Rape facts

Some people may perhaps still believe that rape often times involve some perverted stranger jumping out from behind bushes late at night.

The figures below should indeed points to the undisputible, statistical facts that the assault rape by some "lurking weirdo" is not as prevalent as one might be led to believe by watching the news.

Of course, assault rape by total strangers do happen ... in fact you may read about hundreds upon hundreds of such cases in my e-book series: Women Can. And these are only cases where women fought back successfully.

Still, most rapes and attempted rapes are done by someone the victim knows, like a neighbour. And even though the below story is from India, it is really universal in nature.

Story:
India -- Figures collected from different police stations in Surat show that neighbours were involved in 23 out of the 45 rape or rape attempt cases registered during 2007. Girls aged between three and 15 were victims in 18 of the cases.

Neighbours were followed by other close acquaintances such as friends, who were involved in six cases. In three cases, rickshaw drivers were found to be involved, while the crime was committed in one case each by a tenant and a landlord.

Lover and to-be husband were found involved in two rape cases, while the father of a victim was the guilty in one case. The accused in four of the cases have not been identified so far, the police records show.

A police spokesman said that such cases are taking place not only in Surat, but are a common occurrence all over the country. He further said in many cases victim's neighbours or other acquaintances were involved as victims are in regular contact with them.

Stockholm stats

A recent report from the 'Center for Public Health' shows that there was 6800 cases of assault on women reported to police in Stockholm during 2006 (in average 19 cases per day). There was 1178 rapes, on average 3 reports per day.

Two thirds of the women was subject to assault indoor, often by a spouse or family member. Karen Leander (who wrote the report) criticise the media for giving a false image of violence towards women. Media tend to spread the idea that women are being assaulted and raped by strangers, outside in the dark, she says.

She goes on to state that even rapes and assaults outdoors are, for a major part, being carried out by someone the victim knows.

Retrial

Holy mother ...

Story:
The 19-year-old girl sentenced to death by hanging in Iran last year is to be retried on Wednesday after a Canadian singer launched an international campaign to save her.

Nazanin Fatehi was sentenced to death a year ago, on 3 January 2006, after admitting having stabbed to death one of three men who tried to rape her and a 16-year-old relative. She was 17 at the time.

The pop singer and former Miss Canada Nazanin Afshin-Jam learnt of her case and has since become the figurehead of the campaign to have her freed.

Negar Azmudeh, a Canadian lawyer who has previously spoken out on Ms Fatehi's case, said that the fact that she and her niece were in a park in the evening may have some bearing on whether the defence is considered valid.

Ms Azmudeh cited a case where a woman was prosecuted for injuring her boss as he tried to rape her at work: "Because she had showed up at work on a Friday [a weekend day in Iran] they could not claim 'self-defence' because her presence at the office on a Friday when she knew the boss was there constituted her 'invitation' to be raped."

Source

Uncovered meat

Here are the top three worst statements of 2006, according to statementbank.com.
What can a poor man possibly say, apart from the occasional 'wow!'; and sporting an ever-so-slightly raised eyebrow or two?

Of course, statements #1 and 2 are fantastic (... stupid, that is).
Still, #3 is the reason I've included these "Listen, I've gone way past beyond the point of being really stupid" statements here.
After all, if you can't blame "Mr P" (aka. "Junior"), it's got to be a she - right? Don't tell me sexual violence against women can have anything at all to do with how we men act, think, feel and communicate? No!

1. "There is no state with a democracy except Libya on the whole planet."
Libya’s leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi (April 3, 2006).

2. "I am the Jesus Christ of politics."
Silvio Berlusconi, Italian Prime Minister at the time (February 27, 2006).

3. "The uncovered meat is the problem … If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab, no problem would have occurred."
Muslim leader Sheikh Taj Din al-Hilali, arguing that men cannot be blamed for brutal attacks on women (November 6, 2006).

And just to balance things a little, here's a great observation for you. This statement made it to #4 in the "Best Statement 2006" category:

4. All those parents who are preoccupied with making demands on schools and teachers should rather spend some of their effort on raising their own children, so they don't turn into anti-social little monsters.
Editorial in the Danish online publication "Ekstra Bladet." (March 11/12, 2006)

Not me - Mr Pee!

Sorry folks, how could I miss out on this?
After all, it's the ultimate form of stupidity - really!
But then again you might want to try this "not me" variation if you ever should be accused of delivering physical harm to someones exterior (we tend to call such activity an "attitude adjuster") - blame your body parts!
"No, your Honor, it wasn't me, it was my left hand. Then what do you know, suddenly my right hand kind of just joined in."

Story:
A 21-year-old man who was Wednesday convicted for attempted rape told a Jabi Chief Magistrates' Court that his penis should be blamed for the offence.

Source

False reports

This is such a cruel, egotistical, terrible thing to do.
First of all it shows a monumental lack of respect towards all those that are actual victims of sexual crimes.
Then it gives unneeded ammunition to those (few, but very vocal) who argue that "a large number of rape reports are false."
It also stir up fear, uncertainty and anger amongst other residents in the area of the bogus alert. Finally, it puts unnecessary loads of work on the police.

And for what? Because her boyfriend had forgotten their anniversary... I'm at loss for words.

I can understand that a young girl or a teen can make up a story to achieve something, like gaining sympathy, or covering up the fact that she's been out late. But from what I understand this is an adult. Again, I don't know what to say.

Story:
A woman who told police she was grabbed and dragged into the woods while walking in Lake Oswego Tuesday evening, sparking a widespread manhunt, actually made the whole story up, according to police who said she confessed Friday.

Her story changed after ongoing questioning from police who became suspicious when she refused to cooperate with investigators.

The woman allegedly filed a report of kidnapping and attempted rape because her boyfriend had forgotten their anniversary, police said.

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Myths and realities

Here's a great article from snopes.com that you ought to read!

It points to some e-mail spam that is floating around in cyber-space, and which gives women a lot of strange, and even directly misleading advice about rape and rape prevention.

I have read the same e-mail many times over - being passed on as "good advice". Like I said, do yourself a service and read the truth about this giant load of doo-doo! There are a few good points, but the majority is really way off!

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