Blaming rape survivors is commonplace in UK, with questions on what they were wearing, drinking: Study
Rape survivors are asked 'rape myth' questions in court, often leading to more trauma
For a rape survivor, it's often said that a second rape happens in court. Blaming the survivors for the horrific crime they faced is commonplace in many countries, and a new report in the UK shed further light on this disturbing trend.
Victim Support, an NGO, compiled a report based on interviews with 40 survivors and the legal and other teams supporting them, and after examining 38 court case records.
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The report titled Suffering For Justice revealed that a third of the survivors from England and Wales faced the so-called 'rape myths' in court, mainly assuming that they were to blame for the situation.
They faced questions about their clothing (what were you wearing?) or alcohol consumption (how much did you drink?) and motivations (are you out for revenge?).
“You’re a piece of meat being pulled through the court system,” it quoted one survivor as saying.
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This leads to re-traumatisatoin for the survivors, which often causes mental and physical ailments, including PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
One-third of victims were asked what they did to stop the offence while it was happening, said the study, while15 per cent faced questions about what they were wearing.
And more disturbingly, 12 per cent were asked if the crime was just 'regretful or bad sex'.
The NGO sought an end to such rape myths being used in court, and not seek survivor's sexual history during cross-examination.
It quoted one survivor as saying that taking the court stand was like "walking to the gallows".
The NGO said that 50 per cent of cases it examined were adjourned with no explanation, for up to four times.
Suicidal thoughts are among the severe psychological impacts ofrape survivors who appeared for cross-examinations in courts.
For cases to go to court, adult survivors wait for an average of three years, while youth rape cases take up to 2.4 years to reach court.
Government data showed that less than one in six rape victims report the crime, said a report in The Guardian.
(With inputs from agencies)
