Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

The anti-rape resource blog

93 replies

InmaculadaConcepcion · 08/03/2011 21:13

Many thanks to those of you who have offered suggestions etc. in response to my request for help to try and set something up as a campaign against rape.

There are - as many of you pointed out - a number of excellent campaigns already underway.

So I've decided to start a blog with the aim of collecting together as much material relevant to the current situation regarding rape in the UK as possible. I hope this will prove to be a valuable resource to anyone who wants to take further action against rape and related crimes and may help add fuel to the fire of current campaigns and drives to improve this dismal state of affairs.

I haven't abandoned the idea of starting something to help rape victims pursue their attackers through the civil courts, but that will clearly take a lot more thought and work.

This at least can start straight away.

SO...

Please take a look at the first post, if you have time and let me know if you spot any glaring inaccuracies or if I've (unintentionally) worded things crassly/craply etc.

Here

My intention is to continue to add to the blog with any useful material I come across - so again, suggestions are very welcome!

Thanks for your time - you've been an inspiration.

OP posts:

omaoma · 14/03/2011 13:49

Haven't had a chance to read this, but want to share something which I think is relevant and would appreciate it being 'out there' and commented on. A friend is a senior statistician for a UK police force, an intelligent person, whom I respect. In my friend's professional opinion, the big 'untalked of' issue around rape, in their experience within that police force, is that at least 30% of rape allegations are withdrawn and my friend described this as being because they were falsely made (we didn't discuss this in detail so i couldnt' find out if they had dissected whether they were withdrawn due to fear of retribution etc but it was a sincere belief of my friend that they were false ie a deliberate lie). This, in their opinion, impacts on police officers' responses because their experience is that there's a 1 in 3 chance of a rape report being a 'lie' and they are cynical about victims' allegations. I responded that the idea of 30% of allegations being false/malicious is completely counter to the view presented by people/orgs dealing with victims. My friend replied that this fact is never made public by police because the official line is about improving responses to victims and taking the crime seriously etc. This information horrifies me on so many levels - can it be true? I don't believe my friend to be malicious or flippant about this subject but can only assume they are making massive assumptions which is equally disturbing to me on a personal level and because what they do at work affects national policy! I actually haven't had the courage to bring it up with them again as I was so depressed by it.
Sorry that was really long

Original poster

InmaculadaConcepcion · 14/03/2011 14:25

Well done neeps! I have liked it and will upload a photo or two in the next couple of days!

omaoma yes, I'm aware a lot of rape allegations are withdrawn. I rather suspect it's mostly because the victim can't face the thought of going through a court case, or they are being pressured by outside sources not to take it to court. They may give the police the impression that it "wasn't a rape after all" as the fastest way for the case to be dropped, no further questions asked. So it's not surprising the police form the impression that false allegations are much more common than I suspect they actually are. I imagine it must be pretty frustrating for them to have to drop cases on those grounds once they've put a certain amount of leg-work in.

The allegation withdrawal rate is probably one of the largest factors in the attrition rate - around 6% of all cases initially reported actually resulting in a conviction.

Thanks for mentioning this. It is disturbing and definitely worth blogging. I'll see if I can find more info about it.

OP posts:

Original poster

InmaculadaConcepcion · 14/03/2011 14:55

Here is an excellent article discussing retraction of rape allegations. It suggests my assumptions above are probably correct. Maybe suggest your copper chum reads it...?

OP posts:

neepsntatties · 14/03/2011 16:14

Need to do a photo myself but there is no one at home to take it for me at the moment! I wonder if there is a way of finding out what percentage of newspaper reports are 'cry rape' ones and how this compares with newspaper articles that are sensitive to survivors.

Original poster

InmaculadaConcepcion · 14/03/2011 16:43

Yes, I'd definitely be interested in that. I wonder if any of the rape charities/campaigns have commissioned or reported any research? I'll have a ferret about and see if I can find anything....

OP posts:

Original poster

InmaculadaConcepcion · 14/03/2011 16:49

Just downloaded a .pdf of a report on exactly that by The Lilith Project

I will read and digest it in due course...

OP posts:

Original poster

InmaculadaConcepcion · 14/03/2011 16:51

Here's a report digesting the report...

OP posts:

FlamingoBingo · 14/03/2011 18:12

Well done Neep. Do photos need to say 'I Believe You' if there's only one person in them, as opposed to 'We Believe You'?

neepsntatties · 14/03/2011 18:56

Yes I think that makes sense Flamingo.

Great report, that's what I thought was happening. You always read about cry rape stories. Ah baby crying back later.

neepsntatties · 14/03/2011 19:28

I am a bit confused as I have posted something on the wall and also added something to the info section but neither of these things are showing up when I log out and look at it from my own personal account. I have checked my privacy settings and it says to share posts with everyone so I don't understand why they don't show up. Anyone got any ideas?

omaoma · 14/03/2011 20:16

Thanks IC, will have a look at the link and see if i can find a way to sensitively share it... appreciate your response x

neepsntatties · 15/03/2011 12:39

I have posted in the geeky stuff forum, I still can't see my post from my personal account and I don't know why.

Original poster

InmaculadaConcepcion · 15/03/2011 12:43

How infuriating, neeps. Sadly, I can't advise on that one. Fingers crossed the geeks can help...

OP posts:

neepsntatties · 15/03/2011 18:59

No answer there yet. I posted on my facebook too to see if anyone knows what I am doing wrong. It's very frustrating as I want to get started!

neepsntatties · 17/03/2011 16:29

Still no joy, I tried reposting it but nothing shows up. I am assuming that no one here can see anything I post either? I have reposted the question on the facebook section as I didn't get a response to my other post.

Original poster

InmaculadaConcepcion · 17/03/2011 19:06

Nope, nothing yet I'm afraid neeps.
Grr, how frustrating....! Good luck getting it fixed.

OP posts:

Original poster

InmaculadaConcepcion · 17/03/2011 19:22

neeps, I found another study about press reporting of rape myths you might find interesting:

here

OP posts:

neepsntatties · 17/03/2011 19:35

That looks great! I must try and read it.

I have posted in chat and on another site. I don't know who else to ask.

Flip

1 2 3 4