Caramel Contemplation

I recently came across a survey of called "Wake Up to Rape". Approximately 1,061 Londoners aged between 18 and 50 took part in the survey and revealed what they thought the causes of rape were. I was utterly shocked at the results!

Around a fifth of women that took the survey believed the victim was responsible if they went home with the assailant and one in eight women said that wearing revealing clothing, dancing provocatively or displaying flirtatious behavior made the victim partly to blame for what happened to them. This all according to Reuters UK. Close to a further three quarters of female respondents believed that getting into bed with the attacker warranted the rape. In other words what these women believe is that certain behaviour warrants rape and the victim should be held liable in these cases. So basically we as women do not have any rights to self expression and freedom of choice then.

Quick question, since when is a victim to blame for a crime against them? I find this absolutely ridiculous! If a person is mugged on the street do we say that it's their fault? They shouldn't have dressed so well, they made themselves a target by looking rich! They should not have walked down that street, they should have known better! Maybe they gave money away willingly in the past, HOW DARE THEY DO SUCH A THING?! Now they want the police to believe that their cellphone and money was taken away from them forcefully? Since when has society started believing that the crime lies not with the perpetrator who broke the law but with the victim of the crime?

As women, have we become so programmed by society and the media that we believe if we avoid short skirts, act like prudes and stay away from men that we can possibly prevent our own rapes? This is completely ludicrous yet sadly true. An 11 year old American girl was raped by 19 men and the only response that was given by one of the attackers was that she did not look 11. Does that make it right? Another case, a 12 year old Texan girl was gang raped after a football match and a FEMALE judge ruled that she was to blame for her attack. WTF???
At just to bring this back home, some of our very own South African men believe that if a woman is seen wearing a short skirt she is asking for it. Have we all gone mad? This is all happening while only 1 out of 16 men will get prosecuted for rape. What is happening in our world?

I would like to make this point clear to anyone who is reading this- If you do not give him CONSENT then it is RAPE! Consent is not a short skirt. It is not flirtatious behaviour. It is not me being friendly to you. It is not me being out late at night. Consent is not me going home with you for a drink and it is certainly NOT me getting into the same bed as you! GET IT RIGHT!