Opinion

Rape discussion needs to avoid blaming victims

According to a recent survey, only around 15 per cent of victims feel able to report serious sexual assault to the police 
According to a recent survey, only around 15 per cent of victims feel able to report serious sexual assault to the police  According to a recent survey, only around 15 per cent of victims feel able to report serious sexual assault to the police 

THE statistics for rape convictions in Northern Ireland revealed this week in the Irish News made for alarming reading.

More than 2,000 cases were passed to the Public Prosecution Service by police between 2010-14, with the number of such incidents being reported rising by 73 per cent in the last five years.

However, an Assembly research paper found there have been just 83 convictions between 2009 and 2013 – with prosecutors deciding against taking the cases to court more than four times out of five.

Those bald statistics are profoundly shocking and quite rightly have galvanised pressure for immediate and substantial improvement.

Everyone is aware that it is not an easy situation to turn around. Despite its prevalence, it is notoriously difficult to secure convictions for rape.

This is partly because of the nature of the crime – nine out of 10 perpetrators are known to their victim, making even the first step of reporting the attack more complicated for some than would be the case were it to have been carried out by a stranger.

It usually happens away from any potential witnesses or CCTV, leaving a mountain to climb for those trying to build a case to put before a jury.

What is heartening is that prosecutors are committed to tackling the problem head on, creating a new unit to see how, along with murders, the very best evidence can be gathered, assessed and assembled to bring the strongest possible cases before the courts.

And the judiciary too appears alive to the importance of making sure that victims brave enough to come forward and seek justice are not re-traumatised by the court process, with Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan expressing an eagerness for “appropriate training to involve both judges and lawyers” about how to best support vulnerable witnesses during cases.

However, what can all too easily get lost in the debate over court cases and convictions is the actual problem of how many rapes are happening right now in Northern Ireland.

The sexual abuse counselling charity Nexus recently estimated that one in four people will suffer sexual abuse in their lifetime.

This includes men and women and children, ranging from babies to people in their nineties.

Anti-sexual violence campaigners are adamant that the numbers now coming forward – although vastly increased – still only represent the tip of the iceberg.

According to a recent survey, only around 15 per cent of victims feel able to report serious sexual assault to the police.

With the Christmas party season now in full swing, the usual warnings are being issued about “keeping yourself safe” on nights out.

Much of the advice is eminently sensible – stay with friends, pre-book a taxi, avoid walking alone or taking short cuts through dark alleys, etc.

But often it includes sentiments such as “Don’t make yourself vulnerable by getting too drunk”.

To my mind such statements can come uncomfortably close to victim-blaming.

The PSNI appears to have moved away from the type of comment made recently by police in Derbyshire that “unfortunately, for a few, excessive alcohol consumption can put them in a position that leaves them vulnerable to sexual assault”.

The service’s warnings these days tend to focus on the dangers of drinks being spiked rather than `self-inflicted’ intoxication.

That is a step in the right direction, but it is a step that all society needs to take together.

There are still too many people tutting at the brevity of a woman’s skirt and not enough criticising men for speaking about women with disrespect.

A 2010 report by the American Psychological Association on the Sexualisation of Girls detailed links between sexually objectifying images of women and girls in mainstream media and significantly higher levels of acceptance of rape myths, victim-blaming, sexual harassment and interpersonal violence.

One woman or man fighting against a determined predator may not have the power to free themselves, but together we all have the power to make sure this is a society where it is clear that rape is wrong, without any ambiguity.

More importantly we all have a responsibility to do that.

We all need to make sure we don’t just tell our children to stay safe but also to tell them to treat other people with respect.

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi put it when confronting his country’s appalling record of sexual abuse: “Don't tell your daughter not to go out - tell your son to behave properly.”