many misogynist males see women as either Madonnas(Mothers, Sisters, Daughters) or Whores(Sexually Expressive and Free ).Sexually free women are hated by patriarchal males. If a woman is raped, she is seen as "bringing it on herself". Thus, in a largely male political system, she would be blamed and shamed, even though she is innocent.
Good luck

Answer 6

There is a certain number of false rape accusations. Women who falsely charge rape out of revenge or similiar petty reasons are the reason real rape victims have such an hard time beyond the actual rape obviously.
We must finally crack down on this phenomen by incarcerating all people where it has been prooved that thy lied about the accusations.
Simpel cause and effect and none of that bla bla and talk of zhe patriarchy others peddel.

Answer 7

for such a horrendous crime it's unconscienceable that
the VICTIM serves the sentence and her/his life is turned
upside down. Perhaps for this one crime we could institute
vigilante law and let poppa or sibling of the victim lead the
pack (I'll donate the rope and castrating pliers)

Answer 8

ill put this very simple do u have any sibling?
ok well imagine this happening to your sibling how would u feel and what would u do. Exactly i would treat them badly too.

Answer 9

MERLIN:
Please listen to Baba Yaga, Deirdra and Croa.

Do NOT listen to ALEXANDRA. Her response and her reference is pitiful and ill-informed.

Answer 10

I wouldn't listen to Rain, or Deirdre, or BabaYaga...they are the real women-haters!