BLAME IT ON THE RAPE
VICTIM
I never understood why some people try to accuse/blame the
victim in an incident. I often here the rape cases happening all around the
world. Shockingly Rapes are happening between father and daughter, mother and
son, family relatives or unknown people, so even though you have blood
relationship with someone, they could still RAPE them. I wonder how?
“Victim Blaming: An All-Too-Common Response to Sexual Assault
By now, most of us are familiar with the story of the 11-year-old girl who was
raped by 19 young men. The story gets worse: this little girl, who was
gang-raped, has become the target of victim blaming. A TV anchor quoted
one of the rapists, who
defended himself by saying, "She looked older than 11."
Then came a statement from the victim's father, who said, "She may look older than
11, but she still has the mind of a child."
It doesn't really matter what her father said, because he
shouldn't have had to be on the defensive. I still cannot fathom how these men
could even attempt to blame her, but I know that in reality, victim blaming is an
all-too-common reaction in cases of sexual assault.
Victim blaming, however, is a huge part of our culture. I'm
sure you've heard these all-too-classic lines, probably more than once:
- "She was dressed
provocatively."
- "She had a bad
reputation."
- "She should have known
better than to put herself in that situation."”
In this article I can’t believe that the father is trying to
say that his daughter does look older than 11, and justifies there point that
she looked older than her age. Buy my question is that how does it matter what
her age is, what does that have to do with raping her. Rape is a rape, no
matter what the age is of the person. I
also wonder what clothes have to do with rape, like they just say that her
clothes provoked me.
This video shows how the judge in Manitoba blamed the rape victim due to her
clothing style. He said that there was fault in her clothing, which made the
guy to rape her.
There is another article which I read, that the lawyer
blames the girl that why she not closed her legs.
“LAWYER STRAIGHT-UP BLAMES VICTIM FOR NOT "CLOSING HER
LEGS" IN NEW ZEALAND RAPE CASE
The latest dispatch comes
from New Zealand, where a defense
attorney wrapped up his closing arguments in a rape case with a definitive
statement meant to settle the matter for all time, or at least the jury: if the rape victim hadn’t wanted
to be raped, she should have closed her legs.
All she
would have had to do was to close her legs...it's as simple as that. Why didn't
she do that? The reason she didn't do that was because the sex was consensual,
as easy as that
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The case involves
a 20 year old woman
who encountered a bouncer, George Jason Pule, who promised that he could walk her to the club where she was
meeting up with friends. Instead, he raped her, and she in turn filed a complaint
against him. In a rare and miraculous alignment of the stars, the case actually
went to trial, and he was convicted, even after the defense attorney’s rousing
closing statements.”
Questions:
1)
Why does the court ask for, what the girl was
wearing before she got raped? What does that have to do with rape?
2)
In your opinion, why do people blame the
victims? Explain.
3)
How is the case of 19 young men raping an 11
year old girl, defensive? In your opinion.
4)
What do you have to say about the case, where
defensive lawyer says “she should have closed her legs”?
WORK CITED
Horzepa, Hayley Rose. "Victim Blaming: An
All-Too-Common Response to Sexual Assault." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 Apr. 2011. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hayley-rose-horzepa/victim-blaming_b_847310.html
S.E. smith, LAWYER
STRAIGHT-UP BLAMES VICTIM FOR NOT "CLOSING HER LEGS" IN NEW ZEALAND
RAPE CASE, Nov 20, 2013, XOjane issues, march 31/2014, http://www.xojane.com/issues/attorney-rape-victim-should-have-closed-her-legs
1. During a conviction or a victim report the question of the victim's clothing is always going to be brought up. Personally I understand that logic behind it where as someone's clothing could "provoke" sexual desires yet at the same time it shouldn't justify rape, especially since rape is a crime of power not of lust. Also when someone people hear the word or an a incident of rape they automatically think about the victim and situation where the rape did occur- and rape where the victim is dressed like a 'slut' is more likely to make news than rape of clothed women so people associate rape with victims that wear revealing clothes.
ReplyDelete2. It's easier I believe to blame the victim than the offender. To prove the offender guilty it takes more of an effort. Also through the ages woman were always to blame for male's problems. Women were always and continuously oppressed so now it's easier to blame females because they are 'quiet' and 'docile' and won't stand up for themselves
3.I don't necessarily understand your 3rd question but I'll still comment. >w<
I could listen for days to the offender's excuses which is what he said. "She looked older than 11," is his excuse when in reality it still doesn't answer why he raped her. If she was 16 or even older than the male like 21 does his rape make it any better?
4. The defensive lawyer's quote made me chuckle and shake my head annoyed. Imagining a rape incident I'm pretty sure the victim did fight back and restrain herself and tried her best to 'close her legs' to prevent the rape and eventually lost the battle. Rape in definiton is the crime of forcing another person to have sexual intercourse- forcing meaning the offender forced her legs open so his argument is honestly irrelevant to a rape case.
1. In most rape cases, that would be the question of choice against the victim. This is because society assumes that most rapist appeal to women who wear "revealing" clothing. I think in some cases, that's something that probably provokes them into committing the crime. Another reason could be because they want to show their power against the powerless victim. I believe rapists prove that they have power over the person. Its more common in the society that we live in today that people assume that the victim was a "whore" and that she dressed too revealing which provoked the rapist.
ReplyDelete2. It’s easier to blame the victim because the blame is put on the victim outfit. It’s harder to blame the rapist, because no one understands the motive of the rapist.
Personally, I believe in this situation is more about vulnerability. I believe it is easier to target someone who's powerless rather than someone who's powerful.
In this situation women in this society are more common to be the blame because of simply what they were wearing and what they were doing. I guess women tend to hide things like this because their afraid of the consequences that would happen to them later. I think there afraid of their reputation being downgraded.
4. I was enraged at the response from the judge that said "she shouldn't have opened her legs" simply because the victim was powerless. Nobody on this earth wants to be raped and the defensive response the judge said was outrageous. In reality, the victim obviously resists and loses. In most situations rapist are not looking to have "sex", but to humiliate and inflict pain on the victim. That's what rape really is. The judges quote shows how ignorant people can be about this controversial topic.
Hi sehajjit, it was great that you brought up this topic. So here are my responses to your questions: Though today we live in a modern world, the word equality is still not respected by many in today’s society. I think the court ask the girl for what did she wear before she got raped, just because they are being sexiest. I think the court don’t want to show the society that men are weak (at fault), so they just want to blame the girl. However what I said to be true, the court must be very bias towards women and the judge/lawyer who ask these questions could be a male. I know I being bias here but that’s what I think because I believe only a female would understand a female, even if a female lawyer fighting to support the offender, I think they would still be considerate toward the female victim. Some or all of my classmates may not degree with me but that’s what I think. Like many, I strongly believe that what you are wearing is totally irrelevant with rape. We all have the freedom to wear whatever we want and that doesn’t give anyone the consent to force them self on us. The reason for the blame on the victim is to defend the offender. However that is not simple as that, like I said before there is still sexism going around in the world, and if a girl from a society that stills upholds sexism towards girls gets rape then obviously no matter what, the society going to blame the girl because they may believe that it is the girls “responsibility” to protects her honor even if the guy is forcing on her and it is her fault for “putting” herself in a “situation” like that.
ReplyDeleteIn my point of view I don’t think that the case is defensive at all for the offender, I mean like you said rape is rape not matter what is the excuse. Rape is a crime and case close. I was kind of amazed how people come up with lame excuses to cover up their crimes and have the guts to say it aloud. I think Ashley answered your number 4 question so nicely that I don’t think I need to repeat it because I totally agree with her. Ok, now here comes my question to you sehajjit, since your topic on people blaming the rape victims, would people blame a male if he got raped by female? And if it leads to a court case, will the court ask the guy the same question they ask the girls?
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ReplyDeleteFirst off, I really enjoyed reading your blog and felt compelled to answer all the points you were bringing up. The overall issue on rape is a touchy subject, to which I believe does bring out a lot of poor judgement from others, such as when you included common statements like: "She was dressed provocatively."
ReplyDelete"She had a bad reputation."
"She should have known better than to put herself in that situation."” - This is where people are looking around the issue of Rape and not of why does this even exist in the first place. To which I may now answer your first question, the reason as to why the court was asking of the victims clothing is because once again the common stereotype. What she may have wore, could have provoked her attacker to then cause her to be raped. Thus, the act of asking such a question has nothing to do with rape but it all comes down to feeling powerful. No one, especially women, are ASKED to be raped, it is but the mind frame of the person who would even think of doing such an act to feel superior than his victim. Which now leads to your second question on victim blaming; and this is once again out of this idea that YOU provoked YOUR attacker, therefore YOU should be held guilty of being raped. How ignorant is this, I may add, that as I viewed the video of the judge bringing out a defensive statement on the victim, because of her clothing. Clothing is one thing, and Mental state is another. Therefore when you combine these two, nothing really suffices because, those who blame the victim are blaming out of poor thought. In no manor is it acceptable to state because 'you wear dressed in a tube top and had on high heels' did that scream rape. Once again, clothing and a persons way of thinking do not come together in the case of Rape. I can infer that because the justice system is influenced by other aspects such as why one would murder another - Oh because they made them mad or wanted revenge for a specific reason. Thus, looking at another form of violence such as this, I feel compelled to say that why the victims are blamed is because the antagonist always imposes the protagonist, meaning Antagonist (victim) drives the motive of the Protagonist ( attacker) to then initiate the cause of rape - how poorly misguided. Leading to your 3rd question, where I am able to state that the case of the 11 year old girl being attacked by 19 men, first off is sickening and unfathomable. To the extent where it was highly defensive for the issue of taking ones pride and dignity and changing into the idea, that once again, "She looked older than 11" Which comes down to, how does that come into terms of these men still raping her, and for what? Regardless of her age or how she looked, how can one make up such a ignorant excuse as to why they imposed such a cruel act on an innocent being. And answering your last question, that is but another ignorant plea. If it was ever easy to fly back upon a roof after being pushed down by someone who wanted to kill you, than sure enough, closing your legs should be easy when someone is trying to rape you. This specific case serves such a dehumanizing idea that victim blaming is always looked upon before turning to the attacker first and asking, How could one do such a thing, and inflicting the cause upon them. As i feel very upset over all these issues being brought up from rape, I can conclude that, Power, which is one of humans deadly weapon is the cause of why someone would want to enforce Rape, and that it revolves around wanting control because the attacker feels no remorse initially.
1. I believe the court asked what the girl was wearing because the court might be suggesting that how the victim dresses has a lot to do with what happened. Although, provocative clothing can tempt sexual desires, clothing cannot justify for rape to be happen. When the court asks what the girl was wearing, they are suggesting it’s the girl’s fault for dressing in a provocative manner. They are also suggesting that it is her fault for getting rapped, and she should have went through various ways of protecting herself. I find this to be very sad that the court would even ask what the girl was wearing. As though, it would even matter in the case of sexual assault..
ReplyDelete2. In my opinion, I believe that people blame the victim in instances of rape because they don’t know how to deal with rape. They feel that the only way to deal with rape is to make assumptions and accusations towards the victim. They think that provocative clothing plays a role, and that the perpetrator cannot have the mental capacity to refrain from rape, and think through their actions thoroughly. Victim blame usually has a lot to do with ignorance and displacement of blame.
3. The case of the 19 young men raping the 11 year old girl is defensive because the one of the rapists tried to defend himself by saying that the young 11 year old girl seemed older than she really was. The rapist was trying to defend himself but it really should not matter what age the girl was. Rape is still considered rape even if she looks older than she really is. Her father also tried to defend her by saying she looks older but she still has the mind of a child. It is really sad that the father has to justify her looking older than she is. When it shouldn’t even matter how she looks.
4. I was really upset to find that that defensive lawyer would ever say such a statement. It truly showed true ignorance even at the level of law. I cannot understand how someone could say something like that. First of, woman do not go walking around looking to get raped. In most cases, rape is done by surprise or the victim was attacked so I do not understand how a rape victim would be able to close their legs. Likewise, a large percentage of rapes comes from individuals the victim already knows and was previously acquainted with. In essence, the lawyer is basically trying to make excuses and justify the crime of rape. Which, in reality, is quite saddening.