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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

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I confronted my rapist (warning tmi)

94 replies

Bobits · 28/05/2012 23:21

In 2009 I had started dating my partner.
About 2 weeks later, I was at a party at his house.
I had far too much to drink and passed out.
He had sex with me while I was unconscious.

After I woke up I asked him and he admited we'd had sex and he'd used a condom I was confused and still under the influence.
Afterwards I had to ask was it 'rape' or 'exploitation' i.e. exploitation of a vulnerable situation.
This question is an illusion of course. It 'minimises' intent on my partners behalf and subsequently placed more 'blame' on myself.
Why did I do this - I think because for me it made what had happened more safe. It made me feel that I had more control and that I could prevent it happening in the future.

The reality is that I never had control. when I passed out I gave away my choices and control. A huge mistake and error of judgement on my part.
My then partner was in the position of having complete control and choice.
He made the decision to rape me.

Although I know this now, at the time I believed that he had 'exploited a vulnerable decision' in order to feel more safe.
Sadly I stayed with him and seperated in Oct 2011.
At this stage I had a dd2 with him.

I made the decision to confront him.
I asked him what happened.
He told me other events of the night and I had to push him until he admitted 'he tried to have sex with me'.
I corrected him, in that he had said we'd had sex and used a condom.
I asked him why he had sex with me when I was unconscious.
He alledged he didn't know I was full passed out.
I corrected him by reminding him I couldn't move, speak or open my eyes indicating unconsciousness.
He alledged that we had had sex before that night.
I corrected him and sais that didn't give him the right to have sex with me when I was unconscious.

He finally admited he did it because he was angry.
Because he was angry at the situation.
Because I had made a fool of him for getting drunk.

I compared what he'd done to necrophilia - the only difference being the temperature.
I also highlighted that he had a porn addiction and is a rapist and that all paedopliles start somewhere.

I confronted him a second time.
I asked if he'd had too muck to drink and passed out,
If because he was ugly and thet he made a fool of me when we went out - that I robbed him how he would feel?
He said he would feel disgusted.
I suggested what if I had gone futher?
I told him after being with me officially for 2 weeks, he had no right to punish me by raping me for making a fool of him.
That he had no right to use my vulnerability to make him feel better about his own inadequacy.
I suggested a strong, confident, assertive man would have put a blanket over me and had words the next day.
I told him I would always be his first and mother of his child.
I told him to me he will always be a rapist.
I told him he had made a fool of himself.
He got it.

These confrontations have made no practical difference.
As he had always known what he had done, he just thought he had got away with it. He has, as I never reported and now there is zero chance of conviction.
It has made a difference to me as I have reminded him that I know exactly what he did and who he is.

I would appreciate that due to the sensitivity of my post, anyone who reads and replies be gentle xx

OP posts:
heartstart · 28/05/2012 23:27

You are a brave brave woman who should be so proud of herself xx

NurseBernard · 28/05/2012 23:32

Wow, you're amazing. You know what happened. He knows what happened. And he knows you know.

He will have to live with this uncomfortable truth for the rest of his life.

Dirona · 28/05/2012 23:37

I think in a while you will realise that confronting him was a very empowering moment for you.

I hope you keep going from strength to strength and make a good future for you and your dd.

In no way at all were you at fault. You were not at fault for getting drunk. You had every right to expect your partner not to be a rapist twat.

Have you had councelling? Rape crisis are very good although underfunded so please keep trying if you need to contact them

alsteff · 28/05/2012 23:40

what kind of advice would you give your daughters about this kind of scenario, in terms of getting unconscious drunk, trusting someone, carrying blame, staying in a relationship with (I assume) major unresolved issues, male sexuality and so forth?
I guess however much we are told or warned about potentially damaging situations, we all still walk into stuff blindly and make huge mistakes.

I think it's how we deal with the bad stuff, how we get over it and move on that is most important. As you say, the way you have dealt with it, confronting him, has made a difference to you and it sounds like a positive one. Perhaps that is the lesson for us all to learn.

Bobits · 29/05/2012 00:07

Thankyou for your supportive replies :)

Sadly this only has an effect on me - my ex has been 'comfortably' living with this truth for the past 3 years.

I have been trying to get in touch with rape crisis, though have just started steps to freedom and finding spare time with dd2 is hard (though I know this is an excuse) I will, just baby steps.

alsteff I think in answer to your question, fundamentally, the lessons I will be teaching dd2 will be along the lines of self respect and love, confidence and self-esteem and assurance.
For me I am learning many of these were missing as I think I had a dysfunctional upbringing and troubles during my adolescence.
I am 'making myself' from the ground up at the age of 27 and hope to give dd2 what I never had.

I am also learning, sadly, that even with a normal healthy upbringing and value system - girls and women are given much blame that is not theirs at 'society's' level.

People ask why she stayed in an abusive relationship.
People aks why she didn't leave.
People ask why she didn't take better care of herself. First.

Only then do they (maybe) ask why did he abuse/rape.

The burden of responsibility always is passed to her because he failed to do so.
(The opposite is also true - though more uncommon.)

OP posts:
alsteff · 29/05/2012 00:25

........with responsibility comes greatness and perhaps growth. If your ex had admitted to himself and to you what he had done and taken responsibility for it, perhaps this would be a different story....?

Jux · 29/05/2012 00:29

You are so right. I hope the MN campaign will start the change in attitude that is needed in the whole of our society. It will take a long time,and we need more people like with the courage to stand up, say what happened unequivocally. It's soooo hard.

You are amazing.

Bobits · 29/05/2012 00:33

...we all make mistakes, it is only human. I don't wish to judge others for theirs or have them judge me for mine.

We do have to take responsibility as you say. Only then can we learn from them and make a conscious effort not to repeat them - and as you say grow.

I thought my ex, making all the right noises in the aftermath did feel guilt for what he had done which is why I continued in a relationship.

This was a mistake because he didn't feel guilt for doing something wrong that caused harm, he felt bad he'd done something wrong and might get into trouble.

OP posts:
bejeezus · 29/05/2012 00:53

Very very well done

I have never confronted my rapist, and now I cant. I regret it

Offred · 29/05/2012 07:22

I nearly did last night by text after drinking which would not have been good! He had told our 7 yo DS about a fight that he had had over a girl and how "you don't hurt girls" and ds has interpreted it as "boys are fair game" I want to scream at him "no you just psychologically, financially, emotionally and sexually abuse girls, rape them when they refuse sex after discovering your 20th affair and push them down on the floor while pregnant (with the child you conceived during the rape) when they ask you to leave, no you don't hurt girls" weirdly it was him who really made the scales fall from my eyes during family court. I was still very afraid of him and didn't really see what had happened until he made some snarky comment about how dd had been conceived... It confirmed to me that he knew what he'd done and he had done something wrong. I think I will never confront mine about this the dcs are desperate for us to be nice to each other.

CailinDana · 29/05/2012 08:59

Alsteff what on earth do you mean by "we all walk into things blindly and make huge mistakes"??

OP the only "mistake" you made was to believe the guy you were dating was a decent man. You were in no way responsible for what happened to you and I hope you don't listen to anyone who tries to say or even imply that. Your ex is a rapist, it was just very bad luck that you ended up with him.

I am in awe of how you confronted him. I would like to confront my rapist by I can't work up the courage to do it. Maybe one day I will.

How are you feeling having confronted him?

alsteff · 29/05/2012 13:19

CailinDana - what i meant was getting totally, unconsciously drunk (so absolving oneself of all personal responsibility) when you are not with anyone you can trust, who cares for your well-being and is there to look after you (and no I don't think a relationship the length of your average holiday romance comes into this category) - this is, in my opinion, potentiallly "walking blindly into a mistake".

It could have lead to a number of outcomes - from simply waking up with a rotten hangover and not knowing what had happened to falling down the stairs in a coma and nobody calling an ambulance, being run over by a car, choking on your own vomit, being mugged, raped by the mini cab driver on the way home and so forth... We have to protect ourselves as best we can from all crime, including being a victim of sexual crime.

CailinDana · 29/05/2012 13:37

So in your opinion alsteff, in order for us women who seem to want to be raped to avoid such a thing in future, how long do you have to know a man before you can trust him not to rape you? You reckon two weeks is too short, so what's long enough? 6 months? Oh no sorry I was raped after that long, so perhaps a year?

Also, do you think the OP sat down and thought "Right I want to absolve myself of all personal responsibility and then get raped tonight so I'll have a lot to drink," or do you think she might have just thought what anybody else might think which was "Party! Wahey!" and then had a few too many? At what point was she fair game to be raped? If she had had only one drink and then fallen asleep would she then be able to not consider it her mistake? Or is the limit two drinks? Or five? At what point would you look your daughter in the eye after she had been raped and say "Sorry, darling, but it was your mistake. That rapist, poor fella, couldn't be expected to pass you by when you were drunk, could he? How awful of you to be drunk dear. You know us women can't get drunk because those men just can't help themselves."

Getting raped is not the fault of the victim. Ever. A man chooses to rape a woman. It his choice. It is not an accident, or something that happens because someone is drunk, it is something that one person decides to do to another.

I think it is absolutely disgusting for you to come on a thread where a brave woman has demonstrated such courage and conviction and say "Well it was your mistake". Absolutely fucking disgusting.

CailinDana · 29/05/2012 13:47

BTW alsteff, I was asleep when I was raped. What mistake did I make? I'd love you to point it out to me. I hadn't been drinking and the guy who raped me was my boyfriend, I had been with him for six months. Does that pass your test or would you be able to find some way to blame me, to make it my mistake?

WhereMyMilk · 29/05/2012 13:50

Here here Cailin.

HereIGo · 29/05/2012 13:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

newby2 · 29/05/2012 13:55

Bobits, your post was so powerful and inspirational, it made me cry. You are BLOODY AMAZING. When you find the strength and have found further support, you should consider being an advocate for women who have been raped. You are what being a strong woman is all about.xx

AreWeHavingFunYet · 29/05/2012 13:58

Rapists are responsible for rape.

There are no excuses, no reasons, no extenuating circumstances, no "asking for it". None of the responsibility lies with the victim. Ever. The simplicity of this message is SO important because it must not ever be diluted by the actions of the victim as if they are relevant.

I am glad you know this OP. Power to you. You sound amazing.

Heyyyho · 29/05/2012 14:01

alsteff he admitted to punishing her by raping her - RAPING HER because he was angry that she was drunk. How can any sane mind rationalise this by telling the OP she shouldn't have got drunk Shock

becstarsky · 29/05/2012 14:03

Well done Bobits. His changing story and contradictory denials showed just what a weakling he is compared to you. But in that one moment he told the truth - that he did it because he was angry that you 'made a fool of him'. In other words, it was an act of violence - cowardly violence against someone he was sure couldn't fight back - a way for him to feel powerful. He's pathetic. To call him an insect is an insult to insects. You tower above him. This took such courage, and I hope that the courage you show here inspires and helps other women.

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 29/05/2012 14:07

It certainly isn't "TMI" to hear about how you confronted and faced down the angry and pathetic man who used his body as a weapon against yours. Your children are very lucky to have you. Thank you for posting.

CailinDana · 29/05/2012 14:09

Just to add alsteff, these examples of the terrible things that befall drunk women - "falling down the stairs in a coma and nobody calling an ambulance, being run over by a car, choking on your own vomit" are ACCIDENTS. Being raped or mugged is not an accident, it is something to someone chooses to do to someone else INTENTIONALLY. The person responsible for it happening is the RAPIST.

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 29/05/2012 14:09

It would probably be good if people respond to the wonderful OP and let other people's misguided comments be ignored now they've been responded to so brilliantly and thoroughly by Cailin. They really don't deserve to take over the thread.

CailinDana · 29/05/2012 14:14

Are you ok Bobit?

You do know you are in no way to blame for what happened, don't you?

alsteff · 29/05/2012 14:14

...you are venting your anger at a male dominated society & legal system on me.
I don't believe you have actually read what I have written on this thread at all. Rather you are selecting what you wish to justify your rant.

Nor do you have a monopoly on being raped here.

I have been in a similar situation, although slightly more nasty as the guy is currently in prison for murder (he strangled the girl after he raped her).

For myself, I wholly own the fact that I acted irresponsibly because I was too drunk to protect myself and placed myself in a totally vulnerable situation without any support or back up. To be honest, I'd feel the same way, if I'd been slashed by a mugger because I was stupid drunk enough to wander alone in the wrong part of town too pissed to think, let alone walk straight. The mugger chooses to stab me too. It is not simply a case of bad luck or being in the wrong place at the wrong time in this instance.

I may technically have the 'right' to walk around and expect not to be mugged, it is technically my money but .............

I do not believe I am displacing my rapist's responsibility nor excusing his crime, I am simply taking what I believe to be my own responsibility in a similar situation. As i mentioned before (yet I doubt you read that bit) by taking responsibility and facing up to facts, we can grow and hopefully move on.