The "so what can we actually do" thread...

[ImSoNotTelling]

Hello

Following on from the thread about changing the law on rape to grant anonimity to the accused, a few people have started to think about what we can do to get involved, to actually try and change stuff.

So I guess this thread is for suggestions, ideas, and for people to link up to actually try to change things.

So far we have someone possibly standing for pariament!

So come on everyone.

What's the plan....

mariella doesn't appear to tweet but I have tweeted everyone I can think of so that's a start. However I have @ed (bleugh!) everyone who has commented on her article. That @thing definitely works - I have had replies from people before who definitely don't follow me

Good stuff prolesworth re Rape Crisis

I'm well out of it with all this tweeting malarky...

But I have told my friend!

None of my friends have signed (though one is already a member of the FB group against this and is merrily challenging rape myths on there, bless him). It is taking all my reasonableness not to feel quite miffed with them, especially the ones who call themselves feminists. Thing is, I know it all sounds like a very reasonable, liberal change in the law at first, but I would hope that my actual friends would think enough of my opinions to at least suspect that if I am banging on about it this much it is worth reading the links and having a think about it. Apparently not

I've been having a scan through the thread, what are the eventual aims of the campaign?

I'm still in two minds about the change in legislation, I'm still not quite sure about what I make of it.

But I was thinking about what could be done to help the victims in court.

How about specialist courts for rape victims or for any victims of a serious sexual offence. They have specialist courts for dommestic violence victims. Why not rape? You could have magistrates, baristas and other such legal bods trained with regards to this sort of thing.

This is a very rough idea I must admit. The courts need to be trained to help victims who have already gone through a tramatic experience who will once again have to relive it in the witness box to be able to give their evidence and see justice done.

Have you thought about sending letters to the home secretary or finding out who is in charge of the way court proceedings are held? There should also be specialist rape lawyers working for CPS who are trained to deal with rape cases as well. They should also have more courage to prosecute as well.

Urmmm thats all I've got for now. I'll be signing the petition soon.

I didn't know there were different courts for DV. In that case it seems odd that they don't have different ones for sexual violence as well.

Just caught up with all of this and also think 'I believe you' is a really wonderful and empowering slogan. I will help in way I cna and have got a few friends and DH to sign the petition, but I think there may be too much replication with other rape campaign groups. I haven't had anything to do with any of them but this has made me look at them afresh and wonder how I can get involved.

Imsonottelling It is a bit odd that we don't isn't it, we've finally cottoned on to the seriousness of Dommestic violence and yet for sexual offences we don't seem to have anything like that. Yet victims of abuse and rape often have life long issues from what happened to them. Take the case with the little girl thats been in the press recently. I have no clue what may or may not have happened there and I really don't know about if we should have tried the little boys. But what I do wonder is if we are helping matters by tearing apart the case in the public press. That kind of thing can't help anybody can it.

Maybe there should be a closed court process with rape cases where it's very low key and as gentle as you can be with things like that.

I do like the 'I believe you' slogan though.

I'm halfway through my blog post but I've lost the link to the petition! Can anyone post it again? I know I should go back and look but my computer is being insanely slow today - it's taken me ten minutes to long into MN and open the thread!

link to petition

Thanks!

I think this blog post encapsulates the reactions I've been getting. I need a recap of the best arguments against the "equality before the law" point.

I've argued (not with this guy but elsewhere) that the equality between complainant/defendant here is a red herring - what disadvantage does it cause the defendant if the complainant has anonymity and the defendant doesn't? but to no avail.

Actually probably best to post them directly on the guy's blog. The one comment that someone has put on there is very good.

here.

Right! I've posted the link on Pandora's Aquarium - and some people have already seen it on facebook.

I'll finish the blog post now and email it out to everyone I know.

Oh you're right Prolesworth, it's so disheartening - soul-destroying is right. It's onw thing to know those attitudes exist but to actually be battling against them at every turn is just... makes it seem impossible, doesn't it? Oh well, must keep trying...