GOGSoc Episode V: The GOG Strikes Back

Isnt it true that most women who are sexually assulted know their attackers? People tend to be assulted by 'friends', date raped etc rather than because they are wearing a short skirt. (I cant find the statistic right now, but Im sure I saw it somewhere). Therefore this whole argument of 'she was asking for it' is a bit stupid.

I can understand the thought process that a police officer might have in this situation, but if the fact a woman exhibits "peacock activity" causes him to treat a rape allegation less seriously then it isn't an appropriate thought process for him to have.

People display themselves in other ways than the sexual, and don't get treated negatively by the law for it. If man wears a flashy and expensive suit in an attempt to impress people, a police officer isn't going to make light of him reporting that he is mugged (going back to the excellent allegory mentioned a little while back). And yet he deliberately set out to attract attention for his wealth. I don't see how this is any different to a woman deliberately setting out to attract sexual attention and then reporting a rape.

The drinking can be significant. Everything else is a bias against potential rape victims that is actually very heavily instilled in our society. To be honest, it's something I've had to look at in myself as a result of the discussions here - I'd never suggest any woman "had it coming" but the idea that a woman dressed up provocatively is somehow inviting sexual contact, consensual or otherwise, is so generally accepted that it's something you have to focus very hard to ignore.

But that should be down to judge and jury. Innocent until proven guilty is all well and good. But there should equally be an understanding that when somebody reports a crime - any crime, but especially one so personal - that this is taken seriously and not apologised for or excused.

Under-reporting has another side though. It is widely reported that rape and sexual assault victims are treat abysmally in many cases - with implications that they were asking for it, that they wanted it then later changed their minds, etc. And the conviction rate is shamefully low. If a woman (or, indeed, a man) feels that they are going to be made out to have been at fault, and treated poorly, and for there to be no guarantee even of a trial, let alone a conviction, then what is going to make that person wish to put themselves through that, on top of what they have already suffered?

Surely if the treatment of those reporting rape and sexual assault was different - if the culture of victim-blaming was comprehensively wiped out, for example - then that would encourage far more people to report the crimes that they have been subjected to? If so, then it is up to the authorities to change the way they handle these sorts of cases, and society as a whole (somehow) to change its attitude and accept that these crimes are abhorrent and not to be tolerated in any situation.

No I think that's a very sensible idea. I got screwed over quite badly with my thesis and undergrad dissertation because the supervisor predicted it 8 marks higher than the examiners gave it

See, the bit in bold is the issue. I'm sure it's not an odd thing to associate skimpy clothing with a clear effort to attract attention from men in clubs and pubs. If you attract attention and then get so blind drunk that you're no longer able to forcibly say no or defend yourself then this becomes a difficult situation for the police (or a judge) to determine whether a serious crime has taken place or its a case of 6 and half a dozen.

But, if that is unacceptable (and I am entirely certain that it is), whereupon do we, as a society, lay the burden of proof in these cases if not on the victim?

Straw man. I know that's based on my analogy, but here's a more realistic one. Man is out for drinks with work colleagues after work. They have a couple. It's safe. It's friendly. He agrees to walk to a taxi rank with one of his colleagues, who he knows fairly well. Half way there colleague demands he give him his watch. Man think it's a joke to start with and doesn't comply until colleague gets nasty and starts making threats of violence, or that he'll tell everybody in the office <something bad>. Eventually he pins him to the wall, takes his Rolex and walks off. The man is humiliated and ashamed that he wasn't able to defend himself. He tries to tell his wife who accuses him of selling the watch or being careless and losing it. He tries to tell his boss the next way, but his colleague denies everything, and the stories seems so unlikely that it isn't believed. What's worse, now everyone thinks he's a liar and nobody will talk to him anymore, just whisper behind his back.

:O yeah that's quite bad! So, should I ask my supervisor first or should I randomly contact someone?

I am sat in A and E, reading some Bulgakov, feeling very sorry for myself and sulking that I won't get to eat my dessert

I am sat in A and E, reading some Bulgakov, feeling very sorry for myself and sulking that I won't get to eat my dessert

Quickly fixable, but this is A and E so the wait to see a doctor is 4 hours. I just had a fight with a can and lost. A ring pull one that stuck and then gave, lacerating my hand in the process. I bled on my pear Last time I did this I refused to go and then got yelled at, so when housemate started insisting ihe drive me I gave up protesting. At least I have a book. Sigh.

Under-reporting has another side though. It is widely reported that rape and sexual assault victims are treat abysmally in many cases - with implications that they were asking for it, that they wanted it then later changed their minds, etc. And the conviction rate is shamefully low. If a woman (or, indeed, a man) feels that they are going to be made out to have been at fault, and treated poorly, and for there to be no guarantee even of a trial, let alone a conviction, then what is going to make that person wish to put themselves through that, on top of what they have already suffered?

Surely if the treatment of those reporting rape and sexual assault was different - if the culture of victim-blaming was comprehensively wiped out, for example - then that would encourage far more people to report the crimes that they have been subjected to? If so, then it is up to the authorities to change the way they handle these sorts of cases, and society as a whole (somehow) to change its attitude and accept that these crimes are abhorrent and not to be tolerated in any situation.

/tuppenn'orth.

The main problem with sexual crime is always a lack of evidence. However the police treat victims, and there is no guarantee that they are victims, is negligible in this context. No matter how many people reported sexual crimes it would always come down to available evidence. Where evidence is available, there is no problem with prosecution. The prison across the road from me is chock full of people serving sentence for sexual crimes, many of them against children.
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