Let’s stop blaming the victim for being raped: Forum

We were shocked by the then Law Society vice-president’s statements posted recently on social media, and then deleted, which perpetuated the most basic rape myths to imply that a survivor of rape consented to intercourse and was not raped (Concerns of sexual assault victims should not be minimised or dismissed: Shanmugam, March 24; and Singapore-based TikToker found guilty of raping woman he met on Tinder, March 21).

It is more appalling that Mr Chia Boon Teck defended himself by saying that he spoke as a criminal lawyer, when both Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Justice Vincent Hoong unequivocally stated last year in the High Court that the perpetuation of rape myths has no place in our justice system. Rape myths are untrue assumptions and beliefs about why rapes happen, focusing blame on the survivor.

But we want to focus on the impact of such statements. Survivors of rape and other sexual assaults often have a hard time recounting the details of their assault to anyone. This is because of the trauma experienced from the assault. In the past, when they found the courage to do so, they often faced:

• suspicious police officers, who tended to believe the rape myths which blamed the women survivors for the assault;
• defence lawyers who exploited rape myths to defend their clients; and
• judges who allowed lines of questioning perpetuating rape myths. 

We were therefore heartened by the judgments of Chief Justice Menon and Justice Hoong last year that set the record straight on what was relevant. 

Views such as those expressed by Mr Chia stop many survivors from reporting sexual assaults. At Aware’s Sexual Assault Care Centre, we hear from survivors who grapple with whether to file an official report, and seven out of 10 choose not to. The most common reason is the fear of disbelief.

Let us be clear: 

• Agreeing to go on a date via Tinder is not consent to sex.
• Going to a man’s bedroom and sitting on his bed is not consent to sex.
• Being a 30-year-old actress and model is not consent to sex. 

The fact that there were multiple assaults does not imply that she must have consented to sex because it was a prolonged encounter. In fact, this accentuates the extent of the assault and trauma that she suffered. And, most importantly, “No” means “No”. How did the survivor’s “No” progress to “Yes” in the accused’s mind is the question to ask.

No woman should have to defend her character, clothing, profession or dating history when she has been sexually assaulted. Rape is a crime. Let’s stop blaming the victim for being raped.

Sugidha Nithiananthan
Director, Advocacy and Research
Aware

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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