Acquaintance Rape
82% of completed rapes are committed by non-strangers (Law &
Justice Foundation Survey 2003).
70% of rape victims develop some form of Rape-related Posttraumatic
Stress Disorder. (Law & Justice Survey 2003).
Overview
When most people think of rape, they visualize an unknown lunatic
violently dragging a defenseless person into a dark alley. This
is a very inaccurate portrayal. Almost Nine out of Ten rapes are
committed by attackers who knew or recognized their victims .
Acquaintance rape is a sexual assault by an individual known to
the victim. Another term "date rape" is a sexual assault
by an individual with whom the victim has a "dating" relationship
and the sexual assault occurs in the context of this relationship.
Many of these rapes are violent, and all are coercive in nature.
The perpetrators of acquaintance rape do not fit an easily recognized
profile. However, some similar characteristics have been found in
acquaintance rapists including:
- A propensity toward violence in problem-solving;
- Aggressiveness in intimate relationships; and
- Being overly demanding of partners.
While most victims of acquaintance rape are female, males can also
be the victims of this type of sexual assault. Victims of acquaintance
rape come from every socio-economic, cultural, religious and racial
background.
Many myths incorrectly characterize rape victims as "sexually
loose" individuals who are "asking for it." On the
contrary, victims of acquaintance rape are victims of violence and
domination. The prejudicial myths and attitudes surrounding rape
victims are what hinder the criminal justice system in India. Quite
often the evidence depends on the victim's word against that of
the rapist's; therefore, instead of the offender being tried, the
victim's morals, lifestyle, dress and actions are put on trial.
As a result, convictions are difficult to get, and police and prosecutors
are often reluctant to pursue acquaintance rape cases.
Another factor in the reluctance of the Indian criminal justice
system to pursue acquaintance rape cases is that alcohol is often
involved. Law & Justice Survey 2003 found that 75 percent (85%)
of the males and 50 percent (50%) of the females involved in college
campus acquaintance rapes had been drinking when the sexual assault
occurred . Social standards condemn individuals for getting drunk
and place blame on them when they are raped while drinking any alcohol,
regardless of whether they were intoxicated at the time of the assault.
In reality, whether the victim is drinking or not, the simple act
of saying "no" means just that no consent has been given.
If the victim is intoxicated, then there can be no capacity to consent.
However, the voluntary intoxication of an offender cannot be used
as a legal defense for committing the crime of sexual assault.
Victims of acquaintance rape face problems which are very specific
to their type of victimization. Because the rapists may have been
a part of their lives or someone with whom they socialize, victims
often have to face their assailants after the rapes-causing distress,
fear and humiliation for the victim.
Victims of acquaintance rape frequently blame themselves for a
violent crime over which they had no control. Because the assailants
are previously known to them, many victims hold themselves accountable
for not having better judged the character of their perpetrators,
or for allowing themselves to be in the situation in which the rape
occurred. Acquaintance rape victims also experience an extreme violation
of trust because this individual they allowed into their life violated
all that trust and committed a horrible crime against them.
The trauma caused by acquaintance rape is no less severe than the
trauma that is associated with rape by a stranger. Victims can suffer
physically, emotionally and financially. Rape-related Posttraumatic
Stress Disorder, a condition suffered by almost all of rape victims,
includes sleeping and eating disorders, nervousness, fatigue, withdrawal
from society and distrust of others. Many victims suffer from one
or several of these symptoms, and some victims are affected for
many years.
Many acquaintance rape victims never reach out for the services
and assistance they need in the aftermath of their victimization.
Only 10 percent (10%) of rape victims report the crime to the police
(Law & Justice Foundation Survey 2003). When victims do step
forward and report, they are often not believed or experience difficulty
in receiving proper services.
Victims of acquaintance rape need a variety of rights and services
including:
- Confidentiality and privacy protection;
- Medical care;
- Accurate information concerning HIV/AIDS and STDs;
- Counseling;
- Compensation; and
- Restitution.
Victims also need information about the criminal case during the
investigation, trial and corrections system, as well as information
about the offender's known HIV/AIDS status.
Acquaintance rape victims have myriad concerns. The fear of being
blamed, fear of their families, friends or the general public knowing
about their victimization, or a sense of futileness due to the belief
that justice will not be served prevent many victims from coming
forward. Preventing secondary victimizations to acquaintance rape
victims by the criminal justice system and society is a major concern
of the victims' rights movement.
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