If you were raped would you report it?

Well done Goldencarp.

It is truly shocking that our legal system works against us in such matters.

well done GoldenCarp22. You are right to be proud.

what kind of a legal system would need someone to go through all that to get a conviction? ffs!

First time, in my 20's, no, I didn't report it. I'd been drinking at a party, he put something in my drink, I passed out, he woke me up by raping me.
Second time,in my 30's, a stranger broke into my flat, raped me, beat me and left me for dead. I escaped naked, bound and bloodied and got straight into a police car called by neighbours who'd heard the disturbance. So yeah, that one got reported. The stranger was caught 6 months later, carrying the purses of women he'd beaten and robbed in the street.

Even so, he was nearly remanded but the female Dc interviewing him 'had a feeling' and his DNA came back as a match for the unsolved stranger-rapist case involving me. The specialist rape police and I got very close over the months and years, it felt like we were working together to get the fucker and despite everything, this case was going to go our way - eventually.

Case was delayed for 2 years and he changed his plea, sacked his legal team, tried to make it out was kinky S&M sex that got out of hand - every trick in the book. CPS lawyers were useless, a different one each time. I wrote my own victim impact statement. I made sure when I gace evidence I went further than the dozy CPS lawyer led me with her useless questioning technique and lack of knowledge about the case, made it really clear. Sometimes I felt like I was prosecuting him myself, alone.

I went to every hearing and stared him down, took control, taught myself how the system worked, taught myself criminal law, read everything there was.

It worked, the fucker got 12 years and will be deported at the end of his sentence, despite him appealing against deportation.
I won.

One of the things I am most proud of.

no

sorry you experienced that, D0G

No probably not. Was assaulted, they found the person he confessed to breach of the peace but not assault. So knew who he was, where etc. (Although it was me who tracked him down after seeing him again and getting his reg plate ) Was constantly asked if I was drunk - I dont drink at all. Police were helpful and kind but CID were not. It was all a nightmare and because I reported it and he then saw me around it was scary and I was very anxious. Experience put me off. I got some good help from centre from womens health in Glasgow who offered free counselling, infact I phoned one day so traumatised they invited me in that day.

No way. Unless it was a stranger, in a public place, there was a witness, I had not been drinking and was not dressed up to go out. Which is the least likely type of rape a person can experience. Men know they can get away with raping women they know.

Depending on circumstances, no.

I was raped by an acquaintance, my best friend's brother's university suitemate.

We were drunk and fooling around in his bed.

No way I was reporting that. In 1989? Nope.

Can someone explain to me why women are still offered compensation even though the cps refuse to go ahead with a case?

This makes me so angry. What the hell are our politicians doing about this? Come to think of it what are we doing about this?

our conviction rate compares ok with other places if you take it from point of getting to court, somewhere in region of 50 or 60% (unless has changed dramatically recently)

are you asking about attrition rates though?

Does anyone know if other countries in Europe, etc are doing a better job with rape convictions? I would like to know if the UK is particularly backwards on this subject and why exactly?

Seeyoukay, I know you didn't - but all of those crimes are one word against another, and nobody ever says "well it's hard to prove, isn't it, who's to know?". It's only rape where people throw their hands up and say, it's impossible to fix the conviction rate.

The point about false accusations is that there are a percentage of FAs for every crime. That proves that it's possible to falsely report crimes other than rape, that it's often one word against another.

So why do you think it's only rape that encounters the credibility problem?

littleaccountant - what do you mean by reporting leads to 'more chance of a conviction' for the next person ? Previous convictions don't, how can a mere allegation?

Maybe we should set up a hit squad! Get each other to bump off strangers' rapists. Like 'Strangers on a Train'...

You should report it, even if you don't intend to go to trial, because at least then it will be on record that someone reported him and it might give the next person who he does it to more of a chance of getting a conviction.

Of course, if you're going to take things into your own hands don't report it. Don't want to leave a trail

So he is innocent and, therefore, by default she is lying. 96% of reported rapes never result in a conviction - there seems to be quite a lot of liars out there.

"Unfortunately, his word seems to count for a lot more than her word when the word rape is mentioned."

That's the innocent until proven guilty at work. The accused is always given the benefit of the doubt as it were due to needing beyond reasonable doubt.

"Seeyoukay, most crimes are one word against another. I say my house burned down accidentally, who's to say I didn't set it alight? I say I was robbed, who's to say I didn't voluntarily give that money away? I say I was assaulted, who's to say I didn't start the fight and he was acting in self defense? Some men enjoy getting into physical fist fights, after all, perhaps it was consensual? The false accusation rate is exactly the same for all of those crimes."

I didn't say owt about false accusations :)

I also want to say that if a young lady doesn't see adult women have the support of police and the legal system they are never goign to think that the police will believe them.

For me it would have been a clear case, none the less it is one of those nightmares. Someone said earlier it would depend on how "raped" they felt. I find that such a hard thing, rape is so often more about the psychological damage and not the physical damage and that is a nightmare thing for due legal process to heal.

"The problem with rape is that its (usually) one word against the other."

Unfortunately, his word seems to count for a lot more than her word when the word rape is mentioned.

takes long enough to find my keys at best of times, not sure someone bent on rapacious attack would be good enough to wait while I went on safari for them seeyoukay