Rape myths are ‘horrific form of victim-blaming’ and ‘appalling’
Deniz Ugur, deputy director of the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) coalition, said: ‘It is really appalling to see defence lawyers intentionally lean into a whole range of tired tropes and myths about rape.
‘Rape is always about a perpetrator choosing to abuse power. There are many reasons why rape victims do not and cannot ‘fight back’.’
Ms Ugur said it can be an automatic response to ‘freeze’ in fear, adding: ‘When a perpetrator has, or is perceived to have, a significant amount of power, this dynamic can be heightened.’
She added: ‘Rape myths like the ones we’ve seen in this case have no place in the courtroom.’
Amelia Handy, head of policy and public affairs at Rape Crisis England and Wales, said rape is ‘treated with exceptionalism in the criminal justice system – with no other type of crime is the victim so intensely scrutinised or blamed’.
She added: ‘Whilst the police and CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) have acknowledged how rape myths and stereotypes impact investigations and case-building, too often we see them deployed by barristers in the courtroom.
‘Misconceptions about rape and sexual abuse remain deeply embedded in wider society. As a cross-section of society, juries won’t be immune to these ideas either.
‘Too often, attention shifts away from the actions of the accused and onto the credibility and behaviour of the complainant.
‘Questions such as ‘why didn’t you fight back?’ or ‘why didn’t you scream?’ reinforce myths about what rape looks like and how a victim is expected to behave.’
She added: ‘Whether someone fought back, and whether they reported immediately, are not indicators of whether an offence occurred.
‘They reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of trauma, fear and human survival responses, and risk reinforcing harmful myths rather than helping establish the facts.’
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