In the past year, a Great Britain government office considered 15 rape victims to be partially responsible for the assault because they had been drinking alcohol. These 15 victims' standard Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) payout of £11,000 was reduced by up to 25 percent because they had consumed alcohol prior to being raped.
One victim, Helen, told London newspaper The Guardian that "I felt like I was being punished . . . It was like going back to the '70s, saying 'she was asking for it.'"
Blaming the victim in rape cases is unacceptable. Although the CICA has since reversed its decision in Helen's case because she challenged the decision legally, the agency is refusing to open the other 14 cases for review unless the victims in question ask for it. But challenges must be brought within 90 days, meaning many of the women's opportunities to do so have already passed.
Tell the CICA: Take responsibility for your initial mistake and open the other 14 cases for review!
For more information, see article in The Guardian.
We took action on “Institute Review of 14 Cases Where Rape Victims Were Blamed”!
# 4,130:
3:10 pm PDT, Aug 14,Vicky Kontou, Germany
# 4,129:
1:34 pm PDT, Aug 11,Rachel Faber, New Jersey
# 4,128:
10:33 am PDT, Aug 11,Norma Roberts, United Kingdom
# 4,127:
4:06 pm PDT, Aug 10,Gisel Rodriguez Vale, Puerto Rico
# 4,126:
9:14 pm PDT, Aug 7,Name not displayed, Kentucky
# 4,125:
11:24 am PDT, Aug 5,Josh Wolff, Florida
# 4,124:
10:10 am PDT, Aug 5,Name not displayed, Ohio
# 4,123:
8:46 am PDT, Aug 4,Denise Dunlap, Virginia
# 4,122:
5:03 am PDT, Aug 3,Sarah Learmonth, United Kingdom
# 4,121:
3:34 pm PDT, Aug 2,Norm Conrad, Washington
# 4,120:
10:44 am PDT, Aug 2,Dave Nielsen, Oregon
# 4,119:
2:56 pm PDT, Jul 31,DaViD AnD DeBrA, Texas
# 4,118:
12:45 pm PDT, Jul 31,Laura Mrtnz, Texas
# 4,117:
9:49 am PDT, Jul 31,Amanda Haines, United Kingdom
There is too much victim blaming in our culture. If a woman does not consent, it is rape. It is disgusting that these raped are considered to be in any way a lesser offense because the women had been drinking.
# 4,116:
7:23 pm PDT, Jul 30,Name not displayed, Washington
10:21 am PDT, Jul 23,Barbara Tomlinson, Washington
I was raped after I had consumed a small amount of alcohol. I was not drunk, nor did I "ask for it". When I resisted, the rapist literally beat me into submission. I did not press charges, as this was back in the "dark ages" when I knew that as the victim I would be blamed as I had consumed a glass of wine beforehand, and gone to the man's apartment {since he at first acted like someone I could trust}. I did NOT go to his apartment expecting sex! But, back in those antidiluvian times, I could see how that would look in court. I had to stay in bed alone in my own apartment while my bruises hurt and healed. I had thought we had made more progress since those times! Apparently, not always or everywhere.
