UK & World News
- 22 September 2012, 21:08
'SlutWalkers' Step Up Demand For Justice
Hundreds of women dressed in their underwear have marched through London in protest at the way the legal system 'lets down' rape victims.
The demonstration was organised as part of the SlutWalk movement, which calls for a change in police and prosecution priorities to get more rapists and sex offenders behind bars.
Earlier this week, around a dozen protesters protested opposite Downing Street to call on Prime Minister David Cameron to ensure the criminal justice system takes rape and sexual assault cases more seriously.
Student Anastasia Richardson, 18, said: "All the failings of the police and courts, they are only allowed to happen because there is not proper supervision at the top, because rape is not being made a priority within the justice system.
"Rape is essentially legal in this country. That is very much his (Mr Cameron's) responsibility to stop."
According to the activists, only seven out of every 100 reported rapes end in conviction.
"SlutWalk wants justice for the thousands of rape survivors who were told by the police and courts that they were dressed too provocatively, they didn't scream loudly enough, they were too drunk or too young or too mentally ill to understand what had happened to them," a spokeswoman said.
"It does terrible things to people when they don't get justice. Without justice there is no protection for you, your friends or family - whoever got away with it and others like him will expect to get away with it again.
"By marching again this year, we are letting the authorities know that we will not go away until they take rape seriously by thoroughly investigating and prosecuting."
The SlutWalk movement began in 2011 after a Toronto policeman caused an outcry by telling a group of students that women should not dress provocatively in order to avoid being sexually assaulted.
Thousands of women have since joined protests and marches in countries including Canada, the US and Britain.
Update:
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what do you think?
Davefly Theuniuonflagbrown
How can you take these people seriously when by their own figures only 3% of rape claims result in a conviction. This means that 97% of all rape claims are false?
Emma Allum
I thought that worked out to 7%, and the message is that not enough cases end in conviction, meaning, potentially, that an awful lot of complaints and allegations are not treated seriously or investigated thoroughly.
John Davison
A lot of these cases don't even get to court through 'insufficient likliehood of securing a conviction', Dave. I know a lot of men who are predators and the line between forced consent and rape is very thin. Some men just don't know how to take no for an answer.
Rhys Sage
7% of rape complaints lead to conviction? How about 93% of rape complaints are found to be lies? How many cases are there of women lying about rape to get attention and then getting an innocent man convicted. I know of several - one was reported the other day in the US where a man was convicted on false evidence of rape and spent 5 years in jail. Then he secretly recorded his "victim" confessing to falsely accusing him and now she is in jail.
Emma Allum
Of course there are loads of false claims which are just disgusting and rightly treated as a criminal offence, but there are plenty that aren't which are disregarded. 93% is a pretty large amount of women that are lying.
John Davison
Got to dusagree with you Rhys. The system is such that women don't really feel secure in going to the police with this. The story saud 7 out of 100 'reported' rapes! This is just the tip of the iceberg. women don't report it because they know that currently they ae not being taken seriously. A wife reports a rape and she will also get accusing looks from the husband like she should have fought to the death! In almost all cases men are physically stonger than their victims and the survival instinct kicks in. Rape never killed anybody, but the shame and rejection that follows does. I don't suppose there are any statistics on how many rape victims later commit suicide.
Angela White
Only a man can sit there and claim that the 93% not convicted means the women attacked were lying. As a woman I feel the vulnerability of the possibility of rape and know in reality how easily it can happen. Some people still dont think rape is rape when a husband rapes his wife so these women have an important voice. The attitudes need to change but unless one of these men go through it they have no idea.
gengisken1227
4:53pm on 22/9/2012
Not wearing skirts up around their waists might help
Emma Allum
6:42pm on 22/9/2012
I dislike skirts that leave little to the imagination, but surely people should be able to wear what they like without 'inviting rape'. I personally have never felt the least inclination to rape a guy because he has his shirt off.
Julie Crumpton
8:35pm on 22/9/2012
Hmm, that's going to get some negative comments, geng, but I think I know where your coming from, we live in a sick society, and while women should be able to wear what they like, they can't , it's as simple as that, too dangerous, I have never understood the need by women to show all they've got, but that's just my opinion, ideal world wear what you like, this world....at your own risk
John Davison
9:26am on 23/9/2012
Julie, that 'at there own risk' should still not be an invite to rape. What do we do get women to dress just as the Muslims do?
Chris Robinson
12:48pm on 23/9/2012
Gengis, you're typical of that caveman attitude like the Canadian policeman whose stupid remark started all this. Do you really think then, rape is the woman's fault not the rapist? Does wearing a short skirt tell men it's 'okay to rape'? Dear me. You object to women 'wearing skirts up around their waists', as you crudely put it. I think this debate is way 'above your head'.
Michael Booth
2:00pm on 23/9/2012
geng..... do you find your arms are too long and your knuckles drag on the floor?