"Most prolific" rapist reporting - male vs female victims

[QuentinWinters]

Was just reading that about the conviction of the "most prolific rapist" for raping over 100 men.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50987823

My impression was the reporting focused more on the impact on his victims and used much stronger language about him being a "monster" who preyed on men "just out to have fun with their friends" than reporting on rapists targeting women. There is a description of how being raped has ruined the male victims lives (previously I associated the terms "ruined life" with men who were found not guilty of rape).

So I looked up reporting on John Worboys as he came to mind as a similarly prolific rapist

In his initial reporting it is more focused on Worboys and describes him crying at the guilty verdict.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/mobile/england/london/7931975.stm

Later reporting as the scale of his offending has become clear is still much more focussed on Worboys and his reasons for raping, and more objective and factual about his MO with no discussion of the emotional impact on his victims.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-london-48702572

Seems like rapes of men are treated much more sympathetically than those of women. Quelle surprise.

Male rape is as bad as female rape. End of.

Oh, and FWIW - most of the victims didn't know they'd been raped until the police identified them from the videos and came knocking at their door.

When that happens to women, it tends to get used against them, that they didn't even know.

Nobody is saying that these young men should be told they were architects in their own rapes: they are saying that their female equivalents should not be told this.

This.

When that happens to women, it tends to get used against them, that they didn't even know.

Exactly.

That said, reporting is almost always sober post-verdict, especially when reporting restrictions have been in place. So that these trials weren't covered as they went on is an important factor here. Perhaps there should be reporting restrictions on rape trials across the board? I don't know.

I did feel uncomfortable with the reporting of the victims' feelings - but of course it is worse for men because many of them were not homosexual.

So is the rape of lesbians worse than the rape of heterosexual women???

Yup, have to say I noticed the difference in reporting. It stood out to me in fact.
The ched Evan's case , she was filmed too and absolutely vilified in the press and on SM.
The Cyprus teenager, filmed yet she was on trial.
The one in Ireland last June I think, where two men walk into the toilets she was being raped in and filmed it. I haven't heard what the outcome was but I can guess.
The perthshire hospital one, he got 10 years.
The K-pop stars were jailed but I think it was lenient, and one or both mass raped girls and filmed it.
I could go on but the reporting is so very different.

I did feel uncomfortable with the reporting of the victims' feelings - but of course it is worse for men because many of them were not homosexual.

So by that logic, a straight woman suffers less when raped by a man compared to a lesbian, and a gay man suffers less than a straight man when raped.

Rape isn’t less traumatic for straight women or gay men just because they may have consensual sexual experiences with men.

This is a truly horrific case. Really upsetting. All rape victims deserve consideration and access to justice.

I also noticed a huge difference in tone.

For the first time ever I heard air time given to the impacts of rape on the victims. On their family life. On their mental health. It's good that this was given air time. These men should be heard and treated with respect.

I want the same for women too. I've never heard a squeak on the impact on Worboys' victims of their ordeal. The problem is we are so used to hearing that women are raped.

So by that logic, a straight woman suffers less when raped by a man compared to a lesbian, and a gay man suffers less than a straight man when raped.

I do think a lot of people genuinely think that.

I’m glad someone else mentioned the “drunk and going to his flat” because any woman doing that would labelled as a total idiot, not “I was hammered and thought a fellow student was looking out for me”.

I’m not sure which cases we’re allowed to talk about but one famous one, I thought the female victim didn’t know either and it was detected by police, but she was still treated appallingly in court and the media.

I think it's rather distasteful that people are suggesting anyone doesn't have sympathy for the victims or that it's some kind of competition. On this board we spend a lot of time discussing the difference between how men and women are perceived and treated. I honestly believe the tone md content of all the reporting I've seen differs to cases involving women. That is more than relevant for discussion here.

I said to Dh “I doubt what the men were wearing” was used in court at any point. It’s awful what has happened but the reporting is very different.

I’m not sure which cases we’re allowed to talk about but one famous one, I thought the female victim didn’t know either and it was detected by police, but she was still treated appallingly in court and the media.

Yes I was thinking of the same one.

Just watching this on the BBC news. I don't remember Warboys being given anywhere near this airtime. I can't remember the sexuality of female rape victims being considered either. I don't think that the report is over the top or that this man should not be locked up for a very very long time, but we should be just as outraged by the rape of women.

I'm not sure why the poor woman in Cyprus who's been apparently locked up for reporting gang rape hasn't triggered the Foreign Office to advise against travel to Cyprus, if it had happened to men I wonder how differently it would be treated.

The report on the BBC just now

Is it normal to give out a helpline number? I mean as in “if you are affected by anything similar”, not the separate number they gave if anyone wants to contact police specifically about this rapist.

NY Post already running the story with a headline about the number of heterosexual men raped.

To give them the benefit of the doubt, the helpline may be for people who could have been victims who haven't been found yet.

Doyoumind there were two separate numbers given

One “if you are affected by these issues generally” and one “if you are linked/have information”.

We’re going to hear a lot about male rape now.

Meanwhile, I believe the lady in Cyprus is due to be sentenced tomorrow.

The girl in Cyprus was gang raped on video and police suggested the existence of the video was her motive for lying about her rape.

I just saw on the news that police are appealing for more of Sanaga’s victims to come forward. Because obviously they will be believed.

I just wish women were treated like men. I don't for a moment think that this is anything other than awful and I don't want to diminish their experience. I'm just angry that women are treated so badly.

No support number given out after the Weinstein report.

Not just the reporting. In this case:min prison term of 30 years. Warboys: 8 years.

According to Wiki, Warboys has got two life sentences with a minimum of six years.

I wish they’d drop the term “life sentence” when they clearly don’t mean it.

Yes, this really stood out as being treated differently because the victims were men. How could anyone fail to compare this with Warboys and that poor young woman in Cyprus?

@ConnorRipley I believe I read that tomorrow she's going to be pardoned, given her passport back and allowed to leave the country.

Of course being pardoned is not being proven innocent. Which she is. But I'm glad she's getting out of there and going home.

@placemats wrote,
To add: He is the most prolific rapist and he got life. How do they know this? He is the most prolific rapist, who was caught and charged to date.

Obviously, all those men were believed.

I have already pointed out that the final victim who broke free and went to the police was not believed and was arrested. So placemats claiming that somehow men are more likely to be believed is not true in this instance. The other victims were told that they were victims because they were identified from the videos.
This was a distasteful and inaccurate point by placemats. It suggests that placemats jumped to conclusions based on prejudice. It suggests a lack of concern for these victims of rape.
Not nice.