Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Like the spider and the fly. Wasn't she saying, 'Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly?

Recently in one of my classes we talked about the justification of rape, and the differences between the reasons for justification among men and women. It was stated that men often justify the rape of women, saying the victim often asks for it, by the way they dress or act. Women justify the rape of women, saying the victim obviously did something wrong, like walking alone at night, or going on dates with strangers. I find this disturbing for more than one reason, the first being, that rape, regardless of who the victim is, shouldn't be justified, and secondly because the rape of men is often shadowed or never addressed, as if its a myth that men, just like women, are often subject to horrible sexual crimes too.

Ironically I stumble upon this article (click me) directly addressing a specific case in which a lawyer tries to justify the gang rape of an 11 year old girl by 20 men ranging from middle school age to 21+, stating she "asked for it", and "lured her attackers like a spider lurs a fly to a web". Firstly, I can't help but acknowledge that this defense was in fact used in a court case recently. Secondly, I can't help but be a little angered that a minor, is made to look like she wanted to be raped, or was completely able to consent to sexual activity, let alone with 10+ men.
I admit, I half expect men to be less empathetic towards rape and rape victims, but I guess I wasn't expecting a highly educated man to be so ignorant to the implications of what he is saying about this little girl and about the act of rape in general.

I think he is saying rapists are justified if they feel any inkling of an "invitation" from their victims; if they don't cry out they want it, even if they are minors. What implications could he be making about rape victims? What could this do to how rape is viewed, if this specific case changes anything at all.

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