A Solution To Rape

[redheadedfemme]

Gakked from a thread on ginmar 's journal, written by flewellyn .

   1. Take rape claims seriously. If a woman says someone raped her, believe her until and unless there is incontrovertible proof that it didn't happen (hint: this is rare).
   2. Prosecute rape fairly. This means no referring to it as "alleged rape" or "alleged victim", no dredging up the victim's sexual history or habits as "defense", no insinuations that she deserved it somehow, and certainly no involving race or class in determining whether or not to punish the perpetrator. And, most importantly, no assuming that a woman defaults to consenting unless she says "no" loud enough or fights hard enough. Default should be nonconsent unless she says or otherwise indicates "yes" unambiguously.
   3. Actually punish rape. Sentences for rape should be in the range of 15-20 years, at least. When four young men who gang-rape a drugged girl on camera can get 6 years, there is a problem.
   4. Teach our children that women and girls are not strange, weird, icky things, but are just normal people. It is very possible to raise boys so that they don't hate girls. Hating girls and women is taught. We need to stop people from teaching it.

Sounds good to me.

Comments

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

Sounds good to me, too.

[amqu.livejournal.com]

1. Take rape claims seriously. If a woman says someone raped her, believe her until and unless there is incontrovertible proof that it didn't happen (hint: this is rare).

No doubt it is rare, comparatively speaking. But that still leaves a large number of false rape claims made every year.

I don't think that means a rape claim should be disbelieved. But I also don't think that means automatically assumming her claimed assailant is guilty, either. Presumed innocent until proven guilty is a cornerstone of American justice.

You haven't said that the assailant in a rape claim should be automatically presumed guilty, so I'm just clarifying that point.

One incident where we can see why we shouldn't automatically presume someone is guilty of a rape charge simply because a claim is made.

[(Anonymous)]

If a woman says someone raped her, believe her until and unless there is incontrovertible proof that it didn't happen (hint: this is rare).

????

Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? And 'alleged' is how we refer to charges until they are proven, by the way. A woman alleges she was raped, then it remains an alleged rape until proven in court.