Victims of rape are stigmatized and blamed for their own victimization. Consequently, the justice system often fails to convict sexual criminals.
Educational reform is needed throughout the justice system in order to end the validation of sexist stereotypes and to provide the possibility of true justice.
By signing this petition a letter will be sent to the Canadian Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, requesting mandatory educational reforms for those who work within the justice sytem.
To: The Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime:
Good day. We the undersigned are writing because we wish to recommend changes that will eradicate or reduce the sexist persecution by the justice system of sex assault victims.
The current sex assault defense of honest but mistaken belief in consent is problematic because of a persistent belief in sexist stereotypes about women. A bias against victims of sex assault is pervasive within our culture and perpetuated and reproduced by the justice system. This unfairly promotes a blame-the-victim mentality and results in a culture that condones sexual assault.
The myth of the slut is the cornerstone of discrimination against women. It must be eradicated at the top levels of our justice system. The leaders of our legal system set an example for the rest of society, so the standards they set impact everyone, for better or for worse. It%u2019s time for change.
For these reasons, educational reform must begin immediately at all levels of our society and especially among those who work within our justice system. Judges, lawyers, law enforcement officers and juries should all receive mandatory intensive training until they no longer validate the stereotypical, ideological, patriarchal construct of the %u201Cslut%u201D.
Please ensure that mandatory, intensive educational reforms take effect as soon as possible.
Thank you for your attention.
