If you were raped would you report it?

[darleneconnor]

A topical question.

I didn't in the past because I was in denial.

For the sake of my privacy I still wouldn't now. It'd make me feel so guilty leaving someone to go free and maybe do it again but psychologically I coudln't cope with a court case and all that goes with it.

yes.

i don't know.. if was rape by coersion then i'm not sure.

but i've always said i'd prefer to be beaten than to be raped by coersion as i think that rape by coersion/intimidation is the worst crime (and i'm a martial arts instructor so not unused to being punched).

what suzikettles says is scary as i'd hope that at very least an attacker could be done for the assault if not the actual rape - men can argue till they're blue in the face that the sex was consensual but surely a severe beating never can be?

No, no point.

If they murdered me though they might be prosecuted for that... as long as my skirt wasn't too short.

but how would they prove you made it up?

them not getting charged is not proof that it was made up.

are there cases where this has happened?

fluffles, rapists have claimed that women have liked rough sex and juries have bent over backwards to believe them, in the face of evidence where bruises and cuts were there.

Juries will do anything not to have to convict a rapist in a suit.

HB, you just need to "know" somebody who "knows" somebody else, IYSWIM

I am not a violent person, but sometimes it is all men like this really understand

See, that's what I thought fluffles. She was really badly beaten. Surely they can't argue that that was in some way consensual? I don't get it.

Unlikely.

Depends on the circumstances.

A violent attack by a stranger, yes. Anything less and I guess it would depend on how raped I felt.

I had a boyfriend who, on several occasions, refused to accept when I declined to have sex with him - I suppose technically thats rape and I could have reported it but I didn't feel especially traumatised by it, just thought he was a twat. Don't regret not reporting it.

I don't regret not reporting my date-rapist

I think my life might be infinitely worse now, if I had

before reading this trhead i would have said yes, absoloutely. but afetr reading the fears of otehrs i have to say, i would think twice. not sure now. i think i would inform some people who know some people of what sort of a scumbag is in town.

Thisisyesterday - there have been some very alarming cases where they have decided the woman must have made it up because she has, for example, been seen talking to the rapist afterwards or sent him texts and generally behaved in a way rape victims aren't supposed to. Also cases where the woman may have been pressurised into saying she made it up because she is finding the pressure of giving evidence etc so overwhelming.

it's certainly not the case that if he is found not guilty you wil probably get prosecuted for false allegations, but there are circumstances in which you should probably be very careful indeed about reporting.

I find it pretty ironic that while juries find it impossible to be certain a rape did happen, they sometimes find it easier to be certain it didn't. I would have thought that if the problem is that it was her word against his, it should work both ways - ie you can't be certain either way. But apparently not.

v v unlikely that I would

I really really do not know.

The statistics are very much against the case coming to trial, and the rapist being convicted.

And the threat of prosecution if the case is not proven.

Have you all seen this?

thisisyesterday, there's a thread here about such a case.

sorry, typo, because she was finding the pressure of giving evidence overwhelming.

HB, if you ever need someone to have a "word" with someone, let me know

And Gail Sherwood has been sent to prison for a false allegation of rape, while her rapist has got off scot-free.

I see the government are making noises about getting ready to talk to the Taliban.

How apt.

Gail Sherwood case

this is so sad and making me very angry.

thanks for links... just ab0out to take look

this whole thread has really scared me and i'm shocked that i was totally unaware of things like this.

i suppose the problem is proving "beyond reasonable doubt" that a rape took place... when only 2 people know what happened and it's one word against the other :(

i would like to think i would still report it, but who knows

have skimmed through thread,
lots about this on MN at the moment
I didn't report being raped to the police because when I spoke to childline they told me I needed to take an adult to the police station with me, and the adult I asked told me that these things were God's will.

Would I report it if the same thing happened to me now, Yes, would I encourage others to report it, Yes. I would not raise the issue of conviction rates, it passes some of the responsibility of future attacks onto the police. SOmething I have always struggled with is that because I didn't get to the police, he will probably have gone on to do it again and again and for me part of that is my fault where as if I had made that report and the police didn't follow it up I can honestly say I did my best.

Yes, if I did not report it and then he attacked someone else, I could not live with that.