Rape

Illustrations: Raphael Achache

Rape.

Read that word again and take a couple of seconds to think about what it means to you. What is it to rape? What is it to be raped?

It’s a pretty horrible thought, really, isn’t it? I’m guessing that some of you have already stopped reading, and more of you are thinking of some recent news headline. It’s not an easy subject, or a comfortable one, but we need to open up a discourse about it. We need to think about it and we need to approach it in a healthy way: without the victim shaming, the hyperbole around celebrity rape culture, or the worrying norm where many agree that taking someone - especially a woman’s - body is something that is ‘deserved’ or ‘asked for’.

The Office of National Statistics recently published figures showing a huge rise - around a third - in reported rapes in the past year and the highest number ever recorded in England. Some, it is believed, can be attributed to more historic rapings being reported - thanks to that perv with a shit haircut and cigar - but that’s only part of the story. Reported occurrences of rape in the past year have risen by 29%, and rapes involving a blade shot up by around 21%.

Rape is defined as the penetration of someone’s vagina, anus or mouth without their consent. However, there are many other types of sexual abuse, as recognised in the Sexual Offences Act of 2003, which covers sexual assault, sexual harassment and various other forms of abuse. Nottingham City Council is taking steps towards tackling this and are now working with charity Drinkaware, which “aims to address the low level sexual harassment that many young adults experience as part of a normal night out.” Although it’s a great starting point, why is it restricted to low-level sexual harassment?

Violent sexual abuse isn’t limited to nights out and strangers. “In the year 2013/14, approximately 2.5% of all clients who contacted us reported date or drug rape. However, we know that the largest percentage of cases are where the survivor and perpetrator are known to each other, whether that be a family member, partner or acquaintance,” Nottingham Rape Crisis Centre commented.

Started by a group of women worried about the lack of support services for those who had been raped in our city, Nottingham Rape Crisis Centre has now been helping sexual abuse victims for over thirty years, whether through their telephone helpline, counselling, group support or attending court appearances. The centre offers help to everyone; male, female and transgender.

Someone who’s been raped can go from being a person to a victim in one night, changing how others perceive them forever. Sadly, it’s often not as a brave person who has spoken out against their rapist, but as a broken bird who is forever tainted or worse, as a liar who is exaggerating the crime committed against them. The stigma of carrying rape’s emotional baggage around is a huge thing. A better word than victim would be ‘survivor’ and that’s exactly what the Nottingham Rape Crisis Centre calls its attendees. The word survivor reminds people that a raped individual is not weak or broken, but strong and courageous to have come out fighting.

There are Twitter scandals like #GamerGate, the Caroline Cirado-Perez incident and leaked celebrity nude photos. How is a survivor of rape going to feel when women in particular are subjected to rape threats and other such sexual abuse? In this way, women are still being debased, which can also be linked to the phenomenon of ‘victim blaming’; one way for people to shame victims into not coming forward to the police. People are threatened and told that they were to blame for the abuse. This isn’t helped by people in the public eye, for example Cee-Lo Green, Whoopi Goldberg and Nottingham’s very own Ken Clarke.

Words can’t describe how survivors, especially the woman in question, feel about the recent turdstorm surrounding ex-Sheffield United striker Ched Evans, who has just finished a stint in prison - half of his sentence -  for raping a nineteen-year-old woman. Currently Evans is appealing against his sentence, showing little to no remorse for the rape and telling everyone who would listen that it was consensual, despite the victim being deemed too drunk to be able to give consent. His appeal was overruled after he was originally sentenced but, despite all of this, people are looking up to him as a ‘role model’ - it’s laughable.

Judy Madeley caused further controversy when she spoke out that his crime ‘wasn’t violent,’ a throwaway comment that she was rightly slammed for. Can you imagine anything more violent than someone being stripped of their basic right to say no to sex? To have their wishes ignored, or were too incapacitated or scared to say no? I asked Nottingham Rape Crisis Centre about their opinion how the comments of celebrities have the potential to affect survivors: “It is deeply offensive and distressing when celebrity behaviour, popular culture or media messages in any way normalise or excuse sexual violence against women.

“When anyone in the public eye makes disparaging comments or jokes about rape, it trivialises and minimises the significant and devastating impact of this traumatic experience for the survivor and those close to them. This is no laughing matter and the danger is also that any such glib comments or use of humour can then create ‘social norms’ which perpetuate and shape beliefs and attitudes about rape.” 

Conversely, the centre remarks, when celebrities speak out in defiance of rape, “Rape still remains a taboo and uncomfortable subject for many people to talk about. The power of fame can reach a wide audience and help to raise public awareness, dispel myths and stereotypes and bring about a capacity for fundraising – all of which is much needed for ending [sexual violence]. This was recently demonstrated at the Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict Summit where Angelina Jolie was instrumental in helping to pull together a global summit to end wartime rape, and a 140 page Protocol was signed by 151 countries”.

However helpful it is for celebrities to back campaigns against rape, it is time for us to open up a discourse about sexual violence, so that people are not afraid to speak if they are attacked. Currently around two thirds of rape goes unreported and a third of those reported are dropped, according to recent police figures. These numbers need to lessen, and very quickly.

We spoke to Nottingham Rape Crisis Centre, who have the following advice of what to do if you are raped...

Straight after the incident
• Ensure safety of yourself and any children
• Try to keep warm as you might be in shock
• See if a friend or someone you trust can be with you
• If you don't feel able to talk to a friend or family member, you can contact Nottingham’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre on 0845 600 1588 or call Nottinghamshire Rape Crisis Centre on 0115 941 0440
• However you are feeling, try to remember that this is not your fault, you are not to blame, and you are not alone

Sexual Assault Referral Centre
If you are not sure whether you want to report to the Police yet or not, you can go along to Nottingham’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) if you are aged 18 or over.  The centre offers a supportive environment and a place for statement taking forensic examination and a sexual health centre, if you don’t wish to contact the police at the current time.

If you do decide to have a forensic medical examination at the SARC, time is an important consideration. If you want forensic evidence to be collected, you should try and go to the SARC straight away if you can, ideally within 72 hours or at least within 7 days.  Also try, if possible, to take these steps:
• Not to bath or shower/ wash hands
• Not to clean teeth
• Not to have a drink
• Not to brush hair
• Collect sample of urine if needing toilet
• Keep toilet tissue (put in bag)
• Bring pants / bra / bedding and any other clothing worn at time of incident
• Bring spare clothes to the SARC if still wearing clothes from incident
• Anyone under 18 years of age will need to have Police involvement
Don't worry if you have already done some of these things, it is possible that there is still forensic evidence to collect.
Nottingham SARC Helpline (24 hours) 0845 600 1588

Historic Incidents
You can still contact Nottinghamshire Rape Crisis Centre even if the incident happened years ago.

If you are having difficulty coping please call us on our helpline where a trained worker will be able to tell you about the services we can offer and the ways in which we can help.

If you are a survivor of sexual abuse and want to talk to someone, please contact Nottingham Rape Crisis Centre on 0115 941 0440, who can provide you with tools to help you deal with what’s happened to you.

Nottingham Rape Crisis Centre website